Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters. Sarah Wellington, Richie Kaplan, and Miss "Bitsy" Mae Washington are my own creations, however, and I love them for playing both large and small roles.
The song playing on the radio that sends Jimmy off to La-La Land is "Thinking About You" by Norah Jones. Gorgeous artist, beautiful music.
Authors Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It's brought me that much closer to getting to a curveball I'm going to throw, which you may or may not see coming. If you don't, lovely, if you do, that's lovely as well.
I didn't mean for this chapter to be so long-and it's really long. Ridiculously so, which means I'm going to beg you all to stay with me on this one. The story continued to unfold, the dialogues grew, and before I knew it…well, it's long.
In other news, as I gave a heads up to some of my reviewers, I'm going to let everyone else know this as well: with the Harper's Island DVD being released on September 8th, I'm hoping to have the chapter up that returns all of our characters to the actual plot of the series up on that date as well.
Cross your fingers, y'all, and enjoy this new (and have I mentioned very long) chapter!
She Knew Him When…
Sitting around a booth in Mae's Diner, Shane, Sarah, Jimmy, and Nikki ate off one another's plates. The radio was tuned to a local Seattle station, picking up Avril Lavigne's wailing anthem, Complicated.
"She's got it right," Nikki remarked, then bit into a chicken wing she'd snatched from Jimmy, moaning," Soooooo good."
"You're making me feel really uncomfortable, Nik." Shane took a fry hanging off of Sarah's plate, gesturing between the blonde and the food. "You want us to leave you two alone?"
Nikki threw a dirty napkin at him, which Shane batted down easily. "Don't be a jerk."
"He can't help it."
Speaking in unison, Jimmy and Sarah laughed. Shane just rolled his eyes at them as Nikki smirked in his direction, taking another deliberate bite of the wing, licking her lips slowly.
"Food whore."
"Island bitch."
"Ahem!"
The bickering stopped, and the group looked up from their table.
Known fondly as Mae to those from the island, "Bitsy" Mae Washington peered at them through her glasses, lips pursed dourly. Elderly and diminutive she may have been, but the owner and namesake of the diner had the largest ears and mouth of anyone on Harper's Island. Rumor had it she was related to their country's first president, but that tale was probably as great a legend as her mouth.
If you wanted a secret kept, rule of thumb was never say it to or around Miss Bitsy Mae. She had little respect for the privacy of others, and as it turned out, even less tolerance for the antics of young people.
"Much as I love seeing you all enjoying yourselves, this is not a bar," she said primly. Her keen eyes lit on Nikki, who smiled sweetly. "This is a respectable establishment. Business is just starting pick up after everything that's happened, so I don't want you all scaring away the folks with that sort of language."
She turned her gaze on Shane, who ducked under her scrutiny. "Am I clear?"
"Yes m'am."
The response elicited a transformation as Bitsy Mae gave them a kind, grandmotherly smile.
"Very good. Now how about I bring you all some of my fresh strawberry pie, hmm? It's divine!" Her soft voice rose to a squeak near the end as she puttered off to grab each of them a slice. She gave Jimmy's shoulder a light tap as she passed.
"You know," Shane cleared his throat, looking at Nikki. "If you and the chicken wings don't work out, there's always the strawberry pie. I hear it's divine."
"Shut-up, Shane."
Sitting on the end of the booth, Jimmy was fully enjoying the familiarity of the situation. It was funny how easily they fell back into old patterns. They were all a little older, somewhat changed. Maybe wiser. But despite the passage of time, some things still stayed the same.
That felt good. Damn good.
The only thing missing was-
"Jimmy. You still with us, man?"
Shane's voice brought him back to his surroundings. Pushing some of his hair back, he forced a smile.
"Been here the whole time. Why?"
"You had that look on your face." Shane's expression was pointed. He knew exactly where his thoughts had been going.
"I'm good," Jimmy replied firmly. "My mind wandered a little, that's all."
"That's cool."
"So what did I miss?"
"Well…" Shane slowly drew out the word as he switched targets. "We were just discussing how we all think Bitsy Mae's sweet on you."
"She was getting kind of grabby," Sarah mused. Nodding, Shane leaned back into his seat next to her.
