Every Vow She Breaks (29 page)

“Mark Hamilton. He was a bartender at the Cliff House. We went out maybe a half-dozen times. It was never serious, and I haven’t heard from him since we stopped seeing each other. I don’t have his address. As for the neighbor, she was rarely home. I think she worked for an airline. Her name was Darla.”

“Last name?”

“I don’t have a clue. We exchanged greetings once in a while in passing. She was quite a few years older than me, and we weren’t social.”

“If this woman wasn’t home much, someone could have entered her yard without fear of being caught.”

Claire shrugged. “I suppose.”

“We’ll try to locate Hamilton.”

“It won’t be him. That was the summer I decided to learn to surf. Our only connection was a few mornings spent at the beach along with a couple of dinners. Not exactly grounds for stalking someone.”

“If you remember anyone else from that time who showed an interest in you, please call.” He handed her a business card.

“I will. Is that it?”

He flashed a quick smile. “I think you’ve been through more than enough in the last couple of days without dragging out the questions any further. Edelman will go through your notes when he gets back to see if anything stands out. Did you make that list of previous work associates he asked for?”

“I wrote down everyone I could remember. I also listed my former addresses, at least the ones since I graduated from college. My childhood consisted of one move after the other, totaling close to a dozen.”

“That’s fine. The stalker won’t be someone you knew when you were a girl. A child predator wouldn’t be interested in you now.”

She shuddered. “I can’t even imagine how horrifying that would be. It’s bad enough as an adult, knowing someone’s been watching me.”

Jed rose and pulled her to her feet. “Don’t think about it.”

Hernandez stood and stepped around his desk. “How much longer will you be in town?”

“I was hoping to take a few more photographs this afternoon then leave in the morning. Is that okay?”

“That’ll be fine. We’ll pass along all our information to the police in Shady Bend. That way they’ll be up to date if anything new happens.”

Claire forced a tired smile. “Thank you.”

“You bet. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. I’m just sorry it was under such rotten circumstances. Have a safe trip home.”

She extended her hand. “Thank you. We will.”

The fog had lifted, and the sun shone brightly as they left the police station.

Claire turned her face up to the warm rays and breathed deep. “At least it isn’t foggy. I’ve had enough gloom and doom today.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Jed took her hand as they walked to his SUV. “Do you want to go down to the beach?”

She nodded. “Let’s go get Scoop and my camera then see what we can find in the way of sea life to photograph. I heard a chorus of sea lions barking last night.”

“Do you need more shots of the lighthouse?” He pulled the passenger door open and held it for her.

“No, I took plenty yesterday before all hell broke loose.”

They drove back to the campsite to retrieve an ecstatic dog and then cruised along the coast before pulling into a turnout overlooking a long stretch of sandy beach.

She rolled down her window and leaned through the opening. “Do you hear them?”

Turning off the engine, he nodded. “The sea lions must be out on those big rocks.”

“I won’t get any pictures of them, but we can still take a walk. The air smells wonderful.”

“Nothing like what we have in the mountains where it’s so dry I get nosebleeds sometimes. Here the moisture is palpable.”

“Good for the skin.” She hopped down from the seat, waited for Scoop to jump out then slammed the door. “What did you do while you were at home?”

He walked around the front of the vehicle, took her hand then strolled beside her down to the water’s edge. “Mostly I chopped wood. That’s how I heat my cabin in the winter, so I need a lot. I also took a long hike, talked to my dad and Kane on the phone and worried about you.”

Glancing up, she pushed her wind-whipped hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t need to stress over me.”

“Turns out I did.” He stopped to face her, still holding hands. “I can’t even begin to tell you how angry I am with myself for leaving you alone.”

“Not your fault. I asked you to go.”

His grip tightened. “I’m not ready to walk away from you. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to walk away from you. Can we please try some kind of compromise?”

Claire stepped closer to lean against his chest. His arms came around her in a tight hug. Nothing had changed. Certainly not Jed. Chances were she’d still end up with a broken heart somewhere down the line. But she didn’t know how it could possibly hurt worse than letting him go right this minute.

