Sunny Says by Jan Hudson Read Free Book Online

weeks. Much longer and he’d start
going soft and losing his edge. He’d set his course years ago, and there was no
place in it for someone like Sunny Larkin, who despite her protests was a
kitten in his world of tigers.
    They stopped and paid at the
park entrance, then both were quiet as the car sped along the flat road of
Padre Island National Seashore, the mid-part of the long barrier island
unspoiled by development and noted for its birds and beaches. High grassy
dunes, white and wind-rippled, hid the waters of the Gulf on their left and
Laguna Madre on their right.
    “You want to stop at Malaquite?”
Kale asked, naming the beach where the visitors’ center was located.
    Sunny shook her head. “Too
crowded. Let’s drive as far as we can.”
    They drove until the road ended
at South Beach , then continued a few miles over the packed sand of
the Gulf shore, passing rows of trailers and RVs, families on outings, and
groups of teenagers cavorting in and around the water. Kale stopped on a
deserted stretch where railroad vine and knee-high grass grew over the dunes
and shells littered the beach.
    “This okay?” he asked. “It’s
about as far as we can go without getting into the four-wheel-drive area.”
    “Perfect.” She dug into her tote
bag and pulled out the sunscreen. She grinned and held it up. “Bet you thought
I’d forget. Want me to do you?”
    He plucked the bottle from her
fingers and muttered, “I’ll do it.”
    While he applied the lotion,
Sunny grabbed her yellow straw hat and two plastic bags for shells. She got out
of the car and walked to the edge of the beach, watching the waves roll in,
listening to the rushing sounds of the water and its subtle changes as it
washed the shore, breathing in the fresh, salty air. She closed her eyes and
lifted her chin to relish the warmth of the sun and the play of the cooling
breeze against her face and neck. She flung out her arms, wanting to hug the
wind.
    Sensing Kale’s presence beside
her, she laughed. “Isn’t it glorious?”
    “Glorious.”
    She turned to him, and her
laughter faded. His gaze wasn’t focused on the water. His sunglasses glittered
with her reflection. Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she could feel
their intensity capture her, stroke her. Her breath caught, and a momentary
weakness washed over her as if she’d been caught by a wave.
    She shook off the feeling,
laughed nervously, and thrust a plastic bag in his hands. “This is yours.”
    “What are we looking for?”
    “Good specimens. Anything
unusual. I don’t really know much about shells. One of my nieces has a passion
for them, and I’m collecting enough to fill a treasure chest for her birthday.”
    “A treasure chest?” he asked
incredulously.
    She chuckled. “Only a small
treasure chest. About so big.” With her hands, she measured the size of a shoe
box. “The best time to go shelling is after a storm or in winter, but her
birthday is only two weeks away. I already have some collected, and if we can’t
find enough today, I’ll fudge and buy the rest.”
    For about an hour they walked
along the beach, examining and discarding most of what they found.
    “I’m about ready for a beer and
that hot dog you promised me,” Kale said.
    Sunny swiped at her damp
forehead and fanned her face with her hat. “Me too.”
    They walked back to where the
car was parked and dug a shallow pit in the sand for the grilling fire. While
Kale lit briquettes they’d dumped in the hole, Sunny took two beers from the
cooler, spread towels in the shade of a dune, and sat cross-legged on one of
them.
    Kale dropped down beside her and
plucked a can from her hand. He popped the top and took a swallow, then rolled
the can over his forehead. “Man, that’s good. I’ve seen the time I’d have paid
a hundred bucks for an icy-cold beer.”
    “On assignment?”
    “Lots of places I’ve been didn’t
have ice or beer. Most of the time I was damned lucky to have tepid