Beyond the Waves (Pacific Shores Book 1) (20 page)

With a satisfied nod, Loraine took her seat at the table and proclaimed in a perky voice, “Well then, I suspect we’ll be hearing from the young man before the night is through. Let’s eat.”

Daddy grinned and tossed Taysia a wink.

And for the first time that day, Taysia felt herself ease into a genuine smile. Loraine was probably right. Kylen would at least come talk to her when he saw the note. He would probably be knocking on the door any minute.

It was late when Kylen got home from the long jog he’d decided to take this afternoon. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, and he’d wanted to drain himself today so he’d at least be able to sleep tonight. He’d run along the coastal highway until he knew he had to turn back or never make the run home.

He jogged all the way to his porch steps and then collapsed onto the top one and lay back onto the deck. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it knocking against his breastbone, and sweat dripped from every surface of his body. The weariness felt good. Numbing. He heaved great gulps of air, then forced himself to stand and walk around the yard. As he cooled down, hands on his hips, he studied the sprinkling of stars that glittered in the night sky. He pulled a long stream of air in through his nose and pushed it out through pursed lips. So distant, they looked so cold. Another inhale and exhale. Yet the ice-chip stars were really burning orbs of gas. He snorted. Appearances could be so deceiving.

He glanced toward Taysia’s house. Her car wasn’t in the drive. She was probably staying away out of fear he might come over and confront her. What a mess. Pain squeezed his heart. She had to be feeling so betrayed right now. But no more than he was by the fact that she still trusted him so little. He wasn’t ready to give up on her, but right now she needed a little time. He sighed. Would they ever get beyond the waves of doubt and distrust?

The exhaustion hit him after only a few more moments, and he pushed through his door and only paused for a quick rinse in the shower before he fell into bed. He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

The call came first thing in the morning. Kylen groaned and let it ring two more times before he fumbled for the phone where he’d tossed it on the nightstand. “‘Lo.”

“Kylen, this is Hansen. You awake?”

Kylen scrubbed one hand over his face and opened one eye just far enough to see the clock read 6:03 a.m. He released a sigh he hoped didn’t sound too much like a moan to his boss. “I will be if you give me five minutes and a double-shot espresso.”

Tom Hansen only grunted. “Sorry, I know your shift doesn’t start for several hours yet, but this is important. I need you to get down to Sunset Beach right away. They’ve asked for a good man to help run some leads on a couple cases. I’m sending you.”

“Sunset Beach. Sure. I can do that.”

“Good. Pack a bag. I’ve offered you on loan to their department for two weeks until their new hire arrives from Maine.”

Two weeks? Kylen flopped back against his pillow. Layne needed some time. But not that much. Could he handle her thinking he was such a lowlife for two whole weeks? He’d have to. A phone call was not going to be the best way for them to iron this out. He’d wanted to give her some space. Just not quite that much. But maybe this would be better in the long run.

“Yes, sir.” He hoped his boss didn’t hear the defeat in his tone.

“Keep me updated.”

“Yes, sir.”

A week later Taysia pulled into the parking lot at Mom’s Gym. She hurt all over. There was no other way to explain it. Not a physical pain. But a low, dull ache that originated in the region of her heart and spread all through her.

She shoved the car into park and stared across the road toward the pounding surf for a minute. The day was sunny, but it felt gray; warm, and yet a chill gripped her.

She hadn’t heard from Kylen all week. Hadn’t even caught a glimpse of him, even though she’d been back to staying at her own home for the past several nights, since Daddy seemed to be doing fine.

He had to have seen her note by now, so she’d obviously totally blown any chance she had with him.

With a sigh she pushed open her door and stepped out onto the walk, slinging her sports bag over her shoulder.

Sophia climbed out of the car next to her and stepped into her path.

Taysia froze. Great. Just who she’d been dying to see. What could she want now? She adjusted her bag. “Hi, Sophia.”

Sophia folded her hands together and tapped her first fingers against her lips. She couldn’t seem to meet Taysia’s eyes, and tears glittered on her lower lids.

Taysia blinked. Tears were the last thing she’d expected from Sophia.

With a little huff, Sophia straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I just wanted to say…sorry. I’m really sorry, Taysia. Kylen had nothing to do with that scene at the restaurant. It was all me.”

Good thing the day was beautiful, because even a slight breeze could have knocked Taysia over at that moment. She never would have thought to see the day Sophia apologized to anyone. For anything. It took a moment before words would come, but finally she managed to stutter, “I-I know.”

“Of course you do. The way Kylen tore out after you, you two probably had everything patched up that afternoon. I just wanted…” Her hands fluttered like she was seeking an elusive thought. “I
needed
to make things right.”

Taysia worked the strap higher on her shoulder. Her heart melted a little at the pleading in Sophia’s expression. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

Sophia met her gaze then. Her jaw dropped slightly, and she seemed to be searching Taysia’s expression for something. “You are very gracious. I didn’t expect that. Nor do I deserve it.”

Well, if there wasn’t proof miracles existed standing on the walk right in front of her, Taysia didn’t know what else it might be. She cringed a little guiltily at the memory of her reaction to seeing Sophia a moment ago.
God, give me words. Open her eyes
. “None of us deserve grace, Sophia. I certainly didn’t. But God gave it to me when I asked Him. So how can I give any less to those around me? I really do appreciate your change of heart. It means a lot.”
But it likely won’t bring Kylen back into my life
. Her shoulders slumped.

