Night Waves (19 page)

Cali’s damp palms rested on the hard, wooden armrests of the hard, wooden chair in which she sat. She looked around Nick’s office, thankful the sheriff’s station had emergency backup generators. The lights were dim, but sufficient.

She focused on her surroundings while waiting for Nick to finish speaking with Helen in the main room. His office looked the same as the first time she had entered it, but it felt different. The sense of organization was still there, and the bare essentials remained occupying the desk, but now that she knew the man behind it all, it felt welcoming instead of intimidating.

Fatigue blurred her vision, and she rubbed her eyes to clear them. She checked her watch, but it had stopped working, probably from being drenched for most of the night. She looked around Nick’s office for an indication of the time, but found none. She figured it was well after midnight by now, and her energy reserves were fading fast.

Chad and Serena had been admitted to the hospital for treatment—Chad for burns, and Serena for dehydration. Marlene was still in good physical condition, but they kept her overnight as well, based on the trauma she had undergone in her ordeal.

Nick had insisted Cali let the emergency room doctor take a look at her, and she had earned a bandaged shoulder for complying. She had a sprained shoulder, but luckily nothing had been permanently damaged. She had wanted to stay in the hospital with Serena, and it took both the doctor and Nick to convince her Serena needed to rest.

When she and Nick returned to the station a few minutes ago, Helen had greeted them at the door with hot coffee and a warm smile. Then, she hugged Cali, surrounding her with much needed compassion. Cali had nearly broken out in a fresh wave of tears at the friendly gesture.

Cali stood and paced Nick’s office, wearing an extra pair of his clothes, which he had given her before they left the hospital. His sweatpants gathered around her ankles, and kept slipping at the waist, although she tightened the drawstring and hiked up the legs repeatedly. The T-shirt hung down close to her knees, but she couldn’t think of anything else she would rather be wearing at the moment. Nick’s fresh, soapy scent clung to the material, and she enjoyed the comfort it provided.

A pang of loneliness hit her as she remembered again that now that they had caught Chad, she would be leaving soon. Nick had been so busy dealing with the aftermath of tonight’s events, he hadn’t said anything about what was to come, and Cali wondered if it had crossed his mind.

“I want you to get some sleep.” Nick’s deep voice shook her out of her thoughts as he entered the office.

Her pulse leapt and she turned. “What about you? Your eyes are bloodshot. You look exhausted.”

“I’ll sleep soon enough. I want to get you settled first.”

“Where?”

“The worst of the hurricane is over, but I think it’s best if you stay here tonight. We’ll check on my cottage first thing in the morning, but for now, Deputy Owen has a couch in his office. It sleeps well.”

“You sound as if you know from experience.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I’ve been known to work long hours on occasion.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” she replied with her own smile.

He shrugged, and took her hand in his. He led her to Deputy Owen’s office. “I’ll go grab a pillow and blanket for you. We have brand new ones in the storage closet.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“We have emergency cots. I’ll set one up in my office.”

“And Helen?”

“She’ll probably insist on staying up through the night. I’ll be right back.”

Cali hadn’t been alone for long before Deputy Owen peeked in the door. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

His question startled her. She turned to face him. Dark circles ran under his eyes, and his usual arrogant smile had deflated, leaving a solemn expression on his features. He held his lips drawn tightly together as he waited.

“Of course.”

He stepped inside the office and shut the door, offering her a seat.

Cali opted to sit in the chair next to the door. Still uneasy about being alone with Owen, she wanted to have access to the exit. “Nick said I could sleep here. But I don’t have to if you’d rather…”

He waved his hand. “It’s fine. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you.” He pulled another chair from behind the desk and sat in it. He ran a hand through his tussled hair and met her eyes. “I’m sorry.” His long, narrow face held traces of regret.

Cali consciously kept her mouth from dropping open. “Sorry?”

Owen shot a pointed look at her bandaged shoulder. “Chad Livingston found you because of me.”

She leaned forward, surprised by the remorse in his voice. “Deputy Owen, I don’t think…”

He held up a hand. “Please, hear me out.”

