Free Spirit Page 2

  “How long is she staying?”

  “No idea,” he replied and found himself hoping she’d be staying a while before he shook his head, clearing his mind of Juliette and her strange, alluring eyes. Yeah, suggesting she stay with his mom was a very bad idea on reflection.

  “Well I’ll take care of her,” his mom said. “See you in the morning.”

  Noah clicked off dancing the phone between his hands as he considered the girl he’d just met. Juliette. A beautiful name, for a beautiful girl. He frowned, not liking the direction his thoughts were heading in. She was beautiful though, beautiful in a classical kind of way, as though she’d stepped out of time from some faraway place. Long blonde hair that hung down almost to her waist and pale skin, green eyes that seemed overly large in her face, a mouth too soft and lips too full. She was tiny, which only added to her appeal. Noah knew from holding her close that she only came up to his shoulders and that he could wrap his hands around her waist. She might be tiny, but she was definitely a woman. In fact, she possessed the curves of a very sexy woman.

  He growled under his breath and started his car. The girl was obviously nuts, running into the water like that to rescue a damn sea lion! He hadn’t been lying when he said he thought she’d gone in to drown herself. He’d watched as she got out of her beat up car, meandered down to the shore and stood there, head tilted back, arms spread wide as she seemed to relish just being on the beach. Mesmerized, he’d watched quietly, wondering just what was up with this chick that she could look so goddamn happy just from standing ankle deep in ocean water. He’d tried that, tried going back into the water, tried to find that place where the dark thoughts, the haunting memories weren’t constantly crowding in around him. Tried to remember a time when he was happy, when life had seemed sunny, when simple things like watching the day disappear into night were enough.

  Then her face had clouded over, and he’d wondered at her own dark thoughts. Did she have demons? Did she have a past that refused to let her live in the sun too? He’d been sitting on the shore, just sitting and thinking, and he’d recognized the troubled look. Saw it regularly when he looked in the mirror. He hadn’t understood the earlier look, but he recognized this one, was familiar with this emotion.

  Suddenly she’d started running into the water, and without even registering what he was doing he was on his feet and after her. He’d been lying when he’d said he would’ve let her drown if that was what she wanted. There was no way he could’ve stood by and let anything that beautiful be swallowed by the sea.

  She’d only been a few meters in when he realized she was in serious trouble. The girl couldn’t fucking swim. He swore under his breath, yet she’d charged, without thinking, into the water to rescue Merve, the local sea lion.

  He shook his head as he made his way through the familiar streets of town to his house.

  He really, really didn’t understand this girl.

  ****

  Juliette

  “Oh, my goodness, dear, you’re dripping wet!”

  Juliette smiled and pushed her hair back, again, from her face. It was starting to dry and becoming a little flyaway and static. Her clothes were uncomfortably damp, too, and she couldn’t wait to get them off and get in a warm shower. The salt water on her skin was making her itchy.

  “I had an accident on the beach,” she told the lady, taking in her neatly coiffed short dark hair flecked with grey and the warm brown eyes set in a friendly face. Juliette was a very good judge of character, and she decided the lady standing before her could be regarded as a kindred spirit.

  Anne of Green Gables had been one of her favorite books growing up.

  “Noah told me,” the woman said, ushering her into the kitchen and depositing Juliette on a chair at the large table in the middle of the room. Then she draped a warm, thick towel over her shoulders.

  “You know Noah?” Juliette asked with surprise thinking about the angry guy who’d dragged her from the ocean.

  “My son. I’m Renee Daniels, Noah’s mom.”

  Juliette blinked at her. “Noah’s your son?” She couldn’t reconcile the friendly warmth of the lady before her with the angsty Noah.

  “He is indeed. Said you need a place to stay.”

  “Do you have room?” Juliette asked hopefully. “And hot showers?”

  Renee smiled. “I do. Here why I don’t I make you some tea to warm you up whilst you shower?”

