Seaside Heartbeats: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 2) Read online

  It was a dark-haired, skinny guy walking alone. "Hey, there."

  He looked familiar, but Brayden couldn't place him.

  "Great day for a hike, right?" asked the stranger.

  "We didn't see you on the trail," Cruz said, walking over.

  Both he and Brayden were taller and more muscular than the man, and Brayden hoped that would intimidate him enough to leave them alone. Hopefully, he didn't have friends hiding behind the trees.

  "I just like coming out here to get away from everything."

  Brayden continued to study him. The more he looked, the more convinced he was that he had seen him before. Granted, he saw a lot of people coming and going in the halls at work. But it was more than that.

  "Well, have a good night." He walked toward the sedan.

  Suddenly, it clicked. Brayden figured it out. He was one of the officers that had checked out his condo. "Yes. Goodnight, Officer Williams."

  He turned around. "Do I know you?"

  Brayden stepped forward. "You came to my condo after it had been broken into."

  "Oh, right. Well, I'm sure we'll see each other around then." He went to the car and then drove off.

  "That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Cruz said. "That dude's a cop from Kittle Falls?"

  "And he was in my place not long ago."

  "After we went to the museum," Lana said.

  "Why would he just happen to be out here when we are?" Brayden asked. "Something doesn't add up."

  "Maybe it's like he said," Lana said, "He just comes here to get away." She didn't look like she believed it anymore than Brayden.

  Brayden turned to Cruz. "How about we meet at the first busy restaurant we hit?"

  "Busy sounds good," Lana said.

  "Fast food joint," Cruz said.

  "As long as it's crowded," Brayden said.

  Cruz raised an eyebrow. "So, you'll agree to greasy food?"

  "This once."

  "I'll go on ahead and text you what I find, yo." Cruz slid on his helmet and climbed on his bike.

  As he drove away, Brayden helped Lana get her gear into the trunk and then he threw in his own. They got into the car and Brayden couldn't get out of there fast enough.

  "Too bad Cruz didn't see that," Lana said. "He'd never call you a granny driver again. You actually sprayed rocks behind us."

  Brayden squeezed the steering wheel. "You'll have to tell him for me."

  "Are you okay?" she asked.

  "Not really. It doesn't sit right with me that the cop was out there. Why would he, of all people, be out there when we were?"

  "Maybe it was a coincidence?"

  "I don't believe that for a second."

  "Neither do I, but at least he's gone now." Lana turned the radio on and found a station with an upbeat song. "Do you have any play-lists in here?"

  Brayden found himself relaxing to the music. "I should, but I just stick with the radio. Does that make me like an old man?"

  "Nah." A commercial came on and she looked for another song, going through the stations. "Mind if I plug my phone in?"

  "Go ahead."

  The car went silent as she plugged it in. She scrolled around on her screen and then some upbeat eighties music sounded through the speakers. "I've got a play-list for every occasion. Since I spent so much time studying, music was what kept me sane while I got through it."

  Belinda Carlisle sang about circles in the sand and Brayden relaxed even more. "Reminds me of us drawing our hearts on the beach."

  "That's what I thought, too."

  They sang along with the song for a minute before Brayden's phone sounded. He handed it to Lana.

  "Cruz says there's a chicken place or a taco place right next to each other. Looks like it's a few exits up."

  "I don't care," Brayden said. "Both are going to clog our arteries."

  "Just once isn't going to do any damage."

  "Probably not, but if you knew what that stuff—"

  "Tacos it is. I'm texting Cruz now." She put the phone back when she was done.

  "Those restaurants use—"

  "Can't hear you." Lana turned the volume up. Debbie Gibson sang about being lost in someone's eyes.

  Brayden looked over at Lana. She smiled, and Brayden smiled back, wishing he could get lost in her eyes. When the song ended and there was a bit of quiet, he asked which exit. She told him just before another song blared out.