"Yeah, she was."
Jimmy shook his head, his smile gathering more warmth. He was content to go along with something else he enjoyed: his friend's ribbing.
"Mae and Jimmy sitting in a tree," Nikki began softly.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," they all chorused, cracking up in their seats when the elderly proprietor waved in their direction.
"I've missed this," Jimmy confessed. His breath caught as Sarah tossed a cold fry at him, giggling. "Ok, maybe not that."
"Well, we could have been doing this a lot sooner if someone," Nikki fixed Shane with a hard stare, "hadn't been acting like a colossal jackass."
"Water under the bridge," Sarah said smoothly. Her shoulders lifted daintily as she added, "It's not a big deal."
"Yeah, Nikki," Shane's voice was tinged with annoyance. "No big deal, so bite it."
Wrinkling her nose in distaste as she flicked at her straw, Nikki shuddered. "No thanks. You're so not my type."
"Really? I thought everyone was your type."
"Enough, guys." Jimmy made a time-out sign with his hands. "We're having a nice lunch, remember?"
"Anyway…" Nikki tossed her hair back, collecting her thoughts. "I'm glad you two worked out whatever needed to be worked out. It was getting pretty uncomfortable."
"Here, here." Jimmy raised his soda, drinking from it. He was about to wave to Mae and ask for ice cream with their pies when a soft, slow melody drifted from the speakers of the radio.
"…when you sail across the ocean waters, and you reach the other side safely, could you smile a little smile for me? 'Cause I'll be thinkin' about you…"
He sighed without meaning to, catching the attention of his friends.
"Jimmy?" Sarah's eyes flew to him in concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he answered quickly. "I'm fine. It's just this song."
"The song?" Nikki tilted her head to hear it, her mouth forming a small "o" when she understood. "Abby loved this song."
Shane rolled his eyes, but didn't say a thing when Jimmy nodded.
"I took her to a Norah Jones concert earlier that summer. Remember?" He wasn't really looking at any of them when he asked his question.
The girls made sympathetic noises, offering kind smiles; something Jimmy was grateful for.
"Do you think she'll ever come back?" Nikki asked, her eyes darting to Sarah's.
"I think that's my cue to leave." Shane didn't bother to hide his ire as he slid out of the booth. Tossing a few bills on the table, he nodded towards the door. "I'll see you all outside."
"Shane…"
"What the-" Nikki blew air from between her lips as he walked away from their table, blue eyes wide. "Do you believe him?"
"He's just protective," Jimmy said by way of explanation, but Sarah was already shaking her head.
"As the daughter of Thomas Wellington, believe me, I understand protective. But that…" she sank down into her seat, feeling disappointed. "Why does he have to be so mean about it?"
Jimmy let out a bark of laughter.
"Have you known Shane to be any other way? Besides," his voice raised slightly above the girls' protests. "That's how he gets when he's not sure what to say."
"He doesn't know what to say so he walks out in the middle of a conversation?"
Sarah worried her lower lip as Nikki continued her rant.
"He's your best friend-or at least claims to be." Her finger tapped against the tabletop irately. "He knows how much you love Abby. He shouldn't be convincing you to move on if you still do. He should be trying to help."
"He is trying," Jimmy argued quietly. "In his own way."
"Well, his way sucks." Sarah muttered. Running a hand through her dark locks she wondered aloud, "How does he do that?"
"Do what?" Nikki was rummaging through her purse, coming up with a lip gloss applicator moments later.
"Go from charming to jerk so quickly?"
"Charming?" Nikki asked slowly. She exchanged a glance with Jimmy. "Shane Pierce?"
Sarah was about to explain her choice of words when an angry voice rose above the buzz of the other diners.
"-FULL OF PISS!"
Conversation began to dwindle as other patrons started looking for the source of the shouting.
"Is that Sully?"
Jimmy's face may have been hidden by strands of hair once more, but the confusion in his voice was still plain.
"Sully. The hot boy?" Nikki perked up as she turned in her seat.
"The mad boy," Sarah corrected.