“All right.” She settled into her seat, waiting, and fighting to keep her head clear enough to focus. She tried to hold back a yawn, but couldn’t.

He blew a deep breath into the air. “I shouldn’t have told Lex Harrison where you were staying. He led Livingston directly to you.”

“Chad would’ve found me anyway.”

“It would’ve taken him more time.”

“Yes, but…”

“Why are you defending me?”

Good question. She should be mad, but for some unexplained reason, she wasn’t. Cali had to think about her answer for a moment before she realized the truth. “Because I don’t want you to feel guilty for something someone else did. Chad kidnapped me, Deputy. You didn’t. I spent too much time this past week blaming myself for something he did.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs.

“You’re not going to let me feel bad about this are you?”

“I don’t want you to feel bad about it. I just hope you learned you don’t need publicity and fame to be important. Nick thinks highly of you. That says a lot.”

“Nick used to think highly of me. But not anymore.”

“It may take some time, but I’m sure you can regain his trust.”

“I hope so. I’m sorry I let him down.”

Her opinion of Owen started to rise. “Don’t forget you’re the one who found Serena.”

He nodded, stood from the chair and crossed the room, looking more uncertain than she had ever seen him. “Thanks for not being angry with me. I’m beginning to think Nick’s been right all along.”

“Been right?”

“You are special.”

Her stomach dropped and the room began to spin. Chad had called her special. Nausea rose inside, and she was glad she was sitting down. “Nick told you that?”

Nick stepped into the room. “I told you what?”

****

Nick stood in the doorway to the office holding the pillow and blanket and waiting for a response. Cali’s cheeks paled right before his eyes. “Chad used that word.” A shiver passed through her. “He used it as an excuse to stalk and kidnap me.”

“What word?”

Deputy Owen cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Growing irritated at not knowing what they were talking about, Nick stepped farther into the room and tossed the blanket and pillow onto the couch.

“I’ll just go check on Helen.” Owen stepped around Nick and left.

Nick turned his focus to Cali. She avoided looking at him. He was tempted to demand she tell him what they had been talking about when he caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes. The last thing he wanted to see was more tears. He had seen enough tonight to last him decades. First Cali, then Serena and Marlene. Even Helen had let out a few. His guilt returned, and he didn’t even know why Cali was starting to cry again.

She walked to the couch and sat on it. Picking up the pillow, she asked, “How long do you think it will take?”

“Cali, you’re confusing me.” He ran a hand through his hair as fatigue and frustration tugged at him.

She stared at the floor. “How long will it take for me to stop hearing his voice? To stop smelling his lime-scented sweat? To stop seeing his distorted features every time I close my eyes?”

Her whispered words instantly erased Nick’s agitation. “It’s only been a few hours, Cali.”

“How long before one word will stop bringing me to my knees?”

“What word?” Nick eased down beside her.

“Special. He said I was special.” She lifted her gaze back to his. “I still feel the nausea that struck me when he used that word. The way he said it.” She shivered and hugged the pillow to her chest, but not before Nick caught her pulse going wild at the base of her throat.

“He can’t hurt you anymore.” He wanted to take her in his arms, but the defensive look in her eyes held him back.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

He scooted closer. “I have two deputies guarding the door to his hospital room. He’s cuffed to the bed. He’ll be locked up in a cell where he belongs as soon as he’s well enough.”

“Do you think he’ll ever get out?”

“Not with the DNA evidence, and yours and Serena’s testimony.”

“I can testify, but how can Serena if she was drugged and doesn’t remember anything?”

“She remembers enough. She figured out Livingston was giving her the drugs through her drinks. So, she pretended to drink them, and acted like she was drugged. She nearly escaped once.”

“But Serena was drugged when Deputy Owen found her.”

“Livingston made her drink a soda laced with GHB while he watched. She had no choice that time.”

“How do you know?”

“She woke up enough for me to talk to her for a few minutes earlier in the hospital.” He leaned closer and took her hand in his, rubbing warmth back into her fingers. “She said Chad didn’t touch her.”

