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Meant to Be

Copyright © 2017 by Kayleigh Malcolm

**ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:** This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

Cassandra Jakes' career gave her more satisfaction than her ex ever did. Making time for relationships was pointless, because at her age, Mr Second Chance wouldn't be an easy find. She'd kept her inner bad girl locked in a cage for so long, there was no easy way to change that now.

Rémy Moraes had a two week maximum on any relationship and enjoyed the fact that no one expected a commitment from him. Cassandra was the only woman who could have tempted him to stray from his eternal bachelordom, but she was too far out of his league.

When Remy interrupts Cassandra's solo camping trip, the two of them fall into an erotic weekend of unbridled passion. Returning to the world of indoor plumbing, they both have a lot of baggage to unpack. Can they work out their differences and accept they were meant to be?

Dedicated to Carol, Kali, Lori, and Roxy. You ladies are amazing friends and peers. I never would have finished this story without your feedback, support, and kicks in the butt when I needed it. Thank you. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

## Meant to Be

CHAPTER ONE

"You can't back out. This is our weekend. Remember?" Cassandra Banks stalked across the end of her driveway. "And, now you're _calling_ me to let me know you got _married_!"

"I knew you'd be angry."

"It's not that I'm angry, Jenny." Cassandra paced behind her car. _Hell, yes I'm angry_. She had been waiting for almost an hour for her daughter to arrive and instead her cell phone rang. "We had this planned for ages now. I have all the gear, car packed, site picked, I'm actually wearing flannel, and you phone and drop this on me out of the blue. You've always wanted a big, beautiful, affair that would cost a fortune."

"No, mom you wanted that for me. I wanted sweet and romantic. Justin swept me off me feet."

Cassandra wanted to grind her molars at her daughter's whimsical tone. She hadn't been the one with eight different brides magazines, agonizing over what color napkins were the prettiest. Then three days later Jenny announced that the wedding was off. "Last week you were crying into a pint of _Ben and Jerry's_ because he broke your heart."

"Mom...know you're angry but it was all a misunderstanding. He explained it all. I'm now married to the most wonderful man in the universe."

Cassandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Stripping off her blue flannel shirt, she tied it around her waist, leaving her in a white babydoll t-shirt with the words _My body, My rules_ written across her chest. The sun had climbed higher in the California sky burning off the morning chill and promising to raise the temperatures higher. That combined with her nervous pacing, she was starting to overheat. _I do not need a hot flash right now._ That particular torture had made an appearance a couple times in the last few months, reminding Cassandra that time was passing her by and she wasn't getting any younger.

"Mom?" Jenny concerned tone broke the silence between them.

"Yes of course I'm happy for you," Cass reassured her. "But, I'm still angry you ran off and didn't tell me. Have you said anything to your father?"

The silence on the other end was answer enough. _Of course she told Karl. He probably cheered her on._ Her ex-husband, Karl, had changed a lot since their divorce, or maybe she had. _One of us had to grow up._

"Don't be mad, mom. Please. I'll say sorry every day for a year. It's the least I can do; I'm making Justin apologize twice a day to me." There was another pregnant silence before Jenny continued, "you didn't really want to go camping did you?"

Cassandra eyeballed the packed car, bags pressed up against the glass in the back. She had splurged and picked up the latest in camping gadgets.

"Kind of. I haven't been camping for years. Your dad and I used to go when we started dating. I used to love it. Maybe I'll go by myself."

"It wouldn't have been all that fun with Tiff's dad checking in on us every time we turned around anyways."

An involuntary shiver danced down Cass's spine at the mention of Tiffany's father, Rémy Moraes. They'd gone to high school together, well she'd gone. Rémy had been the Camaro driving bad boy who made an occasional appearance out front to pick up one of the _bad_ girls. At seventeen, Cassandra wanted nothing more than to be one of those girls. She'd never expected that two decades later their daughters would be best friends.

Because Mother Nature wasn't always fair, Rémy had matured into a sexier adult, and carried the same wild reputation when it came to women. He'd traded his leather and jeans for an army uniform, then became a park ranger after he mustered out.

She'd been treated to the sight of him numerous times over the years as they arranged play dates and sleep overs. Last time she saw Rémy, she'd noticed the silver coming in at his temples. The rest of his hair was still thick and black, although he kept it much shorter now than he did in high school. At six feet with broad shoulders and sexy, muscular, build, Rémy filled out his uniform better than men half his age. The local rumors were always filled with his exploits and the continual string of gorgeous woman who chased after him. She'd wished a thousand times she'd been brave enough to approach him as a teenager, or make a move now that she was a single adult. He featured heavily in her fantasies in the dead of night, but Cass knew Rémy was not the long-term relationship type.

"You two have fun." Cass shook the thoughts of Rémy out of her head. "We'll have a drink together when you get back."

"You forgive me right?"

"No...but I will. Have fun, lots of fun and get me some cheesy Vegas souvenir."

"Ok..." Giggle "...ok I have...go now. Love you mom!"

"Love you too, baby." Cassandra hung up her cell phone and sat on the bumper of her Santa Fe. "I can't believe you didn't warn me, Karl." She pulled up her ex-husband's contact information on her phone and started typing out a snarky message about keeping secrets from her. She had it all typed out ready to send when she took a deep breath and deleted it all. _What's the point?_ Picking a fight wasn't going to help anything. Karl's ability to keep his calm while she ranted always drove her crazy.

After the divorce, Karl had moved on and she'd immersed herself in work and building her company's brand. Being a sales manager for a large winery, she usually made the best of her assets. Her days consisted of sales meetings and high heels. Between the power lunches and making deals with agents, she motored between restaurants visiting with bar owners. Jenny once described her as the ultimate business woman. Her tomboyish side had all but disappeared. She still loved the outdoors but there never seemed to be time for it anymore.

What she did have time for was a camping trip where she might run into the infamous Rémy. Hell, her daughter had fun, why couldn't she? A sultry fantasy teased her thoughts, Rémy in uniform and her in the forest while she finally discovered if his reputation for being the best kisser on the west coast was true. He'd been completely out of her league in high school. Two years older and infinitely more experienced, Rémy was the quintessential bad boy who never would have noticed a quiet tomboy.

Karl _had_ noticed her and it was one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him so quick, that and a desperate need to finally get rid of her virginity and see if all the hype she'd read about was true. They'd been together for fifteen years, but when the two of them grew up, they'd discovered other than a complete love for their daughter they didn't have anything else in common. Karl's bisexuality started to become the elephant in the room she couldn't ignore, and Cassandra wanted nothing to do with sharing. Inviting another man into their bed had felt like a competition to her, a battle she didn't want to fight or explore.

They'd ended their marriage, but managed to stay friendly with each other. That was ten years ago and other than a successful career in marketing; Cass hadn't really explored another serious relationship. A couple of men became short-term lovers since her divorce but she'd never been brave enough to jump into bed with a stranger just for fun.

_Okay enough. I'm a big girl now and I can go camping by myself if I want._ She ran in the house to grab a couple personal toys out of her nightstand and then back to the car. A thrill danced along her spine at the prospect of what she planned. Masturbating in the forest while on a solo camping trip should qualify her for "bad girl" status and she'd finally know she had it in her. _Even if it took me twenty-seven years to get to this point._

***

Rémy Moraes peered through his binoculars and watched the thin line of black smoke rise up in front of the pristine blue sky. Wildfires weren't uncommon this time of year and it was always important to keep an eye on them before they were uncontrollable. But, it looked like Mother Nature would take care of it if the forecast was correct. Heavy rains and thunderstorms were due to move through the area this evening and overnight. The threat of lightning strikes, mudslides and high winds for campers was his real concern now.

Not that he ever blamed anyone for wanting to be outside surrounded by nature, as long as they took precautions and didn't do anything stupid. He loved being out in the middle of the forest, simply doing routine checks or patrolling the trails. He wasn't the kind of guy who would survive in an office environment or anything close to being claustrophobic. Juvie gave him a taste of how confining jail would be, a lesson he didn't completely learn until he faced a choice between jail time or the military. He picked the military, probably the smartest decision he ever made. He had a pristine record, except for one blemish on the day he heard she'd gotten married. The army funneled his excessive attitude and energy into something he could focus on. But, a military career wasn't for him, he never shook that defiant attitude toward authority, and a tour of the colorless desert of Afghanistan had him counting the days he could return home. A bullet to his leg and a shattered kneecap meant he was released home for rehab. He'd never take the vast colors found in nature or the unpredictability of the seasons for granted. After his medical discharge, he went to school on his GI Bill and got a job as a Park Ranger.

It was then he found out that he'd created more than a large bar tab during one of his shore leaves three years before. His daughter Tiffany was almost two years old at the time and claimed his heart the day they met. Her mother had hooked up with some loser and wanted to get married but didn't want a kid to put pressure on her new life. Rémy ended up with full custody of a toddler. It wasn't easy but they'd managed. Tiffany had grown into a phenomenal adult, who was a hell of a lot smarter than her old man. A tweety-bird chirp from his hip alerted him to an incoming call. _Think of an angel._ He pulled his truck off the road and parked before answering. "Hi sweetheart, is everything okay?"

"Just because I call you doesn't mean anything is wrong, Dad."

Rémy could hear the rustling in the background of her workplace. "You're calling me in the middle of the day from work. That means it's important."

"How much do you know about Calaveras State Park?"

Her cautious tone put him on more alert that anything else. "Why? Is there something I should know about? Are you going camping and afraid I'm going to stop by for a spot check?"

"Oh, god. Don't bring that up. I still can't believe you did that. "

The memory of busting his underage daughter with a bunch of idiot friends drinking beer in the middle of a State camp ground still made him chuckle. They'd believed he wouldn't be able to find them because they told him they were staying at a different park. _Rookies_. "You never underestimated your old man again did you?"

"No, Daddy. I wouldn't. You're the smartest ever." She deadpanned, making him laugh. She and her best friend Jenny had tried a few deceptions over the years but he always managed to catch them in it. Rolling down the window, he relaxed back and listened to the gentle sounds of the forest around him. The humidity hung heavy in the air but there was a cool breeze blowing down from the mountains. _That'll bring some wicked weather._ He rubbed his knee, the dull ache a sure sign that the barometric pressure was starting to change.

"Seriously, honey. What's going on over at Calaveras?"

"Jenny and her mom were going to go camping there this weekend."

An image of Jenny's mom flashed in his memory sending a bolt of liquid lust right to his groin. He hadn't seen her ever since the girls got their licensees and didn't depend on their parents to be taxi drivers. "Okay, do you want me to check up on them?"

"Well yes, but it's a little different now. Jenny can't make it and her mom is going to go anyways. Now, I'm sure she will be fine...but she's not exactly the outdoor type, you know?"

Damn, he knew exactly what Tiff was saying. He and Cassandra had gone to high school together and she'd developed into an incredibly gorgeous woman. But, Tiffany was right, he'd be willing to bet Jenny didn't know the difference between an emergency flare and a flashlight. "I'll head over there and check in on her. Why didn't Jenny go with Cassandra?"

***

Forest air tasted different. Cassandra inhaled deeply and smiled. It smelled better up here too. No car exhaust, city structures, rush hour, or gridlock. The twenty minute hike in had her almost light headed. Especially since she did it twice in order to get most of her gear up to her site, the rest she left in the car. After only a couple of nasty swear words her tent was up and food stored away in the bear boxes. The last thing she wanted was to have any big, fuzzy, creatures show up for a visit.

Why didn't she think to do this sooner? The sun was setting over the mountains painting the sky in shades of purple and red. A perfect end to a beautiful day after spending the afternoon wandering along the marked trails, and enjoying the simple beauty around her. The only smudge to the picture perfect sunset was a large black cloud formation in the sky adjacent to the vibrant shades. The weatherman hadn't said anything about bad weather yesterday, but she didn't double check this morning _. Oh well, how bad could it be? A little rain never hurt anyone._ With a small fire going in the safety pit, she relaxed in her chair to read. Around her the forest was alive with sounds of little critters and hooting owls. There were already a couple chipmunks she'd bribed to return and visit by tossing a handful of peanuts on the table for them. She reached for her cell to check the time only to find it wasn't in her pocket. _Damn_ , she vaguely remembered tossing it on the passenger seat. That hike could wait till morning.

A bottle of Alsatian Gewürztraminer sat on the cooler next to a partially filled glass. She held her hotdog over the crackling flame, toasting it perfectly on all sides, a bun in her lap with horseradish mayo already on it. This was the life, no worrying about what her breath would smell like, or if she made a mess. It was going to be a perfect weekend. A flash lit up the sky above her, followed moments later by a deep boom of thunder. She loved thunderstorms and her earlier thought of crawling into her tent with some of her toys crossed her mind again. She wished she was brave enough to go at right here and now, but there was the slim possibility that someone might stumble across her. Exhibitionism was not her thing, neither was voyeurism. Both embarrassed her and that had been two of the nails in the coffin her marriage had been buried in. Karl was willing to do anything anywhere. Getting caught by a stranger while playing with herself was an intriguing fantasy to her ex, but not one she wanted to experience. _Unless it was Rémy...no! Not Rémy._ She could feel her cheeks burning and was certain the heat from the fire didn't have anything to do with it. Rémy Moraes was a fantasy all on his own and one that would have to stay that way.

***

Rémy was going to throttle Jenny Banks and her mother Cassandra. The former because the silly twit had run off and gotten herself married in Vegas of all places. No doubt she had some Elvis impersonator do it too. His daughter, Tiffany had filled him in on a few details. _Flighty and irresponsible._ Apparently Jenny's boyfriend/now husband had his feet a bit more on the ground, but then after this latest stunt he was going to have to question that previous impression. If this was a grand gesture to win Jenny's affections back, the man was an idiot.

Anyone could have seen that Jenny had been pining for him. Moping around, bursting into tears at the slightest mention of him. As much as he loved Jenny, and considered her like another daughter, whenever she came by to cry on Tiffany's shoulder, he'd make a quick escape from the house. Contrary to his long-time impression, apparently Cassandra was as flighty as her daughter. _Taking off on a solo camping trip?_ _What was she thinking? She wouldn't know the difference between a hatchet and a hammer. No doubt she'd almost chopped all her toes off by now trying to break a stump into kindling while wearing a pair of dainty strappy sandals on her delicate feet._ That thought distracted him enough that he almost drifted into a tree. _Damn, she had sexy calves too, terrible thing if she cut herself. Shit!_ He snapped his attention back to the road steering his truck off the gravel shoulder. His wipers barely kept up with the onslaught of rain pounding against his windshield.

