long time before either of them talked. “I’ve been thinking,” Cam said. “If I take some time off, will you take me and Nick fishing? We haven’t done that for years.”
“Of course.”
All right, then. Fishing it would be. He looked around the kitchen. “Thanks for the pizza. And for being a great dad.”
His dad waved him off, too choked up to answer. But then suddenly he was next to his chair, and Cam was standing up to meet him, although his knee caught a little, getting wrapped up in a warm hug. “You’re a good boy, Anthony.”
“I love you, Dad.”
His dad patted him on the back. “I love you too.”
“Don’t clean up, okay?” Cam said. “I’ll do it later. There’s something I’ve got to do.”
His dad picked up the pizza stone and started putting away the leftovers. “Good luck,” he said with a wise smile. “And tell her I love her too.”
Chapter 29
Twenty minutes later, Cam found himself at the Sand Bar, the last place he could think of where Hadley might be.
“Hey, Darla. Hey, bro.” He nodded to his brother, who was drinking a beer with his ex. That might’ve been interesting if he weren’t on a mission. “Has anyone seen Hadley?”
“You look like death,” Nick said.
“I was supposed to take the red-eye last night but a few of my planes were delayed,” he said.
Nick reached over and pulled out the chair next to him. “You look like you’ve taken two red-eyes.”
“Thanks,” he said drily, sitting down. “How’s everybody doing?”
“Great,” Darla said.
“Fantastic,” Nick said.
He had no idea why they were sitting together. But right now, he didn’t care.
“We were just having a drink and talking about you and Hadley,” Nick said.
They were bonding over him and Hadley? Weird. He telegraphed his brother a don’t-even-go-there look.
“I’m going to go there,” Nick said, setting down his beer. “Darla and I were just saying how lucky it was that you found each other again. And we hope you don’t let that go.”
“Nick’s right,” Darla said. “We hate to see you screw this up.”
Wow, they were actually agreeing with each other. “Thanks,” Cam said, scanning the place. “Hadley wasn’t at home or at the shelter and Maddy said she might be here but I…”
“I know where she is,” Darla said, taking a sip of her fruity drink. “But I’m not sure I should tell you. I keep trying to like you, but you keep messing up.”
Cam just looked at her. “I did mess up.”
“Oh.” Darla looked up from her drink. “Well, then, that’s different. And since my mother’s still talking about her free team wear, I’ll tell you.” She leaned forward. “Hadley said she was going for a walk. That-a-way.” She pointed a thumb down the beach. “Toward my house. If you run, you might catch up with her.”
“Thanks.” He tried not to sound too incredulous, but frankly, he was shocked that Darla actually helped him out for once. He responded with a quick hug, which shocked the heck out of her, then waved to her and his brother as he took off down the beach.
* * *
Hadley’s friends had arranged for a night out at the Sand Bar. That was the plan. But she wasn’t in the mood for company, even the company of dear friends who were trying their best to see her through this.
The sky was lit up with streaks of salmon and pink, sunset about a half hour away, and the evening was mild and clear. The urge to walk and walk, sinking her feet into the warm sand, pushed her onward. That and Jagger’s enthusiasm to have free rein to sniff whatever he wanted.
She passed Darla’s gorgeous house but wasn’t ready to stop. Jagger seemed up for more (when was he not?), so she continued down the beach, past the line of modern homes that lined the oceanfront.
Suddenly the houses ended and before her stood the rocky outcropping that marked the end of the beach.
That rocky outcropping. Near the Crab Shack. Near…their place. Hers and Cam’s.
“C’mon, Jagger,” she called. “We’ve walked far enough. Let’s turn around.”
But Jagger apparently was of a different mind, pulling so hard on the leash that it flew out of Hadley’s hands as he took off running across the sand.
“Come back here, stinker,” Hadley called, certain that the usually chill dog had caught the scent of an animal and had torn off in pursuit. Her words faded in the sound of the current.
“Jagg-er,” she called, a little annoyed now. She didn’t want to be