“Thank you again!” Clara called after them as they headed back up the beach toward home.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, Piper’s shorter legs working to keep up with Ryan’s longer strides. Misty trotted between them, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder as if to make sure Clara wasn’t following.
“Was it just me,” Piper said finally, breaking the silence, “or was she a little strange?”
“No, sweetheart, I got that too,” Ryan admitted. He ruffled Piper’s hair affectionately. “But she hasn’t done anything wrong. She’s just friendly. Maybe a bit too friendly, but that’s not a crime.”
“Misty didn’t like her,” Piper pointed out.
“I noticed that too.”
“And Misty is usually right about people,” Piper observed. “I think she has a little hero worship going on toward you.” She raised an eyebrow. “I think I’ve seen movies like this.” She pulled a face and teased. “Trust me, they don’t usually end well. You’d better watch your back, Uncle Ryan.”
Ryan snorted and rolled his eyes. But her words sent a chill down his spine, and he automatically glanced back before grabbing his niece’s free hand and pulling her. “Come on, let’s go home and get something to eat. I’m starving, and if we don’t hurry, your grandfather is going to eat all the bacon himself.”
“Or send out a search party,” Piper mused, glancing at her stopwatch that she switched off. “Shoot, I forgot to turn this off when we went to help Clara.” Her brows rose. “Oh shoot. Grandpa really is going to send out a search party. We’ve been gone a lot longer than I usually am.”
“We’ll just tell him the truth,” Ryan suggested.
“That you were slowing me down?” Piper grinned cheekily.
“Hey…” Ryan said, laughing as she pulled her hand free.
“I’ll race you to the front door,” Piper challenged, then took off before he could reply.
Ryan drew in a ragged breath, ignoring the now searing pain in his side and hoping he hadn’t pulled open his wound, rushing around trying to save a ridiculously big hat and some papers. He gritted his teeth, sucked up the ache, and took off after his niece.
When they reached Sunrise House and walked through the front door, Ryan was surprised to see Marcus Hayes sitting at thekitchen counter with a cup of coffee, and wondered when he’d arrived.
“Oh yes, I forgot to tell you,” Piper said, reading his expression. “Uncle Marcus is here for a few days.” She headed for the stairs, already pulling her ponytail out. “I’m going to have a quick shower before breakfast. Is that okay, Grandpa?”
“Of course, honey,” Mitch said from the kitchen doorway.
Ryan watched his niece disappear up the stairs, then turned to find both Mitch and Marcus looking at him with serious expressions. His father jerked his head toward the kitchen, and Ryan’s heart sank. If Marcus were here and they both looked that grim, the news wouldn’t be good.
They waited until they heard Piper’s bedroom door close upstairs, then Mitch and Marcus marched Ryan into the kitchen. His heart lurched when he saw Tessa sitting at the counter.
“Hey, Tessa,” Ryan greeted her.
“Morning, Ryan,” Tessa greeted him with a soft smile, making his pulse race more than it already was, and the burn in his side ache a little less.
“What’s going on?” Ryan asked, his eyes moving between the three of them. He couldn’t help but notice that Tessa looked beautiful even this early in the morning, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, no makeup, wearing jeans and a sweater. His breath caught slightly as she looked up at him, and their eyes met once again before she glanced at her wristwatch.
“Oh, no, I’ve been here far too long,” Tessa stated. “I’d better get back before Lori realizes I’m gone.” She stood up and looked atMisty, who was sprawled on the floor near Ryan’s feet. “I can take her back for you, if you want.”
“Thanks,” Ryan said, automatically reaching for Misty’s leash. “I was going to bring her over as soon as I’d dropped Piper off.”
“I’m sure your father has a lot to tell you,” Tessa said, moving toward him to take the leash.
As she reached for it, their hands brushed. The contact lasted less than a second, but Ryan felt it like an electric shock. Her eyes shot up to his, wide with surprise, and she snatched the leash away quickly. Too quickly.
Ryan had to hide a smile, knowing she’d felt the same jolt at the touch that he had. There was something there between them, whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not. His gut twisted at the knowledge, but he pushed it away. Now was not the time to pursue a relationship. Not while there was a potentially dangerous mystery to solve. One where his father had already been hurt.
“Well...uh...” Tessa turned to Mitch, clearly flustered. “You’ll keep me...uh...us, updated on what you find?”
“Yes,” Mitch promised. “Let Marcus and me look into this new information. Then we’ll get everyone together to discuss it.”
Tessa nodded, her cheeks slightly pink. “Right. Good.”
