Page 65 of Chasing Sunrise

“Cartwright assured me nothing would happen to it since you parked in the parking garage.” He nodded. “By the way, I washed your clothes, but there’s beachwear in the dresser in the room where you slept. People are always leaving clothes.”

While the pizza cooked, she changed into a flowery shirt and matching shorts, not wanting to put her work clothes on quite yet. Then they sat on the covered deck to eat. Strings of lightbulbs hung around the cabin supplied plenty of light. The ocean provided calming background noise. Far off sea gulls squawked.

Kasey pointed out different cabins and places on the beachfront. “After we finish eating, we can go for a walk.”

She wanted nothing more, but she couldn’t fall more for this man. “I believe I need to go to Tango Charlie’s, get my car, and go home.”

“At this hour? We’ll go after sunup.” Kasey looked at her, his gaze exacting and serious. “Do you remember what you told me last night?”

She tried to make light of the night. “I know I apologized a hundred times for throwing up.”

“Before that.”

“Kasey, I was wasted. I’m not sure what I said.” She crossed her arms. “It was the anniversary of my parents’ accident. I’ve handled it for ten years. Yesterday, well, Friday, it overwhelmed me.”

“What overwhelmed you?”

“The memory of the cops telling me what happened. The weeks afterward.” Her heart quaked in her chest. “I tried every trick I’ve learned to relax, but nothing helped.”

“There’s more. Last night you said your parents’ deaths were your fault.”

Her lips quivered, and she swallowed hard.

“Let me in, Amanda.”

“Let you in for what? You’ll be gone in two days. You expect me to bear my soul just for you to leave?”

“No. I expect you to trust me.”

“This isn’t a matter of trust.”

“Isn’t it?” He reached out, grasped her wrists, and uncrossed her arms. “You don’t need protection from me. I want you to feel comfortable, and I want you to open up.

Anxiety filled her. She got up and walked into the cabin. He followed. She sat in a chair, and he plopped down on a couch.

She owed him for all he’d done for her. “The explanation is a long one.”

“I have time.”

“Are you certain you want to know?”

“Trust me enough to tell me what happened.”

“First of all, I loved my parents. Love my parents.” Her voice cracked. “Please keep an open mind about them.”

“Okay.”

She wished she had confidence he wouldn’t judge them. “As I’ve already told you, we moved a lot. They were social workers and easily found jobs everywhere we went. They didn’t make much money. Said we didn’t need a lot.”

He listened intently.

Her gut cramped. “My parents enjoyed partying. When I was young, they’d bring me to nightclubs with them. I remember when I was about five, my dad placed me on the bar next to the drink station, and I ate the tiny chunks of pineapple, cherries, and olives meant for the drinks. Instead of getting mad, the bartender laughed. I learned to play pool at the age of ten from the owner of a club, a man who’d played professionally. I’ve played a lot of pool in my life.”

“I could tell.”

She sadly smiled. “In the eighth grade, we had a semester of health where they really promoted never drive drunk. That day I went to my mom and dad and said they couldn’t drive if they’d been drinking.”

“Good for you.”

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