A Brambleberry Summer Read online

  She let out a slow breath. This was ridiculous. He was her tenant and her friend’s brother. That was all. She was not attracted to him. She would simply not allow it.

  She had too much to worry about right now, keeping Jen safe. She did not have time to be distracted by a gruff detective, no matter how sweetly he smiled at his adorable son.

  “The laundry room is off the kitchen there. You can control the temperature of your apartment independently of the other two units in the house. The control is in the hallway. The garbage trucks, they come on Monday. This apartment has a dog door so that Hank can go out into the fenced area of the yard during the day if he needs.”

  “That will be handy.”

  “The garden is for all the guests to use at any time. We have a swing in the tree that Logan might enjoy. I know that Addie does. We also have direct access to the beach, but I ask that you keep the gate locked for security reasons. It is the same code as the front door, which I have written on the paper for you, and your key will also open it.”

  “Got it.”

  “Do you have any questions?”

  “I have a question,” Logan said. “Can Hank and me play with your dog sometime?”

  She smiled. “Of course. Anytime. She comes to the store with me most of the time during the day, but when we are home, she would love to play with you.”

  She looked up to find Wyatt watching her with an expression she could not read. It still made her nervous.

  “If you think of any other questions, my phone number is there on the desk.”

  “Got it. Thank you again. We’ll try not to be any trouble for you.”

  His features were stern once more, making her wish suddenly that he would smile at her as he smiled at his son.

  “Yes. We don’t like trouble here at Brambleberry House. I would hate to have to call the policia on you.”

  Logan’s eyes went big. “My dad is the policia!”

  She smiled at him. “I know. I was only teasing. Do you have things I could help you carry in?”

  “Not much. A couple of suitcases. Logan and I can get them.”

  “Only that?”

  “We’re traveling pretty light these days. A lot of our things were damaged in the fire by the smoke and by the water from the fire hoses.”

  She needed the reminder that they had been through difficult things the past few months. It was a small sacrifice to offer a home to them, which she could easily do.

  She could also be kind and gracious to them, despite her personal misgivings about having Wyatt in her space.

  “I am sorry for that. If there is anything else you need, please let me know.”

  “Carrie said you have dishes and pots and pans and things.”

  “Yes. The apartment is fully furnished.”

  “That will be handy. Thanks.”

  His poor little boy. First, he lost his mother, then he lost his house to a fire. She wanted to cuddle him close and make everything all better.

  “What about food? You will need to get groceries.”

  “Carrie sent along some meals I only have to thaw and heat for the first few days. We’ll head to the grocery store this evening to pick up some staples after we unload our things. Most of the time, we eat pretty simply, don’t we, Logan?”

  The boy nodded. “Except Aunt Carrie says we go out to eat too much and I need more vegetables.” He gave Rosa a conspiratorial look. “I don’t really like vegetables.”

  “Yes, but you must eat them, anyway, if you want to be strong and healthy when you grow up. My mother used to tell me ‘Rosa, if you eat enough vegetables, soon they will taste like candy.’ They never did, but I still like vegetables.”

  He laughed, as she’d hoped, and Rosa felt a little pang. She loved children but didn’t expect she would ever have any of her own, for a wide variety of reasons.

  “Your mother sounds funny.”

  “She was. She always tried to make me laugh, even when things sometimes felt very dark.”

  She missed her mother deeply. The older she got, the more Rosa realized how many sacrifices Maria Elena made on her behalf. She had never been hungry, even though she knew her mother barely made a living cleaning homes for some of the more well-off people in their village. Her mother had always insisted she work hard at school so she could have a brighter future.

  She pushed away the memories of her childhood. Her first fifteen years sometimes seemed a lifetime ago, as if they had happened to someone else.

  “Oh,” she said, suddenly remembering. “I wanted you to meet Jen and Addie, who live upstairs from you.”

  “All right.”

  “Let me check if she can meet you.”

  She quickly sent a text to her friend. After a longer-than-usual pause, Jen replied that she and Addie would come down to the foyer.

  “She said she would meet us outside your door,” she explained to Wyatt.

  “Okay.”

  “You will like Addie, Logan. Maybe you will make a new friend.”

  “Maybe.”

  Life could be filled with so much pain sometimes, Rosa thought as they walked out into the hall to wait for Jen. Each of the inhabitants of Brambleberry House had walked a hard road.

  At least for now, they had a safe place to rest, a beautiful home set on the seashore surrounded by flowers, one that might contain a friendly spirit who could not seem to leave.

  * * *

  As Wyatt waited for his upstairs neighbor to come down to meet him and Logan, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was too good to be true.

  The apartment was perfect for their needs, with a good-size bedroom for Logan and a very nice en suite for him, as well as an extra room he could use for an office if he needed.

  It was actually bigger than their little house and certainly had a bigger yard for Logan to play in.

  Brambleberry House would be an ideal temporary home for them while the construction crew repaired the fire damage at his place.

