I sat back down, a thought popping into my head. “Hey, maybe I could head out to the park. You know, keep an eye on her. Bodyguard duty, courtesy of her brother’s authority, making sure they’re safe from harm.”
Marcus lifted an eyebrow. “You’d do that? Why?”
I grinned. “I don’t have anything better to do but sit on this porch and get drunk with you. I’d rather not do that and be of service instead.”
He glanced at my beer. “You haven’t been drinking all day, have you?”
I laughed, put the cap back on my new bottle and set it on the table. “Nope, just this one. Have been working all morning. I’m clear.”
Marcus studied me for a moment, which I found rather amusing. I stared right back unwavering to prove I was not drunk in any way, shape or fashion.
“Well, if you want to flirt with my sister, I guess you have my permission,” he said with a smirk.
I hadn’t planned on flirting, but now that he mentioned it, why not? Savannah was gorgeous, and apparently, her brother wasn’t against the idea. I smiled. “I wasn’t going to, but since you brought it up...”
Marcus narrowed his eyes, taking another drink. “Admit it, you’ve always thought she was pretty.”
I didn’t try to deny it. Shrugging again, I replied. “She’s always been pretty. But I respected you too much to act on it while she was married, when it would have been wrong. That’s not how I roll.”
Marcus nodded, a hint of relief in his eyes. “Glad to hear that, brother.”
I lifted the unopened bottle, and Marcus clinked it with his own. “I’ll keep her safe, I promise.”
“And what am I supposed to do? Sit here admiring your great landscaping? I’m not doing any of your chores,” he teased.
“Don’t touch anything, Marcus,” I said, trying and failing to sound serious. We both burst into laughter.
He pointed at me, eyes dancing. “If I find any of my tools out here, I’m finishing your project.”
I raised my hands in mock surrender. “Guess I’d have to live with that.”
I stood up, stretching. “I’m gonna go take a quick shower and change. Church should be out soon, right?”
Marcus glanced at his phone. “Yeah, it’s about time for church to be out. It’s never over at the same time. Depends on how long people pray at the end. It will take her about twenty minutes to get to the lake. I’ll text Savannah, making sure Roger didn’t show up by the church.”
“I still don’t see how he’d be able to find her, Marcus. Maybe there’s no need to worry at all.”
Marcus nodded, looking up from his phone. “Yeah, I know but the fact that the detective called Sav makes me worried. It feels like he called to warn her because he knows Roger knows where she is.”
I pulled in a deep breath, a look of understanding on my face, hopefully. I went inside and took a five minute shower, changing into some clean comfortable clothes.
I headed back out and saw that Marcus was still sitting in the same spot. He was on his second beer and he’d taken the one I’d already opened.
“So, what are you gonna do? Stay here to keep an eye on both places?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. I think that would be best. I’ll see her when you come back. If she returns before then, I’ll text you.”
“Fair enough,” I said, pointing at him with my keys. “See you later, buddy.”
The drive to the park filled me with a warm sense of anticipation. Savannah would get to the beach about fifteen minutes before me, just enough time to settle in.
I knew what her car looked like so I planned to scan the parking lot and park as close to hers as I could. It was a little late in the season, so I didn’t expect the place to be too full.
When I finally arrived, I was surprised to see the lot fuller than expected. On a Sunday after church, I should have known. I laughed when I looked at the two long shelters with double outdoor grills for public use. They were both packed.
One was obviously a baby shower for a baby girl and a birthday party with a banner that read “Happy Birthday, Ethel,” I chuckled, picturing a baby named Ethel.
I finally found a spot and parked, ready for whatever came next.