Goddamn, that woman had always had that effect on him. Even in high school, when she'd been too much of a good girl for him to ever consider speaking to. She'd hugged the walls with her head in a book, the riot of rich brown curls surrounded her pale skin. She'd never strayed far from her pack of silly twittering girlfriends. Even at that age, he'd known she'd be doing more with her life than he ever would. She'd had a seriousness about her and a drive to succeed he later found out was from her parents' high expectations and she'd done well for herself. She never took her husband's last name when they got married, which didn't surprise him all that much. Her divorce had given her a second chance at life, and she'd matured into an incredible woman over the years. Gone was the cute wallflower Cassie, he remembered from school. She'd kept her curly hair long, but her slim, teenage figure had matured into a luscious, curvy woman. Everything she did was wrapped in confidence and success. She was still way out of his league. It wasn't that she was a snob or anything. Cassandra Banks was a delicate hot house flower who spent her days in heels and stifling offices while his career with the National Park Rangers kept him outside in the fresh air. He loved his job, loved being outdoors. Getting involved with someone more comfortable in a boardroom then in a forest wouldn't be fair to either of them. But, here he was driving out into the middle of nowhere at ten at night to find a woman because she'd failed to ensure her phone had a signal. He'd do the same thing for anyone else.

***

Cassandra snuggled into her sleeping bag, sliding her hands over her body as she watched the flash of the lightening glow through the top of the tent. So far it was more lightshow then anything. There had been a few heavy downpours but she'd chosen her site well and there was no fear of getting washed away. Everything might be a bit damp come morning, but what the hell. It was all about the experience, right? The lightening flashed again and she felt the hair on her arms stand up as the sky erupted in rumbles that vibrated in her chest. The air was charged with anticipation of the next bolt; her body felt jittery as she had a natural electrical connection to the storm. Part of her wanted to turn her vibrator to full blast, race through the arousal and explode with the next flash. But there was something to letting the anticipation build to a mighty crest. _The best part of being a woman is I can do this again and again._

There was only one way this could get better and that was if she wasn't alone, but since she was... She trailed her fingers along her skin and tweaked her own nipple. Indulging in the solitude, she'd decided to sleep in the nude. She didn't need a man even though one would be nice right about now. With her other hand she slipped it over her curls and turned on the vibrating ball resting there. It was her favorite toy, pink and soft with a flesh like coating, and a bit of a tail that would flick around madly when turned on. It had five different speeds and five different rhythms. A thick dildo rested by her hip for use at the opportune moment. She increased the tempo slightly teasing her body with the vibrating tail as it danced wildly over the seam, before pressing down over her clit. Her hips rocked naturally with the toe curling sensations, a tightness curling up in the center of her and vibrating along her spine. A flash overhead, then deep vibrations in her chest like the storm itself was lending a hand in increasing her pleasure. Arching back into the air mattress below her, she sighed. Sliding her fingers down between her legs she spread her nether-lips open and allowed the flickering tail access to the sensitive nubbin, with her other hand she continued to pinch her nipples and stroke the sensitive skin beneath her breasts.

Her hips rocked and she slid her hand over her blanket to the large phallus beside her. Imagining that Rémy lay next to her and she was reaching for him. He'd be watching her every move, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. The thought sent another thrill dancing along her nerves like electrical impulses. _Maybe I'm a closet exhibitionist?_

***

Thankfully the rain had eased up, allowing Rémy to see the road better. Lightning still flashed in the sky above him, the resulting rumbles drowning out his radio at times. Even though he was off duty, he stopped at a couple sites to make sure that the campers were all right and if they needed anything. It was after 10:30 when he pulled up to where Cassandra had parked. There was no mistaking that little lime green Santa Fe. He waited a few minutes until the rain let up and then got out, sweeping the area with his hefty flashlight. The wide brim of his hat kept most of the rain directly off his face. It was a bit more than a drizzle now but it only took a few moments before the drips were streaming off the back and down the bright orange rain slicker he had pulled over his uniform. As if checking up on her wasn't pain in the ass enough, she had a walk-in site permit. He was facing a ½ mile hike in the rain before he got to her tent which she would no doubt be cowering in.

They had different paths in life he reminded himself as he tromped down the path, waving the flashlight along the ground in front of him. He lived in the outdoors, loved the land and loved his job. She was a fashion plate that deserved to be on the cover of every magazine on the rack. She rubbed elbows with the social elite, and international winemakers. He didn't tell anyone but he had taken a wine course so he would understand her when she talked about her job. Cass had as much passion about wine as he did about working in the parks. Last Christmas, she had come to the house with Jenny bearing a bottle of wine she'd brought back from a business trip to a Chateau in Bordeaux, France.

Cass had explained the winemaking process to them. How she'd spent time in the vineyards with the sun beating down on her and picking fungus covered grapes by hand. That part he would admit was pretty disgusting, but the sauterne wine that it produced was incredible.But camping in the middle of a forest during a rainstorm was a lot different from picking grapes in a sun-drenched vineyard.

With any luck the rain would keep most of the wildlife away, still he kept his bear spray in hand just in case. _Please let her have had enough sense to put her food in one of the bear lockers that they supply to each site_. The sealed container kept the animals from smelling the food and raiding the campsites. At least in this area they didn't have many bears at all, but all it would take is one time. Often people fed the wildlife with the best intentions, but they didn't realize the natural consequences that evolved from it. Bears that got a taste for human food became a larger threat against anyone camping in the woods

The storm was ramping up again when he finally reached the site. But instead of the washed away disaster he expected to find, everything looked completely fine. Rain tapped lightly on a bright blue tarp that was wrapped around the firewood. No garbage to be seen, her tent was dark. _She must have gone to bed._ He stood there at a loss. Should he check on her? Wake her up? Or let her be since she seemed to have everything under control. I'll swing back around in the morning to check in, maybe offer to make her something to eat.He turned to leave when a soft moan reached his ears. That sounded like...perhaps she didn't come up here alone but then from what he'd heard from her daughter, she wasn't the type of woman to pick up a stranger and go camping. A low moan cut through the air, this time there was a distinct sound of pain to it. "Oh god, Rémy, please."

Concerned his long stride ate up the distance between him and the tent. "Cassandra! Cassandra! It's me, Rémy. Are you ok?"

***

Cassandra was building up to an amazing orgasm. The rumble of the thunder combined with a mental picture of Rémy in uniform. Her imagination was so good she even heard his low gravelly voice. "Oh god yes, Rémy."

The zipper of her tent jiggled "Cassandra! Can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

"Holy shit" Shock ripped through her as if a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown on her. She pressed the remote buttons to get her toy turned off. Pulling her flannel shirt off the ground faster than she ever thought imaginable, she pushed her arms into the sleeves and pulled it across her chest. "What? Is everything ok?"

The zipper to her outside tarp was pulled open followed by the inner fly. As if her fantasy had suddenly sparked a real life experience, Rémy's head poked into the tent. Hat and all. She reached over and flicked on the portable lantern she had been reading with earlier, flooding the tent with a soft light, emphasizing the warm glow to Rémy's tanned skin. Drips of water fell from his brim and sluiced down his orange rain coat.

"Jeesus, Rémy. You're dripping all over everything."

"I thought you were hurt." His brows were drawn as he looked her over. She could see in his expression the moment he realized she was fine. "Tiffany called and said you were camping out on your own."

A flash of lightening glowed against the tent and they stopped talking as the thunder rolled along. Cass fought the urge to be annoyed by everyone's apparent lack of faith in her camping abilities. A night all alone didn't seem like so much fun anymore.

"You should consider heading back to the car." He looked around the interior of her tent, studiously avoiding making eye contact with her.

"Was there a tornado warning, hurricane, earthquake or anything?" Trying to make small talk and get his thoughts off what she'd been doing before he barged in. "No just a thunderstorm."

"Its only rain, Rémy. As you can see I'm fine."

His heated gaze met hers making her heart skip a beat and a heavy pulse ached against her clit. The desire in his gaze almost pushed her over the knife's edge of pleasure still thrumming through her. Until this moment she never would have believed you could come simply by looking at someone. Of course she'd been a heartbeat away from one of the most intense orgasms of her life when he burst in. Playing with an artificial cock suddenly didn't appeal as much now that the real deal had appeared.

"You know you might as well come completely in, you looked soaked through." _Am I really going to try this? A one night stand with Rémy Moraes?_

"Thanks. It's a bit damp out there." He gave her an undecipherable look before disappearing outside. _Did he know what she was thinking? Did he still see her as the pale homely wallflower from high school?_ Leaving his rain slicker outside before stepping through the opening, he sat on the corner of the air mattress. The tent had been so spacious until he crawled in. His presence seemed to fill the space until she felt surrounded by him. His lips twisted up into a crooked grin and she shifted uncomfortably. _What was I thinking?_ Here she was half naked, hormones bouncing all over the place, and she'd invited him in?

_He could always finish me off._ Oh, god, Where did that thought come from? She couldn't. Nope, no matter what, it wasn't a good idea. Her mouth was opening to tell him that, when she snapped it closed to stop those words from escaping. She needed to divert the path her brain was determined to follow. "I hope your night wasn't completely ruined coming all the way our here."

"It wasn't any trouble. I didn't have any plans and I was worried about you."

Her thighs pressed closer together, the heat from her aborted orgasm started ramping up again. He was here, in her tent, in uniform, smelling like rain and woods and all things Rémy. She had half a mind to undo her buttons and see if that would stop any lecture he might be building up to.

"I had visions of you in a deformed tent, food stolen by a bear and missing a couple toes from chopping wood. You know rule number one is camping with a buddy. If you don't then you need to keep contact with the outside."

That took care of the warm fuzzies. So he saw her as everyone else did. Deep inside she'd always dreamed that he saw past all that. "Rémy, I can take care of myself." She straightened her sleeping bag over her legs, "I would have gone back in the morning for it. Nothing would have happened in a single night."

"Are you kidding me Cassandra?" His hand came down on her air mattress right next to her sleeping bag, missing one of her toys by less than an inch. "There is a lot more to worry about then bears."

His angled himself closer to her.

Part of her wanted to rail at him for acting so high-handed, the other was getting turned on. Then there was the small voice screaming a reminder of what was tucked next to her. He leaned closer. She looked at the soft crinkles in the corner of his bright blue eyes, laugh lines that matured him. Strong features, almost angular but with the longest eyelashes she had ever seen on a man. Would his lips be petal-soft or a bit rough from all the times he spent out among the elements? His large hand waved in front of her face. "Are you listening to me?"

Buzzing filled the air, they both looked down at where his hand landed. He might have missed her toy, but the remote had slid closer to him and his fingers had pressed it through her sleeping bag.

"What the..." his hand moved and cupped the small quivering mound inches away.

"Oh for god's sake, it's not like I'm the only one." reaching in she fumbled for the remote only to hit the wrong button and change the pulsations under his hand.

CHAPTER TWO

"Grow up, Rémy. And let it go." She yanked on the sleeping bag, forcing the toy from his grip. The vibrant pink silicon cock emerged from under the edge of the bag as she fumbled with the remote for the bullet vibrator. At this point, she would happily lunge into a black hole, if only one would appear. Embarrassment ripped through her, ruining the intense arousal she'd been basking in.

"You weren't in pain in here."

It was her turn to blush. "No, I wasn't." She covered the dildo with the edge of the sleeping bag, while shoving her vibrator and remote under her pillow.

"I interrupted."

"Yes, yes you did. I'm not going to talk about it any further. You can forget about everything that happened in the last thirty seconds."

"Can't do that." He removed his hat and tossed it to the other side of the tent. Turning on her she could feel her eyes widening at the hunger in his gaze.

"You most certainly can." she scrambled backwards, keeping her lower half covered she gracelessly bounced backwards, dragging the sleeping bag with her. He shifted and crawled closer to her. She didn't get far. He stretched a leg over both of hers until he had a knee on either side of her thighs.

"What are you doing?" She dropped back and looked up at him.

"Something I should have done years ago." He lowered over her, resting on his elbows. He paused a breath away. "Tell me no." Tell me it wasn't my name I heard you crying out so loud I heard you over the storm."

His lips brushed against hers, incredibly soft and warm. Gently, he nibbled at her lips giving her ample opportunity to tell him off or push him away. Like that was an option. "If you don't want this, tell me and I'll get my ass back in my truck. I'll still come back tomorrow to make sure you're okay."

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him closer. He'd asked, letting her know that he wouldn't hold it against her. But this was exactly what she wanted. She wanted all of him against her. It was madness. His large hand rested on her arm, before sliding upwards

Is there some sort of rule about not sleeping with your daughter's best friend's dad?

Fingers stroked her neck, his thumb pressing against her collarbone

Do I care at this point?

He groaned deep in his throat, deepening the kiss as if he couldn't get enough of her. He leaned closer, his lips replacing his fingers on her neck. Oh, god he was good.

"No."

He stopped and retreated, allowing some space between them. "No?"

Damn, she didn't mean to say that out loud. "I ahh well I didn't mean NO. I don't care if we are breaking any rules."

His eyebrows twitched together, his grin infectious. "I'm not sure what rules you're thinking about but if it means getting naked I'm all for it."

"This is for one night, right?"

"If you say so." He dropped his head and traced the length of her neck with his lips.

"We're not breaking any rules, you know because you're on duty?"

"My shift ended a couple hours ago. Even if it hadn't, I don't care."

"Rémy I...well don't get a bad impression of me ok?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm your friendly park ranger helping out a woman in distress." He kissed her lightly on her temple.

"Distress?" Feather light kisses tickled the delicate skin on her face as he traveled down to the crook of her neck. Goosebumps raced down her arms and she shivered.

"Frustrated?"

"Oh yeah."