  Two loud songs later, Brayden pulled into the parking lot of a busy fake-Mexican fast food place. As they walked toward the door, Lana pointed inside. "I see Cruz. He's sitting already."

  "And eating. Couldn't wait, I see."

  Lana and Brayden ordered their food. He bit his tongue as Lana ordered greasy, chemical-filled stuff unfit for human consumption. He ordered a salad, trying not to think about the unhealthy crap thrown in to ruin it.

  When he sat, Cruz finished off nachos. He wiped some cheese from his mouth, getting it in his goatee. "Sorry, I couldn't wait for you guys. I was starving."

  "It's fine," Lana said, unwrapping a burrito.

  "Hey, man, can I see that hand-drawn map again?" Cruz asked.

  "We're not going back," Brayden said.

  "I know. I just want to see it."

  Brayden took another bite of his salad before digging out the maps and handing them both to Cruz. He studied the map. "It looks like there should be some other caves in that same area. Maybe one of them—"

  "No," Brayden said. "We already found all we needed, and then more. The last thing we need is to get crushed. If we've learned anything, it's that there's no predicting when or where it's going to happen."

  "Well, my pictures are useless." He set the maps down and pulled out his phone. He showed them the pictures he took. "See? Nothing." The pictures were a mixture of white and black with nothing discernible on any of them.

  "The white looks like a ghost," Lana said.

  "It's probably the light reflecting from the flashlights," Brayden said.

  Lana looked disappointed.

  "Sorry." Brayden went back to eating his salad.

  Cruz handed his phone to Lana and then looked back at the map. His face turned white.

  "What?" asked Lana.

  "Did you call that dude in the parking lot Williams?"

  "Yeah," Brayden said. "Why?"

  Cruz held up the map. "The letter with the map is signed by Thomas Williams."

  Twenty Two

  The blood drained from Lana's face. She stared back and forth between Cruz and Brayden. They both looked as freaked out as she felt.

  "That can't be a coincidence," Cruz said. "It's too much. He just happened to be there when we were?"

  "What's his angle?" Lana asked.

  Brayden shook his head. "He has to be protecting something. What if his family has been hiding the truth all these years?"

  "And the gold," Cruz said.

  "If they were hiding gold, why would he be a cop?" Lana asked.

  "What better cover?" Brayden asked.

  They sat in silence for a while. Lana picked at her food, but Brayden couldn't bring himself to touch his. How deep did the secrets run? Could it be far more than just some old mystery? If there was as much gold as the letter indicated, many generations could easily live off it and have a ton to spare.

  "But there was no gold in that cave," Lana said, thinking back. "It would shine in the light, wouldn't it?"

  Cruz shrugged. "I don't know nothin' about gold. What I do know is that diamonds and other kinds of gems look nothing like we're used to when they're in the ground. Gold might be the same way."

  "I just saw gray rocks and dirt," Brayden said. "How much you want to bet whatever gold was in there is long gone?"

  "The Williams' could have used Kittle to get it out, and then killed him," Cruz said. "Those bones had to be his, but now we'll never know."

  "I wouldn't say that," Brayden said. "Professionals can go in and get the remains."

  "Hey," Cruz said, sou
nding defensive. "I knew what I was doing. I've had training."

  "That's different. We didn't go in with any of the right gear."

  The two brothers stared each other down.

  Lana's heart sank. "Guys, don't let the gold fever get to you. We weren't even in there for the gold, but I think it's getting to us."

  Brayden nodded. "I think you're right. We were even getting snippy in the car. I apologize." He took her hand and ran his fingers across her palm. She stared into his beautiful hazel eyes.

  "I'm sorry, too," she said.

  "You guys are way too adorable," Cruz said. "And I've heard the old stories about calm, happy people going into gold country and getting into brawl after brawl. The gold does get to people. I always thought it was another crazy legend, but maybe it's real."

  "What are we going to do?" Lana asked. "We can't even trust the authorities."

  "At least we know that much," Brayden said.

