“You know, when you approved the building inspection for the library addition six years ago. Then it collapsed, causing millions of dollars in damage and the death of one of the contractors. Remember that?”
If an ant coughed, you’d hear it; the room was so quiet.
“Shut up,” Josh sneered.
“That was the same night your mother drove her car into Deleveaux Lake,” Aunt Mae continued.
“I said shut your mouth!” he screamed.
“Should we blame you for all of that, too?”
Josh took a step towards her, and Officer Bryan Watson strode to the front of the room, putting a hand on his chest as he got close to her.
“I think you need to calm your ass down, son,” Bryan said.
“We forgave you of all of that, and you’re still here living your life without anyone undermining your every decision. It’s time you start showing the same gratitude that was given to you,” Aunt Mae finished, her eyes never leaving his reddened face as he panted like an animal cornered.
She tossed her kitchen towel over her shoulder, grabbed her menu, and walked towards the double doors leading out onto the street. She stopped as the people in the chairs shifted and watched her. Turning, she looked at the faces of her neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
“We can’t be the pot calling the kettle black.”
Her face softened, and she smiled as she looked each one in the eye.
“What’s happening to our community? This used to be a place where we all loved one another, supported one another, and most importantly, forgave one another. You all might want to take a good, hard look at yourselves and our town. We’re the last of the olden ways. If we teach the children that this behavioris OK, then we’re no different from any other place outside our city limits, and Hamby is lost anyway.”
With that, Aunt Mae walked out into the street towards her diner, where dinners were getting ready to be served.
LUCIAN EMBRY KEPThiscomposure and matched the stature of the men on either of his sides. He was a true professional in every sense of the word; he wouldn’t budge an inch. It’s the reason he was in demand, and his reputation preceded him. The reason Vincent and Maureen Capshaw hired him as their private investigator and personal security.
He smiled inside as they walked through the revolving door of the federal FBI building in New York, NY, and removed the Rolex watch from his wrist. He gently laid it into the bin so that it could pass through the security scanners, and removed his shoes, placing them in a bin of their own. It would be a long forty-eight hours, he thought, as Jake Washington ushered him towards a security guard holding a wand.
LANA PULLEDUP tothe peer and switched the engine off. She smiled at Kayden.
“Ready to experience the only attraction in town?” she asked.
Kayden had never been to her city before, and she wanted to take him to her favorite place on the beach. He grinned at her, then tossed his phone into the glove box. He hadn’t noticed the three missed call messages on the screen before he shut it closed. He shut the truck door, walked over to Lana’s side of the truck,and inhaled the humid, salty ocean breeze. He reached for her hand, and they began making their way to the wooden staircase.
As they began the ascent hand-in-hand, he squeezed her hand gently and thought about the three months apart that loomed ahead of them. He was doing his best to put on a good show and not express how sad he felt inside. He hoped he could continue his charade the entire night, but it was hard. As they made it to the actual peer deck, Lana saw the same Pick Your Pearl lady laying out different jewelry pieces and stopped when she saw a beautiful black pearl bracelet sitting in a bowl of coarse sea salt.
Kayden leaned over the table and pointed at it.
“That’s very pretty, don’t you think?”
Lana shook her head because it was. The pearl was giant, and it was set in her favorite colors, turquoise and light blue.
“How much for the bracelet?” Kayden asked the blonde sitting at the table.
“Well, typically you have to pick an oyster and then whatever pearl you get, you put in a place setting. But, if you want to purchase this one outright, it’s called Love Wave and it’s eighty-five bucks,” she chirped.
Kayden reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet when Lana touched his arm.
“You don’t have to buy me anything.”
“I want to. When you look at it, you’ll think of me when you’re off saving the world,” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Lana smiled faintly, grabbed his chin, and turned his face to hers.
“I don’t need a bracelet to do that.”