His hand slipped from her shoulder down to drag his fingers slowly to the v of her shirt. Buttons slipped free of their holes one by one until he slowly pulled the fabric away. Exposing her breasts, her nipples were so tight they ached.

She moved to cover herself but he caught her hands in his much larger ones and pinned them down on either side of her head. "You're beautiful. I imagined you like this so many times but the reality is so much better." He looked over her body with a possessiveness that took her breath away. "I'm like any other woman. I can't be that much of a surprise."

"You couldn't be more wrong. You're unique, Cassandra. I've always found you unattainable; you were so close but still too far for me to reach." He lifted her arms higher and trapped them with one hand. The other trailed along her curves around to her back pressing her to him as he nuzzled her neck. Nipping at her earlobe before, kissing the sting away. "Now, I have you right where I want you." This wasn't the easy-going Rémy she remembered. She had never seen this side of him. Dominant and hungry for her. Fingers slid along her ribs, tracing patterns around her chest, stroking the sensitive skin beneath her breasts. Stretching out beside her, callused fingers flicked her nipple. Sending sharp jolts of sensation through her body, his lips followed, warm and soft. When he moved and did the same to the other side, the damp nipple chilled and puckered further. She arched up in offering, wanting more, needing more. For a moment she thought that she should feel self-conscious, but this was Rémy. The one man she thought she could never have. This was her one chance to have him, knowing she would never keep him. She pushed those thoughts away. This once she was going to indulge in something for herself.

He let go of her hands and she went straight for his shirt undoing buttons, pulling the material off. The stiff patch on his arm scratched her palm. "You have no idea how much you turn me on in this thing."

He looked up at her confused for a moment, melding into a heated arrogance. "So you like uniforms."

"Only yours, Green and grays have been my favorite colors for a long time."

He chuckled low, as she slid her fingers to the hem of his white t-shirt. Curling under the hem she caressed the muscles wrapped around his torso as she dragged it up. He lifted his arms to help lay her back, his strong arms around her. "I want to look at you. I've waited for this for so long."

"I bet you say that to all the girls." The quip was out of her mouth before she realized it. A dark frown crossed his features before disappearing. He was always good at masking his emotions. "No, I don't." He slowly pulled back the sleeping bag, freezing when her bare hip came into view. "Is everything ok?"

***

_Was everything ok?_ Rémy closed his eyes and tried to gain some control over his emotions. She was naked under there, where those slim fingers had been stroking his dream. Vibrators and didoes within reach and he only had one fucking condom on him. Not that he'd complain to her about that right now and wreck the once chance he'd been given. "Everything is perfect."

He was finally going to explore every inch of her. He had no idea if this was going to be the first and only, or the first of many moments between them. Now, he understood why ancient men hauled their woman over their shoulder and took off with them. If he didn't already know she was a strong, independent woman who didn't allow anyone to rule her, he would do it himself.

Cassandra was an incredible woman. She was still headstrong but he could handle that.Ever so slowly he peeled back the sleeping bag thankful for the humidity. It kept the air warm enough that he didn't feel bad about exposing her. The lamps soft light made her look like a nude model waiting for an artist to capture her beauty.

"What about you?"

"In. Due. Time." He turned away for a moment to kick off his boots and then pants. She turned on to her side to watch him. She had looked so innocent when he first poked his head in the tent with her shirt buttoned up crooked and her tousled hair. He reached into his pants pocket and palmed the condom he had tucked in there. At the time he didn't think he would need it, more wishful thinking on his part.

Goddamn he was the luckiest man alive.

She reached out and slid her soft fingers around his hard cock. They stroked his length and he felt a shudder run along his spine. He could almost read her mind. Oh the power.

"Oh Christ, take it easy on me."

"Why?"

"Because I want this to last more than thirty seconds." He had a split-second thought regarding the self-centered men that had obviously occupied her bed. Men that only cared about their own release. He was bound and determined to show her the other side of things. He rolled both of them over and reached into her sleeping bag.

"Rémy no!"

His fingers wrapped around what felt like a ball covered with a fake skin, a small tail handing off one end. "Now what were you up to with this?"

Cassie turned a deeper red, answering his question. She wasn't going to admit out loud though he knew the answer. "I think I can guess." He pressed the buttons to start up the vibrations again, and teased her, allowing the vibrating tip to dance along her naked skin and over her mound. She cried out and her hip instinctively arched up towards him.

"I bet that feels good." The small tail flickered against her nipples, her hips rocked against his thigh."Don't you like to share your toys?"

She pressed her face against his chest as if she was hiding. "Never have before, my ex didn't like them."

Rémy remembered meeting her last boyfriend one day when he dropped Tiffany off and disliking him immediately. The guy had to have been compensating for a lack of intelligence or physical ability. The flashy car, showing Cassie off and showing her up. She'd been nothing but arm candy to the jerk. Her job was to look good, and make him look better. Rémy had never been so close to picking a fight for the hell of it. That idiot broke her heart when he didn't deserve it in the first place. "He obviously didn't know how to use them."

"And you do?" was her flip reply.

That was how he wanted her in his bed, feisty and smart-mouthed. He could think of a hundred things to do with that mouth. He flipped her over and arranged himself between her legs. Sitting back on his feet he lifted her up and encouraged her to straddle his legs, with her back to his chest. He knew the moment she started feeling uncertain. Her body stiffened as she pulled away and tried to look back at him. Soft, peachy skin pressed against his weathered body.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back, biting at the back of her neck. "Hold still."

"But Rémy."

"Not yet...but soon."

He knew she was feeling exposed, a great majority of his brain was demanding that she lift up so that he could press deep inside her. He trailed the soft quivering ball over her skin. "Is this the only one you brought?"

"There's the dildo too."

Rémy reached into the bag and pulled out the neon phallus. "Impressive, but I can do better than that for you."

***

Cassandra's breath caught when Rémy placed the toy to the side and returned his complete attention on her. She never would have expected him to be open to this. Eddie, a guy she'd dated for a couple months a year ago, had said that vibrators were terrible because they desensitized her and it would take longer for him to get her to come. He was usually the one to come first anyways and then she'd use them to get herself off after he had fallen asleep. Obviously, and lucky for her, Rémy didn't share those views.

"I've wanted to play with you for so long." He turned the vibrations down on the bullet before pressing it gently against the seam of her pussy lips. Between the vibrations from the rolling thunder and the ones radiating up from between her legs she felt trapped in an earthquake. She wiggled against the long erection she could feel pressing into her back.

"Behave." Rémy gave her a sharp slap on the side of one leg. She gasped but it was from the increase in sensations not anger. He pressed the remote and changed the pulsing vibrations, turning up the intensity a bit. It was like a gentle breeze of a small flame, burning hotter with each pass. She pressed against him and dropped her head back onto his shoulder. Her hips jerked and she grabbed at his thighs. His free hand stroked her breasts and waist, gripping the side of her bottom where it pressed against his thighs. It was as if he was memorizing every curve, stroking her, reassuring her.

"Oh, god Rémy." He was pressing in just the right spot, her body was curling tighter but he wouldn't give her the extra push to send her over. She moaned, reaching back to grab his hips.

"Rémy please..."

"Not yet" he stroked his fingers across her belly. "You have the softest skin, I could happily stroke you all night."

A whimper escaped her throat. As decadent as that sounded, she wanted more; wanted to feel his strong body between her thighs. His fingers drifted to the apex of her legs and slipped between the folds.

"Oh sweetheart you're so wet." The humming vibrator flicked her clit and she jerked in his arms. His fingers delved and played and drove her over and over to the brink, only to pull back at the last second. She tried to turn in his arms once but he stopped playing and held her there. "No. No. No. I'm learning what you like. Stay put." When she stopped trying to escape he continued.

He was learning her. Having never been treated to such complete attention she really wasn't sure what to do. Every time she tried to reciprocate, he would pull her hands away.Her body was trembling with need, gasping for air, when the tempo changed again and the speed increased. Her body reacted immediately, coating his fingers and the little toy. He reached behind him and brought something forward. A firm blunt object pressed against her opening. She looked down and watched as he tapped the velvet egg against her clit and slid a metallic pink silicone dildo into her pussy. A deep keening sound filled the air and it took a second to realize it was her. Rémy's deep voice whispered in her ear as he pumped the toy in and out of her slippery sheath. Cass wasn't sure if she lasted only moments or forever, but when she did come it was screaming out his name.

***

Rémy was the hardest he had ever been in his life. Watching as best he could while she came apart in his arms. That was what he wanted; to learn what she enjoyed because he wanted what came next, to be something she never forgot. He eased her down on her sleeping bag, putting the toys beside the mattress. She lifted her arms to him and he lay down between her legs, bracing himself on one elbow. "That was incredible." Her fingers stroked his face and brushed against his eyelashes. He never understood their fascination with the things, but at this moment was thankful for it.

He grinned down at her. "I'm just getting started." Catching her lower lip with his teeth he nipped her and then kissed it better. To him she was as delicate as a spider's web, and he was happily caught in the middle. Their kiss deepened, and he reached down to stoke her damp curls.

She wrapped her fingers around his cock, the most exquisite bliss running down his spine at her caress. Never before had a woman's touch rock him so intensely, he reached for the condom but fumbled and almost dropped it." Let me." Cassie purred in his ear and plucked it out of his grasp. His attentions turned to her beautiful breasts and the strawberry tips while she took care of the adult proof packet. Sheathing him almost had him coming in her hand. He slipped his arms under Cass's shoulders and held her head with his hands, kissing her deeply as he slid his cock against her wet pussy, deliberately grinding against her clit with each stroke. He fought an inner battle not to rush this first perfect moment. This single moment which he'd fantasized about and waited years for, this was it. No woman could match what Cassandra made him want. "Please, Remy. Don't wait any longer." Legs locked around his waist, hips arching up into him. Her pleas shattered his resolve. Arching his back, he eased off and aligned his cock with her entrance. She cinched around the head of his cock, hot, tight, and so damn wet. He lifted his head and groaned. "I'm not going to survive this."

"Me neither, better make it good since it will be our last." Her comment sounded light hearted but he heard the edge to her voice. Denial streaked through him, and he opened his eyes and looked down at her. _Not a chance, sweetheart._ Uncertainty painted her expression; she didn't believe her comment any more than he did. Desire darkened her eyes the same deep green as the pines around them. He kissed her hard and plunged deep, sliding the full length of his cock into her. Unable to stop the soul deep groan from escaping, not that he tried. She gasped and arched pressing her breasts against his chest. If her toys were anything to go by, he knew he was stretching her more than she was used to. Her heels dug into the small of her back, and he froze giving her a moment to get used to his size. "So good," she rocked her hips digging her nails into his shoulders. "More..."

"As much as you want." He moved gently, an experiment to see if she was hurting, but she rocked her hips ripping the breaks off his restraint. "This. Is. Not. The. Last." Each word with punctuated by a thrusting of his hips as white hot pleasure burst up from the base of his spine and wrapped around his hips.

Catching one of her legs he lifted it up over his shoulder and changed the angle of his hips. Driving deep, watching her face for the slightest sign that she wasn't enjoying herself. What he had the pleasure of watching was a woman in complete ecstasy. Her face glowed in the dim light from the lantern reflecting off the sides of the tent. Thunder and lightning rolled through the skies above them. Still he rode her until her passionate screams drowned out the noise from the heavens. Only after her third orgasm, he allowed himself to let go, collapsing beside her.

CHAPTER THREE

Two things occurred to Rémy as he woke up the next morning. First: He hated sleeping on the ground, even if they were on an air mattress. A tour of the sandbox when he was in the military cured him of any interest of experiencing that again. Second: Waking up curled around Cassandra's lush body more than made up for the lack of bed.

She'd fallen asleep in his arms but rolled to her other side at some point in the night. Now she lay spooned against him, her back against his chest. Sunlight shone on the tent making it hot and humid inside. He was sure there would be a fresh cool breeze on the other side of the zippered door, but he didn't want to move. His hard cock nestled along her soft ass, her head on his bicep and her hair, pretty much everywhere. He wanted to roll her over and repeat the incredible moments he experienced last night. Rémy didn't do sleepovers or second dates, but for Cassandra he'd make every exception. _She's the one who got away._ Never did he imagine he'd find himself sharing a sleeping bag naked with her. Maybe this time he'd be smarter and manage not to screw up.

Cassandra stirred against him, a soft groan and stretch had her wiggling her hot ass against his ridged cock. Arching his hips to make room didn't help much. Remembering the incredible way her pussy had gripped his cock guaranteed the little trouble maker wasn't going to go down any time soon.

"Good morning to you too." She wriggled her hips, the sensual movement created a wave of erotic images that redirected most of his blood flow from his brain to his groin.

_Two can play this game._ "God, you feel good." Rémy slid his hand along her hip, stopping an inch from the small patch of curls between her legs. "I want you." Rémy rocked against her soft ass, fighting the urge to ease her leg forward and press back into her hot pussy.

"Do you have any more condoms?" Grinding back against him, she drove every rational thought from his brain.

"When I came out here in the storm last night, that was the last thing on my brain. Discovering the most attractive woman in the world naked and waiting for me...I'm wishing now that I had stopped and grabbed a whole damn box." He slid his hand over the soft curve of her stomach and up to lightly stroke the underside of her breast. "I'm lucky I had one on me."

"You're telling me you're not always armed and prepared?"

There was something about her tone that didn't sit well with him. Sure, he'd had his share of girlfriends over the years who avoided commitment as much as him. She didn't really still believe he was like that, did she? "Depends on what you mean by armed, I was never a boy scout."

"That's true. You were the quintessential bad boy with girls hanging off you."

"And yet, the one I really wanted never gave me the time of day."

"Really, who?"

"You're kidding right?" _How could she have not known?_ "You never noticed the way I followed you around?"

"You did not!" Cass turned her head but he pressed his lips against her neck, stopping her. A light playful moan vibrated his lips, and she reached back to grip his hip. Parting her legs he slipped one of his between them, holding her open to his touch.

"Hell, yes I did. I didn't plan to go to class but I'd wait in the parking lot just so I could catch a peek of you." Her low chuckle could easily be the sexiest sound he'd ever heard. The way she arched her back and rocked her sweet pussy against his fingers splintered his train of thought.

