face. “Are we?”
“You said something about picking up your granddaughter.”
He frowned. “Don’t have a granddaughter, dear. Two grandsons, but they live in New York with my son and his wife.”
I frowned. I knew I hadn’t imagined it. “But you…you said you were picking up your girl?”
His face brightened. “Ah, yes.” He held the crate aloft. “And here she is. Beautiful, ain’t she?”
I peered through the slates of the crate. There was a sudden flapping of wings, a screech, and before I knew it, I was falling backward, having instinctively jumped away from the thing in the crate.
“Iris!” Jerry gasped. One of my three-inch heels had planted into the dock, and I was windmilling my arms, struggling for balance. And I might have found it, too, if the wood hadn’t been so slippery from the rain. My other foot slipped forward and the sky was tilting crazily above me. I had just enough time to glance behind me at the dark water of the bay, rushing toward me.
In panic, I clutched madly at the empty air. This couldn’t be happening. Less than a minute on shore, and the island was already about to kill me. I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation, sure the icy cold waves would claim me any second.
Then strong arms were gripping me around the waist, and I felt myself jerked roughly in the opposite direction, back toward the dock.
“Careful now,” a deep voice said, very close to my ear. I realized, belatedly, that my grasping hands had found purchase on thick, muscular forearms, and my feet were once again on firm, if slippery, ground. Maybe I wasn’t going to die in the bay after all.
My eyelids fluttered open to greet the man who had saved me. His face was close enough to touch if I wanted to. Well-defined jaw, tan skin, cheeks ruddy from the weather. Tousled blond hair brushed over his forehead, dark eyelashes framed dark grey eyes—which were suddenly narrowing in an expression I could only define as disgust.
A shot of recognition rushed through me, my eyes snapping fully open to take in the scowling face of David Jenkins, the first boy I had ever kissed. The first boy to break my heart.
“Hello, Iris,” David muttered. “Welcome back to Lilac Bay.”
Chapter 2
“ O h my God ,” a shrill voice cried from the other end of the dock. I was still locked in the cage of David’s muscular arms. And he was still scowling at me like I had kicked his puppy rather than nearly fallen into the bay. I knew I needed to pull away, to put distance between myself and that scowl—and God, those lips, somehow sexy even when pursed into a tight straight line—but my heart was still pounding too hard, my breath coming in shaky little gasps.
“Iris!” the voice called again, closer now. “Are you okay? I was sure you were going over!”
Posey , I thought dazedly, still staring into David’s eyes. It was hard to concentrate on anything when standing this close to him, my heart still hammering away from the panic of my near escape. But even so, I could tell—that voice was definitely my cousin.
I managed to wrench myself away from the man holding my waist, nearly depositing myself in the water all over again. David grabbed my shoulders this time, his scowl growing. He held on for only a second before he removed his hands, taking a step back so my cousin could squeeze by. “Thank you, David!” she cried, throwing her arms around me. “You saved her!” He mumbled some reply, but I was too distracted by the cloud of reddish-blonde curls and the strong smell of chocolate as my cousin enveloped me in a tight hug. I knew if I breathed in a little deeper I would detect the hint of coffee under the chocolate. Coffee and chocolate, a touch of cinnamon. It was a familiar smell, one I associated with the island, with my grandparents.
Posey pulled back, peering at my face, her eyes wide and worried. “Are you okay? You scared me!”
“I’m fine,” I managed. “I was just startled. And the dock is so
“You said something about picking up your granddaughter.”
He frowned. “Don’t have a granddaughter, dear. Two grandsons, but they live in New York with my son and his wife.”
I frowned. I knew I hadn’t imagined it. “But you…you said you were picking up your girl?”
His face brightened. “Ah, yes.” He held the crate aloft. “And here she is. Beautiful, ain’t she?”
I peered through the slates of the crate. There was a sudden flapping of wings, a screech, and before I knew it, I was falling backward, having instinctively jumped away from the thing in the crate.
“Iris!” Jerry gasped. One of my three-inch heels had planted into the dock, and I was windmilling my arms, struggling for balance. And I might have found it, too, if the wood hadn’t been so slippery from the rain. My other foot slipped forward and the sky was tilting crazily above me. I had just enough time to glance behind me at the dark water of the bay, rushing toward me.
In panic, I clutched madly at the empty air. This couldn’t be happening. Less than a minute on shore, and the island was already about to kill me. I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation, sure the icy cold waves would claim me any second.
Then strong arms were gripping me around the waist, and I felt myself jerked roughly in the opposite direction, back toward the dock.
“Careful now,” a deep voice said, very close to my ear. I realized, belatedly, that my grasping hands had found purchase on thick, muscular forearms, and my feet were once again on firm, if slippery, ground. Maybe I wasn’t going to die in the bay after all.
My eyelids fluttered open to greet the man who had saved me. His face was close enough to touch if I wanted to. Well-defined jaw, tan skin, cheeks ruddy from the weather. Tousled blond hair brushed over his forehead, dark eyelashes framed dark grey eyes—which were suddenly narrowing in an expression I could only define as disgust.
A shot of recognition rushed through me, my eyes snapping fully open to take in the scowling face of David Jenkins, the first boy I had ever kissed. The first boy to break my heart.
“Hello, Iris,” David muttered. “Welcome back to Lilac Bay.”
Chapter 2
“ O h my God ,” a shrill voice cried from the other end of the dock. I was still locked in the cage of David’s muscular arms. And he was still scowling at me like I had kicked his puppy rather than nearly fallen into the bay. I knew I needed to pull away, to put distance between myself and that scowl—and God, those lips, somehow sexy even when pursed into a tight straight line—but my heart was still pounding too hard, my breath coming in shaky little gasps.
“Iris!” the voice called again, closer now. “Are you okay? I was sure you were going over!”
Posey , I thought dazedly, still staring into David’s eyes. It was hard to concentrate on anything when standing this close to him, my heart still hammering away from the panic of my near escape. But even so, I could tell—that voice was definitely my cousin.
I managed to wrench myself away from the man holding my waist, nearly depositing myself in the water all over again. David grabbed my shoulders this time, his scowl growing. He held on for only a second before he removed his hands, taking a step back so my cousin could squeeze by. “Thank you, David!” she cried, throwing her arms around me. “You saved her!” He mumbled some reply, but I was too distracted by the cloud of reddish-blonde curls and the strong smell of chocolate as my cousin enveloped me in a tight hug. I knew if I breathed in a little deeper I would detect the hint of coffee under the chocolate. Coffee and chocolate, a touch of cinnamon. It was a familiar smell, one I associated with the island, with my grandparents.
Posey pulled back, peering at my face, her eyes wide and worried. “Are you okay? You scared me!”
“I’m fine,” I managed. “I was just startled. And the dock is so
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