  That sounded like a very good idea to Juliette, who followed Renee up the stairs to a bathroom where she took a long hot shower, taking her time to wash the salt from her hair. Afterwards she changed into some jeans and a t-shirt before making her way downstairs to join Renee again in the kitchen. On the table stood a pot of tea and a plate of chocolate cookies. Juliette thought she might stay there forever.

  “I run a pretty relaxed guest house here,” Renee explained, pouring them both tea. “Your room is on the second floor, and you’re free to explore as much as you like. How long are you in town for?”

  Juliette shrugged, taking a sip of tea. It slid down her throat and warmed her belly, sending delicious heat through the rest of her body. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made her a cup of tea. It made her feel warm and comforted, like she was on the set of something like Gilmour Girls. “I’m not sure. We’ll see.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Kentucky.”

  “Kentucky?” Renee’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. “You’re a long way from home. Your family won’t miss you?”

  “My family aren’t in Kentucky.”

  Renee waited, as if Juliette was going to say more, to explain where her family was and why she’d left Kentucky, but Juliette merely sipped her tea, her eyes darting around the room. “You have a beautiful place here, Mrs. Daniels.”

  “Call me Renee. And yes, I do have a beautiful place here.”

  From the moment Juliette had pulled her car up outside she’d prayed there’d be room for her here. The house, a gorgeous pale blue beach house situated right on the sandy dunes just a short walk from the ocean, was everything she’d dreamed. It was like she’d stepped into a Nicholas Sparks novel, and Juliette had to pinch herself that she was really there and not back in Lexington at the suburban house with Harry with its peeling paintwork and faded furniture, the only view that of either the scruffy from yard of the next door neighbors where you could see straight into the Rounvilles’ kitchen. Mr. Rounville liked to eat breakfast naked. When she’d moved in Harry had bought a set of dark, orange paisley curtains from the local thrift shop to hang over the window so she wouldn’t have to see Mr. Rounville’s hairy butt on a daily basis.

  At the thought of Harry she felt a pang ripple through her. It’d been nearly twelve hours since she’d walked out of his life, and she wondered what he was doing. He would’ve read the letter she left by now, which offered little in the way of explanations, and then he’d probably showered and headed off to work. He might have tried to call her, but she’d switched her phone off when she reversed out of his driveway, and besides, there was nothing to say anyhow.

  “Well, I imagine you’re tired after driving all this way,” Renee said, getting to her feet. “I’ll show you your room and let you get settled. Breakfast is at seven.”

  Juliette managed a tight smile as she struggled to her feet, feeling suddenly extremely tired. She needed a long sleep in a comfortable bed, all on her own.

  Chapter Three

  Juliette

  Juliette fell asleep to the sound of the ocean, and when she woke the next morning it was to the same gentle sound of the tide rolling in and out. Lying in bed, surrounded by a multitude of pillows and a thick comforter, she snuggled down and listened to the rhythmic motion. It reminded her of the meditation recordings that they sometimes played during yoga classes to make you think you were somewhere other than a sweaty room with thirty other people twisting themselves into awkward and unnatural positions.

  Only this wasn’t
a recording, this was real, and it was right outside her window. To think, she mused, the ocean had been rolling in and out like that for all those years she’d been living in Lexington, and Huntington, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. While she was living her life, meeting new people, moving from place to place, applying for jobs, studying, cooking food and doing her washing the ocean had kept up its monotonous flow. It’d been there before she was here, and it would be there for a long time after she was gone. She wished, suddenly, that it could tell stories, that it could share what it had seen over the millions of years it’d been rolling in and out here in Myrtle Beach.

  Juliette didn’t want to waste a moment of it. Climbing out of bed she threw the curtains wide. Bright sunlight immediately flooded her room, and she had to squint her eyes to accommodate the sudden change in light. White sand stretched down to the shore. She was going to love it here. She was sure of it.

  Downstairs the smell of bacon and coffee greeted her, and in the kitchen she found Renee at the stove. Yes. She was definitely going to love it here.