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

"Red, high top running shoes."

"What?"

"You wore them almost every day. You'd roll up the bottom of your jeans and wore those shoes. You had a backpack with patches all over it too. You looked dorky and adorable and fascinated me."

Her body stilled and she pressed her fingers over his stopping him from tracing a sensual path around her taught clit. When she pulled out of his arms and rolled to her back, Rémy thought his confession had ruined the moment. It was hard to stay focused on her face when he could feel her fingers against his, still pressed between her legs.

"You really did see me."

"Of course I did." He didn't understand the wide eyed amazement to her expression,

"You never did anything about it."

"Cassandra, you were way out of my league, hell you still are. You thrived in high school. I dropped out. If I'd even considered dating you then, your parents, the teachers, and probably half the town would have freaked out. You're smart and beautiful. You don't take crap from anyone. You broke my heart when you got married. Hell, I went on a bender when I heard, that got me in all sorts of trouble with my CO."

Her fingers traced a line along the edge of his face as if she was seeing him for the first time and realizing he wasn't the same dumb kid she knew in school. Her thumb caressed his lower lip. She didn't say anything else just stared up at him like he was a fucking superhero. His fingers lay pressed against her pussy; silently holding still when he wanted to do nothing more than caresses her body into screaming out his name again.

"We've been single for years..." whispered words that he didn't know how to respond to.

Rémy could almost see the thoughts swirling through her head, her face a canvas for every emotion ricocheting around in her brain. He knew his reputation wasn't in his favor. _How am I going to convince her that I want more than a causal relationship?_ One night stands were easy, and she deserved better than that. He wanted to settle down and build a future with a partner. He wasn't going to find that with some pick up who agreed with anything he said because she liked the way he looked. Cassandra knew he'd been a bad kid and didn't judge him for it. They could argue, compromise, and work through any problems that arose. He'd known her for years since their daughters were best friends, but never had the guts to try in case he fucked it up. Now fate had given him one single chance and deep down he knew this was it. He didn't want to go back to their platonic friendship.

"I want more than one night with you, Cassandra. Let me remind you how good we are together."

***

Cass sat at her desk staring mindlessly at the new bottle labels she was supposed to approve. But, her thoughts were still on her time with Rémy. Who would have thought that she'd have not just a one night stand, but a weekend sexfest with the hottest park ranger ever to wear the orange poncho?

After a quick trip to the nearest station for condoms, when they weren't naked in the tent exploring each other's body, he'd treated her like a goddess. They'd hiked through the woods, drank wine while making food over an open fire, and watched the sun set over the mountains. It was magical and flew by like a dream. She might have slept a total of six or seven hours all weekend and felt better than she had in years.

"You look exhausted. I guess your camping trip wasn't what you planned?" Jackie, her closest friend and confidant pulled up a chair. "Tell me anyways. I spent the weekend helping Thomas and Colin put new shingles on the roof."

"Seriously?" Cass looked over at her friend who didn't look like she spent the weekend on a roof. "Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"Well, I helped by bringing out beer and making lunch for all of the guys. I didn't actually get on the roof till it was all done and they wanted me to see the finished job." She stretched out her back before leaning close enough to whisper again. "I oo'd and ahh'd, but it's a roof and I really wouldn't know a good one from a bad one. But, if they ask, say I said it was the best shingling job ever." Cass knew that Thomas and Colin were insanely protective of their partner and their relationship had always fascinated her. They supported Jackie no matter what she wanted to try. For years, Cass had lived vicariously through her friend's wild adventures. The only story Cass had never gotten in detail was the one when Jackie went to Vegas and came back with not one but two husbands.

"Mine was a bit more exciting. Jenny went off and eloped with Justin in Vegas so I decided to go ahead and camp on my own."

"Oh, my god. I'm torn between saying good for you and oh, shit!" Jackie's exuberant laugh was one of the things Cass adored about her. "How angry are you at her?"

"I'm disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. She apparently didn't want the big wedding we were planning. I might have gone a little overboard, but now it's one less thing on my plate. The girls were all worried that I'd accidently kill myself because I went camping on my own so Tiffany called her dad."

Jackie stopped peeking at the label proofs spread out on the table in front of them. "Rémy Moraes showed up at your tent?"

"Yep." Cass tapped her finger at one of the prospective label designs for her friend's opinion but Jackie hadn't moved.

"Tell. Me. Everything."

Holding back some of the more intimate details, she shared everything. How he never shortened her name, and she loved hearing him say it, and they each thought the other was out of their league. By the time Cass finished her heavily censored retelling of the weekend with the fact that they were supposed to meet up tonight. Jackie was on her feet by the end of it all grabbing her purse. "Come on. You and I are going shopping."

"Why? I have lots of clothes at home."

Jackie grabber her hand and tugged, "Oh, no. We are taking the afternoon off and getting you something that will blow Rémy's mind when he sees you tonight."

***

Her stomach felt like a glass of champagne, thousands of tiny bubbles simmering to the surface and fizzing. Cass twirled and checked herself in the mirror once more. _Not bad for someone on the wrong side of forty._ The shopping trip with Jackie earlier that day had morphed into a trip to the spa. She was plucked and buffed within an inch of her life and felt like a million bucks. The short, sassy cocktail dress was casual enough she could wear it with sandals but didn't make her look like she was trying to act half her age. Even though Rémy had seen her up close and naked from every angle on the weekend, she still squeezed her soft spots into a pair of SPANX. He might not have minded her aging shape while they were tucked away in a tent, just the two of them, but this would be their first real date and she wanted to look her best.

Her bed was piled with half her wardrobe she'd already tried on. _Why am I this nervous?_ She pressed her hand against her fluttering stomach. "Okay, no hot flashes tonight", she told her reflection. "He already knows we're not the timid girl he remembers from school."

The fact that he actually remembered the geeky details of her general persona still amazed her. Until this weekend, she thought there was no way she had ever registered on his radar, let alone haunted his very existence. The cynical part of her heart still struggled with believing him. But, he'd remembered her sneakers and the patches on her backpack. There was no way he could have made that up. She'd even forgotten about that until he'd mentioned it.

***

Cass stopped in her tracks and stared across the bar. She was early and hadn't wanted to appear too desperate...but the anticipation of seeing him again had driven her nuts all day. Rémy was easy to spot. His height helped, but there was a confident aura about him that always drew her attention. He stood there, looking perfectly gorgeous...as gorgeous as the twenty- something chick hanging off his arm. _Wait! What the hell was this? He actually showed up with another woman on his arm? One half my age?_ Cass wanted to march over there and slap the smug bitch, claw out her eyes, rip at all the perfectly curled, blond, hair and tight young body.

Against every natural instinct flooding through her, Cass sucked in a deep breath and focused on her reaction. Instead of flipping out, like she desperately wanted to, she took a much-needed moment, and then acted her age. _It was a one night stand. I have no more claims on him than anyone else._ She hadn't contacted him after they agreed on the time of their date tonight. _He must have forgotten or decided the sweet thing on his arm was much more enticing._ The excitement of having another wild night drained away leaving her feeling empty and old. He'd lied and she'd fallen for it like so many before her.

Rebellion was for the young and she was too old to want that wild, bad girl experience any more. Too conscious of the consequences, like having a one night stand with a man she'd crushed on as a teenager would be anything more than a wild weekend no matter what he said. _At least I'm not going to die wondering what might have been. I know very well how incredible it was. Whoever came up with "it's better to have loved and lost" was a fucking idiot._

"Hey, Cassie. Long time no see. You look amazing."

"Hi Mike. It's nice to see you too." Cass ignored the compliment as she slipped onto one of the bar stools. Mike had always been charming, even in high school. But, she remembered when he once said to Karl that he complimented women to get better tips.

He braced his arms on the bar across from her, "What can I get you?"

"Whatever local white you have will be fine, thank you." She eased onto the stool and peeked across the bar. The crowd parted for a moment revealing Rémy and the little blond who now had her head resting against his bicep.

"Gladly, you know you really look stunning tonight. Whoever you're meeting is a lucky guy."

"Looks like the man I was hoping to see, stood me up."

Mike dropped a coaster in front of her before setting the glass of wine on top. "His loss, but I wouldn't mind having a beautiful woman's attention all night if you decide to stick around."

Cass smiled and hoped the dim lighting hid the blush she could feel creeping across her cheeks. Thankfully, Mike moved down the bar to get another round of drinks, giving her a chance to think. _Why am I still here?_ She'd wanted to believe that her weekend with Rémy had been something special, like out of a romance novel. _Star crossed lovers who finally get a chance to be together? I'm too old to believe in fairy tales._

"Hey, hot stuff." The greeting came from a strange man who plunked down on the stool right next to hers. He leaned back against the bar and slid his gaze over her entire body, making her feel gross.

"Thank you for reminding me why I stopped coming to bars." Cass tucked the money for her drink under the edge of the glass and eased off the stool. Ignoring Mr. Slime's plaintive "Hey, where ya going?"

***

Three hours later, Cassie sat curled up on the sofa, a large soft blanket over her legs, a glass of wine in one hand and the bottle on the table next to her. W _hy am I doing this to myself?_

She flipped the pages of her high school yearbook, her stomach sinking with each club photo. In every picture, she had those sneakers on. It wouldn't be hard to figure out that they were her favorite. She had her backpack by her feet in two of the group photos. _Dammit, I'm a forty-three year old sucker._ Jenny had said she and Tiffany had been giggling over old year book pictures last week. _Stupid._

She gulped down the remaining wine in her glass like a shot of tequila and reached for the bottle. The wine splashed into her large goblet and almost waved over the opposite side, not that there was much left. Half way to the rim, the bottle ran dry. "Shit."

The bottle clanged against her glass coffee table as she tried to place it down gently. She sat there flipping through more yearbook pages, and drained her wine, before tossing the book onto the cushion beside her. Her phone sat next to her, Rémy had called a few times, leaving voice mails she hadn't bothered to listen to. _Once a player, always a player._ She swallowed the bitterness that rose up in her chest. She knew what she was getting into when she let him stay in her tent. _My glorious moment as a bad girl. I had a one night stand_. But it didn't feel as liberating as she'd imagined.

Sitting forward she pulled a second bottle of sparkling wine from the chiller she'd put on the coffee table earlier. She filled her glass and watched as the level rose up closer and closer to the rim. "Look at me all bad ass, playing chicken with physics." She giggled to herself as the flow tapered off to a thin stream as the wine reached the top of the glass. The last couple drops caused circular ripples along the surface that threatened to overflow.

"Shit, now how am I going to drink this?" Physics won as she made duck lips and slurped some off the top, spilling over the edge and down the front of her. _Crap_. Her phone rang, jarring her again and she almost wasted more wine baptizing her inebriated self. She recognized the number of Karl's restaurant and debated on whether she'd answer it or not. She and Karl were much better friends now, but she wasn't in the mood to hear about her ex's sex life. _Unless he wants to have a mutual bitch session about how all men are jerks._ She took a good gulp from her glass as she slid her finger over the screen. Pretending she was expecting a call from someone else and with over a bottle of wine in her system made it easy to come up with a dramatic opening. "Hello gorgeous, tell me you're wearing something sexy."

"Um hi?"

The voice was definitely too young to be Karl, nor did she get the loud laugh she'd expected by her outrageous greeting. "Wrong number, sweetheart." _How about phone sex with a stranger? Maybe I should be a cougar?_

"No, I'm sure I have the right number."

"What can I do for you?" She tried to keep up the sexy voice, but it was making her throat hurt. "Unless you want to have phone sex?"

"Sorry, um no you're not my type."

The quick dismissal pricked her temper and ego. "How do you know that?"

"Um, well, you're a girl. I was looking for Karl."

_Of course, he's looking for Karl._ She took another swallow of her wine. "I'm not sure who gave your this number but I'm his former wife. The one he came back to whenever his dick swung this direction, I mean." That came out wrong, but she was past caring. _It's bad enough Rémy rubbed his sweet young girlfriend in my face, but now Karl's boy toys want to have a conversation?_

"Sorry?"

"He's bisexual, honey. He ditched me for a guy. Sooner or later he'll ditch you for a girl. Men are players. Karl is a man in his prime and he likes the game."

"Oh, um, okay. Thanks for the warning."

"Sweetie, don't get too hung up on him. He's not the sticking around type."

"No, of course not. I get it. He forgot to order something for the restaurant and I found this number on his desk listed under home. Thanks anyways."

The young man hung up before Cassandra could say another work. "Well damn, so much for phone sex." She refilled her glass and tossed her phone to the side. "Who needs men, I have wine and toys."

***

"What did you say?" Cass blinked at her phone trying to focus on the screen. "Jenny?" Her mouth felt like a rather large dust bunny had died in it. Twenty seconds early she'd been sound asleep until her phone rang under her ear. She looked around wondering why she was sleeping on the sofa, until her gaze fell on the wine bottles sitting on the coffee table. _Crap._

"Yes, Jenny." Her daughter snapped in her ear. The sharp tone sent spikes of icy pain slicing through Cass's brain. "Seriously, mom. What is wrong with you?"

_I'm hungover_. But, that wasn't something you admitted to your child regardless of their age. _Wild rebellion hurts._ "I'm not feeling good this morning, might be something I ate."

"You sure you weren't drunk last night?"

"What would make you say something like that?" Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to remember what had happened the previous night but it was all a fuzzy blur. _Clothes on, slept on the sofa, car keys nowhere in sight._

"Dad called this morning and he's pissed."

"Why is that my problem?"

"Because his boyfriend called your place last night by accident."

"Jen I have no patience for romantic drama, especially when it involves my ex-husband and one of his many boyfriends. Mind your own business and stay out of it."

"Ugh, I'm surrounded by bitchy parents this morning. Didn't you have a date with Tiffany's dad last night?" Cassandra had no recollection of telling Jenny about her date because she didn't want either of the girls involved. Which meant Tiffany must have found out and told Jenny."

"I don't know what you and Tiffany planned Jenny, but Rémy isn't interested in women my age. Stay out of that aspect of my life, please." Silence hung in the air before her daughter spoke again. "Talk to you later. Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, baby." Cass swiped the screen and then checked her previous callers. She'd had their landline transferred to a mobile phone a few months ago as a way to save money. Sure enough there was an unknown number she'd answered and spoken to for four minutes. _Shit what did I say_?