Being the first to stand, she could clearly see Sully and Shane in a stand-off by the cash register. Behind his fraternity brother, Henry was obviously trying to diffuse the situation, but had little effect as Shane's shoulders went rigid, his words suddenly directed at Henry.
They had no idea what Shane said, but Henry's brows drew together angrily. Speaking over his shoulder, Sully's face went red, but he nodded in agreement to whatever it was Henry seemed to be saying to him.
"Oh, to be a fly on that wall…" Nikki said softly.
"I don't think you want to be that fly," Jimmy countered. He edged out of the booth, eyeing the mounting tension near the front. "I don't think Henry's got this as under control as he'd like to think."
Shane's hands were moving rapidly, pointing behind him as he continued to speak. The back of his neck was turning red as well, which was definitely a bad sign. Henry's nodding lead them to believe he was agreeing with whatever Shane was saying, and for a moment it looked as if the storm was about to pass.
But then Sully's voice rose again.
"It was just talk. I don't have to apologize to anyone!"
And Shane swung.
He started to duck, but Sully didn't move fast enough and caught the punch in his jaw. He did recover quickly, though, and charged Shane, knocking him into the front counter and towards the floor. Using the momentum, Sully's face was twisted with fury as he swung down hard, making contact.
"Shane!" Sarah scrambled towards him, but Jimmy blocked her way.
"You don't want to get in the middle of that," he warned, bolting up front to help Henry.
The two struggled to tear the men apart as Miss Bitsy Mae flapped her tiny hands frantically, shrieking, "Not in my diner! Take it outside, you ruffians. Take it outside!"
Jimmy and Henry almost had them to the door, but Shane broke loose, tackling Sully. His actions threw them both through the glass door and onto the pavement outside. Time seemingly stopped as everyone stared, horrified.
"I'm calling the Sherriff!" Bitsy Mae cried. Her shrill voice cut through the air, and slowly everyone began to move again.
Making her way up front with Nikki at her side, Sarah's heart raced furiously.
"Stupid boys," Nikki swore, trying to get a glimpse of the action as they moved through the other onlookers.
Things happened quickly after that.
Sherriff Charlie Mills had already been next door grabbing a newspaper, and when Shane and Sully crashed through the door to Mae's Diner, he was on them in seconds. Cuffing them first, inspecting them second.
He spoke quietly to both as his newest deputy rolled up in a patrol car. Giving instructions, he handed off custody to him and approached the small group of friends.
Hunching his shoulders inside his green jacket, the Sherriff eyed them carefully.
"Did you all see what happened?"
"We were in the back Sherriff," Nikki answered softly. "Sarah, me, and Jimmy. We don't know how it started."
"I helped break it up," Jimmy added. "But like Nikki said, we were in the back. I don't know what set things off."
"I can help out there," Henry held up his hand. The Sherriff gave a sharp nod, flipping open a small notebook.
"I want to talk to you before I go inside to hear from the other witnesses."
"Sure."
"Can I go, Sherriff Mills?" Nikki asked anxiously. "My shift starts soon since Bruce is sick, and-"
"Yeah, go on, Nikki," he mumbled. "You, too," he motioned to Sarah and Jimmy. His eyes then flickered to the last person with them. "Henry?"
Moving aside so he and the Sherriff could talk, Nikki gave Jimmy and Sarah quick hugs before taking off. Pointing down the road a ways, Jimmy was also ready to leave the scene.
"I'm going to take Shane's truck. Tell him for me?"
"Ok." Sarah watched as Shane was shoved down into the police cruiser. His face was a mess. "I'll let him know."
"Too bad." Jimmy said. He looked back at the diner with a regretful smile. "It was a nice meal."
"Yeah. It was. See you later?"
"Yeah."
Waving good-bye when Jimmy drove away, Sarah purposely remained where she was. Patrons were walking past, whispering in hushed voices as they viewed the damage, but carefully avoiding the actual remnants of the fight.
Sarah, however, zeroed in on Henry and Abby's father. Their heads were bent down as they talked, Henry's arms crossed as they always were when he was feeling stressed.
Their discussion didn't take long, and soon, Henry spotted her. His expression told her that he knew why she'd waited behind.
"What was that all about, Henry?"
Henry's gaze was apologetic.