Nodding, she held on. “I was miserable yesterday despite taking some of the best photographs of my life. The light was perfect, and every angle was better than the last. Still, all I wanted was to share the experience with you.”

His eyes were sober as he regarded her. “I hiked until I was completely exhausted because I was so angry you wouldn’t return my calls. Plus, I’d had to listen to Kane tell me I’m a complete idiot for letting you go when it was obvious to him I—”

Claire’s heart beat so hard she feared it might burst. “You what?”

“I love you.”

Warmth seeped in to dispel the cold that had held her in its grip since he’d left. “Was he right?”

Jed’s lips curved upward in a smile. “Big brother’s nearly always right. It’s irritating as hell. Except in this case.” Holding her face between his hands, he kissed her, taking his time before finally letting go. “I do love you, Claire. We haven’t been together long, but it feels like forever.”

Her breath caught. “I love you, too. I know we still have issues…”

“We’ll work on them.” He tapped his chest. “I
have
changed despite what you may think.” When Scoop raced up to skid to a stop in front of them, wet and sandy and stinking of fish, Jed dropped a hand on his head. “I never wanted the commitment or hassle of dog ownership before, but I missed the mutt almost as much as I missed you. Does that count for anything?”

Her smile stretched until her cheeks hurt. “It’s definitely a start.”

“Oh, my God, how cute are they?” Claire spun around. “I have to go get my camera.”

The sea lions snorted and moaned while one slid from his place in the row on the dock into the water of the harbor.

“Puppies and kittens are cute.” Jed grinned. “Those guys are big and smelly.”

“Look at their whiskery faces. Adorable. Can I have the keys?”

“Sure.” After digging the ring out of his pocket, he handed them over.

“Thanks.” Making a fist, she headed toward the SUV.

Cute was her backside in a pair of skinny jeans as she jogged away from him, not the mounds of flesh lying on the dock below the restaurant. A seagull circled and squawked as she disappeared around the side of the vehicle. Jed crossed his arms over his chest and angled toward the fishing boats moored in the harbor. He tried to imagine Claire baiting a hook—

A woman’s cry raised the hair on his arms and startled another sea lion into the water with a splash. He raced through the parking lot, his shoes pounding the pavement. “Claire!”

“What? Eww, gross!”

He stopped beside the SUV and let out a breath as relief surged through him. Claire struggled to pull her arm from the sleeve of her jacket. No one else was in sight.

“Why’d you yell?”

“A frigging seagull flew over and pooped on my shoulder.” Her face screwed up in an expression of pure disgust. “The disgusting blob barely missed my hair.”

His heartbeat slowed. “God, I thought someone had grabbed you.”

Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry. Maybe I overreacted a tiny bit.” She dangled the jacket from the tips of her fingers.

A white splotch marred the otherwise spotless, black material.

“That is pretty disgusting.”

Leaning into the car, she emerged with a handful of tissues and wiped at the gooey mess. “No kidding, but I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I’ll survive. Dump the jacket and grab your camera. Another sea lion hit the drink when you screamed.”

“Crap.” She tossed the garment on the floor of the backseat then retrieved her camera bag. “I’d better hurry before I lose the rest of them.”

The door slammed, and the remote lock beeped. Jed followed her retreating figure toward the dock.

Was this how it would be until the police found the man stalking her? He’d nearly had a heart attack imagining—he shook his head. He wasn’t sure what he’d imagined. Just the thought of someone touching Claire sent his blood pressure into the stratosphere.

His footsteps slowed. A few weeks ago the gifts and notes had seemed like nothing more than a game, a mystery who-dun-it to solve. Had he really been that big an idiot to believe the freak harassing her wouldn’t escalate to a dangerous level? Or were his growing feelings for Claire the reason he saw the situation in a completely different light?

With her camera in hand, she squatted down before adjusting the lens. Clicks were followed by more lens adjustments then more clicks.

She stood and rested her hands on her hips. “I wonder what they’d do if I climbed down there with them?”

“Do sea lions bite?”

Her laughing glance sent heat straight to his groin.

