Suddenly One Summer (14 page)

She was almost to the end of the street when a pickup truck passed her and turned into the driveway of the last house. She recognized Joe Silveira as soon as he got out of the truck. He wore faded jeans and a long-sleeve rugby shirt. Her stomach did a little flip. She was considering a quick U-turn, but she was too late. He saw her and waved.

She coasted down the street and stopped her bike in front of him. “Hi, Chief.”

“Dr. Adams,” he said with a smile. “I usually see you jogging. I didn’t know you were a biker.”

“I needed some hill work.” She felt a little dazzled by his warm gaze. He had the darkest, sexiest eyes.

“I’m impressed. I get tired just driving up that hill.”

“You must do more than drive. You’re in good shape.” She bit down on her lip. Great, give away the fact that she’d been checking out his body. That was completely inappropriate.

Joe didn’t seem to mind. His smile broadened. “Thanks. So are you.”

She cleared her throat, feeling a desperate need to change the subject. There was something about Joe Silveira that always made her feel off balance.
She was also wishing that she’d put on some lip gloss, maybe some blush, but instead she was sweaty, and heaven knew what her hair looked like sticking out from under her bike helmet, which she always wore since she’d done a stint in the ER.

“I brought Annie home with me—to my mother’s house, that is,” she said, uncomfortable with the silence between them. “She’s going to stay there for a week or two until we can find a more permanent solution.”

A gleam of surprise entered his eyes. “That’s very generous of you and your mother.”

“Annie is alone and in trouble. She needs help. I couldn’t look the other way.”

“A lot of people could.”

She knew he was right; she’d met many cold, impersonal, burned-out health-care workers in the past. But she hoped never to become someone who didn’t give a damn. “As my mother would tell you, I’ve always had the bad habit of wanting to take home strays. After two dogs and four cats, my mother put her foot down and insisted that I find other homes for the animals. I was a little surprised she agreed to let Annie stay there, but I took her up on it before she had a chance to change her mind.”

“If I can help, let me know.”

“I’ll do that. So are you going to the bonfire tonight?”

“I’ll be on duty later. What about you?”

“I’m not sure if I’ll go.” She shrugged. “I’ve seen it all before.”

“I bet you have, but not for a while. Things change.”

“Not in Angel’s Bay,” she said with a laugh. “I went into Dina’s Café to grab a cup of coffee, and I swear that Rudy and Will were having the same argument about who caught the biggest fish that they’ve had every year of their lives.”

“And I understand they’re both terrible fishermen,” Joe said with a grin. “So, how much farther are you riding today?”

“This was my last hill. I’m looking forward to going down on the way back.”

“Sounds like a good time for a drink. Do you want to come in? You look thirsty.”

“Well…” She hesitated, knowing that the right answer was no, but heard herself say, “Thanks, that would be nice.”

She walked her bike to Joe’s front door and leaned it against his porch railing, then took off her bike helmet and shook out her hair. It fell in tangles about her shoulders.

Joe opened the front door and a barking golden retriever raced out, jumping first on Joe, then on Charlotte.

“Rufus, down,” Joe ordered, but the dog seemed far more interested in licking Charlotte’s face with absolute joy and excitement.

“You’re a honey,” she said, leaning over to scratch the dog’s head.

“Sorry,” Joe said, grabbing Rufus by the collar.

“Don’t be. I love dogs. Where did you get him?”

“He came with the house. Rufus was my uncle’s
dog. The neighbors had him after my uncle died, and I didn’t even know about him until two weeks ago, when he dug his way under the fence and came over. Since then he hasn’t been inclined to leave. The neighbors are older and apparently quite happy that Rufus decided to move out, because the next thing I knew, there was a big bag of dog food on my porch.”

“You don’t look too unhappy about it,” Charlotte commented. It was nice to see Joe relaxed and carefree. In the past, she’d only seen him on duty.

“I always wanted a dog when I was a kid, but my mother said she had enough to do raising six children. When Rufus came over, I couldn’t send him back. I figured this was really more his home than mine.”

“I understand.”

“You would,” he said, meeting her gaze. “Come on inside.”

Charlotte entered the house, curious to see where Joe lived. The home was older, with probably two or three bedrooms. The living and dining rooms had hardwood floors and were sparsely furnished. From the living room, sliding glass doors opened onto a redwood deck.

“Water? Iced tea? Soda? Beer?” Joe asked. “What’s your pleasure?”

“I should say water, but to tell you the truth, I’d love a cold beer.”

“A woman after my own heart,” he said with a grin. “Glass or bottle?”

“Bottle is great.”