  "We could always go to cops in a different town," Cruz said. "There's a station near your hospital, right, Bray?"

  "Sure, but are they going to care about a cold case from Kittle Falls? They'd probably just call Officer Williams, and then we're back to where we are now, only worse."

  "What about a cold case show?" Lana asked.

  "Don't they only report on cases that have already been solved?" Cruz asked. "They're not going to actually solve it themselves, yo."

  They continued to discuss possibilities, and finally decided to sleep on it after not being able to agree on anything.

  Brayden looked at Cruz. "I don't feel good about you going home tonight. Mom and Dad don't have a security system, and you're the next logical target for a break-in."

  Lana's heart skipped a beat. "I think Williams is involved with the break-ins. When the police came to our house the other night, he wasn't there. If he was off duty, he could have easily been one of the guys trying to get in."

  "And he would have been off when my condo was broken into," Brayden said.

  "All right," Cruz said. "I'll crash at your place tonight. I don't want to put our parents in harm's way. Tonight only, though. I'm not making a habit of it."

  "That's fine," Brayden said. "I'll pay for them to have a security system installed tomorrow."

  They made plans to get together the next evening to discuss everything after having a day to think about it all.

  When Brayden walked Lana to her front door, he took both of her hands and looked into her eyes. "Promise me you'll double-check the alarm system before you go to bed."

  "No. I'll triple-check."

  He pulled her close, holding her tight. Her face pressed against his chest and she listened to his strong heartbeat. It sounded fast, like hers. "I'll keep my phone on all night. Just say the word, and Cruz and I will rush over. Okay?"

  She nodded. "Thanks, Brayden."

  He pulled back and looked into her eyes again. "You'll be safe. I promise." He leaned down close, gently brushing lips against hers.

  Lana's heart picked up speed. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her again and hold her tight forever. In his grasp, she was safe. She wasn't so sure about her bed, where she would be alone all night. Maybe she could sleep on the floor of the boys' room.

  As if reading her mind, he pulled her close again. "I don't want to leave you, but I know you'll be safe here with your family and the new security system. It's the same one I have."

  Lana nodded, afraid to speak her true feelings. She already felt raw and exposed—her nerves and emotions were on fire after everything.

  "Goodnight, my sweet." Brayden brushed his lips against hers again, softly and tenderly.

  Without allowing herself to think, Lana pressed against his mouth. She was greedy for more of him. He returned the force of the kiss, pressing her against the railing behind her. His lips lingered on hers, warming her.

  His hands moved up to her hair, running his fingers through it. She ran her palms over his now-scruffy face. The whiskers scraped against her skin.

  Brayden pulled back, staring into her eyes. They held the same desire she felt. "We should say goodnight." His voice was gruff.

  Lana nodded, trying to find her voice. "Goodnight, Brayden." She dug in her purse, looking for her key chain. It shook in her hand as she fumbled with the lock. It took her three tries to unlock and open the door.

  She turned around and held his eye contact until he finally turned around and walked back to his car. Lana couldn't take her eyes off him until he was inside. He waved to her through the closed windows. She waved back, waiting for him to start the car. He didn't, and she realized he wanted to see her go safely inside first.

  Her feet didn't want to move, but she forced them inside. She waved again before closing and locking the door.

  "Set the security system," called her mom from the living room.

  "On it." Lana pressed the buttons and set it.

  "Did you have fun?" her mom asked as Lana walked toward the stairs.

  She held in a laugh. "Yeah, we had a good time. I'm going to bed now."

  "Goodnight."

  Lana looked at her dad. He'd barely spoken to her since their argument.

  Her mom elbowed him. "Dwight."

  "'Night." He didn't look away from the TV.

  Lana sighed. "Goodnight, guys." She went upstairs and took a long, hot shower. She was covered in dirt and dust, and she didn't smell that great, either. Horrified, she hoped Brayden hadn't noticed.

  When she finally got into bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She couldn't forget about the bones or the cracking noise. Never before had she heard anything like it.