  He still had misgivings but Rosa had been welcoming enough. She was certainly kind to Logan, if still distant toward Wyatt.

  He followed her into the foyer, with its sweeping staircase and elegant chandelier, to find a woman walking down with a young girl’s hand clutched tightly in hers.

  She had brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and quite striking blue eyes with shadows under them.

  “Jen, here are the new tenants I was telling you about,” Rosa said in her melodious, accented voice. “This is Wyatt Townsend and his son, Logan. Wyatt is a police officer in Cannon Beach and Logan is seven years old, starting second grade when the summer is over.”

  “Hello.”

  She was soft-spoken and didn’t meet his gaze directly.

  Just what he needed. Another woman here who had secrets.

  “Pleasure to meet you.” He purposely kept his voice calm, neutral, as he did when he walked into a situation where a witness or a suspect might be prone to bolt.

  He didn’t miss the way Rosa placed her body slightly in front of her friend’s, as if to protect her. He had a feeling Jen didn’t miss it, either.

  From him? Did Rosa really think he posed a threat to either of them?

  The little girl seemed to have none of her mother’s skittishness. She stepped forward with a big smile. “Hi. My name is Addie and I’m six years old.”

  “Hi, Addie.” Wyatt was happy to see she seemed well-adjusted and friendly. Whatever was going on with her mother hadn’t impacted her yet.

  “Hi,” she said to Logan, who hadn’t said anything yet. “My name is Addie.”

  “I know. I heard you before.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Logan. I’m seven.” His son spoke with a tinge of superiority over his advanced age that made Wyatt hide a smile.

  H
e caught Rosa’s gaze and didn’t miss her surprised look. What? Did she think he never smiled?

  Addie pointed behind them. “Is that your dog?”

  Wyatt turned to find Hank plopped in the doorway as if he owned the place.

  “Yep,” Logan answered. “His name is Hank.”

  “Will he bite?”

  “Only if you bite him first,” Logan said, which made Addie giggle.

  “I’m not going to bite a dog! That would be gross.”

  “You can pet him, if you want.”

  She plopped onto the ground and Hank, predictably, rolled over to have his belly scratched. The dog was shameless for affection.

  “I don’t have a dog, I have a cat. Her name is Lucy. She’s old,” Addie explained. “Sometimes I pretend that Fi is my dog.”

  “Who is Fi?” Logan looked confused.

  “Fiona,” Rosa explained. “My dog, remember? Sometimes we call her Fi. And you can pretend all you want, darling.”

  “I will,” the girl said cheerfully.

  “How are you enjoying Cannon Beach so far?” Wyatt asked Jen Ryan.

  She focused her attention somewhere over his shoulder, still not meeting his gaze.

  “I like it here. The people are friendly, for the most part, and the scenery is amazing.”

  “Rosa said you came from Utah. I’ve got friends there. What part?”

  He wasn’t surprised when his innocent-seeming question made both Rosa and Jen tense. As he suspected, she was in some kind of trouble. Was she running from an abusive relationship or a custody problem? Or something else?

  The two women looked at each other for a moment then Jen gave a smile that looked forced. “A small town in Utah, near the Idaho border. No one has ever heard of it.”

  She answered in such an offhand manner, he knew she was being deliberately evasive.

  He wanted to ask her what town in Utah, but suspected she would shut down fast if he asked.

  He also didn’t want to raise the wrath of Rosa Galvez. Not when she was doing him a big favor by letting him stay here.

  Anyway, Jen Ryan was only a neighbor. Not a suspect.

  She probably had very legit reasons to be cautious of strangers.

  Sometimes he needed to remind himself to separate the detective from the man. They would be sharing this house for the next month, but likely would not see much of each other, anyway. Did he really need to know the poor woman’s life story?

  “Rosa says you are a police detective.”

  “Yes.”

  “I see.”

  She didn’t sound thrilled at the confirmation. He couldn’t help feeling a little defensive. He was passionate about his job, protecting and serving, and tried to do it with compassion and dedication toward all.

  “It was nice to meet you,” she said, though he suspected she was lying. “I hope you’re comfortable here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Come on, Addie.”

  The girl protested a little but still took her mother’s hand and the two of them went back up the stairs again. Addie sent a smile over her shoulder all the way up the stairs at Logan and Hank and her pretend dog, Fiona.

  That one would be a little heartbreaker when she grew up. He could tell she already knew how to charm people.

  He turned back to Rosa in time to see her watching Jen with a worried expression. When she felt his gaze, she quickly wiped it away.

  “There. Now everyone knows everyone else living in the house.”

  “Yes.” One big not-so-happy family. “We’ll just grab our things and settle in.”

  She nodded. “Be sure to contact me if you have any questions.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Good night, then. Come on, Fiona. We have tools to put away.”

  She walked outside in the fading sunlight and he and Logan followed her to grab their suitcases and the few boxes of belongings he had brought from his sister’s house.

  When they returned from the last trip outside, Logan collapsed onto the comfortable-looking couch. “I like this place. It feels nice.”