"Apparently Shane pulled some sort of joke on Sully the night of the bonfire. A bad one," he added, "but maybe warranted."
"Maybe?" Sarah took in the broken glass and drops of blood on the pavement with serious eyes. "Please tell me you can give me more than that."
"You have to understand, I only know a little more than you," Henry began as he took her back to the night of the bonfire. "We'd all been drinking, and you know how guys talk sometimes-even without the alcohol."
"And Sully said something stupid to Shane?" Sarah guessed.
"From what I gathered it's more like he said something stupid and Shane overheard him."
Sarah watched the back of the police cruiser as it left with the two men in back. She still didn't understand.
"It was about you."
Henry's words may have been reluctantly spoken, but they had enough impact to quickly direct Sarah's attention back to him.
"Sully said something about me?" she asked. Pressing for more, she touched Henry's hand. "What?"
"It's not important," he tried to reassure her. "It was just…guy talk. But whatever it was, Sully more than likely had that punch coming."
Sarah swallowed, looking down at her painted toenails. From where she stood she could hear the hum of the motor from Sherriff Mill's truck. It was still parked in front of the diner.
"That bad?" she asked, glancing back up.
Henry winced, seeming to think back to the conversation held earlier in the diner. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."
"Wow."
"I'll talk with Sully," Henry promised. "He won't bother you anymore."
"He wasn't bothering me before. It was Sully being Sully. Henry-"Sarah hestitated, debating whether or not to ask the question. "Did I cause this?"
"No!" Henry's brown eyes widened. "Sarah, no. Look, Sully crosses lines and Shane has a temper. You mix the two and bad things are bound to happen. You just got caught in the middle this time."
Mulling it over, Sarah came to a decision and held up her pocketbook.
"You think Harper's Island P.D. takes AmEx?"
Breathing out on a laugh, Henry wrapped a brotherly arm around her shoulders. "I don't know. Does this mean we're going to find out?"
"Yes."
"So you're bailing out…?"
"Shane." Sarah's eyes tightened at the corners.
"Got it."
"Only Shane. Sully can sit and enjoy the scenery courtesy of Harper's Island's finest."
"I'm not going to argue with you," Henry said mildly. "If anyone talked badly about Trish…It's probably a good idea anyway. One of them should stay a few extra hours to cool off."
"You'll be springing Sully, then?"
"I'll ask Malcolm or Danny to come get him."
Sticking both hands into his pockets, Henry started to walk with her through town and towards the station.
"It's funny," he remarked suddenly. Sarah turned to look at him, curious.
"What is?"
"Shane." Henry's voice was deceptively even as he elaborated. "He has a habit of coming to your rescue."
"Way to make me sound like a damsel in distress."
Sarah gave his arm a light punch.
"Ow. I didn't mean it like that," Henry chuckled, rubbing at the spot. "Just that…he seems to have a soft spot for you."
"Soft spot? Shane?" Putting the back of her hand against his forehead, Sarah feigned checking for a temperature. "Are you sure you didn't get hit in the head back there?"
"Come on." Henry's smile grew. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"He likes you." Noticing the quick flush that surged into her cheeks, Henry's smile became a bit more knowing. "And I guess that means you like him, too. Don't worry," he raised a placating hand. "I'm not going to say a word to Trish."
"There's nothing to say, Henry." Sarah stopped to catch her breath. "Shane isn't like everyone thinks he is. Not completely anyway. I know he can be a pinhead, but he can also be a good guy."
"Yeah, well, like you said, not everyone thinks he is." Henry's dark eyes were thoughtful. "I worked with him for God knows how many summers. He's a real piece of work, Sarah. I don't doubt he can be a nice guy, he just usually isn't. Don't let yourself get pulled into something you're going to regret," he cautioned.
"How could I possibly regret anything when we're just friends?"
"Me thinks you doth protest too much," Henry quipped, slanting his gaze towards her.
"Look…" Sarah turned around, taking backwards steps. "If it makes you feel better, I promise I won't get pulled into anything I'll regret."
"Good. Because sometimes…people…" his words were halting. "Even when you think you know them, they're not who you think they are."
Deciding to humor him, Sarah played along.
