Falling Fast (Falling Fast #1) - Tina Wainscott Page 0,23

her parents were flying out, but she hadn’t told him to wait until a specific time, either. And they hadn’t exchanged phone numbers, so she couldn’t warn him. Heck, maybe they’d tied her up and were setting a trap for him…nah. He chuckled at his crazy imagination.

Waiting in the car grew old after about five minutes. He got out and slammed the door closed. Did some push-ups against the car. Could still see the roof of her parents’ car in the distance, so he walked to the rocky shore. The access had been cut in for residents of the subdivision that had been planned on the acreage across the street from the beach cottages. Since that development had faltered, bogged down by environmental and economic problems, few people ever used the access.

Survey stakes heralded the coming of a new house on the beach, but it was all dunes and sea oats from the access to Nancy’s place. She’d loved the privacy and solitude of the area, and he understood why.

There wasn’t much of a breeze, and he soon felt warm and sticky. Clumps of dried seaweed dotted the smooth, wet sand like discarded clothing, filling the air with a pungent sea smell. That didn’t seem to bother the family who were building an elaborate sandcastle. Raleigh smiled at them as he passed, but most of the smile reflected a memory of when he and Mia had built a sandcastle of their own.

Though she had kept him at a cordial distance from her parents, she had invited him over when she knew they wouldn’t be around. At the time, Raleigh had known Nancy only as an occasional customer, one who made a point of questioning him about exactly what he’d done to her car. Not out of suspicion but because she wanted to understand the mechanics. Even then, they’d enjoyed an easy camaraderie.

He pulled himself out of the memory and focused on the cluster of tall buildings a few miles down, where the beaches had been artificially widened years ago by the controversial dredging project. He couldn’t walk there even if he wanted to, as the beach here gave way to mangroves that bordered a state preserve.

The yellow cottage was just ahead, past a stand of sea oats and a large sea-grape tree. On the other side of the cottage, several more large trees and an empty lot separated Nancy’s deck from the house next door.

A woman’s shrill voice carried through the air. Not Mia’s, but he could hazard a guess as to whose it was. He probably shouldn’t have, but he kept walking, keeping out of the line of sight of the house. Finally, he paused on the other side of the sea-grape tree. The back French doors were open, and from the volume of the voices he thought they were coming from the kitchen just inside.

“You’re being stupid, Mia,” a man’s voice said. Her father, probably. “I don’t understand how you can just give away that much money.”

“And to him, of all people,” the woman said. Mrs. Wentworth, no doubt.

I agree. He almost wanted to step up on the wood deck and say it aloud, but he remained in the shadow of the tree. The large, round leaves blocked him well enough.

“Because Grandma wanted him to have it. You heard the letter the attorney read. She was of sound mind. I am not fighting this, Father.”

“I bet he seduced her, a lonely old woman,” her mother said.

Raleigh rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Don’t be gross,” Mia said. “He would never do that.”

“And you know him so well.”

“I do.”

Raleigh closed his eyes at Mia’s defense of his character. What had he ever done to deserve that?

“Fly back with us and let the punk take care of the details. It’s the least he can do.”

Punk. Raleigh might have agreed seven years ago, but he’d come a long way since then. At least, beyond punk.

“You’re asking for trouble staying here, working with him,” her mother warned.

“What do you think I’m going to do, get in his car and ask him to race again?” Mia nearly shouted.

“There are other things you can do inside a car besides race,” her mother said acidly.

“Seriously? You think I’m going to climb into a car and make love with him?”

Make love. Those words shivered through him, even in the heat.

“No, why would you when you have this house to do it in?” Her mother’s voice was now as loud and sharp as Mia’s. “I know you had sex