A Brambleberry Summer Read online

  Oh, no. He knew where this was going. Carrie seemed to think it was her job now to find him dates. She was always trying to set him up with women she knew, despite his repeated attempts to convince her he was perfectly happy and not interested in dating right now.

  He gave her a stern look, though he feared it would do no good. Carrie wasn’t great at taking hints.

  “Yes. She’s lovely.”

  “Inside and out,” his sister said, then gave a careful look to make sure she and Bella were busy setting the patio table.

  “You know, so many people could have let what she has been through turn them bitter and angry. Not Rosa. I think it’s only made her stronger and more empathetic to everyone.”

  Wyatt frowned. “What has she been through?”

  Carrie gave him a vague look. “Oh, you know. Life in general. Coming here when she was young. Losing her mother when she was just a girl.”

  What else did she know about Rosa’s background? He wanted to push, but then had to remind himself that he was already becoming too entangled in her world. The more he learned about her, the harder it was becoming to fight off this attraction.

  Bella came back into the kitchen as he was wrestling against his curiosity to know everything he could about the intriguing Rosa Galvez.

  “What else can we take out?” she asked. “Also, Dad is asking for a platter for the steaks.”

  Carrie pulled one out of the cabinet above the refrigerator and handed it to Bella, who immediately headed back outside with it.

  “I only meant to say that Rosa is a lovely woman,” she said when they were alone again. “When you’re ready to start thinking about dating again, she would be an excellent choice.”

  Wyatt shifted, vowing to do his best that evening to keep his sister from figuring out that he was already fiercely drawn to Rosa. Once she realized that, Carrie would never give up trying to push them together.

  “What if I’m never ready?”

  “Oh, don’t say that.” His sister looked anguished. “You are a young, healthy man. You can’t spend the rest of your life alone, for your sake or for Logan’s. You know Tori would never have wanted that.”

  Yes. He knew. That conversation with her had been running through his head more and more often. But a hypothetical discussion with his wife when he still thought they would have the rest of their lives together was one thing. The reality of letting someone else into his heart was something else entirely.

  He was tired of being alone, though. Maybe there had been a few nights lately when he had thought it might be lovely to have someone in his life again. Someone to make him laugh, to help him not take himself so seriously, to remind him that life was a beautiful, complex mix of joy and hardship.

  Even if he was ready to move on, he sensed that Rosa wasn’t that person. She was wonderful with Logan but it was clear she didn’t trust him.

  Just as well. Since he wasn’t ready, there was no point in dwelling on the issue, especially on a sweet summer night.

  * * *

  Rosa always loved spending time with the Abbotts. Joe and Carrie were deeply in love, even after being married more than twenty years. They held hands often, they touched all the time and they kissed at random moments.

  And Bella. Being around the girl was a unique experience, like constantly walking a razor wire between joy and pain.

  At dinner, Bella wanted to tell Rosa all about a boy she liked named Charlie, who might or might not be going to the same place in the nearby town to watch the fireworks.

  “I really like him but I’m not allowed to date until I’m sixteen. That’s not fair, is it?”

  Rosa looked over to where Carrie was talking to Joe and Wyatt. She did not want to interject herself into a dispute between Bella and her parents over rules.

  “I think that your parents have your best interests at heart. You should listen to them.”

  Bella clearly did not welcome that answer. “It’s not like we’re going to go somewhere and make out. We’re watching fireworks with about a billion other people.”

  Rosa did not want to come across as a boring old woman but she also felt compelled to offer some advice. Bella looked on her as an older sister of sorts, just the person who should be giving counsel.

  “You should stay with your friend and her parents, especially since they are giving you a ride.”

  “I know. I would never ditch my friends over a boy, no matter how cute he is.”

  “What cute boy are you talking about?” Carrie asked, overhearing her daughter’s words.

  Bella looked as if she didn’t want to answer her mother but she finally sighed. “Charlie. He texted me to tell me he might be going to the fireworks.”

  Carrie looked vaguely alarmed. “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “Because I knew you would blow everything out of proportion. We’re not going together. I might not even see him there.”

  She gave Rosa an annoyed look, as if it was her fault Carrie had overheard their conversation.

  “I don’t even know if I like him that much,” Bella said. “You don’t have to make a big deal about it.”

  “I just want you to be careful. You have plenty of time for boyfriends,” her mother said.

  “I know. I told you he’s not my boyfriend. I like him a little but that’s all. I need to go find my portable phone charger. Jaycee’s going to be here any minute.”

  “Don’t forget to take a hoodie. It’s going to be much colder once the sun goes all the way down.”

  “I know.” Bella hurried off to her room and Rosa had to fight the urge to go after her and warn her again not to leave her friends.

  “I hope I can make it through these teenage years,” Carrie said, shaking her head.

  “You can.”

  “All this talk of boys and learning to drive. She’s growing up, isn’t she?”

  Rosa nodded, that bittersweet joy a heavy weight in her heart.

