LITMIR.BIZ

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I think you were right.” Zane hadn’t a clue what she was getting at, but he knew Mae. She’d eventually get around to telling him what was going on.

      “Can you imagine her bridesmaid, Judy, running off with Steven to get married? Why, she’d been like a member of our family when the girls were younger. And Steven? I thought I knew that boy. I’d like to wallop both of them for the hurt they put my daughter through.”

      His face tightened and he squeezed his eyes shut, wishing like hell he could give that jerk a piece of his mind. And to add to the insult, he’d run away with one of Jess’s good friends. A woman who’d vowed to stand up for her at her wedding.

      Something clicked in his head. “Wait a minute, Mae. When did you tell Jess about this?”

      “Oh, let me see. It must have been on Thursday. Yes, that’s right. I remember, because I was getting my hair done at the salon and, well, it was the talk of the entire beauty shop. I felt so bad when I heard, I walked out after my cut with a wet head, didn’t bother having my hair styled. All I kept thinking about was my Jess and how she would take the news. But you know, when I told her, I was surprised at her reaction. She seemed calm. I think she was in shock. Have you noticed anything different about her, lately?”

      Had he? Hell, yeah. Now he understood her transformation. She’d dyed her hair blond, gotten rid of her eyeglasses, starting wearing provocative clothes. Was it rebellion? Or worse yet, had Jess decided to throw caution to the wind and... No, he wouldn’t let his mind go there. She wasn’t promiscuous. She was a woman who’d been betrayed by people she trusted. He could only imagine what hearing that news did to her.

      And what had he done? She’d come into the room the night of party and he’d shot her down, doing the unthinkable by telling her she looked like Janie in a voice that held nothing but disapproval. He’d been selfish, thinking only about how much it hurt to look at her that way. If he was damn honest with himself, seeing that daring side of Jess had excited him. He hadn’t known how to handle his initial reaction to her. She almost didn’t go to the party because he’d given her a hard time about the way she looked, gorgeous as she was.

      And he’d been jealous because he couldn’t have her, and yet he didn’t want any other man going after her, either. Wow. What a revelation.

      “Zane, I asked if Jessica has been acting differently lately?”

      Uh, yeah. But in this case, he saw no reason not to bend the truth a little. “She’s been keeping busy, Mae. She tells me she likes the work. And she’s made a few friends here, too. She seems to fit in real nice. In fact, she’s visiting my neighbor now. When she comes in, I’ll be sure to tell her you called.”

      “I’m happy about that, Zane. I knew coming to stay with you would be good for her.”

      Zane scrunched his face up. He’d taken Mae’s daughter to bed, and if he had his way, he would do so again. His mind muddied up, and he didn’t understand any of it other than that Jess was under his roof and getting under his skin. He felt for her and the hurt she’d gone through. Nothing about liking her seemed wrong, even though he could count the bullet points in his mind why he shouldn’t.

      “I can’t thank you enough. You know how much I love my girls.”

      Her comment dug deep into his heart. Mae would never stop loving Janie. She always spoke of her as if she were still with them. Zane loved that about her. “Yep, I know, Mae.”

      “So tell me what you’ve been doing. That’s if you have the time.”

      “I have the time. Let’s see, the restaurant is coming along as scheduled and...”

      Thirty minutes later, after he’d hung up with Mae, he sat down with his guitar and strummed lightly to reacquaint himself to the feel of the instrument in his hands and the resiliency of the strings. He had words in his head struggling to get out, lyrics that were just beginning to flow, and he jotted them down as he struck chord after chord. The pick in his hand felt awkward at first, but he pressed on.

      Thoughts of Jess distracted him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and what Mae had revealed. He wanted to protect her. Yet he desired her. Her heartache scored his heart. He felt sorry for her, but not enough to keep his distance. He was conflicted, as Dylan would say. He needed some release.

      Only a dunk in the ocean would help clear his mind and cool his body.

      And minutes later, dressed in his swim trunks, he made his way to the shoreline and dived straight in, propelling his arms and legs past the shallow waters, pushing his body to the limit.

      * * *

      After enjoying a pleasant visit with Adam and declining his offer to walk her home, she trudged across the beach alone. Cool sand squished between her toes as she made her way to the shoreline, where the moist grains under her feet became smoother, making it much easier to move. She knew this beach; she’d walked it in the mornings many times.

      As she entered Zane’s home, silence surrounded her. It was too quiet for this time of the evening. Zane never turned in before ten. “Zane? Are you here?”

      Nothing.

      “Zane?” She stepped into the office, then the kitchen, and peeked into his bedroom.

      There was no sign of him.

      She sighed wearily and shook her head. He must have gone for a swim in the ocean. Half a dozen worries entered her head about his night swim. Geesh, he’d just gotten his cast off. What was the doggone rush?

      Hurrying to her room, she flung off her clothes and put on her bathing suit. In her haste to rid herself of the old Jess, she’d tossed out her one-piece swimsuits she’d brought from Texas, which left her with the daring bikini she’d bought the other day. She slipped into it and then wiggled a T-shirt over her head. Without wasting a second, she strode down the stairs, grabbed her flashlight and ventured out the sliding door.

      If she were lucky, she’d find Zane walking toward the house, whistling a happy tune.

      Who was she kidding? Luck wasn’t with her lately. Zane’s towel was on the beach, which meant he was out there somewhere. The crashing waves that usually lulled her to sleep made her wary now. Her flashlight pointed out to sea illuminated only a narrow strip of water at a time. She squinted, trying to make out shapes, searching corridors of ocean, back and forth. “Zane! Zane!”

      She couldn’t find him. Nibbling her lip, she paced the beach, aiming her flashlight onto the water over and over. She’d never swum in the ocean before coming to California, but she’d quickly learned how the currents could take you away, making you drift in one direction or another. She’d start out in front of Zane’s house and wind up hundreds of feet away when it was time to come in. Those currents had to be stronger at night, more powerful and...

      She spotted something. A head bobbing in the water? She pointed the flashlight and struggled to focus. Yep, someone was out there. But then the form dropped down as if being swallowed up by the sea. She ran into the surf, targeting that bit of water with the flashlight. “Zane!” she shouted, but her voice was muted by the crash of the waves.

      He couldn’t hear her. He was out past the shallows. She waited several long seconds for him to reappear. She prayed that he would. She couldn’t see much, only what the moonlight and stars and her flashlight allowed, but she’d always had a good sense of direction. She knew the exact spot where she’d seen him go down.

      “Oh, God. Zane!”

      With no time to waste, she dived in, her arms pumping, her feet kicking, fighting against the tide. She swam as fast as she ever had in her life, her eyes trying to focus on the spot she’d seen him. She was almost there, a little farther, just another few strokes.

      A thunderous sound boomed in her ears. She looked up. Oh, no. A monstrous wave was coming toward her like a coiling snake. It was too late to get out of its path. The pounding surf reached her in midstroke. The force slammed her back. She flew in the air and belly-flopped

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