Tethered 01 - Catalyst (5 page)

“You could at least paint the walls. You’re the owner now, who says they have to stay this farm-girl, buttercup yellow?”

I smiled. “Another day. Right now, let’s head to the beach and see if we can find you a guy so you don’t make me redo my entire house over the next two weeks because you’re bored.”

The beach was only a few yards away from the back door of my inherited house. Slipping my flip-flops off, I carried them between my fingers as I squished my toes into the cool sand while walking to the water’s edge alongside Vera. I inhaled the salty breeze and enjoyed the dampness of the warm air against my skin as it seeped through my pores and rejuvenated me from the inside out. Stepping farther out, I let the surprisingly warm water slip against my ankles.

I’d always loved the water. Well, at least looking at it. I wasn’t much of a swimmer. In fact, I didn’t know how. Sure, I could doggy paddle like nobody’s business, but that didn’t really count as swimming in a time of crisis. Nope, swimming wasn’t my thing. I didn’t understand the hype of tiring yourself out to the point of exhaustion like that and calling it fun. I preferred to sit quietly near the water’s edge and read.

“This is gorgeous,” Vera said. “You are
so
not selling this house. I know I’ve already said that a few times, but it’s because I mean it! I want to come back here every summer.”

I laughed. “That could be arranged.”

I didn’t say what I was thinking, how I was seriously considering moving here for good, even though the people of Fisherman’s Brew didn’t seem to want me here.

Vera and I continued down the strip of sandy shoreline a little farther. The warm wind blew through my hair, its saltiness clearing my sinuses with every breath I took. Claritin be damned, all anyone needed to set their allergies right was a little ocean air.

“Well
hello
,” Vera said, glancing somewhere down the beach. “This town is just hopping with scorching hot fisherman fling material.”

I glanced to see who she’d spotted this time and couldn’t agree more. The never-ending supply of hot guys here did seem to play in the town’s favor. I watched as the Ken doll look-alike continued jogging down the beach and closer to where we stood, towing his large golden retriever alongside him. He wore baby blue athletic shorts and a crisp white T-shirt.

“Good God, what is in the water here? These guys are all picture perfect little morsels,” Vera breathed, her eyes still glued to Mr. Hottie as we paused where we stood.

“Please don’t talk about him like he’s food.” I grinned. Once she got on that kick, I’d hear it about every guy that was decent looking within a five-mile radius for the next two weeks.

“Oh, he stopped to talk to a couple. Quick, look at him.” She turned her head sharply in his direction to stare openly at him. “Could he be any more perfect?”

I rolled my eyes, but turned my head to glance at him anyway. He was more than easy on the eyes—lean, but thickly muscled, with dirty blond hair and sun-kissed skin. He stood talking with a dark-haired guy and a brunette girl who were holding hands and clearly a couple. Suddenly, I felt like a creeper standing there staring at them, ogling the guy’s good looks.

“Let’s head back to the house. I’m exhausted,” I said, turning around.

“Yeah, all right. He’s probably got a girlfriend anyway.”

I’d only taken four steps back toward my house when Ken doll’s dog was at my feet, blocking me from going any farther. He stood in front of me, wagging his tail and panting loudly like he’d raced over to greet me as fast as he could.

“Dibs! Dibs, get over here!” Ken doll shouted as he jogged in our direction.

“Thank you, Fate,” Vera whispered under her breath as she tossed her eyes up to the sky.

Dibs nudged at my hand. I laughed and bent down to pet him like he wanted. “Hey, there.”

“I’m so sorry. He just got away from me,” Mr. Hottie said as he rushed over to retrieve his dog.

“No, it’s okay,” Vera said with a wide smile. “My friend here has been like the animal whisperer lately or something.”

I eyed Vera.
The
animal whisperer
, really?

“The animal whisperer, huh? Well, he does seem to like you,” Mr. Hottie said, flashing a knee-weakening smile my way.

“Aw, he’s a cutie. Love his name too,” I said as I stood.

“Thanks. I called dibs on him first out of my grandfather’s dog’s litter…so, Dibs it was.” He grinned and his eyes locked with mine intently. They were a light, icy blue. It was a color that I was sure could appear cold on some, but on him, with that smile, they didn’t seem cold at all. In fact, they made my knees go weak. “I’m Kace by the way, Kace Sullivan.”

“Hey, I’m Vera Collins and this is my friend, Addison Harmon,” Vera chimed in before I could introduce myself. Locking eyes with Kace, I’d honestly forgotten she’d been standing there for a moment.

“Nice to meet you two. Are you guys vacationing here or something?” Kace asked, his blue eyes shifting back to me.