  “Good morning, honey,” Renee said, sliding bacon on to a plate. “Coffee?”

  “Mmm, yes please.”

  Juliette helped herself to the coffee pot that Renee gestured to before taking a seat at the table.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “I slept incredibly well,” she replied, “better than I have in ages.”

  “It’s easy to sleep well by the sea. It’s all that fresh air and the sound of the ocean which soothes the soul. I always tell people the ocean can cure anything and you don’t even have to set a foot in it.”

  “I can believe that,” Juliette replied. “But after yesterday I don’t think I’ll be hurrying back into the ocean for a while. I should probably learn to swim first.”

  Renee glanced at her with surprise. “You can’t swim?”

  Juliette shook her head.

  “I thought swimming lessons were mandatory these days,” Renee wondered out loud. “I thought everyone part of this generation could swim.”

  Juliette sipped her coffee, closing her eyes as the warm liquid slid down to her stomach. “Not me.”

  “There are a few swim schools in town. If you’re going to stay in Myrtle Beach for a while you really should learn to swim.”

  “Agreed,” Juliette said, “but first I need to find a job.”

  Renee spooned some scrambled eggs on the plate beside the bacon and then some buttered toast before handing the plate to Juliette. “What kind of job are you looking for?”

  “Anything really.” She shrugged. “I like working with cars.”

  “With cars?” Renee’s eyebrows shot up again. “Really? Like a mechanic?”

  “Uh huh,” Juliette replied, taking a bite of the bacon, which was so delicious she groaned out loud a little. “I’m not certified, but I know my way around an engine.”

  Renee nodded thoughtfully. “Well there are a few mechanics in town. I could point you in the right direction. Although,” and she paused now, her gaze sliding to the screen door, “Noah might have a better idea of where to start.”

  Juliette followed her gaze at the sound of stamping on the veranda. Then the screen door was pulled open, and Noah filled the doorway.

  Juliette’s mouth went dry at the sight of him, and she felt her heart do a strange little flitter flutter in her chest. He was incredibly impressive, almost demanding attention, and she could imagine that girls turned to stare at him when he walked down the street. His hair wasn’t as dark now as she’d previously thought, and the top, longer than the sides, was wavy and unruly. He must have shaved that morning because his jaw was smooth, although she imagined that by the end of the day it’d be darkened by stubble once more. Today he was dressed in dark denim jeans and a light grey t-shirt that clung to every hard plane on his body, every delineated muscle, and every ripple of firm flesh. She swallowed over the lump in her throat.

  Noah was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

  “Noah!” his mother cried, jumping to her feet and going to receive a kiss from him to her cheek. “We were just talking about you.”

  Juliette swung her eyes to Renee. “We were?”

  “Juliette needs a job,” Renee informed him as he made his way into the spacious kitchen, which now seemed entirely cramped, her head swinging between them. “She’s a mechanic.”

  “A mechanic?” Noah’s eyebrows went up, and Juliette’s mouth twitched. Until that moment she’d decided there were very few similarities between Renee and her son, but that one gesture proved they were related.

  “I’m not a mechanic,” Juliette corrected. “I just know a lot about cars.”

  Noah blinked, his eyes washing over her from head to toe. “You do?”

  “Uh huh.” Juliette bristled slightly under his perusal. She was used to people underestimating her.

  “Well then why are you driving that rust bucket out there?” He gestured out to where her car sat, parked in the drive. She’d bought it in Lexington about a year ago. She’d paid less than a hundred dollars for it and then she’d spent her weekends, when she wasn’t working at the diner, fixing it up. It had cost her a bit of money but she’d managed to completely overhaul the engine and fix up some of the upholstery. Sure, she could do with a paint job but at least she was reliable.

  “Hey, she’s okay,” she retorted, sipping more of her coffee. “She got me all the way from Kentucky.”

  “Kentucky?”

  “Juliette just moved here all the way from Kentucky,” his mother informed him, a slight warning edge to her voice, “and she plans on making Myrtle Beach home.”