Tossing her phone across the sofa, she pressed her hands against her face wishing she'd just gone to bed the night before. I'm not calling him right now. Her stomach churned dangerously at the idea of calling Karl and apologizing. Instead she pushed herself off the sofa and gingerly made her way upstairs to have a shower. She needed to get away from everything and everyone. Her head hurt almost as much as her heart. _I got to be a bad girl for once in my life. Why couldn't I have been happy with that? Bad girls don't get hooked on a guy after one weekend._

***

Rémy tapped his phone against his knee, sitting in his truck a couple doors down from Cassandra's house. Some might see it as strange but he didn't care at the moment. _She didn't just stand him up, she left the country. What the hell went wrong?_ He knew their weekend had been amazing and there was no way she didn't notice the incredible chemistry between them. Sex had never been like that for him. For the first time in his life, the thought of waking up next to the same woman, every morning for the rest of his life, didn't send icy tendrils of dread to his stomach. It was like a part of his brain had known all along they would be perfect together. They'd needed a chance to be together without their kids between them.

Over the last twenty-four hours, that incredible sense of elation dove straight into shit's creek. None of the women in his life were speaking to him right now. His daughter wasn't speaking to him. When he phoned Jenny a minute ago to ask about where Cassandra was she said her mom had gone out of the country on a trip, then called him a jerk and hung up on him. Hell, even the woman at the flower shop earlier had been too busy on the phone to offer him any advice in buying flowers for a woman you were pretty sure was pissed off at you but you had no reason why.

_Fuck it, I'm going for a drink._ Tossing the flowers in the backseat of his car, he drove back to the bar he'd been at last night. He'd give the flowers to Tiffany later as a peace offering and then hopefully he could get some information out of her.

It was another rowdy night at the bar, but Rémy headed straight to the bar stools, not in the mood to really talk to anyone.

"Your woman gave you the boot already, huh?" Mike, the bartender, asked as Rémy slid onto a stool.

"Maker's Mark straight." He threw a couple bills on the bar top and ignored the question.

"Hey, buddy, I was just kidding. What happened? I thought you really were into her, she's a bit young but hell if anyone was to keep a sweet young twinkie happy it would be you."

Rémy frowned at his friend, "Young? She's the same age as us."

"Damn, I'm impressed you fell for that. I checked her ID when she ordered. She's 24." The rocks glass slid across the bar and stopped in front of him.

"Who are you talking about? Cassandra was married with a kid at twenty-four."

"Cassie Banks? There is no way you're the one she came in for. I'm talking about that cute thing you had hanging onto your arm last night." Mike rested his hands on the bar top and gave Rémy the same dirty dog look everyone had been giving him all day... _oh shit_.

The pleasant burn from the bourbon soured in his stomach. "The blond I hugged last night is a friend of my daughter's. She spent so much time at my house when she was a kid she might as well be mine. Some guy was giving her a hard time and she hung close to me until he got the hint and took off."

"Damn, I wish they would tell me that so I can scare those assholes out of my bar." Mike shook his head and pushed off the bar. "But, there's no way she meant you. Cassie said the guy she came in to meet had stood her up."

The pieces started dropping into place and Rémy's temper started to simmer. "What is so strange if it was Cassandra I was going to meet last night?"

"Because, she was here for a couple minutes last night and sat almost exactly where you're sitting now. She looked right at you and the blond, there's no way she missed you."

Rémy looked over to where he's been standing with Alexandra, sure enough, if the bar was full of people, he could just bet what they'd looked like. "But, Alex is a kid. Why would Cassandra assume something like that? I'm not a dirt bag cradle robber." The thought of doing anything other than a fatherly hug to Alex froze his libido solid.

"You're Rémy "one-time" Moraes. What else would she believe? You've been like this your entire life. The King of One Night Stands with a pathological fear of commitment."

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes, you are." A second drink slid in front of Rémy, he didn't remember downing the first one but the empty glass told a different story. "This one's on me, I suspect your pending epiphany is going to be a doozie."

"Fuck you, epiphany my ass." Rémy glared at Mike's back as he wandered down the bar to help another person. _I'm not...okay I was a bit of a man-whore in high school._ He spun the glass in a small puddle of condensation on the bar. The more he thought of it, the less he wanted to drink. That's when two thoughts blasted through his consciousness regarding Cass.

First, he'd never felt the panic that came with a woman wanting to spend more time with him. Hell, she was making him chase her and that was something that took getting used to. Second, despite years of religious condom use, he was going to make an appointment with his doctor tomorrow for a full physical. He wanted a clean bill of health before pursuing any other path, because he wouldn't inflict the results of his stupid behavior on the one woman he wanted to spend endless time with. That quickly he knew why every female in his life had him on the shit list. He pulled his phone out and called Tiffany. "Hi honey, it's Dad."

"Good evening, father."

He winced at the dull tone, she really was angry at him. "Have you spoken to Jenny or her mom today?"

"Dad..."

"Honey, There's been a misunderstanding. I need your help with something really big."

CHAPTER FOUR

Cassandra stared up at the canopy of leaves above her head. Filling her lungs with fresh sweet air, hoping that a bit of courage would sink in there as well. It had been three weeks since she'd last seen Rémy on the infamous camping trip weekend. Three long agonizing weeks.

She'd debated back and forth with herself about picking up the phone numerous times a day and calling him, to thinking that he should be calling her. Instead, she'd turned off her cell after making arrangements with her office regarding an emergency business trip to Italy. For days, she avoided calls from her best friend, Tiffany, and her daughter. But, Rémy had never tried to contact her. When she finally broke down and answered one of her daughter's calls, she'd found out what had really happened. Jenny told her all about the sweet girl Rémy had tried to protect. After that Cass had been too embarrassed to call him. The longer she waited, the harder it was to dial his number. Even she knew that texting him was a cop-out. He deserved a phone call but she never shored up enough courage to make that step.

Instead her days had been filled with arranging a wedding for her daughter. After her quickie wedding in Vegas, Jenny decided she wanted to have something more formal with their family and friends. Justin seemed perfectly happy to indulge Jenny in whatever she wanted and all Cass cared about was her daughter's happiness. The one guest Cass was dreading hadn't made an appearance yet. It was a given that Rémy would be invited and she still hadn't figured out what she was going to say to him. _How exactly does someone apologize for assuming the worst of someone, while at the same time wanting to confess how much you cared about him?_

"Oh you look gorgeous, I knew you would." Jenny's hug dissolved some of the anxiety tugging at her. Cassandra fingered the pale gown that Jenny had insisted she wear, not that it was a hardship. Breezy sheer cotton with a silky pale pink underskirt, and little flats finished the outfit. No heels to sink into the soft earth. Cass felt decades younger and free spirited right now. "It's a beautiful outfit. I love it." She truly did.

Her daughter danced lightly in the spot. "This is going to be the most beautiful wedding. I can't wait."

"I have to say Jenny, I'm surprised you and Justin wanted to get married out here. This seems more like..."

"Us?"

The sound of his voice had her stomach dropping to her knees, Cassandra turned to find Rémy standing directly behind her. This was Jenny's day and she had no right to ruin it, she needed to clear things up between them. Heart hammering, she tried to formulate some sort of explanation. _Deep breath, channel your inner professionalism._

"Um yes. I...well know about that night, what really happened. I assumed the wrong thing and shouldn't have taken off like that. But, it wouldn't have worked between us." Her brain stumbled as she tried to think of a good reason they shouldn't be together. "I'm old and menopausal. You don't even know my middle name and I think that weekend put a lot of undo pressure on you to..."Rémy lowered his head and caught her lips in a searing kiss that obliterated any chance she could come up with a rational excuse. "Cassandra Dawn Banks, we have known each other a very long time."

"You know my middle name?" she said against his lips.

"Known it for years, and in all that time I never pegged you for a coward."

God she wanted to fight him on that one, if it hadn't been how she had been feeling about herself. She was the one that ran.

"That weekend really scared the hell out of you didn't it." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She tried to look past him not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. How could she explain to him that she'd loved him from afar and didn't believe he'd ever commit to anyone let alone her? "Cassandra, look at me."

She looked up into his beautiful green eyes and her heart tripped a beat. In his gaze was everything that she had ever wished for in a look. Promise, passion, heat. "Rémy, I'm a horrible..."

"Don't you dare finish that, I have spent the last three weeks in agony wanting you so bad but afraid that you would run faster if I chased you."

"I wouldn't have run."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Well not that fast anyways."

"Honestly Cassandra, what do you feel towards me?"

Her hands shook as she slid them up his arms feeling the strength beneath her fingertips. If she couldn't trust him, they didn't have a chance and was it fair to judge him according to his past. Tiffany had told her that Rémy never promised anything to anyone else and had always been open and honest about his expectations. He hadn't lied to her, and the last few weeks had been heart wrenching and more lonely than the entire decade previous. _He deserves the truth and if that scares him off then so be it._ "I love you, Rémy. I have for years."

He breathed out in a whoosh and pulled her up into a crushing kiss. Lips melding against each other as if it was the last. "I thought I'd never hear you say that." He whispered against her cheek. "I love you as well and I'm never going to let you run that far from me again."

"What are you going to do? Tie me up?"

"Oh yea... but later...on our honeymoon."

"What?"

"Sweetheart, this isn't Jenny's wedding...it's ours if you'll let it be. Marry me."

Her jaw dropped, of all the high handed, egotistical things...that would have taken a momentous amount of planning and risk on his part. "You're kidding me?"

"No. Not for a moment."

Cass didn't know what to say or how to react. Rémy stood there, silently holding her hands waiting, but she could easily read the insecurity and concern in his expression. "Yes."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth when Rémy crushed her against his chest. "You had me worried for a moment, sweetheart." He tilted he chin up with his finger. "Thank you." His kiss brushed her lips and seared a path straight to her soul. Happiness like she'd never felt bubbled up in her chest. A loud squeal from her daughter and applause broke her trance. She peeked around Rémy's shoulder and laughed at the crowd that had gathered a dozen feet behind them.

"Are they all in on this?"

"Yes, desperation breeds inspiration. You were hiding from me and so I set a trap. I caught you. I'm keeping you."

Cassandra cupped his face in her hands, brushing her lips against his. "You are still crazy, you know that, right?"

"I'll tell you anything and everything you ask me about. I want a clean slate between us. This is our life we're starting today."

"There is something I have to do first," Cass stepped back out of his Rémy's embrace. "Clean slates, right?" she asked.

"All right," He looked down at her, his confusion obvious.

"Jenny can you go and get your father and his...date?" Cass didn't know what to call the young man who'd captured her ex-husband's attention. She paced back and forth. The gentle wind blew in the leaves above her, she usually would have found it calming but her stomach churned wildly from both guilt and embarrassment.

"Cassie?" Her ex-husband's voice drew her from her inner thoughts, she turned and immediately her gaze when to the young man standing just behind him. _Christ he's young. I hope you know what you're doing Karl._ "Could you introduce us please, Karl?"

"Sure...Jimmy this is Cassie...Cassandra. Cassie this is Jimmy."

She held out her hand to his date. "Hi, I owe you an apology."

The young man was obviously taken aback; he looked up at Karl who shrugged. _Jimmy must not have told him about the call._ Since that night, she'd remembered parts of the conversation and the excessive amount of wine didn't excuse what she'd said.

"Um, okay." Jimmy stepped closer and took her hand in a firm shake. "I don't think I understand."

"A few weeks ago you called my place by mistake." Cassie stopped when she noticed the flush burning Jimmy's cheeks and the surprise on Karl's face. Undaunted, she continued, there was no way she could consider a new life with the guilt of what she'd done eating at her. "I may have made a couple statements that were entirely inappropriate on the phone. Blaming it on the wine would be easy, but using you as an outlet for my anger was completely and totally wrong. I'm truly sorry for any problems I might have caused because of it."

"Nothing that we didn't have to work out anyways, but thank you for telling me the truth," Jimmy's smile was a complete contrast to the glare her ex gifted her. "Jesus, Cassie. You have no idea." Karl snapped at her. "Fuck, I hope Rémy is strong enough to spank the hell out of you."

"Sure, because I want to get hit by a cast iron frying pan in my sleep." Rémy wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him. "Cassandra and I have our own way of working things out."

"Of course," Karl pressed a kiss against Jimmy's temple. "Since this is a new start for everyone. Cassie would you allow me the honor of walking you down the aisle?"

"Oh, my god. That is so romantic." Jimmy slapped a hand against his chest, "This whole day has been incredible."

Cassie winked at Jimmy before looking back at Karl. "I hope I didn't set the bar too high for you." Rémy turned her in his arms and lifted her chin with a gentle pressure from his finger. "Are you ready to marry me Cassandra? Because I don't plan on letting you leave until you do."

"Get your ass up there, Mister." She bobbed up on her toes to press a quick kiss against his lips, "I'm not letting you get away."

Rémy pressed his lips against her forehead. "See you in a minute." She couldn't help but stare at his ass in uniform as he walked away. "That is a seriously bitable ass." She muttered.

"Come on, Cassie. Let's get you married to Mr. Tight-Butt."

Cassie quickly glanced around assured they were alone. Thankfully, everyone had gone to find their seats while she ogled Rémy's butt. "Back off Karl, that tight butt is mine. You have your own."

"I know and Cassie..." Karl turned to watch Jimmie stride down the path to his seat. "I'm really falling for mine."

She kissed Karl on the cheek. "I'm glad. You deserve happiness too."

The melodious drifting melody of a harp drifted back to them. It wasn't the wedding march, but like this much more. Rémy stood at the end of the path, a big smile on his face waiting for her. She took one step and then stopped. "Wait."

"Don't do this unless you're sure, Cassie." Karl rubbed the back of her hand where it sat on his arm. "I don't want you to do something spontaneous just because you feel pressured."

'No, I'm good." She took a deep breath, nodding her head. "He's pretty clever, not letting me have time overthink this." "He sure is darlin, now how about I get you down this aisle to him before he comes after you himself."

