Song of the Surf (Pacific Shores Book 3) (6 page)

Her cheeks brightened another shade. “I’m talking to myself again, huh?”

He gave in to the urge to tease her a little. “It’s okay. I’ve learned some enlightening things while listening to you talk to yourself.”

She laughed uneasily. “Justus, I know I said…”

Her expression begged for his help, but he was having too much fun with this to let her off easy. “You said what?”

She squinched her nose at him. “You know exactly what I said, but I want you to know, that just because I said you were…nice looking, doesn’t mean I can be in a relationship right now.” The sincere set of her gaze said she hoped her gentle rejection would be taken seriously.

He eased out a breath. The words had hurt a lot more than he’d expected them to. But this was good. And what else was he to expect? He felt pretty sure Reece had told her about his time behind bars. A couple times he’d seen a hint of curiosity mixed with fear on her face as she studied him. He gave himself a mental shake. Yes, this was better. “I’m actually glad you said that, because while I also find you attractive, I wasn’t really kidding about what I said. My life is in a bit of chaos right now and it’s not really a good time for me to be in a relationship.”

Dakota eased out a silent breath. See? She’d known he was only being a nice guy who didn’t want to hurt her feelings. And what she’d said was mostly true. She really
couldn’t
be in a relationship right now. But it wouldn’t have hurt her feelings much if he’d at least pretended like he’d wanted a bit more than friendship from her. At least he’d said she was attractive. She’d have to live with that, she supposed.

His brows arched as he waited for her reply.

She pursed her lips and forced herself to nod like all was as she’d hoped. “Good. So…friends?” She leaned in to her crutches and held out her casted hand to him.

He stepped close and gently gripped the fingers protruding from the end of the plaster. “Friends.” His touch was more like a soft caress, as though he feared he might hurt her if he squeezed her fingers too hard.

A zing of awareness zipped up her arm and down her spine. Oh boy. Maybe the handshake had been a mistake. She tugged to be released, but instead of letting her go he moved into her personal space, maintaining his gentle grasp. And when her gaze flew to his, he grinned. “I’m going to like being your friend, Dakota Trask.”

And I’m going to be tortured to
only
be yours, Justus Teague.

He swept a glance toward her shoes. “As your friend can I just say for the duration of the time you are on crutches, it would probably be best to wear flat, practical shoes?” He winked.

She stretched out her leg and angled her mint suede spool heel back and forth. “What? You don’t think these are the best crutching gear?”

The squad car pulled up just then and Tom Hansen stepped from the vehicle.

Justus moved back and Dakota smiled at the Police Chief. “Hi, Chief. Couldn’t find anyone else to babysit me, huh?”

He chuckled. “Unfortunately, there was a lot of damage last night and all my officers are occupied elsewhere.” He swung a look to Justus.

Dakota pointed the end of her crutch at him. “This is Justus Teague. Justus,” she swung a gesture back toward the officer, “Chief of Police Tom Hansen.”

Justus nodded and shook the man’s hand.

The chief ambled up the walkway to the front door. “Riley coming?”

“She should be here any minute. I called her when we were leaving the hospital. Thanks for letting us in to get our stuff.”

Tom smiled at her over his shoulder. “Sure. We can’t have you ladies living without your shoe collections.”

Justus’s laughter floated on the wind. “That would be a tragedy for sure!”

Dakota chuckled and felt heat sear her cheeks. “It is true. I can’t wait to put on my Vans!”

Chapter 4

Friday morning, Dakota hobbled down the upper hallway at Serenity Shores, determined she was going to do something helpful for the wedding today, whether or not anyone protested. She was the maid of honor and supposed to be taking weight off of Marie, but for the past couple days no one had hardly let her lift a finger to help with anything.

Today they were all heading to the church to set up the final decorations for tomorrow’s ceremony, and she was going to be there even if she had to stow away in Justus’s trunk.

After they finalized the decorations, the rehearsal and dinner would take place later this evening. But first Marie and Reece had asked all their bridesmaids and groomsmen to meet with them here at Serenity Shores for a brunch. And if the smells of bacon, sausage, and green peppers wafting up the stairway were any indication, they were all in for a real treat from Darlene’s kitchen this morning.

