Read Online The Kiss on Castle Road (A Lavender Island Novel) by Lauren Christopher - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Christopher
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chair in a sloppy V and sprawled across the oriental rug.
“Are these Dr. Johnson’s things?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Dr. Sherman got the fire lit and turned to see what she was referring to. “Yes. I’m renting. Did you know him?”
“I spent lots of summers here on the island. He was my grandmother’s vet.”
Alice was all but passed out now, and Natalie reached over to cover her underwear with the front of the hoodie.
“I’ll get her some clothes,” Dr. Sherman said gruffly, taking off for the bedroom.
Natalie watched him fly out of the room.
“He’s the sweetest,” Alice whispered with her eyes closed, and then giggled.
Dr. Sherman came back with a pair of sweats, a thick pair of socks, and a wrinkled “Dolphin Dash” T-shirt, which he handed to Alice awkwardly and then stole away again.
Alice yawned and started to slink down farther in the chair, but then sat up and sleepily unzipped Natalie’s hoodie. She handed it back and let Natalie help her get the warm clothes on. The fire created a peaceful snapping sound.
“How long have you been dating?” Natalie whispered, her curiosity getting the best of her. She reached down to help Alice with the socks.
“This is our first date.”
Natalie’s hand stalled. She couldn’t help but gape up at Alice. But she finished her task. This was none of her business. Alice was none of her business—now that she knew she wasn’t in danger. And Dr. Sherman, especially, was none of her business. Not how he managed to get a first date naked by the ocean, not whether he enjoyed skinny-dipping in the black Pacific, not why he had two different dates in two nights, not why he was renting this old-person-furnished ocean-top mansion. And definitely not the cute, perplexed way he looked at Alice from beneath the bangs that fell in his eyes.
“Here you go.” He came back into the room with a steaming mug of something, a glass of water, and an aspirin, then put them all on the fireplace hearth for Alice, backing away as if he were feeding a feral cat.
Natalie reached for the mug and helped Alice drink a few sips of whatever it was, since Dr. Sherman didn’t seem to want to come closer. It looked like tea. Alice grimaced but took a few gulps anyway.
“Would you like anything?” he asked Natalie.
“No. I should be going. Could I use your phone again? To call my sister?”
“Sure. Do you want a ride home?” His face seemed to light up at that. He really had beautiful eyes.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full already.”
“No, I can take you home. It’s the least I could do.” His hair fell into his eyes again as he seemed to search for keys.
“They’re over by the door. But, no, really. I’m close by. I just need to call my sister first. I’m staying with her.”
“Where does she live?” He handed her his phone.
“About ten cottages that way. We’re on C Street.” She motioned with a nod outside his windows, with their incredible view, and punched in Olivia’s number. “Liv?” she whispered into the phone. “Just me . . .”
When she handed the phone back, Dr. Sherman was staring at her from beneath his bangs; the firelight played along the side of his face.
“Thank you,” he said. “You seem to have a Good Samaritan gene.”
“I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”
“My point exactly.”
“I’m sorry if I interrupted your . . . plans. Or . . . date. Or whatever.”
They both looked at the slumbering Alice.
“Yeah, I’m a great date,” he deadpanned.
Before any more flashes of Dr. Sherman on a date went through her head, Natalie whirled toward the sliding door. “Can I go out this way?”
“It might be slippery through the ice plants.”
But she was already halfway through the door. “I’ll be fine.”
Once her feet hit the sand, she wrapped the damp hoodie around her front and jogged back up the beach, eager to get away.
Dr. Sherman was not her type.
And she was on a
“Are these Dr. Johnson’s things?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Dr. Sherman got the fire lit and turned to see what she was referring to. “Yes. I’m renting. Did you know him?”
“I spent lots of summers here on the island. He was my grandmother’s vet.”
Alice was all but passed out now, and Natalie reached over to cover her underwear with the front of the hoodie.
“I’ll get her some clothes,” Dr. Sherman said gruffly, taking off for the bedroom.
Natalie watched him fly out of the room.
“He’s the sweetest,” Alice whispered with her eyes closed, and then giggled.
Dr. Sherman came back with a pair of sweats, a thick pair of socks, and a wrinkled “Dolphin Dash” T-shirt, which he handed to Alice awkwardly and then stole away again.
Alice yawned and started to slink down farther in the chair, but then sat up and sleepily unzipped Natalie’s hoodie. She handed it back and let Natalie help her get the warm clothes on. The fire created a peaceful snapping sound.
“How long have you been dating?” Natalie whispered, her curiosity getting the best of her. She reached down to help Alice with the socks.
“This is our first date.”
Natalie’s hand stalled. She couldn’t help but gape up at Alice. But she finished her task. This was none of her business. Alice was none of her business—now that she knew she wasn’t in danger. And Dr. Sherman, especially, was none of her business. Not how he managed to get a first date naked by the ocean, not whether he enjoyed skinny-dipping in the black Pacific, not why he had two different dates in two nights, not why he was renting this old-person-furnished ocean-top mansion. And definitely not the cute, perplexed way he looked at Alice from beneath the bangs that fell in his eyes.
“Here you go.” He came back into the room with a steaming mug of something, a glass of water, and an aspirin, then put them all on the fireplace hearth for Alice, backing away as if he were feeding a feral cat.
Natalie reached for the mug and helped Alice drink a few sips of whatever it was, since Dr. Sherman didn’t seem to want to come closer. It looked like tea. Alice grimaced but took a few gulps anyway.
“Would you like anything?” he asked Natalie.
“No. I should be going. Could I use your phone again? To call my sister?”
“Sure. Do you want a ride home?” His face seemed to light up at that. He really had beautiful eyes.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full already.”
“No, I can take you home. It’s the least I could do.” His hair fell into his eyes again as he seemed to search for keys.
“They’re over by the door. But, no, really. I’m close by. I just need to call my sister first. I’m staying with her.”
“Where does she live?” He handed her his phone.
“About ten cottages that way. We’re on C Street.” She motioned with a nod outside his windows, with their incredible view, and punched in Olivia’s number. “Liv?” she whispered into the phone. “Just me . . .”
When she handed the phone back, Dr. Sherman was staring at her from beneath his bangs; the firelight played along the side of his face.
“Thank you,” he said. “You seem to have a Good Samaritan gene.”
“I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”
“My point exactly.”
“I’m sorry if I interrupted your . . . plans. Or . . . date. Or whatever.”
They both looked at the slumbering Alice.
“Yeah, I’m a great date,” he deadpanned.
Before any more flashes of Dr. Sherman on a date went through her head, Natalie whirled toward the sliding door. “Can I go out this way?”
“It might be slippery through the ice plants.”
But she was already halfway through the door. “I’ll be fine.”
Once her feet hit the sand, she wrapped the damp hoodie around her front and jogged back up the beach, eager to get away.
Dr. Sherman was not her type.
And she was on a
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