Bound by a Child

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“So...” he said. “That was more than I expected.”

“Me, too,” she admitted. “I guess we underestimated how much we’d enjoy each other.”

“I sure did. Tonight especially, I...I enjoyed kissing you, Jessi.”

“Me, too, Allan. I don’t think you’re my archnemesis anymore.”

“That’s good. So what are we going to do about this? Is it just grief? Did we turn to each other because our friends are gone?”

She shrugged. A part of her wanted to say yes and make this about the tragedy that had brought them both together. But she knew that would be a lie. And lying even to herself was something she didn’t like to do.

“I really don’t know,” she admitted.

“Me, either. I have always been able to... Never mind. The real question is what are we going to do about it?”

She didn’t have an answer. There wasn’t a clear solution. He had surprised her and made her realize that there was more to this man than she’d previously thought. Because if he’d been all ego, then he would have swaggered away from her. But he was sitting across from her, looking just as perplexed as she was.

Four

It was humid and breezy as they stepped off the plane at the Dare County Airport in Manteo, North Carolina. Unlike the Los Angeles area, where everything was either developed or part of the desert, North Carolina—and especially the Outer Banks—was made up of small villages surrounded by state-owned land that had been preserved to keep this part of the world wild.

As the breeze flattened her shirt to her breasts, Allan was transfixed for a second by the sheer beauty of Jessi. Who’d have guessed that she would be a femme fatale without even trying? He fiddled with the strap on his overnight bag to distract himself.

But there was no distraction from Jessi. Her perfume danced on the wind and wrapped around his senses as he stood there in the eerie predawn light.

“Thanks for the lift,” she said in that smart-ass way of hers that signaled the truce they’d sort of reached on the plane was over.

“You’re welcome. It was an enjoyable flight,” he said.

“Whatever. I figured I’d stay at Patti and John’s bed-and-breakfast until we go home,” she said.

“Fawkes has taken care of all the arrangements. The staff has canceled new arrivals, and when I spoke to the caretaker, he said there were only two couples left at the resort and that they would be leaving today.”

“I guess that’s one less thing to worry about,” she said. “I’m more than ready to talk to their attorney and do whatever we need to do. Patti’s mother isn’t going to be much help...since she’s ill.”

Allan understood that Patti’s mom, Amelia Pearson, was in the second stage of Alzheimer’s-related dementia, but John had told him to keep it quiet, since Patti hadn’t wanted anyone to know. He saw how thinking about Amelia’s condition affected Jessi. Her shoulders were stooped for a second and he imagined it was from the burden of knowing that your best friend’s own mother might not be able to mourn her.

“As soon as we see the attorney this morning we’ll know more,” he said. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but at least Allan already knew a lot about John’s wishes for the future. His friend had always been very loquacious and liked to share his dreams once he’d met and married Patti.

“I don’t get why they wanted to live here,” Jessi said. She glanced around the small airport. “I mean, it’s nice enough to get away from the bustle of L.A. once in a while, but all the time? I don’t think I could do it,” she said. “It’s going to take us over an hour to get to their place on Hatteras.”

“I know, and my cell phone signal stinks. I think Kell is probably going to disown me if I don’t check in, and I’ve only got one bar,” Allan said.

Jessi pulled her iPhone out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. “I’ve got almost two bars...want to use mine?”

He looked at her. As an olive branch gesture it was almost remarkable. She’d never offered him anything before. He tucked that fact away in the back of his mind to analyze later as he nodded at her.

“I have his number preprogrammed. He’s listed under Darth Sucks-A-Lot,” Jessi said as she handed the phone over.

Allan turned away to keep her from seeing the smile that spread across his face. He couldn’t wait to tell Dec, who would think Jessi’s tag for Kell was funny. “Don’t let him see that. He hates Star Wars.”