Buck's Landing (A New England Seacoast Romance) by Cameron D. Garriepy Page A

beach boardwalk. Silas set the panda down to one side to take his fried dough. He looked at hers, brows raised. “Cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar?”
    She nodded. “The only way to have it.” The first bite was perfect, crisp from the fryer, soft inside, sugary and sweet. She hummed with pleasure.
    “Remind me to take you for fried dough more often,” Silas said, sinking his teeth into his own.
    They ate in silence, watching the amateur fireworks displays from the beach, followed by the Hampton police on their quads breaking up the lawbreakers. She started to hand Silas a napkin, but he licked the sugar and cinnamon from his fingers with a wink. Sofia swore she could feel his mouth on her own skin.
    “Look,” Silas said pointing to the sky above them.
    A red Chinese lantern drifted over the beach. It caught a column of air and spiraled gently up before flying out over the Atlantic. They watched it until it burned out over the horizon.
    “I’ve never seen one before,” Sofia whispered. “Not like that.”
    “Me neither.” Silas stood, snagging the panda by one plush paw. “Come on. Let’s walk home on the beach, see if we can find where they’re launching them.
    They walked along the boardwalk until they reached a set of stairs down to the sand. Without speaking, they stopped to take their shoes off. Bare-footed, they set out southward on the beach.
    “They grant wishes,” she said. “Or they can.”
    As they walked, a new pair of lanterns rose from the far side of the dunes at the southernmost end of the state park parking lot.
    “What’s your wish?” Silas asked.
    To have my parents back. The thought surfaced quickly, taking her by surprise. Unwanted tears pricked the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath. It felt wrong, under a sky full of stars and paper wishes, to lie. “I wish I’d had the chance to say goodbye to my dad.”
    Yet again, Silas took her hand in his. He squeezed gently, offering silent comfort.
    “I’d try to forgive him.” The confession made her lightheaded. “I wish I could have told him that I missed her, too, but that I needed him, and I was so angry, so sad, and so alone. So goddamn jealous of the booze.”
    Silas stopped, dropped the panda, and smoothed his warm hands over her shoulders. His face swam in and out of focus through her tears.
    “He knew, Sofia.”
    She blinked, letting the tears take their course.
    “He knew,” Silas said again. “He might not have spoken about it, but I’m sure he knew. He was sober, Sofia, and he worked his tail off. He filled that apartment with photographs. He wore his memories like a hair shirt.”
    “Why?” Her voice caught. “Why are you telling me this?”
    “Because it’s eating you up.” He pulled her close, lips brushing her temple. “Forgive him. Let him go.”
    “I wish I could.” She stepped out of the embrace. “I hope I can.”
    Silas’s whispered kiss at her temple burned like a brand. There was nowhere to look but his face, nothing to do with her hands, and then he reached for her, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. He dropped his shoes on the sand and traced her jaw with his finger.
    His lips were cool, his tongue sweet from the fried dough. His hands slipped under the hem of her top, skimming the small of her back. He slipped his fingers through the straps of her slingbacks, unwinding her grip and dropping them near his sandals. She tipped her head, wrapped her arms around his neck and drew the kiss in deeper. The gentle simmer of desire between them boiled over, seasoned with a little desperation. Tonight, she wanted him. Consequences be damned.
    He breathed in the touch of perfume she wore at her clavicle. “Totally worth a panda.”
    He reached down, cupping her ass and pulling her up against him. She smiled against his mouth; he wanted her just as badly. Her lashes fluttered when his teeth nipped at her lower lip. Overhead, the lanterns soared. She braced her hands on his