“They might if I rolled around in a pile of dead fish. I’m more concerned one would trip me and knock me into the harbor.”

“How far are you willing to go for a picture?”

“Not that far.” She turned away. “Let me put my camera back in the car, and then we can go eat.”

“I’ll go with you.”

The restaurant was noisy and crowded, but the hostess was able to seat them at one of the long tables occupied by an older couple deep in conversation at the other end. She handed over menus encased in plastic then hurried away.

Jed raised his voice to be heard. “Not exactly the most romantic atmosphere.”

“I didn’t get the clam chowder I wanted last night, and another camper told me this place has the absolute best around.” She glanced up at him and grinned. “Romance can come later.”

He laughed then shifted in his chair as his pants tightened uncomfortably. “You might scream like a girl, but you think like a guy.”

“As long as I don’t look like one, I guess we’re okay.”

His gaze ran slowly from her sparkling blue eyes over cheeks flushed pink in the warm restaurant to the curves beneath her white, clingy sweater. “No danger of that.”

When the waitress stopped by their table to fill water glasses, Claire ordered clam chowder in a bread bowl, and he requested the fish and chips. Once the woman moved away, he took Claire’s hand.

“You’ve been pretty quiet since we left the beach earlier. Everything okay?”

She squeezed his fingers. “I’ve been trying to imagine who could be responsible for taking those pictures. Officer Edelman is focused on people I dated, worked with or lived near five years ago. I’ve been at
Rugged America
nearly a decade, but most of that time has been spent out in the field. My first editor—the one before Louise—is a man, but he was married with kids when we worked together.”

“Doesn’t mean he didn’t lust after you in his heart.”

“He left the magazine a few years ago, and I think he and his wife are divorced now. Anyway, I put him on the list, so I’m sure the police will check him out.”

“What about other co-workers?” Jed released her hand when the waitress returned with Claire’s hot tea and his beer. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She shot him a quick smile. “I’ll be back shortly with your food.”

Claire dunked the tea bag a few times. “I don’t come into contact with the other writers and photographers on staff very often, and none of them ever asked me out or showed any special interest.”

“Neighbors?”

“Before the apartment in San Francisco, which was my one brief try at city living since college, I rented a place down near Half Moon Bay on the peninsula. My closest neighbor, this guy named Blue, was a hippy throwback who wore tie-dyed T-shirts and smoked a ton of weed. His girlfriend, Sunshine, lived with him. I’m pretty sure he was too stoned most of the time to even know I existed.”

“Even if he was higher than a kite, the dude would be aware of you. You aren’t easy to ignore—or forget.”

“Yeah, right. Does he sound like the kind of person who would stalk me for five years?”

“No.” He opened his mouth then shut it when the waitress arrived with their dinners.

“Can I get anything else for you? Another beer maybe?”

Jed shook his head. “I’m good.”

Claire nodded and smiled before leaning over the bread bowl to inhale. “Thanks. This smells wonderful.”

“Enjoy.”

Jed broke off a piece of fish he dipped in tartar sauce. “Okay, so maybe the stalker isn’t Blue the Stoner. How about guys you used to date?”

“Other than the bartender, there wasn’t anyone else around that time. Oh, a friend set me up on a blind date with her cousin who was in town over a weekend. I nearly killed her afterward.” Claire scooped up a spoonful of soup before continuing. “The guy acted like he was smarter than Einstein. Heck, maybe he was. I should have thought twice about going out with him after my friend told me he was in San Francisco for a space technology convention.”

“You don’t like smart men? Should I be insulted?”

She grinned. “I like ones who are smart enough not to brag about it.”

He choked on a ketchup dipped French fry. “Nice distinction.” Reaching across the table, he touched her hand. “Let’s forget about all of this for the rest of the night. Let the police run their checks. Maybe they’ll come up with something.”

She looked up at him and frowned. “I keep feeling like we’re missing an important point.”

“The cops are trained not to miss details. Let it go and relax. No one’s going to come near you tonight.”

“I know, but you can’t be with me twenty-four seven indefinitely. After we get home—”

His thumb stroked across her wrist. “Let’s take it one day at a time.”