  Chapter Seven

  The barbecue was one of the most delightful evenings Wyatt had experienced in a while. He always enjoyed hanging out with his sister and considered his brother-in-law one of his closest friends. But having Rosa there, listening to her laugh with Carrie and Bella, tease Joe and trade corny jokes with Logan, somehow turned the night magical.

  He tried to tell himself he was simply savoring the delight of good food and family. That didn’t explain how the stars seemed to sparkle more brightly and the air smelled more sweet.

  “Everything was delicious,” he said to Carrie. “That cherry pie was divine. Did you try a new recipe?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m using the same one Grandma always made. She got it from Abigail Dandridge, actually. The cherries are just extra delicious this year, I think.”

  “That must be it.”

  “Looks like somebody is out for the count,” Joe said, gesturing to their outdoor sofa, where Logan had curled up a little while ago.

  Wyatt followed his gaze and found his son sound asleep under the blanket Carrie had brought out for him earlier, after the sun had gone down and the evening had turned chilly.

  He wasn’t completely surprised. Their day had been filled with activity and fun.

  Love for his son washed over him. Logan was the greatest gift.

  “Good thing he can sleep anywhere.”

  “He is very lucky,” Rosa said. “Some nights, I cannot even sleep in my comfortable bed with cool sheets and soft music playing.”

  What was keeping her up at night? Did she also ache for something she didn’t have?

  “We’re watching Logan for you tomorrow and you said you’re going into work early, right?” Carrie asked.

  He made a face. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

  “You know it’s no problem at all. But I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t you just let Logan sta
y over here for the night? He can sleep in and so can we, since tomorrow is the official holiday and we don’t have a single thing planned.”

  That did make sense, though Wyatt didn’t like spending even a night away from his son.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. If you want the truth, I would rather sleep in tomorrow, since I imagine we will be up late worrying until Bella gets home safely.”

  Rosa looked concerned. “I am sure she will be fine. Bella is a smart girl and she is with her friend Jaycee and Jaycee’s parents. They will make sure she does not get into any trouble.”

  “Parents always worry. It’s what we do.” Carrie shrugged. “Intellectually, I know Bella will be fine. I’ll still probably stay up, which means I’ll be doubly glad not to have to get up at six a.m., when you come to drop off Logan.”

  “I didn’t bring any clothes for him.”

  “He has as many clothes here as he probably does at Brambleberry House. We have everything he should need. Swimsuits, shorts and sweatshirts. Even extra socks. It will be great.”

  Seriously, what would he have done without his sister and her family over the last three years, when they had stepped in after Tori died to help him raise his son?

  “That does seem like a good solution, then. I’ll carry him into the guest room.”

  “Afraid we’re going to leave him out here on the patio to sleep?” Joe teased.

  Wyatt smiled. “He probably wouldn’t care. The thing is, Logan would never even notice if it started raining.”

  Only after he and Rosa had helped clean up and he had carried a still-sleeping Logan and tucked him into the sewing room daybed did Wyatt realize one significant issue he had overlooked.

  If his son stayed here, that meant he and Rosa would be walking home alone together.

  He frowned, suddenly suspicious. Carrie had been awfully quick to suggest that Logan stay the night, hadn’t she? Were her reasons really about convenience and sleeping in the next day, or was she trying to do some behind-the-scenes matchmaking again?

  He gave his sister a swift look, remembering that conversation in the kitchen.

  Her reasons didn’t matter. The deed was done. He and Rosa were walking back to Brambleberry House together and he could do nothing about it.

  A short time later, they left the house, with Rosa carrying the bag with the bowl she had brought, now empty and washed.

  Why had he thought it was a good idea to walk here earlier? If he had driven, they could have been home in two minutes.

  The walk wasn’t far, only a few blocks, but there was an intimacy to walking alone with Rosa that left him uncomfortable.

  He hadn’t noticed it at all on the walk to Carrie’s house, probably because Logan had kept up a constant chatter. His son had provided a much-needed buffer.

  “The night turned a little cooler, didn’t it? That came on suddenly.”

  She had brought a sweater, which she had put on earlier. Even so, she shivered a little.

  “Yes. And it looks as if the fog they’ve been talking about is finally moving in.”

  Tendrils of coastal fog stretched up from the beach, winding through the houses. It added to the strange, restless mood stealing over him like the fog creeping up the street.

  He put it down to leaving his son back at his sister’s house. Surely that’s what it was, not anything to do with his growing feelings for Rosa.

  “You were right—Logan can sleep through anything. I would not have believed it but he did not even open his eyes when you carried him to bed. Will he wake up confused in a strange place?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s spent the better part of the past two months sleeping there, except for the few weeks we’ve been at Brambleberry House. He’s probably as comfortable there as he is in his own bed. I, on the other hand, probably won’t sleep at all.”

  She gave him a sideways look. “Why is that?”

  He shrugged, wishing he hadn’t said anything. “When I don’t have Logan nearby, I feel like part of me is missing.”