“I’ll be right back. Just shove Rufus away if he gets too friendly.” He let go of the dog’s collar, but instead of running toward Charlotte, the dog followed Joe into the kitchen.

While Joe was getting the beers, Charlotte opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck. The view was incredible. She could see Ocean Avenue, the wharf area, and the wide blue ocean. There was no hint of fog on the horizon, just a few wispy white clouds in the summer sky.

Joe came out a moment later and handed her a beer. She took a swig, enjoying the cool slide of the liquid down her throat. Then she waved her hand at the view. “This is—wow.”

“I know. I walked into this house, onto this deck, and I didn’t want to leave.” He set his beer down on the railing. “My uncle left me this place in his will, maybe because I was the only one of his nieces and nephews who came up here and went fishing with him. I think I was twelve at the time, and my mother was trying to get me out of the house for the summer. Uncle Carlos was a fishing fanatic. We spent three days on the water and caught more fish than I could count. I guess he figured I would appreciate the house and the town.

“Originally I came up here to put the house up for sale, but once I saw it, I knew I couldn’t sell it. Suddenly I found myself walking into the police station, asking if they had any openings. Chief Robinson was just about to retire, so I was in the right place at the right time.”

“To get the top job, you must have had some impressive credentials.”

He leaned his forearms on the rail, looking out at the view. “I spent twelve years in the LAPD. I started there when I was twenty-three years old, right after I got out of the academy. I worked patrol, gangs, vice. I saw it all.”

Judging by his tone, a lot of what he’d seen had been bad. “Angel’s Bay must seem a little boring after Los Angeles,” she ventured.

“No, it’s perfect.” He turned to look at her. “I was ready to leave L.A. In fact, I had quit my job the month before I got this house. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life; I just knew that things had to change. I was turning into someone I didn’t recognize. I had to get out.”

“Did something in particular happen?” He didn’t answer right away, and she felt certain she’d over-stepped her bounds. “It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Joe sighed. “I was arresting someone and he attacked me. I fought back. He was a sick bastard, and I wanted to kill him for what he’d done. My partner pulled me off. If he hadn’t, I don’t know how far I would have gone. I turned in my resignation the next day, thinking I would never be a cop again. But the weeks passed and my head began to clear. When I came to Angel’s Bay, it was like the light inside of me went back on. I like it here. There isn’t much crime, and what there is I enjoy handling. I loved being a cop; I just needed to be a cop somewhere away from
L.A. The people here are mostly good and they care about each other.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, you asked?”

She was thrilled she’d asked and more than a little pleased that he’d confided in her. “No, I understand where you’re coming from. Working in the medical center here allows me to get to know my patients, to be a part of a community, and I like that.”

“I thought you weren’t sure you were going to stay,” he said with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re enjoying your job.”

“I do like my job. I love a lot of things about this town, but my mother and I have a complicated relationship, and there are some parts of my past I’d like to forget. Since my past is here, that’s not easy to do.”

“You can’t escape your past no matter where you go,” Joe said. “Maybe it’s time to stop running away and just face it.”

“Says the man who just admitted to running away,” she pointed out.

He inclined his head. “True, but I wasn’t running away from the past. More like running away from a future of more of the same.”

“Well, right now I’m just trying to help my mother deal with her life and my father’s death.” Charlotte paused, wanting to change the subject. “What was your uncle’s name? I wonder if I knew him, if he came to our church.”

“His name was Carlos Ramirez. He was my mother’s brother. He believed that he was descended from a man named Juan Carlos Ramirez, who was
allegedly on the ship when it went down a couple hundred years ago.”

“That’s interesting.”

He shrugged. “What about you? No connections to the wreck?”

“No. My parents came here when my father was assigned to the church. They both grew up in San Diego and most of our relatives are still there. I thought my mother might consider moving back, but this town is her life. My father is buried in the cemetery here, so I suspect she’ll stay forever.” She took another long drink. “Do you really think this town will be enough for you long term? I can see needing a change, but permanently?”

He shot her a quick look. “You sound like my wife.”

His wife—right. She’d almost forgotten.

“Rachel is convinced I will be bored in six months,” Joe continued, “and that I’ll want to return to L.A., but she’s wrong. I feel at home here. This is a place I was looking for, only I didn’t know I was looking until I got here—if that makes sense.”

“You didn’t know what you were missing until you found it. I get it.”

“Yes,” he said softly, his gaze on her face. “It’s funny how you can think you have everything you ever wanted, only to find out you don’t.”

She had no idea what he was talking about now. She was far too distracted by the way he was looking at her, and far too aware of how close he was and how alone they were.

