enjoying the music and make it to the entrance of Sullivan’s. Jacqueline’s phone dings just as we step inside and she grabs it from inside of her purse.
I pull my wallet out and go to the bar.
She follows and plops down on a bar stool, a strange look on her face.
“Is something wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Must be a wrong number again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah. Got a weird message yesterday too. I don’t recognize the number.”
I can’t help it, but my gut goes on alert. “What’s this one say?”
She shows me the phone.
Such a pretty face, such a pretty dress, such a pretty smile
“Well, whoever they are, they’re right.”
She just chuckles and tosses the phone back in her purse.
I blow it off, or let her think I do, but my eyes are scanning the crowd. Is it nothing, or something?
Chapter Eight
I nstead of pulling into the drive of the plantation and camp, Brett continues until he is turning onto Baxter Lane. I’m not sure what his intentions are, but I’m glad he isn’t taking me home yet. I’m not ready for our date to end and apparently he isn’t either. He pulls into a parking spot by the beach and then grabs a blanket from the back seat.
“Is this why you wanted to get something to drink before we left the square?” Brett had ordered two large root beers from Seamus, which I thought was odd since I thought he was taking me home.
“I thought it’d be nice to just sit and talk, in the quiet, without crowds around, or a bossy waitress.” He grins at me.
“I’d like that too.”
We both leave our shoes at the edge of the beach and my feet sink into the sand. My uncle makes sure there is plenty of sand here because he hates mud in his toes. There isn’t much choice once you step into the lake, but I like that we don’t have to walk in the dirt to be near the water.
Brett stops when he notices the fire pit. “We can build a fire?”
“Sure. We do it all the time.” I point to the rise to our left. “We keep stacks of wood there for anyone to use.”
He goes to gather wood and I run back to the car to get my phone.
Brett looks at me oddly.
“I’m just letting my Uncle Gary know that it’s me out here before he comes to investigate.” I point to the closest house, just on the other side of the tall evergreens.
Brett nods and continues to gather the wood and put it in the pit.
“Hey, Jackie, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m down at the beach and will be building a fire.”
“Who you with?”
“Brett Robak.”
“Who is that?” I should have known I’d get the twenty-questions from Uncle Gary. He’s always watched out for me and my brothers, and he is a cop.
“A guy I have gone on a couple of dates with.” Since tonight is the second, that qualifies as a couple. Uncle Gary doesn’t need to know I just met Brett yesterday.
“And you brought him to the beach?” There is a teasing tone in my uncle’s voice.
“It was his idea, so we could talk in peace.”
“Uh huh, I bet.”
“It’s nothing more, Uncle Gary.”
“So, when do I meet him?”
I hadn’t even thought about introducing Brett to anyone else in my family. If and when I do, it will be in small increments. If he meets them all at once, I’ll never see him again.
“Um, sometime.”
“Hey, your Aunt Cheryl and I can come down. It’s a great night.”
Crap. That is the last thing I need.
“And, the girls have been wanting to go down by the lake and catch fireflies. You don’t mind the company, do you?”
I’m speechless. I’m sure the last thing Brett was thinking was inviting my family when he drove back here.
After a moment Uncle Gary starts laughing. “I wouldn’t do that to you, kid.”
I blow out a sigh and relax.
“So, who is he and where did you meet him?”
“Brett Robak and Ashley fixed us up on a blind date.”
“What do you know about this guy?” My uncle is suddenly very serious.
“Enough to know I’m safe,” I assure
I pull my wallet out and go to the bar.
She follows and plops down on a bar stool, a strange look on her face.
“Is something wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Must be a wrong number again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah. Got a weird message yesterday too. I don’t recognize the number.”
I can’t help it, but my gut goes on alert. “What’s this one say?”
She shows me the phone.
Such a pretty face, such a pretty dress, such a pretty smile
“Well, whoever they are, they’re right.”
She just chuckles and tosses the phone back in her purse.
I blow it off, or let her think I do, but my eyes are scanning the crowd. Is it nothing, or something?
Chapter Eight
I nstead of pulling into the drive of the plantation and camp, Brett continues until he is turning onto Baxter Lane. I’m not sure what his intentions are, but I’m glad he isn’t taking me home yet. I’m not ready for our date to end and apparently he isn’t either. He pulls into a parking spot by the beach and then grabs a blanket from the back seat.
“Is this why you wanted to get something to drink before we left the square?” Brett had ordered two large root beers from Seamus, which I thought was odd since I thought he was taking me home.
“I thought it’d be nice to just sit and talk, in the quiet, without crowds around, or a bossy waitress.” He grins at me.
“I’d like that too.”
We both leave our shoes at the edge of the beach and my feet sink into the sand. My uncle makes sure there is plenty of sand here because he hates mud in his toes. There isn’t much choice once you step into the lake, but I like that we don’t have to walk in the dirt to be near the water.
Brett stops when he notices the fire pit. “We can build a fire?”
“Sure. We do it all the time.” I point to the rise to our left. “We keep stacks of wood there for anyone to use.”
He goes to gather wood and I run back to the car to get my phone.
Brett looks at me oddly.
“I’m just letting my Uncle Gary know that it’s me out here before he comes to investigate.” I point to the closest house, just on the other side of the tall evergreens.
Brett nods and continues to gather the wood and put it in the pit.
“Hey, Jackie, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m down at the beach and will be building a fire.”
“Who you with?”
“Brett Robak.”
“Who is that?” I should have known I’d get the twenty-questions from Uncle Gary. He’s always watched out for me and my brothers, and he is a cop.
“A guy I have gone on a couple of dates with.” Since tonight is the second, that qualifies as a couple. Uncle Gary doesn’t need to know I just met Brett yesterday.
“And you brought him to the beach?” There is a teasing tone in my uncle’s voice.
“It was his idea, so we could talk in peace.”
“Uh huh, I bet.”
“It’s nothing more, Uncle Gary.”
“So, when do I meet him?”
I hadn’t even thought about introducing Brett to anyone else in my family. If and when I do, it will be in small increments. If he meets them all at once, I’ll never see him again.
“Um, sometime.”
“Hey, your Aunt Cheryl and I can come down. It’s a great night.”
Crap. That is the last thing I need.
“And, the girls have been wanting to go down by the lake and catch fireflies. You don’t mind the company, do you?”
I’m speechless. I’m sure the last thing Brett was thinking was inviting my family when he drove back here.
After a moment Uncle Gary starts laughing. “I wouldn’t do that to you, kid.”
I blow out a sigh and relax.
“So, who is he and where did you meet him?”
“Brett Robak and Ashley fixed us up on a blind date.”
“What do you know about this guy?” My uncle is suddenly very serious.
“Enough to know I’m safe,” I assure
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