"And who do you think Shane really is, Henry?"
"I'm just saying, be careful with him. Temper aside, he does have a reputation."
"Oh, for the love of-Henry!" Sarah rolled her eyes, turning back around sharply. "Just because someone develops a Lancelot complex and dons some shining armor doesn't mean I'm going to jump them, okay? I'm not stupid."
Laughing at her outburst, Henry nodded. "I was more worried that he'd try to jump you, but okay. Got it." He nudged her with his shoulder. "You're like a sister to me, you know? I just want to make sure you're safe."
"Yes, well, one way might be to keep Sully in that cell for the rest of our vacation," Sarah suggested smartly, nudging him back. Henry's expression sobered as he nodded at the station up ahead.
"If Trish finds out what happened, it might be the safest place for him."
"Not my problem," Sarah decided.
"That's kind of harsh, isn't it?"
"Sorry, Henry. But I take people bad-mouthing me for no reason to heart." Sighing, Sarah pressed her clutch against her chest. "I won't make a big deal about this, and considering I'm in the dark about the details, I'm going to give Sully the benefit of the doubt this time. But in the interest of all those involved, just…suggest to him that he give me a little space for a few days."
"Not a problem." His eyes blinking in surprise, Henry motioned to the Sherriff's truck parked around the side of the tiny police station. "He got back here quickly."
"You don't think Shane and Sully started in on one another again?"
"I hope not."
Luck was with them when they entered. The police department was very quiet. Smiling benignly at them from behind the counter, a bottle-blonde peered over the top of her glasses at them.
"Can I help you?"
"I have it, Dottie."
Abby's father was just exiting the cell area. Khaki uniform wrinkled, he looked exhausted and worn down. He gestured for Henry and Sarah to step near one of the deputies desks, and took his hat off by the brim, setting it down.
"Henry, Sarah. I assume one of you wants to post bail?"
"I do." Sarah held up her wallet. "How much for one?"
"A hundred should do it."
Quickly getting out a credit card, the Sherriff snorted.
"You're not worried your Daddy will be upset to see a charge on your black card to the Harper's Island Police Department?"
"I'll tell him I made a charitable contribution," Sarah replied. "I think he'll be ok with that."
Face weary, he handed the card over to one of his younger deputies.
"Who do you want?"
"Shane, please."
Squinting his eyes shut, and rubbing them hard, the Sheriff shook his head. "I must be more tired than I thought. You want to bail out who?"
"Shane Pierce," Henry enunciated slowly. His eyes didn't blink as he tilted his head towards Sarah. "Her choice."
Looking dubious at their decision, the Sherriff spoke over his shoulder.
"Lillis, go get Shane from lock up."
"Yessir." Ambling around his small desk, the deputy walked a few steps to the back, unlocking the double doors with a key.
"Henry," the Sherriff handed Sarah her card back with a slip. "You want your friend?"
"No. I'll get him later."
"Suit yourself," he muttered, scratching the back of his head absently. He looked at Sarah a little wistfully. "It's good to see you back on the Island."
"It's been nice being here."
"You having a good time with your sister and Henry's friends?"
"Yes. It's been fun."
"What about you, Henry? Enjoying your summer?"
"Yep."
His answer was strangely curt, causing the Sherriff's brow to furrow. Regarding Sarah, she answered the unspoken question.
"He's a little upset that you sent Abby away."
Eyes focusing beyond her, perhaps on Henry, the Sherriff's shoulders dropped. It made him look, if possible, even more broken down.
"Yeah, well…he's not the only one." Offering a ghost of what used to be an enigmatic smile, he sighed. "Next time you talk to Abby, will you tell her I said hi?"
"I have her number with me," Sarah offered. "You could call her yourself."
"She doesn't want to hear from me," the Sherriff replied quietly. "Please?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
An awkward silence fell between them as they stood, waiting. Hands pressed against a desk as he leaned against it, Henry only moved forward when the deputy escorted Shane out of lock up.
He'd looked better.
"Now Shane," Sherriff Mills instructed coolly, indicating Henry and Sarah. "Besides making restitutions for the damage at Bitsy Mae's, I want you on your best behavior until their friends leave. Do we have an understanding?"