"I never saw him coming, Karl." Cass stepped forward and blinked away the tears as a harp continued around them, the melodic notes a gentle perfect match to their organic surroundings.

Every step toward him was as though she floated down the path. Karl's hand over hers anchored her to the moment, her gaze locked on the handsome man standing waiting for her at the altar. Sexy wasn't enough to convey how she thought he looked. A man in uniform was always a delicious site but when that man looked at you like you were the only woman in the universe, that feeling was indescribable. She wanted to race down the path and jump straight into his arms, but to rush would ruin the incredible moment. She'd forgotten Karl was next to her, until he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead before letting her go. "You take care of Cassie, she's one of a kind." He stuck out his hand.

"For every single moment of every single day," Rémy answered. He managed to shake Karl's hand, never breaking eye contact with her.

"Karl was afraid I might regret this," she searched Rémy's expression, "but are you sure you won't?"

Rémy dipped his head, closing the distance between them. "I've waited over two decades to finally have you to myself. I'm never going to let you go, Cassandra Dawn Banks."

There was only one thing she could share that could almost match what he'd given her today. "I like the sound of Cassandra Dawn Moraes."

The End

Enjoy the first two chapters of Haunted Hearts!

Haunted Hearts

In the wake of a horrific accident, Gwen was left with a terrifying ability. Now, she's on the run with her little brother. Fleeing the iron fist of her father and his organization, she can't escape her visions of the ghosts who haunt her.

When Mac lost his passion for his career in the coast guard, life holds little pleasure anymore, until a beautiful woman crashes into his life and he is forced to live up to his code of protection.

Gwen needs a hero and Mac needs to be one.

When the ghosts of the past catch up with them, will their love protect them or will the truth destroy their future?

Chapter One

I _had no_ _idea the destructive capability of four year olds._ Gwendolyn scrubbed at the sticky crimson spill before wiping the worn linoleum tabletop clean. Streamers and balloons hung haphazardly around the room while bits of ribbon and wrapping paper littered the floor amongst more streaks of red. These old tables had seen a lot of birthday parties, but all this red icing from the Nelson twins' birthday cake made the place look more like a scene from a horror movie.

She straightened the napkin holder and condiments before flipping the silver chairs, resting their worn green vinyl-padded seats on the tables. The room almost echoed with the high-pitched squeals when she brought out the red heart-shaped cake their mother had baked for them. Gwen made quick work on the rest and then began to sweep up the crumbs and sprinkles coating the floor.

A small shimmer glimmered in the corner of her eye, trying to catch her attention, but she ignored it. Old diners like this attracted spirits like a moth to a warm flame. Thankfully, the ones who tended to appear around here were gentle and inquisitive. So far, they were happy to revisit their own fond memories of the place and then move on. By ignoring them, Gwen could keep up the illusion of being nothing but a small town girl working to take care of her ten year old brother. No one knew of her violent past, or of what she'd done to try to keep herself and her brother safe for the last five years. Nothing frightened her more than someone discovering her penchant for seeing ghosts, and losing the small control she had over her life.

Her little brother Joey kept busy doing dishes in the kitchen by hand because earlier in the day he'd decided to take apart the kitchen's dishwasher. Gwen was terrified she would have to pay for it or, worse, lose her job. Mrs. Brown simply laughed and said she expected something like this to happen. Kids like Joey had a natural curiosity that had to be sated, she said, and they learned best when they could dig into the middle of something themselves. Of course, he wasn't getting off scot-free. Washing dishes by hand was his punishment until he put the machine back together.

As if her thoughts had called him, Joey slipped into the room and, contrary to his habit of slamming things, quietly eased the swinging doors closed. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight squeeze. Shivers shook his small body, frightening her faster than any ghost could have.

"Wendy, you have to be quiet, Ma Brown says." Joey had started calling her Wendy after she read _Peter Pan_ to him.

"Why? Joey, what exactly happened?"

"So, I'm washing dishes for–e–ver, and I start thinking about the dishwasher. There is a spring in there I don't recognize, and I think that must be the problem. I bet if I put in a new one and clean out all the spouts and replace a couple tubes it will work better now than it did before. Do you know how old it is?" Joey took a deep breath, and Gwen knew he was on the verge of a long explanation on the inner workings of the antique washer.

She constantly worried about her brother. His natural abilities seemed to be stunted by his lack of social skills and immaturity. After the dishwasher incident, Mrs. Brown tried to assure Gwen. She thought one day all the parts of Joey's brain would catch up with each other and he would end up being a great surgeon or lawyer or president. While Gwen wanted to believe her, she understood it wouldn't happen without some specialized help. Right now though, she needed to get him focus to answer her question.

Cupping Joey's face with her hands, she tilted his face up, and made eye contact. "No, Joey. Listen to me. What did Mrs. Brown say?"

"Oh, yeah. Ma Brown came in and whispered to me. She said to hide back here and to tell you to be silent. If we hear her yell, we are to go out the back door and go hide in the woods out back until we hear her ring the bell."

The party room had its own entrance so the diner's customers wouldn't be too disturbed by large groups of people coming and going. Gwen clutched Joey closer to her and moved toward the door. Twitching aside the teahouse curtains, she looked out. Parked to the side of the building sat a brand new Mercedes. The amount of dust covering the hood proved it had been driving a long while on back roads.

Her heart thudded hard in her chest and she clenched her teeth together. A metallic taste flooded her mouth from where she caught the inside of her cheek. She had tried so hard to stay hidden. She stopped straightening her hair, dyed it black, changed her name, and tried to hide in a small town.

"Joey, you stay here by the door. Don't make a sound."

He nodded, his eyes reflecting the fear she tried to hide. "Do we have to run?"

"Not yet, stay here while I look."

Gwen moved over to the swinging doors. Staying beneath the circular window, she pressed her ear to the small crack between them. She could hear the normal sounds of the diner. Jack rattled dishware as he cooked up something in the kitchen, and Mrs. Brown laughed while she served someone. Nothing sounded amiss until she heard a couple of men's voices. She couldn't make out the words, but their rich Latino accent stuck out among the Southern drawl she'd grown accustomed to. Memories of why she ran away flooded her system like adrenaline. The instinct to run vibrated along her limbs. God, if these men were whom she suspected and they had arrived an hour ago? All those precious children would have been in danger, along with their moms and family. _If they'd been hurt, it would have been on me._ Gwen slowly tiptoed back to where Joey stood by the door.

"I'm not going to get to go to school here, am I?"

His whispered voice wrapped around her heart like a vice. He loved it here and continually reminded her that she promised he could go to school in a few weeks with the locals.

"Let's not worry about that yet."

_How did they keep finding them?_ If they knew about all the bank accounts, then they'd know she'd never used a penny. Gwen had taken great lengths to make sure she didn't use anything traceable. They left with the clothes on their backs and a few packed essentials. If one thing set them out from the crowd, it was her Shelby. She earned the money for it, and it saved her and Joey from traveling on buses and trains. Could they have found out about it? She loved that car, but if that was why they found them then it would have to go.

Joey shifted his weight back and forth against her side. "Wendy, I'm bored."

"I know, kiddo. Not too long now." They sat on the floor with their backs to the wall under the window. If anyone walked by, they wouldn't see them. She heard the deep purr of an expensive car and fought the urge to look through the window and watch them leave. Instead, they sat there and waited.

Finally, Mrs. Brown opened the door to the room and stuck her head in. "You two okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Gwen nodded and hugged her brother closer to her. She fought the urge to cry with relief. The illusion of safety she deluded herself into believing for the past few months dissipated.

"Mr. Brown wasn't always a good boy either. Those boys were trouble through and through. They've got an old picture of you, Gwennie." Ma Brown looked over her shoulder to the front of the restaurant and then focused back on them. "I think they believed me when I said I'd never seen ya. They're passing through and it sounded like they're in the habit of asking but used to hearing no."

Gwen opened her mouth to offer an explanation but shut it when Mrs. Brown held up her hand. "No, I don't want to know. You're a good girl, and I know you and Joey are in some trouble. It's good to know when you're hiding out, where you stand. Now you know. Whoever they are, they're still looking for you."

Mrs. Brown flipped one of the chairs back to the floor and sat down. "Don't you worry. No one around here is going to tell them anything. We keep to ourselves and don't like strangers poking around our business.

Gwen hoped life might be different here, that she and Joey could live a normal life. They got lucky today, but what if next time someone else caught her out front?

"The dinner rush will be starting in an hour or two. Becky should be feeling a bit better by then. Poor thing is suffering terribly with morning sickness."

"I'll be finished up here in a second, and then I'll come help you get ready out front. I don't mind staying if she doesn't feel like coming in." The extra tips would come in handy now.

"You're a kind girl, Gwen. Why don't you have a bit of a rest and something to eat? Go in and tell Jack what you're in the mood for. He's sweet on you. I'm certain he'll happily make whatever you want."

Mrs. Brown ruffled her brother's hair. "Young Joey, you still have some pots to finish up."

Joey rolled his eyes with an added sigh. "Can't I have something to eat, too?"

"I happen to know Jack has been making you snacks all day, young man. I told you, until my dishwasher is fixed, you will be helping out with the dishes."

"What if I delay doing more dishes and work on getting all the pieces back into the dishwashing machine?"

"Will you put them in the proper spots?"

Joey looked at her as if she was insane. "Of course I will. It would fail to work properly if I didn't."

Gwen tried to smile at such simple logic but even that failed her. The weight of the entire universe sat on her shoulders, perhaps because she had placed so many innocent people in danger. Joey slipped out from under her arm and dashed toward the kitchen. Mrs. Brown didn't leave but instead stood there. Gwen could feel her gaze on her but couldn't meet her eyes.

"I have to quit. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Now don't be doing anything rash." The older woman placed her hands on Gwen's shoulders, and Gwen's gaze met hers. She expected to see pity or anger but not understanding in the expression on Mrs. Brown's face. "Honey, how long have you been hiding?"

"Five years."

"Now, I'd say that's a very long time for someone to be looking for you."

"They'll never stop looking. I'm going to have to make sure I have nothing they have interest in. Until then, I will never be free."

"Is the solution really that simple?"

"No but I can't live like this. I can't expect Joey to live like this. He will never get the help he needs if I have to worry about our past hunting us down."

"You have a good idea, but I don't want you to rush off anytime soon. Mistakes are made that way. If you're certain this is what needs to be done, then do what you need to, but plan it out. Without a plan you'll make a mistake, and they'll be waiting to catch you."

"I'm so sorry I brought this here."

"You didn't bring anything here, little girl. Some good force out there is reminding you not to let down your guard. You're obviously still in danger."

_If I go home we'd be in more danger but that's the only way I can finally put an end to all this._ It wasn't much of a plan, but sometimes the simple solutions worked better than complex ones. Someone must have taken up the reins of her father's organization. An organization she often compared to a Hydra. She once tried to cut off its head, but like the mythical beast, it grew another. Only the one that grew back had it out for her.

* * *

Three Weeks Later

Gwen tiptoed her way through the obstacle course of fun strewn across the ratty, old, dingy hotel carpet in her brother's bedroom. Joey had decided the threadbare patches were dangerous and had created bridges and ramps over them for his trains and cars. Twisting trails curved around, back, and under in beautiful complexity that reflected his thought patterns.

She worried about him so much and wished she could do more. He was a complete genius at mechanics, but struggled to read at his age level. Joey never stopped observing life in his brilliant and quirky way. He absorbed videos on YouTube and everything he watched got filed away in that amazing brain of his. She suspected he belonged somewhere on the Autism spectrum but they never stayed anywhere long enough to have him diagnosed. Not that she could afford the doctors or therapists. _Not now, maybe not ever._ Had she never run away with him, their father might have coughed up the money, but at what cost? The emotional and physical abuse they would have suffered wasn't worth it.

She still remembered the day her mom brought him home from the hospital. Her father raved about his son and how her mother finally gifted him with the most precious of gifts. He never hid his disgust at his firstborn being a girl, but she never held it against her brother. She adored him from the moment she saw him.

As the years went by, it became more and more obvious Joey wasn't developing like other kids his age. Her mother started reminding Gwen on a regular basis that if anything happened, Gwen would be the one to keep him safe. Looking back, Gwen wondered if her mother realized Alphonse would kill her one day with those beatings. _Why didn't she take us and run? Why didn't she ever come and see me._

For years after her mother's death, she wondered why her ghost never came to see her. Not once, even when she'd prayed and called out to her in the dark of night. _Nothing._

A sharp needle like pain stabbed into the arch of her foot ripping her back to the present. Wincing, she bit back a curse and hopped on one foot. _Stupid blocks. Damn, those corners are sharp._ She flicked the bright red plastic brick with her toe and out of her way. It bounced a couple inches on the carpet before coming to rest near the forgotten pile. A cold breeze danced across the back of her neck, the little hairs stood up in response. _Evil_ She whipped around, certain to see someone or something standing there. _Nothing._ But, in the back of her mind she could feel it again. The same icy fury, she'd felt when she picked up the duffle bag earlier in the day.

_Oh, please, not now_. Her emotions couldn't handle any kind of spirit coming at her right now. Head throbbing and heart pounding she tiptoed back out leaving Joey's door open in case he needed her. Eyeing the cause for her sleepless nights, she flopped down on her makeshift bed and thumped the rolled up excuse for a pillow while she tried to get comfortable. _Another night of infomercials_ , she grabbed the remote from the coffee table. _Just once I'd like to sleep all night uninterrupted._ Glancing at the TV, her breath caught in her throat making her choke.

BITCH.

The word, drawn in angry slashes across the dust on the TV screen, sent fear spiking through her system. The remote fell from her fingers and hit the floor with a soft thump. Her heart fluttered, and she closed her eyes, not wanting to look around in case she saw something. _Just my luck, we get the room with the pissed off ghost. Knowing my luck he probably killed himself in here._ She had gotten used to the gentle presence of spirits in Lowville. She'd forgotten how locations like the one they were staying in attracted negativity.

_It can't hurt me, only scare me._ The reminder helped her push past her fear. "Go away," she forced the words out past her tense vocal cords, "Go away. Go away."

