Page 65 of Nicole's Shelter

Catching the scent of saltwater, she rolled down her window, inhaling deeply. “Nothing like the coast,” she said, hoping to get back to more comfortable territory for both of them. Traffic was minimal this time of year and as they rolled down the main street, Myrtle Beach felt more like a ghost town than tourist hub.

“Where are we headed?”

“My place is on South Kings Highway, just keep heading south.”

“Okay.”

“Let me plug the address into your phone.”

“Just use the navigation thing there,” he said, nodding at the GPS device on the truck’s dash.

He’d turned gruff and quiet and didn’t show any indication of perking up. What was his problem? Where had the easygoing charm gone? She thought it was usually the female who got all goofy or moody after sex.

Not that she hadn’t felt plenty of things she didn’t expect to feel after their encounter, but still. He was the one who’d planted kisses on her just for show. Kisses that sparked reactions she wanted to recreate and explore. He’d seemed more than willing last night.

She let her thoughts wander as the navigation device calculated the route and guided Rick toward Oceanside Campground.

The security guard at the gate waved him on toward the check in station. He parked and followed her inside. She handled the details and secured a pass for the truck while he hovered near the stand of tourism brochures near the door.

He stared at her for a long minute when they were back in the truck. “You bought a beach house.”

“Sue me. I missed the ocean. East coast surfing isn’t quite what I grew up with, but it gives me the fix I’m after.”

“You surf?”

“Not so uncommon for a southern California native. WITSEC made me give it up.”

“And they don’t know about this place?”

“Nope. Bought it years ago under a different name. Private sale.”

He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Wow.”

She didn’t think he sounded as much impressed as doubtful. “There had to be some place for me to be myself. A place where all of the pieces of my life felt like they were in order.”

He reached out again, this time catching her hand in his. An inexplicable sense of comfort radiated from that one point of contact, easing the knots in her shoulders and neck.

She let the navigation guide him around lakes and through acres of mobile homes, campers, and cottages.

“This place is huge.”

“I know. It was such a great discovery.” She’d done the same thing, peeking down streets and aisles of campers, mobile homes, and pre-fab cottages. “I started with a little camper they stored for me and eventually upgraded to my own cottage.” She took in the changes since her last visit as they approached her wooded lot. “Part of the appeal was the size of the campground.”

“Anonymity in numbers?”

“Absolutely. Along with lots of traffic year-round and twenty-four-seven security. The storage option made life so simple. Whenever I needed to get away, I just called and they pulled it into a space on the beach side campground. No towing or the hassles that went with it.”

“No big signals about your destination. You thought it through.”

“I told you I’m not always as flaky as the night of the fire. Park right here.” She pointed to a patch of sandy grass as the navigation voice announced their arrival.

“We should have stopped for groceries on the way in,” she mused.

“Let’s see the evidence first.”

Her tension ramped up again in response to his stern, waste-no-time approach. She breathed slowly, telling herself he just wanted this over as much as she did. For different reasons, but ‘over’ seemed his top priority. Making advances—who was she kidding with that politically correct phrase—jumping him had been a mistake. It had changed the dynamic and she didn’t understand the new rules. Were there any? She felt unsteady, like walking on the shore as the tide sucked away the sand from under her feet.

“Of course.” She wrestled her purse out of the bookbag and started to dig for the cottage key. Rarely used, it always wound up underneath everything else. She was grateful for Kyle’s bookbag, but she planned to be a girl all the time from this point forward. No more hiding. No more ducking from anyone. It was amazing how empowered she felt, how ready to make a stand just because Rick was beside her.

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