Page 35 of Blame It on the Bikini
He gave her a wary look, but there was a softness to his gaze that had grown in the months since he'd met Emmalyn, since he'd left the military and joined a local search and rescue team. He wasn't nearly as intimidating as he'd once been.
"What do you need?" he asked.
"I'd love for you to bring Grayson down to the bar tonight."
"Isn't it women only?"
"Just for the first hour or so while we catch up, but you guys always show up later, so let's just admit that was going to happen."
"I barely know the guy," Hunter protested. "I've said like two sentences to him."
"Exactly. He needs to get to know you. Liam is working a shift tonight while Tyler is out of town. So, Liam and Brad will be at the bar whenever you come, and Madison and Gabe are supposed to show up around eight thirty after they get through dinner service. Let's show Grayson how fun we are in a neutral non-Ocean Shores location."
"I don't see the point," Hunter said.
"The better Grayson knows us, the more personally invested he'll be in our lives, and how they'll change if he sells the building. It's like naming the lobster in the tank before you cook it. Once you've named it, it's much harder to kill."
"So, we're lobsters now?" Hunter said with a laugh.
"For this scenario, yes. That's exactly what we are."
"Maybe you can use Frank, Hunter," Emmalyn said. "He and Grayson have been working on the car today. Why don't you go out to the parking lot and ask them if they want to have a drink with you tonight."
"Great idea," she said to Emmalyn.
"I think so," Emmalyn agreed, with a smile.
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll talk to them, and you two can watch the kids until Bree and Paige get back."
"Deal," she said as Hunter got up, threw on his T-shirt, and walked out to the parking lot.
"I can watch the kids," Emmalyn said, "if you have other things to do."
"I have some emails to answer, but I can sit for a bit."
"Did you finish developing your photos? I want to see the prints. The digital ones you showed us last night looked amazing. I told Hunter we should check out the caves one day. He said he's game."
That wasn't surprising. Hunter had flown helicopters into war zones. He had a high tolerance for risk. "Just make sure you watch the tides carefully when you go. I thought we had way more time than we did. If Grayson hadn't kept his eyes on his watch, we might have had a more harrowing escape. The water came in very fast."
Emmalyn shivered. "Maybe I don't want to go."
"You just have to be careful and smart about it. I got distracted taking my photos. If I'd just been exploring, I wouldn't have stayed inside nearly as long." She paused. "Did I tell you I found a locket in the cave?"
"No, that's exciting. I wonder how long it was there."
"More than thirty years," she said. "It turns out it belonged to Josie. She lost it a long time ago and had no idea it had fallen off when she was exploring the caves."
"That's amazing," Emmalyn said with wonder in her eyes. "And you brought it back to her. There's something about the symmetry of that…" Her voice trailed off. "It feels a little magical. What else did she say about the locket?"
"Not much. But she had a sad and secretive smile on her face. There's definitely a story there."
"I bet it's a good one."
"Maybe someday Josie will tell us," she said.
"She probably will. Have you talked to Grayson since your adventure to the caves?"
"No. That's why I need Hunter to get him down to the bar, so the rest of you can charm him."
