The Space Between Us (Treasure Harbor Book 2) Read online

  Stepping onto the beach, the sand filled the space between his toes. Soft but gritty, cooled by the darkness. He relished the feel and took his time strolling to the water’s edge. Small waves, no more than inches high, tumbled and fell at the shore’s edge. Large waves crested farther out, their foamy white caps visible under the moon’s guidance. He stayed out of reach of the flowing water as he walked.

  The silhouette of a woman stood several feet away. He’d know her anywhere, and she was the last person he wanted to see tonight. Avery Callahan remained a mystery to him, even after living in Treasure Harbor for six months. When he’d visited the town while still in the service, he’d frequented her bookstore in the Harbor View area—the part of town known for its small businesses and added to Treasure Harbor’s charm.

  Even then he’d been drawn to her. He wanted a history book of the lower Outer Banks, specifically the Crystal Coast. She’d helped him find one, which he’d devoured in a weekend, while eluding any questions about the lost treasure. Since treasure fever broke out earlier in the spring, he’d learned from multiple persons that she despised it, having something to do with her parents.

  He didn’t think she recognized him from those days. No surprise if she didn’t. Surely, she had lots of customers every day, especially during tourist season. Plus, his hair wasn’t the tight crop the Corps required, and he kept facial hair now, whereas he’d had none previously.

  The Avery he’d met then was different than the woman he knew now. For reasons unknown to him, she didn’t like him. Until tonight she’d kept it cordial, but earlier she’d been downright rude. Yeah, it bruised his ego a bit, but more than that, her words set free an ache in him. She looked down on him, thought him a joke. Those hadn’t been her words exactly, but he could read between the lines.

  If she only knew…

  “Brody, is that you?” Avery closed the short gap between them.

  He didn’t realize he’d ceased walking. “Yes.”

  “The beach is usually empty this time of night.”

  “It’s not safe to be out alone this late.”

  She pinned him with a narrowed gaze. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  Great, he’d insulted her simply by being concerned for her safety. He put his hands up. “Whoa, I meant no offense.” He didn’t need this tonight. Despite the attraction toward her—which at the moment he had to concede was physical since her attitude stunk—he couldn’t surround himself with negative people. “I’ll head back to my apartment, and you can have the beach to yourself.”

  Pivoting on a heel, he marched toward his apartment. He’d allowed her to raise his hackles and get under his skin for the second time today. When would he face the fact he had to move on from his attraction to her? A relationship between them obviously wasn’t meant to be.

  Did he even want a relationship? With anyone? He’d dated a lot, but had only been in one long-term relationship. She’d sent him a Dear John letter during deployment number two. A girlfriend hadn’t been high on his list of priorities after that. He couldn’t afford the distraction.

  He didn’t have the same level of responsibility anymore, but he was trying to find his grip on life again. He had a plan in the works, which, if it came to fruition, would keep him busy all of his waking hours until it got off the ground.

  “Lord, why do I feel this way toward Avery when she only cuts me down? If there’s nothing to come of it, please take way this attraction.”

  Chapter Three

  “What is wrong with me?” Avery kicked the sand, disgusted with her behavior. Brody brought out the worst in her, and she didn’t know why.

  Twice today she’d been rude to him, and for what? All he’d done tonight was show concern, and he was probably right, as much as she hated to admit it. Treasure Harbor and Bounty Beach maintained exceptionally low crime rates, but with all the treasure seekers swarming the area, using extra safety precautions was a good idea.

  Her eyes followed him. His shoulders slumped as he walked in the opposite direction. That didn’t seem like the Brody she knew. Her experience with him had shown him to be carefree and a jokester.

  What experience do I have with him, though? None worthy of making the judgments I have.

  She ran to catch up to him. By the time she reached him, he climbed an exterior flight of stairs to an apartment above Ice Cream Haven. “Brody, wait up.”

  He paused on the top step. Didn’t turn around. “What do you want?”

  “Can we talk for a minute?”

  “Depends. Are you going to bite my head off again?” A hint of humor resonated in his voice.

  “No.”

  He took a step down, turning to face her in the process. “What’s up?”

  “Could you come down here so I don’t have to shout?”

  Descending the stairs slowly, he kept his face expressionless. He sat on the bottom step and patted the space beside him. “Have a seat.”

  In the light of Ice Cream Haven’s security lights, she saw curiosity reflected on Brody’s face. Antsy all of a sudden, she sat down and crammed herself against the side rail, keeping as much space between them as possible. “Is that your apartment?”

  “Yes. Came furnished with everything, including a cat.”

  “Jinx?”

  He nodded. “How’d you know?”

  “Everyone knows Jinx.” Memories of the cat made her laugh. “He’s known for pouncing on your ice cream if you leave it unattended.”

  “So that’s what happened to my hot fudge sundae the other day.” Brody winked. “I thought he seemed a little sweeter that night.”

  His jokes—if one could call them that—didn’t annoy her tonight as they usually did. “Jinx is a softie. His only flaw is ice cream theft, which says a lot considering he’s a cat.”

  “You’re not a cat person?”

