Keeping Gemma (Holiday Cove 2)

“What the hell, Carly?” I patted my tongue with a napkin and guzzled the water.

“I got a little carried away with the salt…” she confessed, still giggling.

“A little?”

She shrugged. “My mind was elsewhere.”

“Good God…like Mars?”

Her eyes were dancing. “Something like that.”

I leaned on the counter. “All right, Carly. Who is he?”

She cracked up again and I couldn’t help but join in. “All right, you keep your secrets, but he better be good to you or I’ll kick his ass.”

“Deal.” She winked and crossed to the espresso machine to make my almond spice latte. It was a creation she’d made up back when I’d still been in the service and home visiting. She’d just opened the coffee shop and was trying to perfect her menu. The almond spice latte was no longer on the menu, but she always made it for me when I stopped in. “How are things up at the museum? You’re usually too busy to come see me. Slow day?”

I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Not exactly. I just needed some space.”

“Aha.” She set my drink down on the counter and waved off my attempt to pay. “It’s on me. You deserve it after my little prank.”

I pushed the twenty into her tip jar and swatted at her fingers when she tried to fish it out and return it.

“Hey, let me ask you something,” I said, after licking the foam from my top lip, left behind from my first heavenly sip. “Have you heard anything about a resort being built here in Holiday Cove?”

Carly nodded. “Well, the rumor’s been swirling for a while. I think they even had a town hall about it at the chamber of commerce not too long ago. That was the last I’d heard about it, anyway.”

“What do you think about the idea?”

“I don’t know,” she said, sighing. “It would be great for business, obviously, but at the same time, it would ruin everything that makes Holiday Cove so amazing. The quiet, peaceful beaches, low traffic, and safe streets. It wouldn’t be worth the extra money in a lot of ways.”

I nodded and took another long sip.

“What’s got ya thinking about all that?” Carly asked, propping her elbows on the counter between the register and the pastry case.

“I had a…client—” I hesitated at even calling Henry—or Talia—by that title, “—that’s involved with the company that built the one up in Stallion Bay. They did a flyover and some of the things said after got me thinking.”

“Hmmm. Interesting. This was today?”

“Yeah.”

Carly absorbed the information thoughtfully. After a second or two, she brightened up. “Well, neither you nor I are the type to wave cardboard signs in some protest, so I guess what happens, happens. Right?”

“Yeah.” I still hadn’t pieced it all together yet. In reality, only Talia had gone on the fly over, and Henry hadn’t said anything directly about a resort. But there was still a nagging feeling that it was all tied together. “Well, thanks for this, Carly. As always, it’s perfection in an insulated cup.”

Carly grinned and straightened. “You’re welcome. And hey, don’t be such a stranger around here, all right?”

“I won’t.” I waved and ducked out the front door, pausing to let two ladies pass through, and then wandered down the sidewalk, doing my best to push the events of the strange afternoon out of my mind.

It was half past ten, when I made my way out of my office that night. The train wreck of an afternoon had thrown me off track, and as a result, I was behind on paperwork when closing time rolled around.

A late night in my office was the last thing that I felt like doing, but, thanks to the extra-large latte from Carly, I’d motored on well into the night. Lana had left me alone ever since I snapped at her and had even ducked out earlier than she usually did. I knew I’d have to apologize in order to get things back to normal, but I hadn’t wanted to stop and do it before she left for the night.

When everything was done, I swung my leather jacket up from my chair, and went through the museum, flicking off lights room by room, as I went. When I got out to the main warehouse, I stalked over to the lighting panel, and ran my hand down the series of switches.

When all the lights were out, I was swallowed up in the silent darkness. The atmosphere bordered on creepy when it was pitch blank and abandoned. The place was too big, too quiet, and when alone, it was disconcerting.

Then again, I’d been in much more unnerving situations.

I was about to set the security system when I remembered that I’d left a folder with resumes at the front desk. Cursing myself, I crossed back and clicked on the overhead light. I located the folder that Lana had labeled for me.