Gripping her crutches under her casted arm, and the stair rail with the other hand, Dakota hopped down the staircase on one foot. It would be a miracle if her right quad wasn’t twice the size of her left before her ankle healed.

“Aunt Kota!” Marie’s daughter, four-year-old Alyssa Sinclair, launched herself at Dakota’s legs the minute she came off the last step. Chubby arms wrapped her in a hug, crutches and all.

Dakota stumbled a sideways step, grateful for a wall to plant her shoulder into. “Whoa there, Superwoman! You about took me out!”

“Sorry.” Alyssa paused long enough to offer a sheepish smile before spinning on one heel to dash toward the dining room. “Come on! Grandma made breakfast!” she called over her rapidly disappearing shoulder.

“I’m coming. But I’m slower than you on a good day, and today’s not a good day.” The words were spoken to thin air, because Alyssa had already turned the corner at the end of the hallway.

Giving a little growl, she tucked the duo of speed impediments under her armpits.

“Feeling a little grumbly about our limitations are we?” Justus trotted down the stairs and paused beside her.

Even after two days of telling herself he only wanted to be her friend, her pulse still spiked every time he walked into the room. She bit back her frustration over that fact and tried not to look as grumpy as she felt. “My armpits hurt,” she groused.

He tilted her a look of sympathy. “Today’s the last day, right? The doctor said you are allowed to walk down the aisle tomorrow?”

She wished he’d be a little less compassionate. It would make it easier on her heart. She gave him a sour look. “Sure, I get to waddle like a penguin down the aisle at my best friend’s wedding. Oh joy!”

He chuckled and scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, studying her. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your bright outlook on life.”

She crinkled her nose. “I am being a brat, aren’t I? I could be lying in the hospital or worse right now, and all I can think of is how frustrated I am that I can’t do more to help.”

His face turned serious. “I wouldn’t say ‘being a brat.’ Just learning to be content in all circumstances, which I know isn’t easy.”

She sighed. “Isn’t that the truth!”

He chuckled and tapped her nose. “Come on, Grumpy. The other dwarfs are waiting for us in the dining room.”

“Har, har.” She clunked after him down the hallway.

Justus pulled out her chair and helped her stow her crutches against the wall behind her, and when she reached for a plate, even commandeered it from her and filled it with the items she pointed out so she wouldn’t have to stand on her one good leg to reach the buffet style food.

He set the plate down in front of her with a steaming cup of coffee next to it and arched a brow as if to ask if it all looked right.

“Thank you.” She gave him a smile, even though she hated not being able to fend for herself. She really ought to be more thankful for all the help he’d given her over the past few days since the storm.

“My pleasure.” He filled his own plate and then sank down next to her.

With her mouth stuffed full, she witnessed him pause to bow his head before he dug into his own fare, and felt a prick of guilt.
Bad boy turned good?
She logged another mark on the pros side of her imaginary tally sheet.

She swallowed the delicious bite of stuffed green pepper and then followed his example. She hadn’t been grateful for much lately, and she really had a lot to be grateful for.

She and Justus chatted amiably while they ate and others filtered into the room and filled their own plates. Dakota had been honored and a little surprised when Marie had asked her if she would be her maid of honor. She’d figured Taysia would get that distinction, but Marie explained that they had wanted Taysia and her husband Kylen, who was one of the groomsmen, to be able to walk together up the aisle, and Taysia had been perfectly happy with that decision. Riley was also a bridesmaid. Reece had chosen Justus as his best man, and Jalen, whom he had also worked with for years at Deschutes Rejuvenation, as his third groomsman.

By the time everyone gathered around the table, Dakota felt a bit like a sardine. But she loved this. She studied the occupants of the Serenity Shores dining room. Kylen and Taysia were laughing hysterically over something with Reece and Marie. Alyssa, her tongue stuck between her teeth, had her head tilted just so as she attempted to get something right in a drawing she was working on. And beside the little girl Darlene leaned in to see what she was sketching. Across the table from Dakota, Riley remained quiet, but she didn’t seem as withdrawn today as she had been for the past weeks. Next to Riley, Jalen fiddled with the fork on his empty plate, a small frown pinching his brow. He was a riddle she hadn’t quite figured out yet. He would laugh and joke when Riley wasn’t in the room, but the minute she walked in, it was like an emotional blanket dropped over him.

