Page 56 of Chasing the Sun

“Hello.” Kit waved a hand in front of my face. “You okay?”

I forced a very unbothered, completely fine, not-at-all-horny nod. “Yep!”

Kit’s knowing smile made it clear she wasn’t buying it.

The distant wail of wind cut through the night, sending a ripple of unease through the thinning crowd. I swallowed, shifting closer to the group of Keepers standing off to the side.

Helen’s voice dropped lower, spinning the final part of the legend.

“... and on nights like this, when the fog rolls in and the moon is hidden, some say you can hear her crying—the Lady of the Dunes, still waiting for the man she lost to the sea.”

Another gust of wind whispered through the trees.

I wasn’t scared, not really, but when another low, eerie sound rolled through the night, my stomach clenched, and I reached out, gripping something hard beneath my hand.

I looked down to see my fingers curled around Cal’s scarred, tattooed forearm.

Solid, warm, and unmovable.

I expected him to jerk away, to tease or to smirk, but instead, he went still. So still I could feel the shift in his breathing, feel the slight, tense flex of his muscles beneath my grip.

The warmth of him sank into my palm, searing my skin.

A slow, excruciating beat passed.

Then his voice came, low and unreadable. “Scared, Darling?”

I swallowed hard. Too hard. “Pfft.” I let go too fast, crossing my arms. “No. Just”—I cleared my throat—“making sure I didn’t trip on those rocks.”

His gaze dragged slowly from my legs back up to my face. “Right.”

I turned away, pulse hammering, heart lodged somewhere in my throat. Kit snickered beside me and I jabbed her ribs with my elbow.

A familiar voice cut in. “Hey,” Austin said, stepping up beside Callum. We exchanged smiles and head nods as he stepped in line with us.

Helen and my sister Selene started passing out information about the Lady of the Dunes as the tour came to a close.

Austin leaned toward Cal. “Hey, that woman over there? What do you know about her?”

Kit perked up immediately, glancing between them to find Austin looking right at our sister Selene.

Callum flicked his gaze toward Austin. “Why?”

Austin shrugged, casual but a little too interested. “She seems ... interesting. Thought maybe you could introduce me.”

Kit’s eyebrows shot up, and she leaned toward me to whisper, “Ooooh. Selene’s got a hot younger man on her tail.”

I bit back a giggle but shushed her. “Leave her alone,” I whispered, but I would tuck that interesting little nugget away for later.

Callum, however, didn’t react beyond a slow exhale. “Maybe another time, man.” Cal turned to walk toward the inn.

Kit and I hung around near the fence line while the tourdispersed. When it ended, I hugged my sisters goodbye and lingered outside as the last of the crowd disappeared.

Crossing my arms, I breathed in a lungful of night air before glancing toward the Drifted Spirit. Cal was staring at me, his cat weaving a path between his legs.

I stared back, watching Callum watch me.

I rested my butt against the new porch railing of the cottage. With the dunes at my back, I watched and waited.