Signing his release forms, Shane snorted. "So I can be all big and bad ass once they're gone?"
"He'll behave," Sarah promised quickly upon seeing the storm clouds rolling across the Sherriff's face. "Let's go, Shane."
"Yes, dear."
Leaving through the glass door, they found Henry waiting for them by the curb. Making an exaggerated show of glancing around, Shane lifted his arms questioningly.
"Where's your boy, Henry?"
"Sitting in his cell for a while longer," Henry replied calmly. "Go home, Shane."
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked.
"To see if I need to do any damage control." Brown eyes locked with blue. "You'll be ok?"
"I'll be fine."
Stealing a look between the two across from him, Henry looked uncertain, but murmured a quick good-bye before heading towards the cottages.
"What was that about?" Shane demanded.
"You want to tell me what Sully said about me?" Sarah returned. When Shane's mouth snapped shut, she nodded. "All right then. You keep your personal conversations private, and I'll do the same."
Walking at a determined pace, Shane didn't have a hard time keeping up. But he was curious.
"Where are we going?"
"Jimmy has your truck, the boat is locked down, so we're going to your house so you can get cleaned up. Why?"
"My house is that way." Shane pointed off to the left, causing Sarah's eyebrows to fly up.
"Oh."
"Yes, oh." Tugging on her hand, Shane shook his head. "Let's go, Magellan."
The walk took less than three minutes, and as they approached the heavily wooded lot, Sarah couldn't help but ask why he lived so close to the police station.
"It's not because I spend so much time there," Shane replied dryly. "This just happens to be where my parents decided to build their house."
Having been there only a few times, Sarah couldn't help but notice how his home had fallen into disrepair since his parent's passing. The tan siding looked dingy, windows were cracked in a few places. The yard wasn't much better, but when it went unchecked, nature was what it was. Wild and unfettered.
Kind of like Shane.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"Nothing. You have a first-aid kit, right?"
"Sure do." Without using a key, Shane opened the door and held it, allowing Sarah inside. Heading to the kitchen, Shane flipped on the light as he rummaged around in the fridge.
Sarah entered the cozy room and took it all in. Hunting rifles and a crossbow were laid across a scarred kitchen table, but other than that, the house was pretty neat.
"Do you keep your first-aid kit in the refrigerator?"
"No." Pushing the door closed, he opened a long neck and held it against some swelling near his eye. "I keep my beer in my refrigerator. My kit, " he opened the back door, "is out here."
He headed towards a rusted Chevy by a large shed.
"You keep your first-air kit in a car?"
"No, I left it in a car," Shane retorted. He reached into the passenger side and came out with a white, rectangular box. "Cut my hand something fierce last time I was working on it."
Standing with his beer in one hand, the kit in the other, Sarah couldn't help but smile at the contradiction he presented.
"All right, sit down before you hurt yourself further," she suggested firmly. "Nurse Wellington is going to patch you up."
"Now why didn't you tell me we were playing Doctor?" Shane asked in mock amazement, flashing his dimples. "Is this the part where you show me yours?"
"Absolutely not!" Sarah could feel her face heat up. "And unless you want me to get creative with the adhesive tape, scissors, and rubbing alcohol you won't be showing me yours either."
"You don't know what you're missing. Here good?" Shane had positioned himself on the open tailgate of another truck, legs swinging lazily off the side.
"It'll work."
Sarah approached, feeling unnerved when she realized she'd have to stand between his legs to best clean off his scrapes. And there he sat, watching her come to this realization, smirking.
He was enjoying this.
"Problem, sweetheart?"
It was the smug curve to his lips that gave her nerves the boost they needed.
"Not at all." Steadily meeting his eyes, she held out her hand. "Kit, please?"
Handing it over, Shane kept his eyes trained on Sarah as she began to pick through the boxes contents. Coming up with cotton balls and antiseptic, she set them aside and picked up a wet dishrag she'd grabbed from his kitchen.
"Sully got a few good hits in," she observed, dabbing at the worst of his wounds first-the cuts near his eye and mouth.
"I got a few good ones in, too, you know," Shane countered defensively.
