Deadly Reckoning

“It’s beautiful out here,” she said, turning her back to him, her gaze skimming across the rugged, rocky coastline.

“I’m kind of partial to it.”

Kayla’s fingers twisted a strand of long auburn hair, her attention on the view, not him. “Is this your hometown?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He leaned against one of the wide columns and stared at her rather than the scenery. “Lived here most of my life except the time I spent as a Seattle street cop.”

“Seattle?” Her gaze shot to him.

“Hard to picture me fighting crime in the big city?”

“No. It’s just that we came from the same city.” She shrugged. “Just shows you what a small world it is.” Kayla glanced out at the sea. “What made you come back to Cape Churn?”

“My son, Dakota.”

She spun to face him, her eyes wide. “Your son?”

“You look surprised.” Gabe grinned.

“I’m sorry.” She glanced down at where her fingers tugged at a loose strand of hair. “I’m so new to town, I didn’t know.”

“Trust me, you can’t be half as surprised as I was when I found out I had a son.”

She frowned up at him. “When was that?”

“Four months ago.”

Her auburn brows rose up her forehead. “Four months?”

Gabe scrubbed a hand across his short hair. “His mother dumped him at my apartment in Seattle. Before that, I didn’t know he existed. Since an apartment’s no place to raise a kid, I brought him to my hometown.” His lips twisted. “I’m pretty sure he hates Cape Churn. And he’s not that fond of me, either. Honestly, other than strange music, I’m not really sure what he likes at all. I’m clueless when it comes to raising teens.”

“Can’t help you there.” Kayla’s hand smoothed across her flat stomach. “He seemed really interested in my art.”

A chuckle rose from Gabe’s throat. “I’m not surprised. He’s on probation for defacing private property.”

Kayla’s head tipped to the side. “He doesn’t strike me as someone who’d be deliberately destructive.”

“Graffiti.”

Her smile, though fleeting, lit her face. “Was it any good?”

Gabe stared at the waiflike woman, hoping her smile would last longer, but her lips tipped downward again, the shadows in her eyes returning.

“From the picture he showed me on his cell phone, yeah.” He shook his head. “Not that the courts saw it as anything other than a crime.”

“He needs an outlet for his art. One that isn’t against the law.” Again, that hint of a smile curved her lips.

Gabe’s breath caught. He could imagine how much more beautiful she would be with a full smile that reached her deep green eyes. “I brought Dakota here to give him a fresh start.” He glanced out across the rough waters of the cape and back to Kayla. “I wonder if it’s too small-town for him, though.”

“Any place is what you make of it. He could be just as unhappy in Seattle as here.”

Intelligent as well as beautiful. Gabe’s chest tightened. “So what brought you here? Why did you move into the lighthouse cottage?”

“The attack in Seattle two weeks ago.” Her fingers rose to her neck absently, but she grimaced and pulled them away before they touched the skin. “It was too close a call. I couldn’t walk down the street without seeing danger in every dark corner.”

He tried to suppress the urge to take her into his arms and hold her until her fear faded. After he’d learned what had happened to her in Seattle, he’d no longer been surprised that she’d struggled against him when he’d pulled her away from the cliff’s edge. It all made sense.

She fished in her jeans pocket. “He tried to kill me, but he didn’t have time. Before he got away, he yanked off the necklace I was wearing.” She held up a thin gold chain with a broken clasp and a locket dangling from the middle. “I found this in my car when I got in it to bring Dakota home. It’s the same necklace he took that night.” Her voice was steady, but he could see the way her hand shook slightly, sending tremors through the necklace chain. “I left Seattle to get away from him. I’m certain now that he followed me here.”

Chapter 5

Gabe removed a handkerchief from his back pocket, wrapped the necklace in it and then reached out to take hold of Kayla’s hand. She hadn’t even realized how cold and shaky she was until the simple touch of his fingers on hers steadied and warmed her. She let him hold her until the trembling subsided. She hadn’t felt this safe since before the attack and she didn’t want that feeling to stop.

“Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you arrived?” he asked, his voice gentle despite the implied scolding in his words.

“You were off duty and I didn’t want to frighten Dakota.”

“Don’t ever hold back on something this important. I don’t care if you have to call me in the middle of the night.” He released her hand and reached out to take both her arms in his firm grasp as he held her at arm’s length. “It might be key to finding whoever murdered the girl on the beach—and keeping him from hurting you again.”

Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. “So you believe me now—my attack and the girl’s death are connected after all. My move to Cape Churn brought a killer here. That girl is dead because of me.”

The tension in Gabe’s arms increased, as if he was struggling with the urge to pull her close. She was glad he resisted. She didn’t know how well she’d react to strong arms trapping her in place, especially now. No matter how comforting holding his hand had felt, surely she’d get that rush of panic if he wrapped his arms around her, wouldn’t she?

“No,” Gabe replied. “It’s like I said before. You did not kill that girl. Some low-life bastard did.”

Kayla shook her head. “She wouldn’t be dead if he hadn’t followed me here.”

“You can’t think that way. It’s not your fault,” he repeated, squeezing her upper arms gently.

Kayla gave him a weak smile, then pushed away from his grip. “I’m sorry. I’m such a basket case.”

He smoothed the hair from her face and smiled gently. “You must be terrified.”

She snorted. “That would be an understatement.”

Just then, a car pulled off the highway, the crunch of gravel heralding its approach to the B and B.

Kayla stepped away from Gabe before the driver came within view of the corner of the house where they stood. She turned her back to the oncoming vehicle, scrubbed the tears from her face and wiped her hands on her jeans.

By the time the driver climbed out of the car, Kayla had pulled herself together as best she could.

Gabe turned to greet the new arrival. “Hey, Jillian.”

A beautiful blonde stepped out, her feet encased in bright red stilettos, a slim-fitting, gray skirt suit accentuating every curve of her body. She smiled at Gabe and slammed shut the car door. “Gabe, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re here. When are you going to take me out on a real date?”

She climbed the steps onto the porch, each foot carefully placed, giving her the appearance of a model on a runway.

“Jillian, you know I love you, just not in that way. You’re like a sister to me.” When Gabe stuck out a hand for her to shake, she tugged on it, bringing him close to her.