Then a door inside the house slammed, followed by a female voice. “Joe,” the woman called. “Where are you?” A moment later she stepped out on the deck.

The woman was beautiful, with black hair, pale skin, dark eyes, and she was very, very thin. She looked like a very sophisticated model, dressed in a short black dress, her feet encased in stiletto heels. She frowned when she saw Charlotte.

“Rachel,” Joe said. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I can see that,” she said sharply. “Are you going to introduce me to your—friend?”

“This is Charlotte Adams, Dr. Adams,” he amended, clearing his throat. “This is my wife, Rachel.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.” Charlotte extended her hand. Rachel gave it a brief shake, her expression cool.

“I thought you couldn’t get away this weekend, Rachel,” Joe said.

“It seemed important to you that I did,” she replied. “But it looks like you’re doing just fine without me.”

“No, I’m not.” Joe gave his wife a pointed look. “Charlotte just happened by. She was taking a bike ride, and we ran into each other.”

“That’s right, and I should be going. Thanks for the beer, and for your advice about Annie,” Charlotte said, wanting to give him an excuse, since his wife was obviously upset about her presence.

“I’ll walk you out,” Joe offered.

“It’s okay. I can find my way. I hope to see you again, Mrs. Silveira,” she said. “Good-bye, Chief.”

She moved quickly through the house, grabbed her helmet and bike, and headed down the street. She had a feeling Joe was going to be on the hot seat. Maybe he deserved to be, for looking at her the way he had. It was a good thing Rachel had come home. Joe was married, and she needed to remember that. Maybe he did, too.

“Nothing is going on,” Joe told Rachel. Her eyes were smoking, and he felt absurdly pleased that she was jealous. He hadn’t gotten such a strong reaction out of her in a long time.

“You’re alone in the house with an attractive woman. That’s not nothing.”

“Charlotte is a doctor. She’s treating a young woman who tried to commit suicide the other night. We’re barely more than acquaintances.”

“You looked like a lot more than acquaintances when I walked in.”

“Come here,” he said, holding out his hand.

Rachel ignored him, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and tapping her foot on the ground. “I should have stayed in L.A.”

“Don’t be like that. I’m glad you’re here. Actually, I’m thrilled you’re here,” he amended. Now he had a chance to show her Angel’s Bay at its best. The festival was in full swing; the town was hopping. It
wouldn’t look like the sleepy backwater she had in her head.

Since Rachel seemed to have no intention of moving, he walked over to her and put his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She smelled like Chanel, and for some reason the expensive scent bothered him. He shrugged it off. After a moment Rachel slid her arms around his waist and lifted her head to look at him.

“Did you really miss me?” she asked.

“A lot. I’m glad you came. What changed your mind?”

“You.” She gazed at him with confusion in her eyes. “I don’t know what to do about us, but I know we need to spend some time together to figure it out. So here I am.”

“Here you are,” he echoed, kissing her on the mouth.

She pulled away after one kiss. “Do you want to grab my suitcase for me? I have to make a call. I had to get a replacement for my open house tomorrow, and I want to make sure it’s all set. I tried to call from the car, but I couldn’t get reception.”

“No problem.”

Before he could move, Rufus came bounding out, and with his usual exuberance pounced on Rachel.

She gave a startled yelp, knocked Rufus sideways with her flailing arm and dropped her phone. Joe watched in dismay as her cell phone went skidding off the deck.

“Goddammit,” she yelled as she ran to the rail.

He followed more slowly, knowing that it was
doubtful her phone would survive the twenty-foot drop down a rocky hillside.

“I need my phone.” Anger blazed in her eyes as she turned to look at him. “My life is on that phone. Where the hell did this dog come from?”

Rufus laid down at her feet, hanging his head at her tone.

“He’s Uncle Carlos’s dog.”

“He wasn’t here before.”

“The neighbors were taking care of him, but they aren’t anymore.”

“Why not?”

He cleared his throat, dreading the reaction he knew was coming. “Because I am.”

“No. No way. We are not taking care of a dog.”

“This was his home for the last seven years. He dug a hole under the fence to get back here. He’s a good dog. Very friendly. You’ll like him when you get to know him.”

“I don’t want to get to know him. I’m not an animal person.”

“I’ll take care of him. He won’t bother you.”

“He already cost me my phone.”

“He was happy to see you. As happy as I am to see you.”

Rachel frowned. “Don’t try to be all sweet to me, Joe. You’re not keeping that dog.”

“Let’s talk about it later. You know what you need? A glass of wine. You can change your clothes, get comfortable, and we’ll watch the sun set. I don’t have to go on duty until eight.”

“You’re working tonight?”

