We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek #11) - Calle J. Brookes Page 0,90

Lubbock. Taking my son on a weekend trip while he’s on break from school.”

“Yeah. You two have fun.”

“Will do. And thanks.” Allen grabbed his purchases and headed back to the RV. He was going to get her to the shoreline. Let her distract herself from what had happened.

He wanted to make her smile. Get her someplace where they could relax for a little while.

Someplace where finding them would be more difficult.

Four hours later, they arrived at their destination.

It was an honor system registration process. Cash shoved into envelopes, then tucked back into a Plexiglas drop box.

They pulled into the campsite at the far end of the row.

They could see the Gulf from a perfect vantage point.

Izzie hadn’t stopped staring since they’d crossed the causeway to the national seashore.

Allen smiled, seeing the wonder in her eyes. She felt things, passionately. All things.

For a man like him who hadn’t let himself feel in almost a year, it was more alluring than he ever would have expected. He killed the engine and grabbed the keys.

“Come on.”

“What? Don’t we have to hook up and all that stuff?”

“Not here. No hookups. Generators only until ten p.m. Shower houses—cold water, only.”

“Brrr. I’ll use the plastic shower in this thing then.”

“We’ll eventually need to refill the propane if we’re going to continue using the hot water, but we can do that at a gas station once we leave here. Let’s go walk in the ocean. What do you say, Izadora MacNamara, aka Linda Lanning? I’m Bartholomew, but you can call me Barry, by the way.”

“Well, Barry, I say let’s go check it out.” She popped open the passenger door and slipped out.

Allen met her in front of the van. He held out a hand to her. “May I?”

Her hand slipped into his. She was so hesitant. He smiled, then dragged her closer. He brushed a quick kiss over her lips. She let him, almost curling into him. “Relax. We’re married, remember? You can’t act like you’re afraid of my touch.”

He was baiting her, and he knew it.

“If you were my husband, you’d know not to grab.”

“I’m not grabbing you, though. I’m hugging you. Like a good husband. If I was your husband, I’d have a damned hard time keeping my hands off you.” He shot her a mild grin. “One benefit of marriage, I’ve been told, is lots of snuggle time with a pretty lady. I’m looking forward to it.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and then backed away slowly. “So…let’s go walk on the sand, wife.”

73

She hadn’t held a man’s hand since she’d been seventeen and dating the twenty-year-old down the street to irritate Jake. It hadn’t gone past that. Allen’s hand was warm and tight around hers. Secure.

Safe. She felt safe with him. Physically.

Emotionally, she wasn’t so certain.

They took the path to the boardwalk first. It was beautiful.

She hadn’t seen such a beautiful place in her life. Even the small village in Italy where her grandmother and all her uncles and aunts and cousins still lived hadn’t pulled at Izzie as much as the water did now.

Before she knew it, they were down on the sand, and she was slipping her tennis shoes and socks off. She wiggled her toes in the soft sand. “I should have grabbed some sandals at the store.”

“It’s the beach. Shoes are optional.” He pulled his own off and tied the laces together. He rolled up his pants. Izzie did the same to her own, struggling with the cast.

He reached over and helped, his warm hand slipping up her calves lightly.

She fought a shiver.

Allen had nice hands. In a different world, she wouldn’t have minded having them on her.

Even in this world, she would have liked that. But she was…more careful than that.

He stood, then took her hand again. “How sore are you?”

The bruises were still there. Riding in the van hadn’t helped. “I’ll live, why?”

“How far up the beach do you want to go? We can go hunting for shells.”

“Can you take them?”

“Up to a five-gallon bucketful per person, per day, according to the bulletin board where I registered us.”

“I’d like to find a shell or two. Especially for Annie and Nikkie Jean’s children.” She missed her friends already. Not knowing when she’d see them again and knowing Annie had to be frantic with worry stung.

“No dark thoughts right now.” He tugged her closer again. Izzie looked up at her unlikely Galahad. With the faded red T-shirt and jeans rolled up past his calves, and the stubble