He straightened and gave her a broad smile. “It’s all set up. I’ve even packed a picnic lunch. And if you haven’t had breakfast yet, I’ll swing past a drive-through on the way.”
“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”
“I tried.” He squeezed her shoulder, his gaze warm. “I want this day to be stress free.”
His concern slipped right past every barrier she had erected. It wove through her, carving a path right to her heart, and she resisted the urge to close her eyes and sink into his embrace. She had no business leaning on someone like that. All too soon, he would be gone and she would once again be alone.
But today, she wouldn’t think about that. She would live in the moment and leave all of her problems in Harmony Grove. For the next ten hours, life would be perfect—no money worries, no stress, no killers on the loose.
And a future that included Shane.
While she was pretending, she may as well go all out.
Chapter Twelve
Waves lapped against the shore, a soothing backdrop to the raucous calls of the seagulls swarming overhead. Shane watched Jess tear another bite-size chunk from leftover dinner roll clutched in the hand sticking out from the sling. As she tossed the piece into the air, white and gray bodies dove, one lucky contender scooping up the morsel.
He smiled at her, a sense of contentment swelling inside. “You know, now that you’ve brought out the food, you’ve issued an open invitation to every seagull within a twenty-mile radius. In another sixty seconds it’s going to look like a scene from Revenge of the Birds.”
She grinned back at him, tossed the last piece into the air and brushed off her hands. “They’ll lose interest in us pretty fast once they realize the food is gone.”
As they ambled farther down the beach, the swarming flock above them thinned out. Within a few minutes, all that remained were a couple of lingering hopefuls. The smarter birds had gone off in search of more promising prospects.
Jess drew in a deep breath and released it in a contented sigh. “This has been great. I don’t want to go home.”
“Me, neither.” That was why he’d suggested they drive back over the Dunedin Causeway after dinner and catch the sunset.
He took her hand, entwining her fingers in his. He’d taken her hand several times that day as they’d walked along the beach, just because he’d wanted to. And because it had felt right.
The trip was supposed to be all about Jess, giving her a reprieve, getting her away from the stress in Harmony Grove. But the experience had been as healing for him as it had been for her. There was something about the beach—the sun-warmed sand under his bare feet, the wind on his face, the waves crashing nearby. The cleansing ocean breeze seemed to wash right through him, eroding away the protective shell he’d placed around his heart.
Now that Jess knew his past, a barrier had come down, allowing him to connect with her in a way he hadn’t experienced in three long years. Now all his reasons for shunning relationships and remaining alone no longer seemed as solid as they had just a couple days ago.
The thought terrified him. That sense of determination gave him something to hang onto, a noble strength to take pride in, an unwavering plan for his future. Those resolutions had become so much a part of him that without them, he would flounder.
Jess led him away from the surf and sank onto the sand, pulling him down with her before releasing his hand. A short distance away, waves roared closer, then fell away, advancing and retreating in the unending rhythm of the sea. He crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back on his hands, the sand soft and cool beneath his palms. When he glanced over at Jess, her eyes were fixed on the western sky, that sunset they had come back for. It was worth the trip. The dazzling display stretched across the horizon, God’s own masterpiece painted in broad strokes of orange and pink and lavender.
When Jess finally broke the silence, it was with another contented sigh. “This has been awesome. Thanks for letting me escape for the day. We need to do this again sometime.”
“I second that. I’d say we need to make it a regular event.”
She flashed him a quirky grin. “That doesn’t sound like Mr. Never-Stay-In-One-Place-For-Long. Are you thinking of turning over a new leaf?”
“You never know.” The flippant words came easily. So did the shrug that accompanied them. But the nonchalant air was a facade. If he did decide to drop the credo he’d lived by for the past three years, it would only happen after some serious soul searching. And fervent prayer.
That prayer and contemplation was something he’d do alone. Sitting next to Jess, listening to that smooth, low voice and smelling her fresh scent was not conducive to lucid thought.
If he was supposed to open his heart again, that didn’t mean Jess was the woman God had chosen for him. In fact, chances were good she wasn’t. She wasn’t what he would ever have considered “his type.” She was too tough, too stubborn, too independent. She had baggage, issues that would likely take her years to work through. And most importantly, she’d shown no interest in his faith or his God.
So why did God plant him right across the street from her and intricately intertwine their lives? A good question to ask during some of that fervent prayer time.
He corralled his thoughts. “How about you? How long are you staying?”
“I haven’t decided.” She leaned toward him, supporting herself with her right hand. Her left rested against her leg, restrained by the sling. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up moving back. I mean, I don’t have anything to go home to. No job. No apartment, as of the end of this month.