“The festival is on; it’s a busy night. There’s a big bonfire on the beach and fireworks. It will be fun. I’ll introduce you to some people.”

Rachel gave him an uncertain look, and for a moment he had the feeling she might head straight to her car and drive back to Los Angeles. He couldn’t let her do that.

“Just give it a chance, Rachel. You’ve only spent a couple of weekends here, and you’ve never really met anyone.”

“It’s all so hokey, Joe. Bonfires, barbecues, carnivals—do you really like this?”

“I do.” He met her gaze. “I know it’s not fair to you. I know you think that I changed our lives without asking you, without caring about your feelings. I do care. I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. But I was suffocating in L.A.”

“This is such a drastic change. We could have moved out to one of the suburbs, the west side of town, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Malibu. Here, we’re four hours away from everyone in our lives. And I have a career, Joe. I’m good at selling real estate. It took me a long time to find something I do well. Now you want me to throw it all away.”

“There’s real estate here, and new developments going up along the coastline just south of here. Vacation homes being built on the bluffs. You can be good here. And so can I.”

She shook her head. “You always talk me into things.”

It had been the other way around for most of
their life together, but since she was starting to smile, he decided not to press the point.

“Fine, I’ll take a glass of wine, and your cell phone. I still need to make a call. And take this dog with you,” she said.

“Come on, Rufus.” Joe grabbed the reluctant dog by the collar. “Let’s go inside.” As he shut the deck door, he glanced down at the dog, who made him feel guilty as hell for dragging him inside. Rufus and he had been sharing the last few sunsets together. “It’s going to be okay, buddy. She’ll like you eventually. Rachel is a good woman, and we want her to stay. So you have to behave yourself.”

Rufus gave a little bark.

“Exactly.” Joe went into the kitchen, hoping he actually had a bottle of wine. Since Rachel’s visits had been few and far between, he hadn’t picked up her favorite bottle in a long time. He’d always preferred a cold beer…like Charlotte did.

He’d been a fool to invite Charlotte in for a drink, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret it. Nothing had happened. Maybe there had been a brief moment when he’d felt like kissing her, but he hadn’t acted on it, because he wasn’t going to cheat on his wife. And Charlotte wasn’t the kind of woman to get involved with a married man. So they’d just be friends. It would all work out.

Timothy Milton and James Holt were best friends and the infamous filmmakers of the Internet angel
video. Reid had finally managed to get an interview courtesy of Henry Milton, who’d set up the meeting on his boat. Reid was far more interested in researching Jenna’s past, but Henry’s call had reminded him that he still had a story to write on the angels. He’d get that out of the way and then he could concentrate on Jenna’s story.

“Can you tell me exactly what you saw that day?” Reid asked.

Timothy, a lanky boy with sandy blond hair and an earnest smile, nodded. “It was early in the morning, about five o’clock and still dark. We were heading out for a deep-sea fishing trip. When we came out of the harbor and around the bluff, there they were. It was the most incredible thing. There appeared to be two or maybe three angels, I’m not sure. But we could see their wings and their hair. One of them had long, golden blond hair. She was beautiful.”

“What were they doing?”

“They were flying around the cliff. One seemed to have something in her hand, like a wand, and she looked like she was painting on the rock wall.”

“It was my idea to take the video,” James interjected. He was as dark as Timothy was blond, with intense eyes and a lot of energy. He tapped his foot as he spoke. “I knew people were going to go crazy when they saw it.”

“How long did you watch the angels?”

“Only a couple of minutes, because one of them saw us,” James replied. “She flew right at us. Then it seemed like there were a dozen of them, not just
two or three. They smothered us with their wings. We couldn’t see. We could barely breathe. When we finally got clear, we’d been blown a hundred yards away and everything was black again.”

“That’s quite a story. How come we don’t see the angels flying toward you on the video?”

“It happened so fast, dude, I couldn’t get it,” James said. “I think I dropped the camera when they covered us with their wings.”

“Lucky for you that it didn’t break,” Reid said. “So was there any evidence of this angel attack on your boat?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were smothered in wings. Seems like maybe some feathers would have come off?”

“Yeah, that would have been cool,” James said. “But no, there weren’t any feathers.”

“You don’t believe us, do you?” Timothy cut in. “You think we’re making it up.”

“A lot of people make up videos to gain Internet fame,” Reid said, studying Timothy’s face. The boy appeared to be sincere. His gaze moved to James, whose gaze wasn’t nearly as easy to read.

“We didn’t fake it,” James said defensively. “It happened just the way we said.”

“So what do you think the angels drew on the cliff?” Reid continued.

“A map,” Timothy answered. “To the shipwreck.”