Stuffed too full to finish everything on her plate, Dakota pushed back from the table as an expectant silence finally settled. Dakota turned to look at Reece and Marie along with everyone else, wondering why they’d been called here.

Marie gave Reece an excited little glance and then rubbed her hands together as she scanned them all. Dakota felt the bottom begin to drop out of her stomach. What had Marie schemed up for them?

“Okay, everyone, Reece and I have something we’d like to ask of all of you.” Her attention honed in on Dakota. “We’d wanted to do this, and then when Dakota was injured we weren’t sure we could pull it off, but now that she’s for sure going to be able to walk tomorrow, we’d like to try.”

Try what? Dakota liked the sound of this less and less. Maybe her foot would have a tragic setback tomorrow.

“So what we’d like is for each of you to join us on the dance floor for our first dance, but we want to end the dance with a little bit of a choreographed routine.”

Dakota’s gaze darted to Justus’s, only to find he was already looking at her, brows raised, humor dancing in his eyes. Dakota snapped her lips together to keep her jaw from dropping open.

Marie held up her hands. “I know. I know. It sounds complicated, but I promise it is not going to be too complex. We are going to make it super easy on all of you and we even have time planned to practice today at the rehearsal.”

Dakota swallowed, but there was no moisture in her mouth whatsoever. She snatched up her coffee mug and took a big swig that burned all the way down.

They wanted her to
dance?
Did they know she’d grown up mostly on the mission field and hadn’t been allowed to dance one day in her life? She didn’t know the difference between a waltz and a disco, for crying in her coffee. Yes, a good cry would be so comforting right about now. No one would fault her for indulging in a nice prescription of tears and caffeine, would they?

Justus leaned over and nudged her. “Come on. It won’t be so bad.”

Her lips thinned over her teeth in what she hoped at least partially resembled a smile of agreement.

She was going to kill Marie.

Justus rubbed his fingers over his upper lip and then stroked down around his chin. So he was going to have to dance with her. Well, that wouldn’t be so bad. He just needed to keep his emotions in check. Remind himself that she only wanted to be friends. Keep things light. He could do that.

But judging by the look on Dakota’s face, she’d rather kiss a toad than spend time dancing with him, which he had to admit rubbed him a little raw. Maybe he should just lay things out on the table? Tell her he was interested in getting to know her better for more than just friendship?

Before he could decide whether to say something to her right now, Marie stood and began directing traffic. “Darlene, thanks so much for making such a delicious brunch for us.”

Darlene smiled and blushed, brushing away their applause and words of gratitude. “It was more than my pleasure. You all head on out to do the decorations, and as soon as I’m done here I’ll be along to help with the final details and for the rehearsal.”

“Great… so”—Marie glanced from Jalen to Riley— “Riley do you mind giving Jalen a ride to the church and stopping at the Wedding Shoppe on the way to pick up the candles and decorations? Then he can help you get all the candelabras and stuff into your back seat?”

Riley’s fist clenched into a white-knuckled ball on the table.

Next to Justus, Dakota squirmed in her seat, a small frown puckering the yellow, bruised skin of her brow. Her blue eyes softened and filled with concern as she studied Riley, who remained quiet despite the fact that everyone was looking at her.

Jalen’s jaw jutted off to one side, and Justus knew that memories of what had happened to his sister were probably at the forefront of his mind whenever he was around Riley.

He turned his attention back to Dakota. He knew she hadn’t been doing this job very long. But it was obvious she cared for the woman across the table with every fiber of her being. How long had it been since he’d felt that way about any of his boys? He used to. Back in the beginning. Back when he had hope that he could make a difference. Now… He just wasn’t sure anymore.

He darted a guilty look toward Jalen. Jalen would tell him he was an idiot to think he wasn’t making a difference. But Jalen hadn’t watched as Helene’s body was zipped into a black bag. He hadn’t stood by and seen the expressions on her parents’ faces when the police had given them the bad news. He hadn’t watched as Trey jumped the fence in his backyard just as a cop, with gun raised, yelled for him to stop…