“Sort of,” I said, tucking a strand of hair that kept blowing across my face from the wind behind my ear.

“Addison here inherited a house just over there. I’m only here for two weeks, but she’s here for the summer,” Vera informed him. I was learning she’d never fully outgrown the bad habit of giving away too much information to strangers from when we were kids.

“Awesome. Which place?” Kace asked with interest.

Dibs nudged my hand again, and I reached down to pet him for a second time. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Umm, it’s that white one over there.”

Kace glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, that’s old lady Avery’s house.”

My stomach flipped and I stood up once again, abandoning petting Dibs. “Old lady Avery’s house?” Why was my grandmother’s name my middle name?

Dibs jumped up on me to gain my attention back and nearly knocked me over. Kace tugged on his leash. “Leave her alone, buddy. She doesn’t want to pet you anymore,” he said, pulling Dibs away. “Yeah, old lady Avery lived there for like forever. She was real sweet. Made the best peanut butter cookies ever. I don’t remember much about her, because I was so little when she passed away, but I do remember those cookies.” A severe gleam entered his eyes, making them appear a bit brighter. “Were you related to her or something?”

“Yeah, she was my grandmother,” I said, the words feeling odd to my lips, as questions I’d rather not think about entered my mind.

If she was so nice, then why didn’t she take me when my biological mom didn’t want me?

“Enough with the depressing talk,” Vera interrupted my thoughts, and honestly I was grateful. “Are there any clubs or cool places to party around here that I missed seeing on the drive in?”

Kace laughed and it was beautiful sounding. “Clubs? No. Not in this little town.”

Vera frowned. “So what do you guys do for fun, then?”

“You’re looking at it, really. We all hang out on the beach, go to the movies, typical small town stuff,” he said.

“Oh,” Vera muttered, and I knew exactly what she was thinking, how Soul Harbor was just like Linfrank, but with a beach. To me, that was fine, but to her it was disappointing.

“There is a little get-together going on tomorrow night. A bonfire down there.” Kace pointed to the way he’d come. I shifted to gaze where he was looking, but couldn’t see anything in particular besides a big burn barrel. “You guys should come. We could have a few drinks, and I could introduce you to some people. It’ll be fun.”

“All right, we’ll be there.” Vera beamed. “What time?”

“Say…nine-ish?” Kace smiled.

“Sounds great!” Vera shouted.

“How about you? You in?” Kace asked me as his warm hand clasped my elbow gently.

I raised my eyes to meet his, planning on answering with a smile and confirmation that I would come…but something happened upon our skin-to-skin contact.

From the look in Kace’s eyes, he’d felt it too. Something stirred inside of me…inside of him. A reaction to our touch. Something I couldn’t name, nor could I describe, but it was there. A sigh of something unfurling within us both. My eyes locked on his face, taking in his reaction, because I had no clue what was going on.

Kace released my elbow. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with the force of it. He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand without meeting my stare again. “Yeah, I have to go, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow night, right?”

I grimaced as the sensation of whatever was unfurling inside of us—inside of me—receded back into nothing.

“Definitely!” Vera answered with more enthusiasm than necessary, her loudness startling me.

“Uh, sure,” I said just as Kace started to walk away, leading Dibs alongside of him.

My throat suddenly became dry, and I rubbed the area where his hand had been. I blinked away the shock from what I’d just felt. The area was warm, incredibly warm.

“Woohoo, now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. I see you all googly-eyed, staring at that piece of ass. There you go…a hot fisherman fling!” Vera said, pulling my attention back from the strange sensation that had begun to course through me moments before and to the here and now. “Told you I’d find you a rebound guy before I left…and it just looks like I did. He was into you, totally into you. Now I just need to find someone at this party tomorrow night for myself,” she said, pressing a manicured nail to her lips in thought as she started back toward the house.

I shook my head. This girl was hell-bent on both of us getting some action.

The next morning was spent making a list of all the cleaning supplies we’d need to seriously clean the house from top to bottom. All I’d found beneath the kitchen sink yesterday had been a couple of trash bags and a nearly empty can of Pledge, which was not even close to being all we would need to get a house that had been sealed off for so long up to par.

“Well, at least they have an Ingles,” Vera said as we pulled into the grocery store’s parking lot.

I laughed. “God, you make it sound like we’re in the middle of freaking nowhere or something.”

“You have to admit…we pretty much are.”

I pursed my lips together and cocked my head to the side. “This is true.”

The Ingles was the same as any other grocery store—and by that I meant it held the power to get me lost within it even with the help of clearly labeled aisles. Even so, we still managed to load our cart down with stuff.