A simple incantation said three times, that spirits usually obeyed. Icy fingers pressed against her throat for a heartbeat before vanishing like it was all in her imagination. A lone cricket outside played its call to its friends, a warm, muggy, breeze lifted the stained curtains. Out in the parking lot a car door slammed while a couple in the next room screamed at each other.

She reached up and stroked her fingers over the smooth stone sitting just below her collar bones, her mother's pendant. _Mom? Please help us. We need you._ But, just like every other time Gwen asked, her mother didn't make an appearance. She'd hoped that by having her mother's necklace back, it would help her make a connection to the other side. Wasted hope.

Pushing up, she staggered across the room and used her sleeve to swipe at the screen, clearing the remaining dust away. _So much for sleeping tonight,_ she forgo laying down and sat up, stretching her legs out on the coffee table. Whatever spirit invaded her space had left, but the lingering fear it caused would keep her heart beating hard in her chest for hours. This wasn't the first negative spirit to try and scare her, but it certainly did a good job. Another fight broke out in the alley behind the motel and sirens wailed in the distance.

She'd underestimated the bone deep terror she'd feel returning to her hometown. Her only thought was to get in and get out as quickly as possible. Joey had spent the entire trip to St. Petersburgh, Florida underneath his favorite blanket. He never reacted well when he felt his security threatened or his routine upended and this time had affected him the hardest. _I don't blame him, if hiding under a blanket could ease my concerns, I'd crawl under there with him._

Earlier that day she'd gone to the train station to retrieve the black leather duffle bag she'd stashed in there five years before. Waiting till rush hour to ensure that the bustling crowd of people hid her from anyone that might be watching, she went inside to the lockers. Everything she'd stolen from her father, in hopes to use as a kind of insurance, lay hidden in that bag. It's why her father had wanted her back and why she was still being hunted. Whoever took over Alphonse Reghetti's business knew his secrets and must have figured out what she'd taken. Even she hadn't really looked at what she grabbed the night she emptied the drawer in her father's desk. Choosing instead to take everything she could and sort it out later. She did grab one thing, her mother's necklace. It had been in the drawer with everything else and Gwen had wanted something of her mother's.

Keeping Joey occupied, she'd watched the station for two hours before being certain no one knew they'd returned. She'd left Joey hiding under his blanket in the car and rushed to the lockers. It had taken four tries to get the key to unlock it and retrieve the small duffel bag because of the bone deep trembling in her hands. Once back in the car she'd sat there for thirty minutes before leaving. Had anyone tried to approach the car or looked dangerous, she'd planned to drive away and never return. It took her two hours before she stopped at the seedy hotel they were hiding out in. The small hotel room she paid cash for was the cheapest she could get with a separate bedroom and a small kitchenette. Gwen gave Joey the bedroom while she slept on the lumpy sofa in the living room.

She was fully aware her actions were borderline paranoid but she didn't care. No amount of paranoia was too much when it came to her brother's safety. Hyper-vigilant, in case the nasty spirit decided to make another appearance, the dark sky lightened to charcoal before her body forced her to sleep.

Obnoxious sunshine woke her up the next morning with a crick in her neck from using the arm of the sofa as a pillow and a sharp throbbing pain pulsed behind her left eye. It took three deep breaths before she worked up the courage to look at the TV screen. Dust collected in the corners and there were streaks from where she wiped her sleeve across it but no words.

Maybe I was just overtired last night and my imagination got the better of me? Anxiety could have created the malicious presence.

Her first instinct was to find a new place to hide today, but she hated the idea of upsetting Joey by moving him so soon. He needed structure and order in his life. Having his routine upset always set him off. Not that is mattered when her sweet brother woke up almost as grumpy as her.

"No, I don't like that." Joey pushed away the bowl of granola she'd poured for him. "Mrs Brown makes me pancakes for breakfast."

"But, Mrs Brown isn't here and you have to eat." Gwen pushed the bowl closer to him. "You said last night that you would eat granola instead of pancakes."

"No, it has to be pancakes." Joey crossed his arms and stuck his chin up, turning his face away from the bowl.

Tired and agitated, Gwen wasn't in the mood for this crap as he continued to tap dance on her last nerve. Snapping at him wouldn't help anything but thankfully she still knew how to manipulate a stubborn ten year old boy.

"How about we go on a quest?" The idea of an adventure caught his attention quick enough. Nothing like a bit of wild and wonder to distract him.

"What kind?" He pushed the cereal bowl a couple inches further away from him.

"This is like those choose-your-own adventure stories." Reaching out Gwen pushed the bowl an inch toward him. "We won't know what is going to happen until we get there and make the choice."

Joey loved those stories and she'd read and reread them until he had them memorized. He could read them on his own now, but he still begged her to do it.

"Where does it start?"

"It all starts with breakfast. You have to eat granola so that your brain wakes up and allows you to make the best decisions."

He stared at her for a good minute before reaching out and pulling the bowl back in front of him.

Gwen mentally cheered her win. "You're first choice is the beach or the boardwalk."

"Beach!" he shouted the moment she stopped speaking and resumed shoveling the granola into his mouth.

"Chew slowly and swallow so you don't choke. Once you're done, put your dish in the sink, put on your shoes and we'll walk there."

"If we're going to the beach, I don't believe I'll need shoes."

"Your feet will hurt on the pavement if you walk barefoot." _Broken glass, syringes, nails, garbage._ "You can take them off on the sand."

"We should bring towels. What if our adventure takes us swimming?"

_Oh, that's not going to happen._ Her skin itched and she feared breaking out in hives just at the thought of going to the beach. The idea of Joey swimming out in the sea, and her not being able to save him, frightened her to no end. "I don't believe this is a swimming story."

"I thought I got to choose my own adventure? How can you tell what is going to happen when we aren't there yet?"

_Damn young logic._ "I can't, but if the story leads to the water, then perhaps we can find a splash pad."

A sigh and eye roll was his only response to her suggestion. Joey loved the water, and she enjoyed taking him swimming at the community pools where there were lifeguards to watch and rescue him when he took too many chances. The ocean carried too many risks for her to feel safe and secure.

Joey swirled the spoon around in his bowl, and tried to push the grains under the milk.

"Hey, the longer you play with your food the shorter our beach adventure we'll be." Gwen got up to get dressed and take some ibuprofen before they went out. _This was a bad idea._

Chapter Two

Mac sat on the back of a bench, his feet on the seat, the sun on his face and shit hawks in the air above him as he watched the world go by. He'd been undergoing treatment for PTSD and wasn't back to full duties at work with the Coast Guard yet. It was a long process and he hated what felt like a never ending barrage of psych evaluations. To be truthful, all he'd done the last few weeks was watch the world go by, _until she showed up._

A gorgeous woman straight from his dirtiest fantasies had appeared out of nowhere and captured his attention. Long black hair curled wildly around her head, lifting with the breeze. Her T-shirt hugged the curves of her breasts and hips. He had no idea what the color of her eyes were because she wore a large pair of dark sunglasses. _What color are they?_ A burning question circled obsessively in his mind. There was something about her that struck him as familiar but he couldn't nail down exactly what nagged at his memory. Her looks caught his attention but her behavior is what captivated him.

She was laughing and running down the pier with a kid, who seemed a little too excited for his age. He had short black hair almost the same shade as hers, built rail thin but didn't look undernourished. He ran like a new born giraffe with awkward, careful steps like he wasn't sure of the strength of his legs. _Kid might have special needs of some sort. She could be a support person... she's too young to be his mom._ No purse, no car keys only a bottle of water in her hand and a single towel tucked under her arm. _She must live around here, but how have I never seen her before?_

The boy pulled his shoes off as soon as they reached the sand, throwing them over his shoulders as he ran along the beach. Thankful for dark sunglasses, Mac continued to watch the pair. The two of them would come together to discuss something and then scour the sand around them. She laughed when the kid started digging around in the sand, encouraging him by the looks of it. There wasn't anything overtly strange about their behavior, but Mac couldn't take his eyes off them. Knowing that he'd come off as seriously creepy if they noticed him still didn't stop him. _How am I going to meet them without coming off as a weirdo?_ There was a time when meeting women came as easy to him as breathing, but the last few years had taken their toll on his self-confidence.

She bent over to look at something, in the sand and Mac's mouth dried. From this angle, she gifted him with a beautiful view down her shirt and her perky breasts cupped by a pink bra. Her body looked a little on the thin side. _I can fix that._ His palms itched to trace the curves he envisioned on her. She glanced up and looked around as if she could sense his focused attention on her. She straightened when she noticed him looking directly at her. He could almost see the tension settle around her shoulders and posture. She looked like a bunny that just noticed the wolf. Fight or Flight. Her entire body radiated that core response to a perceived threat, exactly the opposite reaction he wanted. _What happened to you to make you so frightened?_

A squeal of pure joy ripped through the air, breaking their connection when she spun around. The kid had taken advantage of her distracted state and had made a break for the water's edge. Mac couldn't help but laugh at the pure excitement in the boy's shrieks as he ran ahead of her. His humor died when he realized the woman had dropped the water and towel to run after the boy. "Joey! No!" the sheer panic edging her tone had Mac off the bench and running toward them. The kid had enough of a head start; he'd be at the water before she caught up.

_Oh, hell, this isn't good._ The kid must not know how to swim. He moved at a better angle and made it to the boy before the kid hit the water. He grabbed the boy by the arms, careful not to grip too hard. "Hey there, sport. Slow up, looks like someone's after you."

The kid looked up at him with as disgusted look, no doubt for spoiling his fun. Mac loosened his hold turned to see if the kid's guardian had caught up. The fireball launched herself at him, all fists and kicks.

"Let go of him!"

"Whoa! Whoa, lady." Mac tried to fend off the attack as best as he could without hurting her. _She's no helpless bunny._ He managed to capture her wrist in his hand, stopping her from swinging another punch at his face. "Stop! I'm trying to help." Thankfully, he had longer arms and could avoid her kicks to his more sensitive spots. "Hey, damn it. I'm not trying to hurt him. I thought the kid couldn't swim and stopped him for you."

She paused in mid swing with her other hand, deciding to clutch the kid to her side instead. Mac let go of her wrist and took a step back while holding both his hands up.

The boy looked up at her in wide-eyed wonder.

"Wow, Wendy, you really could protect me."

"You know it, little man."

She smiled down at the boy, and Mac wanted to be on the receiving end of such a look. He always did have a soft spot for wildcats, especially the kind that instinctively protected those they cared about. He understood the feeling as he tended to be a bit overprotective of his younger sisters. _Not that you've shown it in the last few years._

He pushed her sunglasses on top of her head when she looked back at him granting him his deepest wish. She had the biggest milk chocolate eyes he had ever seen, and they didn't tell him a single thing about her. He'd seen similar expressions on people in witness protection or protective custody. His instincts told him she would do anything to protect the kid she held on to and she didn't trust easily.

"I'm sorry for attacking you." A slight suspicion edged her gaze, and she angled Joey farther behind her.

"No biggie, I only wanted to help. These days, you can't be too careful when it comes to kids." The uncertainty in her eyes rooted him to the spot. _She doesn't believe me._ His attraction battled with self-preservation. This woman was trouble with a capital T. _Walk away, Mac. Don't get involved._ But he could no more walk away from her then his dad could walk away from anyone in danger. "Don't worry about it. If someone grabbed one of my sisters at his age, I would have reacted the same way."

Mac looked down at the boy, who appeared oblivious to either of them as he gazed out at the water. "Wendy, please can I swim? Please. Please."

She darted a quick glance up at him, and her cheeks turned bright pink. "Joey, I promise I'll find a local pool with lifeguards, and you can swim there. Okay?"

"The water here is safe. There isn't any undertow," Mac offered.

"Um, I'm sure it's fine, but I'd prefer trained lifeguards there to watch him." She stepped back, leading the boy back with her.

"If it helps you feel better, I'm part of the Coast Guard." Keeping his tone light, he teased her a bit. "We get a bit more training than lifeguards."

"Wendy can't swim." Joey sounded completely dejected, hanging his head like a kicked puppy.

Mac couldn't help but be surprised at the kid's announcement. "Everyone should know how to swim."

"I can swim," she quickly added. Her cheeks turned a cute shade of red again. "I just don't like to."

"She's afraid of the water. I try to tell her there isn't anything to worry about, but she doesn't listen to me. I believe she has a phobia due to a past traumatic episode."

"Joey, that's enough."

"Uh, well, it happens sometimes." Mac tried his best not to smile. Her cheeks looked sunburned they were so red. _Mac, you need to get away from her._ The little panicked voice in his head sounded again, but he ignored it. He wanted to know what had happened and help her regain a love for water. He spent almost every free moment in the water. To be afraid of something so elemental was a completely foreign concept for him.

"My name's Gwen, and this is Joey."

"She's my Wendy."

"Wendy?" He glanced from Joey to Gwen. _Did she give me a fake name?_

"It's from Peter Pan, Joey's favorite story." She explained.

"That's cool." Mac smiled down at Joey and shook his hand. "I used to pretend I was a Lost Boy when I was about your age. It's nice to meet you both. I'm George MacIntosh, but you can call me Mac."

"I'm so sorry again for the way I acted, Mac. I have to get Joey home."

"It's not our home."

"Joey, please."

"I'll watch him." _What?_ The voice in his head went into shock at the idea. He didn't want to get to know her, _Lie!_ He didn't want to see her smile again, and he certainly didn't want to know why she constantly looked around them as if she feared an attack. _Lies. Lies. Lies._ Mac also wanted to strangle the voice of his conscious.

"What?"

His sister would cut him off at the knees for undermining a decision she'd made for his nephew. _Here's hoping Gwen doesn't share the same attitude as Colleen._ "I'll sit with you if you want to let him get it out of his system. If he runs into trouble, I'll go in and get him."

"It could be too late."

"It won't be. I promise. I'm an excellent swimmer. I could dig out my lifeguarding certificate if it would make you feel better."

Her small smile punched him right past all the defensive barriers he'd created around his soul. She looked like a combination of innocence and vulnerability, masking the fact she would fight anything that threatened her. She needed a hero, but he didn't have it in him anymore. _Mac, get away from her before you get in over your head._

"Are you sure?"