  “Depends on the kitty, but in general, I prefer dogs. I’ve thought about getting one, but right now the store keeps me too busy.”

  “A buddy of mine just bought a black lab puppy.” Brody smiled—a handsome smile that she wished she hadn’t noticed. “It’s a cute dog, but man, it has boundless energy. I almost got a dog last month, but after watching my friend’s, I realized I don’t have the proper time to care for one.”

  “They’re a lot of work. We had a puppy once as kids.” Bitterness crept into her tone, and she hated it, but she couldn’t forget how her parents made them get rid of the puppy months after adopting her because her food and care interfered with money for treasure hunting.

  “Bad memory?”

  “Sort of.” Unwilling to divulge her family’s sad history, she changed the subject. “I guess you’re wondering why I’m here.”

  “Sort of,” he answered with a grin, echoing her statement.

  “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for how I acted today, both on the beach, and earlier.”

  “Why don’t you like me, Avery?”

  Whoa! She hadn’t seen that coming. “I don’t dislike you.”

  He snorted. “Could have fooled me.”

  “I deserved that.” She bent over and drew a circle in the remnants of sand on the boardwalk. “You make me nervous. Outside of my group of friends, I’m not an outgoing person, but then you come along and force me to be.”

  “There’s an easy solution to that.” Brody wore a wide grin.

  “What’s that?”

  “Be my friend.” His eyes turned serious. “Get to know me, not just the person you think you know from a distance.”

  Her pulse quickened under the intensity of his stare. “I can do that.”

  “Good.” He scratched a spot on his arm, which caused the sleeve of his shirt to ride up and reveal a tattoo.

  She knew that tattoo, had seen it before. It couldn’t be. Lots of Marines came to Treasure Harbor because of its proximity to the air stations and base, so an Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo wasn’t uncommon. But the dots? How many have I seen with those? None exce
pt for him.

  Giving in to a long, slow appraisal of him, she looked for similarities between Brody and him. Brody’s hair lacked the tightly cropped military hairstyle, and he wore facial hair, but behind that she could make out the same angular jaw. Her eyes landed on his. Eyes don’t lie.

  Brody was him. Why hadn’t she seen it before? He’d come into her store a few times over the previous years. She’d experienced an instant attraction toward him, an uncharacteristic happening. Of course, she’d avoided it and hadn’t acted on it. Locals didn’t become involved with tourists. Not that she would have acted upon it, anyway. As far as she knew, the attraction had been one-sided. He was just another tourist shopping her store, without an inkling of what went through the shop owner’s mind. After a week or so, she probably would have forgotten the entire ordeal, except she’d had a dream about him.

  A dream in which they married.

  Chapter Four

  Pastor Riggins pulled Brody aside after the service on Sunday. “Can I have a minute of your time?”

  “Sure.” Like he could say no to the pastor.

  “This Saturday is our annual treasure hunt for the children.” Pastor Riggins’ gaze traveled over their immediate area and then he leaned in, speaking in a hushed voice. “We’ve never had a problem before, but with all the treasure seekers, I’m worried they might interfere with the children’s fun.”

  “How so?”

  “You fit in so well, I forgot this is your first year.” Pastor Riggins returned a wave to a passing church member. “We set up the treasure hunt in the church and the outside vicinity of our property, which includes a portion of the beach. I need a few able-bodied men to stand guard and make sure no hunters dig in those areas.”

  “What time?”

  “The hunt starts at ten, but we’re usually set up by eight.”

  He thought what his work schedule was for the week. “I can do that, but I have to leave by one for work.”

  “It should be over by then, but if not, you’re more than welcome to leave.”

  “Great. I’ll see you Saturday.” He left the church and walked to his truck, thinking about how to spend his day off.

  As he reached for the gearshift, someone knocked on his window.

  Avery? She made a motion for him to roll down the window.

  What was she doing? Just when he’d thought they’d had a breakthrough the other night, she’d abruptly ran off and left him sitting on the chairs, more confused about her than ever.

  He turned the key forward to trigger power to the electrical systems and pressed the button for the windows. “Can I help you?”

  “This is for you.” She shoved a book through the opening. “I remember you wanted books on the area’s history.”

  Was he dreaming? That had to be a good sign. “You do remember me.”

  “I didn’t until last night.”

  “Is that why you ran off?”

  “No.” Pink painted her cheeks. “Yes.”

  Reading her skittishness, he didn’t press the issue any further. “Do you have lunch plans?”

  She hesitated. “No.”

  “I thought about grabbing a burger at the Ocean Breeze.”

  “Good choice.”

  So much for a subtle hint. “Care to join me?”

  Her gaze darted around, landing anywhere except on him. “I guess.”

  “Don’t sound so enthused.” He tossed her a grin, hoping to break through her armor.

  A glimmer of a smile tugged at her lips. “Can’t have you thinking I’m too eager.”

  Hmm…so she did have a sense of humor.

  He’d offer to ride together, but that might push her too far. “I’ll meet you there in five minutes?”

  “I’m on foot today. Unless you let me hitchhike with you, I’ll be there in an hour.”

  Thank you, Lord, for opportunity. “Hop in.”