  Logan was the reason he was here. Wyatt was grateful for the reminder. He and his son needed their own place until the house was ready. It was only a short time, and then they could get back to their real life.

  Yes, he might be uncomfortably attracted to Rosa Galvez, but he wasn’t about to make the mistake of acting on that attraction.

  No matter how tempting.

  Chapter Three

  The busy summer season and her responsibilities at By-The-Wind, combined with her volunteer activities, meant Rosa only saw her new tenants in passing for several days after they moved in.

  Even when she didn’t actively see them, she was aware of them. Knowing that Wyatt was living two floors below her, she couldn’t seem to stop imagining him walking around the house at night. Taking a shower, sprawling out on the big king-size bed wearing next to nothing...

  Her entirely too vivid imagination annoyed her severely. When she would catch her mind dwelling on him, she would quickly jerk away her attention and make herself think about something boring, like taking inventory or meeting with her tax accountant. Anything to keep her mind off the attractive man who lived downstairs.

  She wasn’t sure how she would make it through an entire month or more of this.

  Rosa was trying hard to remember that Wyatt and Logan were guests in the house. A month wasn’t long, especially during the busy tourist season, when the store was so busy she didn’t have much free time, anyway.

  She could endure having them there, even if their stay dragged into two months, especially as it was one small way she could work on repaying her vast debt to his sister.

  Nearly a week after Wyatt and Logan moved in, Rosa sat in her spare bedroom at the desk she had pulled beneath the window overlooking the Pacific, wishing for rain. For the last few days, the weather seemed as unsettled as she felt. The days had been overcast, brooding like a petulant teenager.

  Outside, the ocean seethed and churned, restless in the random moonbeams that found their way through the gathering clouds.

  Perhaps a storm would blow through and wash away the unseasonable heat that seemed to have settled over the area.

  Brambleberry House did not have air conditioning, as summers here along the coast were mild. The nights usually turned cooler, but until the sun went down, her apartment on the third floor of the old house could be stultifying.

  Rosa spent most of her evenings working in the garden. She missed Sonia Davis, the woman who had lived on the second floor until two Christmases earlier, when her estranged husband had come to fetch her, and Rosa had learned her tenant had been living under an assumed name.

  Rosa’s thumb wasn’t nearly as green as Sonia’s, and her friend now lived happily with her husband in Haven Point, Idaho. The gardens didn’t look as good as they had under Sonia’s care, but Rosa did her best.

  To her delight, Jen and Addie joined her most evenings. She enjoyed both the company and the help, and was thrilled to see Jen becoming more at ease here in Cannon Beach.

  Her friend was settling in. She seemed more comfortable at the gift shop, as well, no longer looking as if she wanted to escape every time a man walked in.

  Rosa felt good about her progress. She had wondered if encouraging Jen and her daughter to leave behind their life in Utah was the best decision. Seeing her friend begin to relax into her new life gave her hope that she had been right.

  Rain suddenly clicked against the window and she looked up from her laptop. Finally! Perhaps a storm would at last blow away the heat.

  Unable to resist, she opened the window more and leaned down to watch the storm roll in.

  Lightning arced across the sky, followed closely by a low rumble of thunder. In the blast of light, she could see the sea, d
ark and tumultuous.

  Rosa loved a good storm. They probably should frighten her, especially after some of the intense storms she had experienced in Honduras, but she always found them invigorating. Refreshing in their own way.

  She gave up work and decided to relax with a book. The only thing better than a storm was curling up with a good book while she enjoyed it from a safe shelter.

  Books had saved her when she first came to the United States. She had always loved to read, but the book selection had been limited in their village.

  Once she had moved in with Daniel and Lauren, she had free rein at the town library in Moose Springs and at the school library. Books helped her learn English. Like most other girls her age, she had fallen in love with Harry Potter. Lauren had been wise enough to buy her both the Spanish and the English versions. Rosa would read both at the same time, comparing the words and the sentences to help with her word fluency and her grammar construction.

  She still reread the books often. Once in a while she would read the Spanish version so that she didn’t lose touch with the language of her heart, but mostly she read in English.

  She was currently reading a cozy mystery by one of her favorite authors. She settled into her favorite reading spot, a wide armchair in the corner of her bedroom, and was deep into the story when she was distracted by a sudden banging from outside.

  The sound stopped as abruptly as it started. She sank back down and picked up her book again, then she heard it once more.

  With a sigh, she set aside the book. If only she had a landlord she could call. Unfortunately, things that banged in the night were her responsibility.

  She had a feeling she knew what the trouble was. The door on the garden shed wasn’t latching tightly. She had noticed it the last time she had mowed the lawn.

  If she wasn’t mistaken, that was the door to the shed blowing open, then banging shut.

  Lightning flashed again, and in that burst of light, she could see she was right. The garden shed door was wide open.

  As much as she didn’t want to go out into the rain, she couldn’t let the banging continue all night, for her tenants’ sake, as well as to protect the contents of the shed.