  “Well not home, home,” Juliette said, “just home for the moment.”

  Noah swiveled his eyes back to Juliette and locked on her. She colored slightly under his intense gaze but refused to be put out by the burning judgment she sensed in his darkening eyes.

  In the hall, outside her room, there were pictures of Noah and what looked to be his siblings—a boy and a girl—she’d paused to examine them that morning before coming down to breakfast. It was Noah all right, but his eyes were different. The ones of the fifteen-year-old boy who grinned cheekily out of the picture weren’t the same as the troubled, haunted eyes of the man who sat opposite her now, staring at her hard.

  And why did he never smile for God’s sake?

  “So how long?’ he asked. “How long you planning on staying?”

  She shrugged. “Not sure.”

  “And you just upped and left Kentucky?” he pressed, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why?”

  “Noah!” his mother admonished, but he ignored her, leaning forward, resting his arms on the table his gaze locked on Juliette.

  Juliette smiled, meeting his eyes as she gave him a small shrug. “Why not?”

  ****

  Noah

  “Be nice to this girl, Noah,” his mother said, her tone warning, as soon as they were alone. Juliette had gone up to her room and Noah and Renee were at the sink, washing up the breakfast dishes.

  “I am being nice.”

  “No, you aren’t,” Renee sniffed. “You’re being nosey and judgmental.”

  “Well, what the hell, Mom.” He scowled. “The girl is crazy. I told you that already. Yesterday I saw her dive into the water to rescue Merve, and she can’t even swim!”

  Renee frowned. “What happened to Merve?”

  “Nothing. Nothing happened to Merve. She thought Merve was a person drowning and went in to save him.” He tapped his head. “See. Crazy.” He was starting to regret suggesting she move in with his mother.

  Renee stared at him a few moments before she burst out laughing.

  Noah glared at her, turning his attention to the warm soapy water his hands were submerged in. His mouth twitched at little at the absurdity of the situation yesterday, but he refused to let it overwhelm him. Juliette was crazy. He was sure of it.

  “So, she went in to rescue Merve and you went in and rescued
her?” Renee clarified. “Oh, that is gold! And that doesn’t make her crazy. That makes her brave.”

  “That makes her stupid,” he grumbled. “And seriously—you don’t really think she’s a mechanic, do you?”

  “What’s so wrong with that?”

  “Have you seen the girl?” he continued. “She looked like she stepped out of a Disney movie not scuttled out from underneath a broken-down Toyota.”

  “Well, mechanic or not, I think Juliette’s a breath of fresh air,” Renee replied, swiping her son affectionately across the head, “something we could both do with around here.”

  Noah frowned and turned back to his task, his mind a million miles away. He wasn’t thinking about Juliette now. He was thinking of another girl and another time and another life where he’d laughed with her, where they’d laughed together.

  “Noah…”

  “Don’t,” he warned as his mother’s soft voice trailed off.

  “I’m just saying,” she said with a heavy sigh, “it’s been a long time…”

  He turned to look at her now, his eyes dark, and heavy warning reflected in them. “Just … don’t.”

  Renee looked like she wanted to say more, but at that moment Juliette waltzed back into the room. She stopped in the doorway, her face falling.

  “Oh, I would’ve stayed and helped with the dishes,” she cried. “I’m sorry.”

  Renee waved her off. “You’re a paying guest Juliette. And besides, Noah likes doing dishes, don’t you, Noah?”

  Noah grumbled something as a reply. He peered over at Juliette. She’d braided her long blonde hair into a heavy plait that hung down her back, but a few strands of hair had escaped and were tickling her face. He knew they were tickling because she kept twitching and swiping at them although she seemed to be doing so subconsciously. Her face was flushed with color, her cheeks a rosy hue from her walk in the fresh sea air, and there were traces of sand on her skin, too. Dressed in dark jeans and white peasant style blouse, she was barefoot, pink painted toenails peeking out from beneath her jeans. She did not, he decided, look like a mechanic.