He looked down into those milk chocolate eyes and knew he'd never deny her anything. "Let him know what your rules are, and I'll stay for as long as you like."

Joey let out a whoop and started dancing on the spot in excitement. "I'm gonna swim with the sharks!"

He smothered his laugh when her expression morphed into sheer panic. _Doesn't she know anything about the ocean?_

"Sorry, Joey. There are no sharks this close to shore, no matter what you might see in the movies. But sometimes you can see dolphins, and sometimes a manatee appears near the pier."

"Oh, cool. Wendy, please can we?"

"Yes, we'll go dolphin watching tomorrow. Rule number one. No deeper than your chest, right here." She poked the kid in the ribs, and he laughed. Pulling off his shirt, Joey tossed it at her and then ran down the beach to the water.

They followed at an easier slower pace after Gwen ran back to get the towel she'd dropped. Joey dove into the water with practiced ease, surprising Mac. "He's a stronger swimmer than I'd expected."

"I take him swimming as often as I can. Usually at supervised pools where I don't have to worry about him and there is someone to jump in if he needs help. He's a good swimmer but I guess I allow my own fears to cloud my judgment. He loves the water so much."

The waves lapped at their toes and Mac stepped into the small waves, allowing them to wash over his ankles. Looking back, he watched her scuttle back as a wave came closer to her.

"You do realize nothing can happen to you at the edge, right?" He wondered what could have happened to her to create a phobia this strong.

"You do know you can drown in two inches of water."

He grinned while responding, enjoying the game. "Yeah, if you were knocked unconscious and had your face held down."

Her body shivered, and the cute blush that had glazed her cheeks took on a sick greenish cast.

"You okay?" He stepped back toward her, and she scuttled away. "Did someone do that to you?"

Her body radiated tension and she darted looks around them again until her gaze fixated on the small waves rushing in. Mac moved closer and she side stepped away from him. "No. Don't come any closer. We have to go."

Mac held his hands up. "Okay, I'll stay right here. Take a deep breath."

She gasped and stepped a bit closer to him but then backed away. She shuddered again and gasped for air. Her chocolate eyes filled with fear as she rubbed her throat. _It's a panic attack_. He recognized the symptoms, having battled them for years after his dad's accident. A quick glance at Joey riding the waves assured him that the boy hadn't strayed far.

_To hell with it._ He couldn't stand to see anyone suffer like this. Closing the space between them, he wrapped his arms around her. "Gwen, look at me."

She looked up at him and pushed weakly against his chest.

"Listen to my voice. Take a deep breath, hold it for six seconds."

Gwen's gaze whipped around them as she took in a shaky breath.

"Joey is fine. He's five feet away. Nothing bad will happen to you here. I'll make sure of it."

Scraping in a deeper breath she stopped pushing against his chest and he felt the tension in her shoulder loosen a fraction.

"Hold this one for a few seconds." He kept his voice low and even, talking her into slowing her breathing a bit. All while he willed his brain not to notice how she fit perfectly in his arms. Tall enough he didn't need to bend over to hold her, but not so tall because he'd still need to dip his head to catch her lips. That would have be his preferred choice in getting her breathing under control, but the worst tactic he could use under these circumstances.

"Now breathe out as slowly as you can. Take another breath, slowly. I want you to count in your head to five as you do and hold it. Then count to six as you breathe out."

He glanced over at Joey and then back to her. _How could anyone do something so horrible to a woman?_

"Breathe with me. Slowly, in and out. In and out. That's it, you're doing better." The color returned to her cheeks in a vibrant hue, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Better?"

"I can't believe that happened, like, really, I'm sorry. It's embarrassing."

"No, it was a normal human reaction to an intense fear. Everyone deals with stress differently, and this is the mind's way of dealing sometimes." _Christ, now I'm sounding like my shrink._ Damn it, he couldn't poke fun of the Doctor if it turned out he'd been right all along.

"I'm better now, thank you. I just can't stay."

"You don't need to. I understand. I had to deal with some traumatic stuff of my own, and I went through enough panic attacks to know they are real and can be scary."

Looking out at the water, a small smile curled her lips as she watched her brother bodysurf a larger wave. "You certain there aren't any sharks?"

"When's the last time you watched _Jaws_?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he smiled down at her. "Sit down for a moment. Relax, and let your body get back on an even keel."

She flopped down on the sand, and he joined her. They sat there quietly for the longest time, content to enjoy the sounds of the ocean, and find a moment's peace.

"Are you a psychologist?"

He smiled and debated lying for a moment. _Aren't chicks into guys with impressive credentials?_ "No, I'm not. I saw one for a while when my dad died and I didn't take it well."

"Oh, I'm sorry, how heartbreaking." Her hand rested on his upper arm for a brief moment but that's all it took to miss the contact when she let go.

"My dad and I served in the Coast Guard at the time. I witnessed his death, but I was too far away to help or save him." _Why the hell am I telling her all this?_ Unloading all this would send any rational woman running for the hills. Contrary to almost every woman he had met in the last five years, he wanted to know her story. He wanted her to trust him.

"At the risk of being insulting, Joey isn't your son, is he? You don't look old enough to be his mom."

"Since when did being told I look young turn into an insult?" She chuckled lightly, reminding him of morning rays dancing on a calm ocean. "Joey's my little brother, but now it's like he's mine. I'll always be there to take care of him."

"How old is he?"

"Ten. I know he acts young for his age. In many ways, he is the smartest person I know, but emotionally, he hasn't caught up. He needs time."

"Have you been able to get him the help he needs? What about your parents?"

That quickly, her expression shuttered and Mac could have kicked himself for pushing. He'd only known her for a few minutes and had no business asking so many personal questions.

"I had better get Joey. We need to get going." She stood up and dusted her cute butt off with one hand while she called her brother. He hated the idea she might walk away and he would never see her again.

"How about you let me take you and Joey to dinner tonight?"

"I couldn't." The wariness crept back into her eyes, shadowing the hint of curiosity shining there.

"Sure you can. I know all the best places, and you can be certain I'll make sure you are safe. Here," he reached into his back pocket and handed her a small card, "my cell number is on it."

Gwen took the small card and tucked it into her back pocket. "Thank you, Mac, for your patience. I really appreciate it."

"It's no trouble. I'll be waiting for your call, Gwen."

"Good-bye, Mac." She shook out the towel and met her brother as he headed up the beach. Joey listened to something she said and then looked over and waved wildly at Mac.

Mac waved back and sat down on the sand, watching as the two of them walked away.

His card sat against the curve of her ass, giving Mac an inexplicable rush of pleasure at the thought. Gwen fascinated him. Her vulnerability and innocence reflected a thin veneer over what must be a core of steel. She had the look of someone who had faced her worst fears and fought every day to get past it. But, something about her story didn't ring true. His dad always told him to trust his gut because it would never steer him wrong and it never had. _Including the day I ignored it and didn't stop Dad from boarding that boat._

Mac slipped on his shoes and waited until they were a fair distance away before pushing to his feet to follow them. Keeping to the opposite side of the street, he stayed back far enough not to be spotted. _This isn't stalking. I need to know where she and her brother are staying so I can pick them up if...when she calls._

He followed them to the Holiday Inn a couple blocks away. Gwen never stopped checking her surroundings, as if she knew they were being watched. _Are her instincts so honed that she can tell I'm here, or is it habit?_ Part of him wondered if she wasn't as innocent as she acted and watched out for any authorities. She could have kidnapped the boy. Were his parents anxiously awaiting a phone call to reassure them their son lived? There hadn't been any Amber Alerts matching the kid's description. Again, his gut said no. She acted protective of him because she cared, not because of ownership. Still, there was no doubt she and Joey were hiding from someone. At least they stayed in a nice hotel. Whatever it was she wanted to hide from, at least she had some security in there.

She had his card, and if she didn't call he could try and stake out all the local pools in St Petersburgh. His watch alarm beeped, alerting him to the time. _Dammit, I'm going to be late for my shift if I don't move my ass._ He jogged back down the beach toward the parking lot where he had parked his bike earlier. He had a couple more weeks of trop hours, and then he'd be back out at sea. He didn't want to screw up that chance.

It had been a couple months since he pulled himself out of the gutter. After his dad's death, the family grieved in its own way as well, but he took the self-destructive route. It started with drinking to hide from the pain, a habit that increased exponentially when the rumors started. Inaccurate stories circulated about his dad being dirty and leaking information. People said he'd been doing double deals and making a tidy profit.

He'd taken a trip to the doctor and received a nasty warning about his health. The doctor was a friend of his dad's and warned him about the road he had chosen to take. How disappointed his dad would have been. He would rather have his dad alive and disappointed than dead with his friends giving him shit. Then to top it off, his best friend, Clay, picked a fight with him a few months ago and kicked his ass, both physically and mentally. There had been a time when Clay and he had competed over everything, and to have him trounce him so easily shocked him. He hadn't realized how weak he'd become. He owed Clay everything. The guy had pretty much saved his life.

He roared into the marina far too fast. He might have a new lease on life, but he still enjoyed the adrenaline a good rush would give him. Parking in his spot, he ran into the office with enough time to have a quick shower and get changed into his uniform. He arrived in the briefing room a mere moment before the Captain walked in from his office.

Matt, another buddy, smacked him in the shoulder from behind. "Cutting it close, don't you think? What the fuck have you been up to?"

"Met a girl," Mac whispered over his shoulder.

"And you made it here on time? So wasn't she any good, or are you a little premature these days?"

Mac flipped him the bird over his shoulder as their commander cleared his throat in their direction. He still didn't pay much attention to the meeting. His thoughts revolved around reliving his conversation with her and fantasizing about how he would love to wrap those long legs around his neck or waist. An easy decision, neck first and then waist, preferably a couple times. He adjusted his position in his seat. Just the thought of her caused him to make room for his thickening cock _. If I'm this bad now, what will it be like when I got close to her again?_ As much as he wanted to get her naked and explore every inch of her skin, he wanted to know more about her first. _Who's she afraid of? What's she hiding from? Why do I feel like I recognize her but I can't remember from where?_

She had a local accent. _Maybe I went to school with her?_ But she looked too young to have been in many of his classes, unless she'd been a freshman when he was a senior. But there was no way he'd ever see those incredible eyes and not speak to her. Especially at an age when he'd earned the reputation for being a bit of a horn dog.

He would send her flowers and a friendly note thanking her for the company this afternoon. _How hard could it be to get her room number?_ He'd get one of his buddies to check it out for him. He'd make it seem like official business, and hopefully didn't come off as a crazed stalker.

* * *

The next afternoon, he received some news that didn't surprise him as much as it should have.

"She doesn't exist."

"What?"

"Seriously, man, there is no one by the name Wendy or Gwen staying at the Inn. There isn't even a woman staying with her younger brother there. Are you sure you have the right hotel?"

"I saw her walk into it."

"Well, if she did, then she walked out after you left, or she cruised out through the back door."

"Damn, I didn't think I came across like a stalker."

"It's not your fault you were cursed with such an ugly mug, but that isn't the whole thing."

"What?" Derogatory comments aside, Clay's tone remained serious. And this was not a common thing for him. "What else is there?"

"I got to checking the area hotels and motels since I knew you would probably ask me to anyway. There is no one booked in under her name but woman and a boy matching your description are sharing a room at a dingy place off the strip. You know, the one you took Katie McDermott to after the prom."

"Oh, damn, you mean the Blue Moon? It was run down then. I can't imagine it's any better now. It's what, about a fifteen-minute walk from the beach?"

"Ya, I'd say about that. I see that place too often, it's a dive Mac."

Which told Mac that there were regular drug busts or prostitution rings working out of it. He leaned back in his chair and played with a pencil between his fingers.

"Could she be a working girl?"

"No, I didn't get that kind of vibe from her. The kind of fear that vibrated around her, you can't fake that. Then she goes out of her way to make sure I get the wrong impression of where she's staying?"

"I'd say she's hiding out, Mac."

"She has the feel of someone who's been abused."

"So why bother? Be thankful she didn't decide to latch on to you. You don't need that kind of mess."

"I appreciate your concern, but if I want lectures, I'll call my mom."

"See how much I help you next time if you're going to be an asshole."

"Clay, buddy, I'm sorry. There's something there I can't figure out, but I can't get her out of my head."

"Be careful. You gonna be at the game tonight?"

"Hell, yeah. Steve got a bonus, so he'll have some extra cash for us to win off him." They had an ongoing joke about how easy Steve's "tells" were. The harder he tried to hide them, the more obvious they got.

"Damn, he is too easy of a mark."

"If he would learn how to play poker, then maybe it wouldn't be so easy."

"Ciao, man."

"See ya." Mac ended the call and tapped his cell against his leg as he looked out his office window and over the water. _I could walk away right now and not get any more involved._ He could be completely off the mark with her. But his gut didn't agree with that, and it wasn't something he could explain to Clay or even himself. He had a strong feeling they were meant to cross paths. He _needed_ to help them.

Haunted Hearts

ABOUT KAYLEIGH

Bestselling author Kayleigh Malcom (and her alter ego Corinne Davies) is a firm believer that all love is beautiful and everyone deserves a Happily Ever After....well except for those involved with cancelling Firefly. She's still holding a grudge over that one.

She first put pen to paper in an attempt to write a love story between her and her favorite rock singer of the time. It was filled with all the angst that only a teenager can come up with and, of course, an incredible wardrobe. Years later, during the wee hours of the morning, when her first daughter insisted on waking up, she discovered online RPGs and her love of writing emerged again.

After many encouraging words from fellow writers, she decided to try her hand at developing her own stories, learning it takes more than mind blowing sex and a happily ever after to make a great story.

By day, she is a full-time wife, mother, and retail store manager. At night, she avoids such mundane tasks as housework and laundry by creating her own worlds where fantasy and mythology comes to life. Worlds in which you are just as likely to be living next door to an ancient Deity as finding your soul mate in steam powered flying machine.

Sticking with one genre is a talent she hasn't achieved yet and can be found creating worlds as normal as our own or as fantastic as her dreams. Her characters have to face real life challenges, as many of us do, but love always finds a way to conquer all.

A social media junkie, she can be found haunting many different sites and loves to hear from her readers.