Sophia must have noticed her dejection, because she asked, “Kylen did find you that day, didn’t he?”

Taysia forced words past the constriction in her throat. “Yes, he did. And I’m afraid I wasn’t so gracious toward him.” Tears threatened to overflow. She couldn’t talk about this now. And especially not with Sophia, who she could so easily blame for all of it. She moved to pass the woman. “If you’ll excuse me, I have classes starting in just a bit.”

Sophia stepped out of the way. “Yes. Of course.” But before Taysia had gone more than two strides, she called, “Taysia?”

Taysia turned. “Yes?”

“Uh, I won’t be, uh”—she waved a hand toward Mom’s Gym—”pursuing my lawsuit.”

Shocked speechless twice in one day—and by the same woman—who would have thought?

The next thing she knew, she was standing in the lobby of Mom’s Gym staring at the car keys in her hand. She couldn’t remember if she’d even offered a response to Sophia. She hoped she’d at least murmured some form of polite thanks. But try as she might, she couldn’t recall.

Someone’s sniffling penetrated her consciousness.

She straightened and shoved her keys into her purse, hurrying toward the front desk. “Marie? Is that you?”

Marie’s head appeared above the counter. She was sitting in her desk chair but apparently had been leaning forward. “Oh, hi, Miss Green. I didn’t hear you come in.” Marie swiped at damp cheeks.

She’s crying?
“Marie?” Rounding the half wall that separated the lobby from the work space behind the counter, she scanned her young friend. “Are you okay?”

Marie’s face crumpled, and she buried her face in her hands.

“Oh, honey.” Taysia rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

Marie just shook her head. For a long moment she remained silent. Her shoulders shook and tears dripped through her fingers.

Frowning in concern, Taysia snatched several tissues from the box on the desk and eased them under one of Marie’s hands.

Marie clasped them and pressed them to her eyes, but held her silence.

A quick glance at her watch revealed she had to teach a class in less than thirty minutes. Women would start arriving soon. But Marie was in no condition to be working today. Still, she couldn’t just shoo her out the door in her present state of mind. She squatted down by the girl and rubbed one of her shoulders. “Marie? What is it, honey? What’s happened?”

“Oh, Taysia!” The words emerged more wail than statement. “I’m such an idiot!”

Taysia ground her teeth and reminded herself to be kind. It would be about a guy. It was always about a guy. Probably Kylen’s cousin, Brice. She resisted a roll of her eyes. Marie would be better off without that young rake in her life. She took a fortifying breath and controlled her tone carefully. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you over the past year, Marie, it’s that you can do anything you put your mind to. I have no doubt it will be the same this time.” She paused, but when Marie didn’t offer even a morsel of information, she prodded, “You always feel better when you talk about things…what’s happened?”

Marie squirmed in the chair. Then peeked at her above the edges of the now uselessly damp Kleenexes.

Taysia snatched four more from the box and held the garbage can toward her. After Marie deposited the others into the can, she handed her the clean tissues.

Marie sighed. Her face held about as much color as the white paper in the printer behind her.

Maybe she’d had more feelings for this guy than the others before him. Taysia folded her arms and waited, knowing Marie would figure out how to tell her eventually.

For a long moment, all Marie did was shred one of the tissues into little pills in her lap. Finally she glanced up and met Taysia’s gaze for the briefest of seconds before she returned her attention to her little project. “I’m late.”

The words were so soft, Taysia almost didn’t hear them. She frowned and looked at her watch. Marie had gotten here before— With sudden clarity, the meaning of the words registered. Her eyes widened, and she sank onto her knees so she could peer into Marie’s face. “How late?”

Marie sniffed. “Over a month.”

“Did you take a test?”

The tiniest hint of a nod.

“And?”

Another nod. Another crumpling of her face, but she clenched her jaw this time and brought her expression back under control.

“Who’s the father?”

Marie chewed the inside of her lip and suppressed another sob. “You’re going to be so disappointed in me.”

“Honey, just tell me.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t—” Taysia forced herself to stop talking before she said something she would really regret. Something that might ruin the fragile relationship she’d been building with the girl for the past few years.

“I know! I’m sorry! It could be any one of a number of guys. Most of whom have probably moved on by now. A couple months ago, right after Reece Cahill broke up with me, I spent several nights at Pete’s trying to forget about him. There were a couple businessmen. And some guy with a Harley who was just passing through.”

“Marie…” A sharp stab of pain shot right through Taysia’s heart. She’d thought the girl had moved past that kind of behavior. “Could it be Reece’s? Or Brice’s?”

Marie’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No. Reece never…he’s too good of a guy for that. And Brice and I, we never…no, it couldn’t be his.”

A sigh welled up from deep inside Taysia. “I see.”

Marie’s face contorted again. “I had an appointment last night at a…clinic.”

Taysia’s heart nearly dropped through the floor. Please God, she hadn’t—

“But I couldn’t go through with it. The words from the psalm you read to all your First Trimester Fitness classes about God knitting a baby together in its mother’s womb kept running through my mind over and over. And I just…couldn’t.”

“Oh, honey.” Taysia leaned forward and pulled Marie into a ferocious embrace. “I’m so glad you didn’t—couldn’t. We are going to make it through this. I’m going to be there for you every step of the way.”