Hiding her smile as male pride reared its head, Sarah nodded. "I know."
"You don't have to do this."
Shrugging as she poured some hydrogen peroxide onto a ball, Sarah smiled demurely. "It's the least I could do for the guy defending me. Besides, it feels a little familiar, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. I remember. Scraped hands?"
"Scraped hands." Sarah confirmed, readying the cotton ball. "Funny how things turn around-"
"Christ!"
Shane grimaced when the antiseptic touched his open wounds.
"I'm sorry!" Sarah apologized hastily, dropping the wet piece of cotton. "This should help."
Leaning in, she blew against the cuts. The gentle warmth touching his skin made something uncoil inside of him, and looking at her askance, Shane decided that he liked this sort of attention from her. Immensely.
"Better?" Sarah asked, voice uncertain.
"Uh-huh."
"All right then. Back to cleaning."
Shane continued to study her as she drew closer once more.
"Huh."
"What?" She stopped inches from another cut.
"You have freckles." His index finger lifted to softly trace over a smattering near her jaw. "I didn't know that."
"That's what happens when you spend your early teenage years not wearing sunscreen," Sarah commented. "Lots and lots of tiny freckles."
A tingling sensation followed the path his fingers took as he continued slowly sweep them along her jawline and down her throat. She did her best to ignore it.
"They're cute."
"Thanks."
"Have them anywhere else?" Shane asked innocently, making Sarah start.
"That is none of your business."
"Hey!" Shane recoiled when Sarah poked his shoulder. "No hurting an already injured man."
"Then don't get fresh."
"You're a mean nurse," Shane grumbled, but remained quiet while she finished patching him up.
Stepping back to inspect Shane's face, she examined the familiar features. She took her time traveling from his crisp, blue eyes, a miraculously straight nose, down to his generous mouth . She wondered, not for the first time since returning, when he'd become so incredibly appealing.
"So what's the verdict?"
Shaken from her reverie, Sarah sighed to herself.
"You're gong to look a little rough for a few days, but otherwise, good."
"Good."
Smiling, Sarah started to clean up as Shane pushed off of the tailgate. He began walking towards his house, calling over his shoulder, "Be right back."
Picking up several items and tossing them into the garbage, Sarah brushed off her hands and walked beyond the cluttered yard. Taking in what lay behind some brush, she was amazed.
Shane's property was beautiful.
One of the many streams on the island ran along the back, quietly babbling as it flowed over rocks and fallen trees. Making her way carefully down a path, Sarah stopped in front of a small dock jutting out from the land. It was crude and roughly put together.
Maybe something a child had built?
"I made that when I was a kid." Shane's quiet confirmation came from behind her, catching Sarah off guard. "Dad helped me build it."
"It's breathtaking back here. Why haven't you cleared out all of that?" Her hands pointed up towards the dense shrubbery and tree lined area.
"Never felt like it," he replied.
As Sarah sat on a weathered down rock, she could see that Shane had changed out of his blood-stained shirt and cleaned himself up. His dark hair was damp, making it wavier than normal. He'd even grabbed a fresh beer. It hung limply from between his fingers.
Noticing where her eyes were focused, he tilted the chilled drink in her direction. "Want it? I can grab another."
"I'm eighteen, Shane."
"So, what, are being tea-totalers a Wellington thing?" His voice was skeptical as he sat down, swinging a leg around so she was in between them. "Or don't you ever break the rules?"
"I think being here with you easily qualifies as breaking the rules," Sarah responded archly. "Believe me, my family does not like me spending time with you."
"Then why do you?"
"Maybe I like you."
Her response was quiet, simple.
Already sitting behind her, Shane moved forward until his front pressed against her back.
It would have been pretty damned awkward if she'd pulled away, or worse, sat there stiff as a board.
But she didn't.
She leaned into him, her small frame molding itself perfectly against his taller one, head resting comfortably against his chest.
"You like me," Shane repeated. Fingers slowly weaving through her hair, he didn't need to see her face to know that she was smiling.
"Yes. I like you." Now Sarah sounded like she was laughing. "And you want to know something else?"
"What?"
She turned in his arms to look at him. This time, she was the one looking smug.
"You like me, too."