Read Online Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer - Free Book Online

choice. I slipped into a pair of neutral, T-strap sandals with pearly-petaled daisies on top. A simple silver chain necklace and a pair of oversized hoops completed my outfit. I kept the makeup simple—a little mascara, a little lip gloss. I could hear Mamma now telling me I needed some color and should put on some lipstick under that gloss.
    I wandered downstairs to the kitchen and opened a bottle of pinot noir. Nate texted me as the ferry docked at ten to seven. I texted back to let him know I’d be out back. I set the bourbon and a rocks glass for him on the counter and went out onto the deck. The breeze had cooled, but was still warm enough I didn’t need a sweater. I sat in one of the Adirondack chairs and watched moonlit waves chase the sand. Ocean therapy. I needed this. Usually it helped me put the day away. That night, it brought everything I’d stuffed into a corner of my mind front and center.
    Fifteen minutes later I heard the door behind me open.
    Nate sat in the chair beside me. “I put dinner in the refrigerator.”
    “Thanks.” I smiled, but the surf held my gaze.
    “Slugger, are you all right?”
    “I am now.”
    “You seem…subdued. I confess I’m accustomed to a more enthusiastic welcome after three weeks. A man could develop a complex.”
    I turned to look at him. My mouth went dry. He was wearing a white button-down collared shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, and boat shoes, no socks. His blond hair was a bit longer than when I’d seen him last. I liked it this way. A curl danced across his forehead in the breeze. His electric blue eyes insisted on a response.
    I sipped my wine. “I’m just feeling a bit introspective. This case—the reality that sometimes on a perfectly ordinary day, people you love are gone in the blink of an eye. Then there was a bad accident on the Cooper River Bridge this morning. If I’d been a few minutes later…”
    He set down his glass and wrapped his long arms around me. “Thank heavens you weren’t.”
    I snuggled into him. Oh dear heaven, he smelled so good. It would be so easy just to forget everything else.
    “Have you eaten anything?” he asked.
    “Not since lunch.”
    “I’ve got a roasted chicken, some French bread, a few cheeses…picnic stuff. Why don’t I bring it out here along with the rest of the wine?”
    “Sounds good—thank you. Did you see Rhett on the way in?”
    “As a matter of fact, I did. He assured me he’d been keeping a close eye on you. Gave him a great big bone—not a real one. One of those all-natural, fake things. Gluten free. Pet store recommended it.”
    Nate made several trips back inside. I kept watching the waves. When the food was spread on the table between our chairs, he sat back down. I could feel him watching me. After a few minutes, he said, “Liz, talk to me.”
    “I just can’t stop thinking about it.” I turned to look at him. Something grabbed a hold of my heart.
    “The accident on the bridge?”
    I nodded. “That. Kent. And how none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.”
    He gave me a quizzical look. “It’s not like you to dwell on what-ifs. It scares me crazy how fearless you are, chargin’ in when you ought to wait for backup, leaping off Jet Skis to tackle folks in boats…you’re not known for your timid nature.”
    “I know, but…” I chewed on my bottom lip. It was so hard not being able to tell him everything—about Colleen’s intervention and all the questions that left me with.
    He reached out and brushed my hair back from my face. “We all have close calls every now and then. Some of them we know about, others we don’t. You’re here, safe and whole. The thing to do is be grateful.”
    “I am. Very grateful.” My eyes sought his out and held them.
    “Then I don’t understand. What else am I seeing in those gorgeous blue eyes of yours?”
    “It just brings everything into focus. How every moment is a gift. I have this instinct to pull everyone I love