Page 13 of Love Over Easy

I check to make sure she’s okay. “Her name is Shyanne and that’s about all I know. I picked her up last night breaking into the Randall’s old house.”

Blake connects with my gaze. “She seems a bit wrapped up for the weather we’re having,” he says, zeroing right in on Shyanne’s secret.

I know what he’s asking and I nod. Hannah’s eyes soften and her nurturing heart takes over. “I believe I’ll go see if I can offer our guest something to drink.”

I watch the scene before me play out as Hannah walks up the boardwalk and draws closer to her target. Shyanne starts picking at her thumbnail again. I know how persuasive Mama H can be. I’m not worried and after only a few minutes, she’s worked her magic. Shyanne laughs at something Hannah says and I smile too. It’s nice to see her let down her guard.

I turn back to Blake and find he’s been watching me. He has one of those smug, cat that ate the canary looks on his face. I frown, “What?”

Blake swipes a finger over his beard. “Nothing. You going to run a report on her?”

I should. I know I should. But she asked me to trust her and I can’t believe I’m going to do just that. “No. Not yet anyway. She says nobody is looking for her, but I do have concerns. I called Doc in to check her out this morning. Somebody worked her over good. The bruises looked fresh, maybe a day or two old.”

A steel glint appears in Blake’s eyes as he watches his wife work her charm on Shy. “We’ll keep our eyes open.”

This is why I love my town. We stick together and help each other. “I appreciate that. Now, let me go check in with the Thompsons. I know they’re anxious to unload so they can get back out there.”

* * *

“They’re really nice,” Shyanne says as we head back to my house.

Sadie will call if I’m needed and the paperwork on my desk isn’t going anywhere. “They’re great. Unless you do something stupid like take Blake’s boat out without asking and bring it back with a huge scratch down the side.”

“You sound like you have some experience with that.”

“Bode and I were sixteen and a little too full of ourselves. We’d been trying to get these two vacationing girls to go out with us and we asked them to go for a moonlight cruise. I got too close to a buoy coming back in and Bode and I ended up grounded for two weeks. Blake had us unloading boats after school and on weekends to make enough money to pay to have it fixed.”

“Ouch. I bet you didn’t do that again.”

“You would be correct.” I pull up in the drive and cut the engine.

“Would it be okay if I went down to the beach?” Shyanne asks.

I’m upset she thinks she has to ask permission. “Sure. Come on, we’ll take a walk. Do you want to change into some shorts? We’ll go west; we shouldn’t see anyone that way.”

I sit down the steps of the back deck to wait for Shy to change. I have a sister, so I know it will be a while. At least that’s what I assume. In less than five minutes, the sliding door opens and my breath is knocked out of me. Shyanne is wearing a pair of miniscule, stretchy running shorts with a blue tie-dyed strip down the side and one of those matching running bra things. Her body is…

“Wow,” is the most intelligent thing I can come up with to say. Her body is fucking fantastic. She has the lean, toned body of an athlete. A high-level athlete. Someone that takes training seriously. She’s probably just over five-five in height and she’s packed a smooth, powerful body in every inch. Her upper body strength must be incredible. Is she a gymnast? An Olympian?

She says something. I see her mouth move, but I’m still struck dumb. She runs toward the surf and I groan. Her tight, round ass is unbelievable. I wince seeing the evidence of her attack, but even discolored with bruises, she’s magnificent.

I watch her play in the surf and I don’t move my ass from the top step of the deck. She’s so freaking gorgeous. Once I get myself back in check, I’ll join her. I totally regret asking her to change. Those black jeans and hoodie covered perfection that I cannot un-see.

I do eventually join her and we head west. She’s cute, stopping to inspect the occasional shell she finds in the sand. Some finds she deems as keepers and some she tosses back on the sand. I offer to keep them in my pocket even though I know the sandy mess I’ll have to clean out.

We’ve been playing getting to know you games and I’ve learned a bit about the woman, but nothing specific. “Okay, I told you about one of my life lessons, now tell me about one of yours,” I say.

“To duck and never show fear…” Shyanne pauses and bows her head.

She hadn’t meant to share that much. My fists tighten. I hurt for her.

I don’t want to ask, but I have to know. How long has the abuse been going on? “How old were you when you learned that lesson?”

She looks up at me through her lashes. “It’s not what you think. I have four brothers. That lesson I learned early on.”

Hearing that doesn’t make me feel any better. “Didn’t your mother have something to say about that?”

She bends down to inspect another shell. “I never knew my mom. She died when I was born.”

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