  She looked touched. “He is a very sweet boy.”

  “You’ve been very kind to help him learn Spanish for his friend. I know you’re busy. Please let me know if it becomes too much of a burden.”

  “Impossible,” she declared. “I am always happy to speak Spanish with someone. Sometimes I worry I will forget the language of my birth.”

  He suddenly remembered the conversation he’d had with his sister about her. What had she been through, the reasons Carrie said she deserved to be happy?

  “That fog is growing more thick. I hope it goes out again in the morning so the weather stays good for the rest of the holiday weekend. It is a busy time for my store.”

  “Don’t you have better business if it starts to rain? I would have thought fewer people would want to sit at the beach when it’s raining, so they’re more inclined to go shopping instead.”

  “Sometimes. Or sometimes they decide since it’s raining to take a drive down the coast to Lincoln City, or even farther down to some of the other lighthouses like Heceta Head.”

  “The police department is busy whether it’s raining or not. It seems like holiday weekends always bring out the worst in people.”

  “Do you like your job as a detective?” she asked as they turned onto the Brambleberry House road.

  The question took him by surprise. Not many people asked him that. He pondered for a moment before answering, wanting to be as honest as possible.

  “I like when I have the chance to help people. That doesn’t always happen. The past few years have made me question my job choices. I’ve seen a lot of injustice and been frustrated by it. Attitudes are changing, I think. It’s just taking longer than it should. At the end of the day, I hope I can say I’ve worked for victims and for justice.”

  She said nothing for several long moments. When she spoke, her voice was low. “I will always be grateful for the policia. My father is the sheriff and he saved my life and the lives of my friends.”

  She turned onto the walk of Brambleberry House as if her words hadn’t landed between them like an errant firework.

  After his first moment of shock, he quickly caught up with her. “How did he do that?”

  In the moonlight, she looked as if she regretted saying anything at all. “It is a long story, and not a very nice one. I do not like to talk about it.”

  Wyatt wanted to point out that she had been the one to bring it up. He had the odd feeling Rosa wanted to tell him about her past, but was afraid of his reaction.

  “Well, if you ever decide you’re willing to share your story with me, I like to think I’m a pretty good listener.”

  “I have noticed this. That is probably a help in your line of work, when you are fighting crime.”

  “I hope so.”

  He knew he had to get up early for his shift the next morning, yet he didn’t want the evening to end.

  To his vast relief, she didn’t seem in a hurry to go to inside, either. She stood looking at the big, graceful old house in the moonlight. It was mostly in darkness except for a light in the shared entry and two lights glowing on the second floor.

  In the wispy coastal fog, it looked mysterious, intriguing, though not nearly as interesting as the people who lived inside.

  “Looks like our neighbor is home.”

  Wyatt didn’t miss the way Rosa looked protectively toward the second floor, where a shadow moved across the closed curtain.

  “Yes. I think she and Addie planned a quiet evening.”

  “She doesn’t go out much, I’ve noticed.”

  “Have you?”

  As he expected, she didn’t take the bait, so he came right out and asked the question he had been wondering since he moved in.

  “What is Jen’s story? You can tell me, you know.”


  In the moonlight, he saw Rosa’s features tighten. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  She did. She knew perfectly well. “Why does she seem so nervous around me?”

  “Nervous?”

  “Yeah. She has allowed her little girl to play with Logan a few times, but Jen herself clearly goes out of her way to avoid me. I’m not sure she’s ever looked me in the eye.”

  Rosa looked away herself. “Maybe she does not like policemen.”

  “Is she in some kind of trouble? Do you know?”

  “Why would you ask that?” Her innocent-sounding question didn’t fool him at all. She knew exactly what was going on with Jen.

  “I can’t help her if nobody will tell me what’s going on,” he pointed out mildly. He didn’t want to intrude, but he was an officer of the law and his job was to protect and serve. That included those who shared the same house with him.

  “She has work at the store and she has a safe place to live. That is good for now.” She paused. “But thank you for being concerned for her.”

  “I’m here to help, if you or she ever want to tell me what’s going on.”

  She nodded slowly. “I will tell her this.”

  “You know I’m one of the good guys, right? At least I try to be.”

  She gave him a long look in the moonlight. “Yes. I know. I would not have let you move in if I did not think that.”

  Her words made him feel as if he had passed some kind of test he had no idea he’d been taking.

  He was suddenly glad that Carrie had encouraged him to take this apartment for the month, grateful for summer nights and lovely women.

  Again, he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her, this woman with secrets who was filled with so much compassion for those around her.

  She didn’t trust him. He looked at the house, hating the idea of his empty apartment and his empty bed and the loneliness that had been such a part of his life since Tori died.

  “I should probably go in.”

  “Yes. You are working early tomorrow.”

  He nodded. “Thank you for the lovely evening. I enjoyed the walk home. I think maybe I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy talking with a woman.”