  While he waited for her to get in and buckle her seatbelt, he skimmed the book’s back cover. Whether the book was good or not, he didn’t care. He’d treasure it for the gift it was.

  “The message was good today.” Avery stared straight ahead.

  Baby steps. Be glad she even agreed to lunch instead of running far in the opposite direction.

  “I thought so, too. I’m enjoying the series he’s preaching about treasure.” Using his rearview mirror, he backed out of his parking spot. “The verses about giving to the poor made me think. Do you suppose that could also mean poor in spirit?”

  Avery furrowed her brows. “I’m not a Bible expert, but I would think so. If you have something to give and offer, then you should.”

  His project was at the front of his mind. He wasn’t a wealthy man, not by far when it came to worldly standards. But he did have knowledge, which the Bible said brought riches. Maybe he was stretching the verses to fit what he wanted, but, in this case, he didn’t think so. He wanted to use his experience, and what he’d learned from it, to help others. The plan wouldn’t make him money, but it had the potential to save lives, and that was priceless.

  Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized he’d driven on auto pilot and parked at the Ocean Breeze. Had Avery said anything he’d missed? A quick look at her told him she was wrapped up in thoughts as well.

  He saw a line huddled at the door. “We might be waiting a while.”

  Her head jerked, and he knew for sure she’d been deep in concentration about something. “Some things are worth the wait.”

  Yes, yes they are.

  She didn’t wait for him to open her door, not that he expected her to. They claimed a spot in line behind a large group.

  “Have you tried the new doubloon burger?” Man, asking that made him realize he needed to learn to cook. A diet consisting entirely of burgers and pizza couldn’t be healthy.

  “No. What is it?”

  “A burger topped with a fried green tomato and remoulade sauce.” He moved forward with the line. “The tomato is supposed to be like the gold coin.”

  She scrunched her nose. “Why does everything have to revolve around treasure?”

  He quirked a brow. “You do realize that’s the name of your town, right?”

  “Of course, I do.” Her frown transformed to a repentant smile. “I’m sorry. I keep apologizing, then turn right around and snap at you.”

  What was he supposed to say? It’s okay? No, it wasn’t. “Why are you so against treasure?”

  “It’s not treasure as a whole, but I guess it’s come to that by default.” Her sigh filled the air between them. “This legend of the lost Callahan, or Burton—depending on who you ask—fortune has torn families apart, and not just between the two disputing ownership. My parents poured everything they had into finding it, and eventually their marriage nearly fell apart.”

  “They’re two people. Not everyone who searched for the treasure will allow it to consume their lives.” He shrugged. “Some enjoy the challenge or search for a hobby.”

  “Can we not talk about it?” Her eyes pleaded with him. “The treasure brings out the worst in me, and you’ve already seen enough of that.”

  He let out a loud chuckle. “It didn’t stop me from asking you out today.”

  Her face blanched. “Is this a date?”

  Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? “Would you run if it was?”

  She took a deep breath before answering. “No.”

  His lips slowly curled to a smile. “Good.”

  The line moved ahead quickly. Within fifteen minutes they were seated at a table with Mallory Reed as their waitress. Brody didn’t know her well, except she was an orphan and grew up in foster homes. He felt a certain kinship with her in that way—neither had family to go home to, thus turned to the community. Whenever she served him at Ocean Breeze, he made sure to leave her a generous tip.

  Mallory glanced at him. “Root beer as usual?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Raspberry tea?” she asked Avery.

  “You know it.”


  “I’ll grab your drinks and be right back for your order.” Mallory left and stopped at a nearby table before going to the soda fountain behind the counter.

  “When the waitress knows my drink order without asking, is that a sign I’m here too often?” Brody kept a smile on his face, hoping that, eventually, it would wear off on Avery.

  She cracked a smile—success! “She knew mine too, so what does that say about me?”

  “We don’t like to cook.” A self-deprecating laugh came out. “Who am I kidding? I lived in the barracks and ate from the chow hall for so long, I don’t even know how to cook.”

  “I’m sure you can manage some dishes.”

  “You have too much confidence in me.” He grabbed two menus and handed one to Avery. “Need one?”

  “Sure.” She peered at the menu for a few minutes, then flipped it to look at the back. “The veggie burger or doubloon special?”

  “No contest. Doubloon special all the way.” Winking at her, he set the menu aside. “And if you really want to live dangerously, top your fries with cheese and bacon then add a side of ranch.”

  “That sounds amazing, but like an invitation for a heart attack.” She gave him a once-over. “How do you stay so fit while eating like that?”

  He tried not to be so happy that she’d noticed his physique. Pride had once been his downfall. “Lots of exercise.”

  She wrinkled her forehead and laughed. “Which is precisely why I have to watch what I eat. I’d rather skip a meal than spend an hour at the gym.”

  “I’m glad you’re indulging today.”

  “Oh, I’ll pay for it later when I eat a plain salad with no dressing for dinner.” She inhaled, breathing in a whiff of the grilling meat and caramelized onions coming from the kitchen. “I confess, I love burgers, a lot more than I should.”