unkempt, but she knew it was in an intentional way,
with too-long hair and a growth of stubble shadowing his jaw that he likely thought
made him sexy. His baggy jeans sat low on his hips, and a scarred leather
jacket hung off his shoulders. He leaned back against the doorframe in a James
Dean slouch.
“Geoffrey didn’t tell me he had a brother named Derek.”
“No, he wouldn’t.” He sniffed indignantly and turned his gaze
out to the sea as he took another draw from his cigarette. “I’m the prodigal
son returned.”
Nervous fear fluttered in her stomach. She wondered if she
would have found him handsome before she lost her memory. His clothes were only
made to look worn, and she somehow knew they were expensive. But despite the
gritty fashion model look, there was something dark and unpleasant lying
beneath the surface that she couldn’t put her finger on.
“So what happened to your arm, friend of Geoffrey’s?”
“I broke it.”
“No kidding. Must have hurt like hell. Did they give you any
painkillers for it?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” At the far right, Geoffrey’s
heavy footsteps marched up the wooden steps from a lower section of the deck.
August felt a rush of relief, but still couldn’t make herself relax. Derek’s
sudden appearance had sent her nerves jumping, reminding her how vulnerable she
was. If her attacker found her again, she wouldn’t realize it until it was too
late.
My attacker. I was attacked . Admitting it to herself brought
on a rush of nausea.
“Didn’t know I needed your permission, bro.”
“Since when would my permission mean anything to you?”
Derek took a drag on his cigarette and raked August with his
gaze. The simple look told her the man was disrespectful to women. “I can see
how you’d be upset.”
Geoffrey moved close and rested his arm on the railing behind
her. “Just surprised. I figured this was the last place you’d want to come back
to.”
“Yeah, well, I called Dad and he’s cool with it, so ease up. I
just want to chill out for a while. Why don’t you do the same?” He repositioned
his cigarette butt between two fingers, ready to flick it.
“Don’t,” Geoffrey warned. “Unless you want to hike down and
hunt for it.”
Derek made an exaggerated face and strode forward to put it
out in the ashtray on the table. He then turned and headed back to the house.
“Geoffrey.” He flipped his hand in a mock salute. “Geoffrey’s friend.”
“August,” she volunteered. “Nice to meet you, Derek.”
Derek slid open the glass door leading to the kitchen and
dining area. “Geoffrey, your friend August is a liar. But she’s a babe, so I won’t
hold it against her.”
“Be nice,” Geoffrey growled, “if you’re going to stay here.”
He stopped. “Yeah, we all need to chill. No prob’, G. I
thought you were in Portland or I wouldn’t have come. But I’m here now, so
let’s deal with it.”
Deal with what? August wondered. There was definitely
bad blood between them.
Jocelyn bounded through the dining area and through the opened
patio door. “Derek!” She flung herself into his arms.
“Hey, munchkin.” He picked her up and heaved her into the air,
earning a squeal of delight, before he caught her weight and settled her back
on her feet.
“I’m not a munchkin. I’m a pixie. I can do magic.”
“Show me some?”
“Later.” She looked over and saw August. “Hi, August. Are you
gonna stay with us?”
August forced herself to smile. “Maybe for a few days.”
“Awesome! I’ll show you my room. I have a pet eel named Mr.
McEely. He’s a snowflake eel. What’s for dinner, Uncle G?”
“I’m going to take you two gorgeous ladies out to dinner. How
does that sound?”
“Hamburgers and French fries?”
Geoffrey glanced at August. “If that’s okay with you?”
She was tired and her arm was aching like the devil, but she
could tell Geoffrey wanted to put some distance between himself and
with too-long hair and a growth of stubble shadowing his jaw that he likely thought
made him sexy. His baggy jeans sat low on his hips, and a scarred leather
jacket hung off his shoulders. He leaned back against the doorframe in a James
Dean slouch.
“Geoffrey didn’t tell me he had a brother named Derek.”
“No, he wouldn’t.” He sniffed indignantly and turned his gaze
out to the sea as he took another draw from his cigarette. “I’m the prodigal
son returned.”
Nervous fear fluttered in her stomach. She wondered if she
would have found him handsome before she lost her memory. His clothes were only
made to look worn, and she somehow knew they were expensive. But despite the
gritty fashion model look, there was something dark and unpleasant lying
beneath the surface that she couldn’t put her finger on.
“So what happened to your arm, friend of Geoffrey’s?”
“I broke it.”
“No kidding. Must have hurt like hell. Did they give you any
painkillers for it?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” At the far right, Geoffrey’s
heavy footsteps marched up the wooden steps from a lower section of the deck.
August felt a rush of relief, but still couldn’t make herself relax. Derek’s
sudden appearance had sent her nerves jumping, reminding her how vulnerable she
was. If her attacker found her again, she wouldn’t realize it until it was too
late.
My attacker. I was attacked . Admitting it to herself brought
on a rush of nausea.
“Didn’t know I needed your permission, bro.”
“Since when would my permission mean anything to you?”
Derek took a drag on his cigarette and raked August with his
gaze. The simple look told her the man was disrespectful to women. “I can see
how you’d be upset.”
Geoffrey moved close and rested his arm on the railing behind
her. “Just surprised. I figured this was the last place you’d want to come back
to.”
“Yeah, well, I called Dad and he’s cool with it, so ease up. I
just want to chill out for a while. Why don’t you do the same?” He repositioned
his cigarette butt between two fingers, ready to flick it.
“Don’t,” Geoffrey warned. “Unless you want to hike down and
hunt for it.”
Derek made an exaggerated face and strode forward to put it
out in the ashtray on the table. He then turned and headed back to the house.
“Geoffrey.” He flipped his hand in a mock salute. “Geoffrey’s friend.”
“August,” she volunteered. “Nice to meet you, Derek.”
Derek slid open the glass door leading to the kitchen and
dining area. “Geoffrey, your friend August is a liar. But she’s a babe, so I won’t
hold it against her.”
“Be nice,” Geoffrey growled, “if you’re going to stay here.”
He stopped. “Yeah, we all need to chill. No prob’, G. I
thought you were in Portland or I wouldn’t have come. But I’m here now, so
let’s deal with it.”
Deal with what? August wondered. There was definitely
bad blood between them.
Jocelyn bounded through the dining area and through the opened
patio door. “Derek!” She flung herself into his arms.
“Hey, munchkin.” He picked her up and heaved her into the air,
earning a squeal of delight, before he caught her weight and settled her back
on her feet.
“I’m not a munchkin. I’m a pixie. I can do magic.”
“Show me some?”
“Later.” She looked over and saw August. “Hi, August. Are you
gonna stay with us?”
August forced herself to smile. “Maybe for a few days.”
“Awesome! I’ll show you my room. I have a pet eel named Mr.
McEely. He’s a snowflake eel. What’s for dinner, Uncle G?”
“I’m going to take you two gorgeous ladies out to dinner. How
does that sound?”
“Hamburgers and French fries?”
Geoffrey glanced at August. “If that’s okay with you?”
She was tired and her arm was aching like the devil, but she
could tell Geoffrey wanted to put some distance between himself and
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