Cali’s eyes rounded in surprise. But, she still held a hint of disbelief in her gaze. “He didn’t?”

He shook his head. “Serena said he was distracted after he took her. He wasn’t at home much for the first few days. Then, she said he kept talking about you.” Anger surged through him at the thought, his protective instincts sprang to life again, and he shifted her hand closer.

“What about tonight? She was knocked out.” She shivered, and goose bumps broke out all across her skin.

Nick released her hand, picked up the blanket and draped it across her shoulders. “She was examined at the hospital. There’s no evidence she was…” he trailed off when Cali looked away.

“What about Marlene?”

“I don’t know. She’s not ready to talk much about it yet.”

Cali appeared as if she wanted to know more, but fell into silence. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, wincing when she lifted her right arm.

“How’s your shoulder feeling?”

“It’s swollen and sore.”

Another fresh wave of anger surged through Nick. Cali had been hurt by the High Tide Stalker, and he hadn’t been able to prevent it from happening. He lifted her hand and kissed it, then turned it over and traced circles on her palm with his thumb. He closed his eyes. “He had you, Cali. The stalker had you. What if…?” He cringed at the images flashing through his mind.

“I’m OK, Nick. Look at me.”

He did.

“I’m safe. You arrived at just the right time.” She softened her voice as a smile played at her lips. “You know, for someone who doesn’t want to be a hero, you’re pretty good at it.”

“I never said I didn’t want to be one. Only that I don’t have everything it takes to be one.”

“Maybe not on your own. But with God’s help, you can do much more than you ever could otherwise.”

His heart beat at a clipped pace. “You truly believe that, don’t you?” He held his breath. Waiting. Hoping. Had he really found an incredible woman who shared his beliefs, values and faith?

“Yes. I…”

“You what?”

She took in a deep, shuddering breath. “When Chad kidnapped me, I prayed.”

He waited, drawn in by her sincere words.

“The prayer we said together that night, in your cottage. I asked for courage, serenity and…”

“Wisdom,” he said along with her.

“And He followed through.”

A tear slid down her cheek, and he traced it with his thumb. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to take her in his arms and keep her there. But, he reminded himself she would be leaving soon. “I guess you’ll be glad to be going home to Brookstone, and the family business.”

Cali avoided his eyes.

He let go of her hand, and stood. He took a tissue from a box on Deputy Owen’s desk and handed it to her.

“Are you still asking me to go home, Sheriff Justice?” She blew her nose and locked her gaze with his.

“I’m not asking, Cali. But we both know it’s going to happen. Coral Isle is my home, and Brookstone is yours.”

Helen appeared in the doorway, drawing his focus away from Cali. “You’d better be getting some sleep, Sheriff.” Motherly concern deepened the creases at the corners of her eyes. She stepped back and left, not waiting for a reply.

Nick glanced once more at Cali before walking to the door. “She’s right. You need sleep, too.” He hesitated with his hand on the light switch. “We both knew this was coming,” he whispered as he turned out the lights and stepped away.

Night Waves

“
Tell me what you know about him.
”

“I know you don’t want to cross paths with him.”

“That’s original.” Cali flipped her long hair behind her shoulders and began tapping her right foot again. “Why don’t you tell me something I don’t know?”

Nick clenched his hands into fists and crossed his arms. Shaking his head, he said, “You have no idea what this man is capable of.”

“If you tell me, then I’d know wouldn’t I?”

He ground his teeth and sighed as his irritation grew. “It’s getting late. I’ll walk you back to your room.” He turned on his heel and picked up the water bottles, napkin and the sandwich wrapper, dumping them into the poolside trash can before facing her again.

“So that’s it? You won’t tell me anything?”

“No. I can’t tell you anything. Not yet.”

Cali looked away, took in a deep breath and walked past him out of the pool gate. He let her lead the way back to her rented room. Stopping in front of the door, she wrapped her arms around herself and studied her toes.

Nick slipped the key into the slot and turned it, opening the door an inch. When she moved to step inside, he caught her slender arm in his grasp. “Stop snooping, Cali. Don’t put yourself at risk.”