  After Lana fell asleep, she had dreams of falling rocks and ghosts. She woke up several times, and when she woke up to light peeking through the blinds, she decided to just get up. She was still tired, but wanted nothing more to do with those nightmares.

  It was early, not even seven. More than twelve hours before she met with Brayden and Cruz. She hoped they had managed to sleep better than her. Especially Brayden, who had to take care of clients, most of whom had far more serious heart conditions than she did.

  She went downstairs to make the strongest coffee possible. Maybe she would go shopping with Cora or her mom, or distract herself playing with Nolan and Ryder. If only she could get the skull out of her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, that's what she saw.

  The smell of fresh coffee tingled her nose. Someone had already made some—hopefully it'd be strong enough. Lana was sure she had bags under her eyes.

  Her dad sat at the dining room table, sipping from a mug. He didn't look at her, but Lana knew he had to have heard her. She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured the coffee. It smelled divine—dark and rich. She took a sip and cringed. Too bitter.

  Lana added some milk and honey and sat across from her dad. He still didn't acknowledge her. Her heart ached. "Dad."

  "Morning," he muttered, holding a plan in front of his face.

  "Please don't," Lana said. "Can we talk about this?"

  "I'm giving you space to think. That's what you want, isn't it?" He shoved the paper onto the table, staring at her.

  "You don't have to ignore me."

  "Who said that's what I'm doing? I'm giving you space."

  She stared at him. "Call it what you want. It doesn't change anything."

  They sat in silence. Lana waited for him to say something, but he just continued looking at the papers in front of him.

  "We need to talk about this, Dad."

  He looked at her, eyes wide and nostrils flared. "What's to talk about? You agreed to work at the firm, and now you're thinking about backing out—going back on your word. Leaving everyone hanging."

  "Everyone will be fine without me. Even if I decide to work somewhere else or take some more time off before starting my career, I'll still see you. Probably more than you saw me when I was in school."

  His face softened a little. "I really enjoyed the time you interned. We got to spend a l
ot of time together, and we make a good team. What could be better than a father-daughter team?"

  "I had a really good time, too. We do make an unbeatable team, but I might want more variety than just mansions."

  He snorted. "Just mansions. What are you looking for?"

  Lana shrugged. "Maybe an urgent care clinic. Things like that."

  Understanding washed over his face. "Are you getting serious about Brayden?"

  "I think I am. He's the most amazing guy I've ever met." She sighed. "After you, of course."

  The corners of his mouth twitched. "Thanks, hon. Well, I suppose you do have a lot to consider, and I don't want to make it more difficult on you than I'm sure it already is. The position is there for you until September. There's nothing I'd like more than having you there, but I'll live if you're not."

  "Why the sudden change of heart?"

  "I know what it's like to be in love. There's nothing I wouldn't do for your mom—you know that. Your uncle Andy didn't like me at all, and he constantly tried to push us apart. I think it actually only helped to push us together."

  "So you hope by backing off you won't send me to his arms?" Oh, Brayden's embrace. That was her favorite place to be.

  "I want you to make the choice you need to. Who am I to stand in the way of love? It'll be an adjustment not having you there, if that's what you decide. I won't lie and say it's going to be easy, but I understand. More than anything, I want you happy, and nothing can make you happier than being with the one you love more than anything."

  "Aw." Her mom came around the corner. She gave him a hug and a kiss. "You still feel that way after all these years."

  "You know I do."

  "Do I? It can be hard to tell with your long hours at work and you bringing it home. And on vacation."

  He frowned. "But you and the girls have always had everything you ever wanted."

  She sat on his lap. "Sometimes I just want a little more of you."

  "Really? I didn't think about it like that. Want to try a new restaurant in town tonight? I'm sure the kids can fend for themselves for a night."

  "I'd love that, and I'm sure they can."

  Lana couldn't take her eyes off them. That was exactly what she wanted…and she could easily see herself with Brayden years down the road, still adoring each other.