“Everyone knows that ship went down with gold on it,” James added. “The angels are trying to tell us where it is.”

“Why now?” Reid asked. “It’s been a hundred and fifty years.”

“Because it’s time,” Henry interjected, coming on deck to join them. “Everything has a season.”

“Why is it time now?” Reid repeated. “What changed?”

“Well, you’re here, for one,” Henry said.

“The angels came here before I did.”

“But they got you here, didn’t they?”

“Actually it was your grandson and his friend who got me here.”

Henry shrugged. “Result is the same.”

“I’m not a fortune hunter, or a shipwreck diver. If the angels are drawing a map to some long lost treasure, I won’t be the one to find it,” Reid said.

“I don’t think it’s a map. But I do think they’re sending a message, and it’s up to you to figure it out,” Henry said. “You can’t take things so literally. Sometimes you have to read between the lines.”

Reid sat back on the bench, annoyed with Henry’s riddle. “I’m a journalist. I report the facts and let the readers interpret them.”

Henry grinned at him. “The teacher becomes the student. It happens to all of us at some point.”

“Are we done? Because we have to go,” James said abruptly. He stood up and hopped off the boat onto the dock, motioning for Timothy to follow.

“See you, Grandpa,” Timothy said as he followed his friend.

“So you got your story,” Henry said when they were alone.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” He had photos of the two boys, their eyewitness account, and the video evidence. Unless the angels made an unexpected appearance by Monday, he would file his story and call it a day. “Not much of one, though,” he added. “Do you believe them?”

“Timothy is a good boy. So is James. They saw something; I’d bet my life on that. As for your question, why now…I believe something occurred; something changed in this town. You just have to figure out what it was. What’s new around here? What’s different?”

“How would I know? I’m not from around here. Maybe you should answer your own questions.”

Henry stroked his chin. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it, this weekend being the anniversary of the town’s founding and all. That could be the reason. Or it could be something else.”

“Just what I like—a definitive opinion.”

Henry grinned. “I know you like your facts, but sometimes you have to follow your instincts.”

“I’ve done that, and it got me into a lot of trouble.”

“Was it your instincts that did that—or your ambition?”

Reid gave him a half smile. “Are you sure you’re not a shrink, Henry? Every time I sit down with you, I feel like I’m getting therapy. You should put a couch on this boat.”

“My granddaddy used to tell me that the best place to see your reflection is in someone else’s eyes. That’s the true mirror.”

Reid looked at the old man, seeing encouragement in his eyes but nothing more. Was encouragement what he was supposed to see? The idea that someone believed in him, even if he didn’t believe in himself?

“You’ll figure it out,” Henry said confidently. “You’re a smart man.” He started to cough, a deep hacking sound that seemed to come from his soul.

“Can I get you some water?” Reid asked, a little worried by Henry’s sudden pallor.

“I’m—I’m all right,” Henry said, clearing his throat. “Used to be a smoker. Even with the cough, I still miss it. My wife made me quit. She was dying, and I made the mistake of telling her I’d do whatever I could to make her happy. That woman always knew how to get me to do the right thing.”

Reid stared at the old man, a question buzzing around in his head that he really should not ask, because it was ridiculous and there was no point. But somehow the words came out of his mouth anyway. “Did you ever see your wife—after she passed?”

Henry’s eyes widened. “Now that’s not what I was expecting you to ask.” He let out a sigh. “Never did. Wanted to. Thing is, Mary and I, we had a lot of years together. We said our good-byes. We knew what was coming. We didn’t have any unfinished business. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.”

“You saw something when we were on the boat. I did, too—the shape of a woman. I didn’t recognize her, but I’m betting you did,” Henry said.

“That was a shadow passing in front of the sun.”

“Who died, Mr. Tanner?”

Reid caught his breath. He didn’t want to answer, but he knew Henry wouldn’t let it go. “Someone I was very close to,” he said slowly. “Her name was Allison. I’ve been trying to forget what happened to her for almost a year. I thought I was getting close, but then I came here. Now I keep seeing her in my head.”

“Just in your head?”

“I thought I saw a woman who looked like her at Murray’s Bar, but she disappeared before I could get across the room. I got into a fight.”

“Heard you were rumbling with the Harlan boys,” Henry said with a nod. “Figured a woman was involved.”

“Well, this wasn’t a real woman. Just an illusion fueled by too much tequila.”

“You feel guilty about your friend’s death?”

“It’s not a matter of feeling. I am guilty. I’m the reason she’s dead. And if she’s back, then she’s a ghost, not an angel. She’s haunting me. Though what the hell is the difference anyway?”