Page 31 of Unearthed Dreams (Sable Point #3)
Chapter Twenty-Six
CHARLIE
I shifted positions on my beach blanket, trying to find an angle where I could actually see my Kindle under the merciless August sun. The novel I’d been attempting to read—one that normally would have had me completely engrossed—kept blurring beneath the glare.
“Oooh, what are you reading?” Tessa’s voice carried over the sound of waves lapping at the shore. She lounged on a ridiculously expensive-looking beach chair, massive sun hat shading her face, looking like she’d stepped out of a magazine spread. “Is it steamy? Give me the dirty details.”
“It’s just—” I started, but Natalie was already reaching into the cooler, cutting off what would have been a fumbling explanation.
“Let her read her smut in peace,” Natalie said with a knowing smirk. “But first, drink with us. It’s summer.”
She pulled out three cans of EdenTree’s summer berry cider, and I accepted one gratefully, condensation immediately beading against my palm.
The truth was, I’d been staring at the same page for twenty minutes, my mind refusing to focus on anything except Chase’s wild eyes in the bookstore two days ago.
“It’s not smut,” I protested weakly, but my cheeks flamed as I remembered some of the more... descriptive scenes I’d flagged to reread later. Scenes that reminded me of certain mornings in Kai’s apartment...
“Your face says otherwise.” Tessa stretched out on her chair like a cat in the sun. “Come on, share with the class. Some of us are stuck with husbands who think harvest prep is more important than beach days.”
My phone buzzed beneath my Kindle, and I casually adjusted my position to check it.
KAI
Missed you in my bed this morning, pretty girl.
Since we’d planned to head out for brunch before our beach day, I made sure I was in my room at Mom and Dad’s, as expected, when the girls met to pick me up.
“Look at that blush!” Tessa crowed. “The book must be good.”
I quickly locked my screen, pulse racing.
Had Chase told them everything? Was this whole beach day just an intervention in disguise?
Every laugh, every knowing look between them suddenly felt loaded with possible double meanings.
I found myself analyzing their expressions, searching for any sign they knew about Kai.
“It’s just... warm out here,” I managed, shifting my weight on the blanket. The exposed feeling of sitting on the beach made me want to crawl out of my skin. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape if they suddenly confronted me about sneaking around with the town’s bartender.
“Where’s Elena today?” Natalie asked, sliding her designer sunglasses onto her head. “I thought she was joining us.”
The playful atmosphere shifted subtly. Tessa’s smile dimmed as she fiddled with the rim of her hat. “She’s just dealing with some stuff.”
The casual way she said it felt rehearsed, like she’d been using that explanation a lot lately. I caught Natalie shooting Tessa a questioning look, but Tessa just took another sip of her cider, avoiding eye contact.
“What kind of stuff?” I asked, trying to sound casual while my mind raced through possibilities.
“Just... stuff.” Tessa’s Her tone made it clear the subject was closed. “She’ll be fine.”
A jet ski roared past, sending waves slapping against the shore, but it couldn’t quite drown out the sound of a familiar truck engine. We all turned to watch Chase’s beaten-up Ford speed past on the coastal road, heading toward town.
“It’s not even noon,” Natalie muttered.
“Has he seemed...” I paused, searching for the right words, terrified of revealing too much. If Chase hadn’t told them about catching me with Kai, I didn’t want to draw attention to his recent behavior. But if he had... “Different lately?”
My heart hammered as I watched their reactions, looking for any flicker of recognition that might mean they knew what had happened at the bookstore. Knew about Kai. Knew everything.
“Different how?” Tessa asked, but her tone suggested she knew exactly what I meant .
The memory of Chase stumbling into the bookstore hit me again—the chemical smell clinging to his clothes, the wild look in his eyes, the cruel words he’d spat at me and Kai. I swallowed hard.
“I don’t know. Just... not himself?”
“Chase has always been Chase,” Natalie said carefully. “You know how he gets sometimes.”
“Yeah, but this feels...” I trailed off, not sure how to explain without revealing what had happened at the bookstore. Without exposing my relationship with Kai.
“Worse,” Tessa finished for me, her usual vibrant energy subdued. “I know.”
My phone buzzed again.
KAI
Any sign of him today?
CHARLIE
Just saw his truck heading into town. Going way too fast.
Tessa sat up in her chair, adjusting her hat. “Something must be in the water.” She glanced pointedly at the lake mere feet away. “Between Elena being weird and Chase being... extra Chase-y, I’m on edge, and not in the kinky way.”
Natalie snorted into her cider. “Everything’s kinky with you.”
“Not lately.” Tessa sighed dramatically. “Elliot’s too busy with harvest prep to properly scandalize me.”
But the humor felt forced, like we were all trying too hard to maintain the illusion of a normal girls’ day.
KAI
Be careful if you see him
Call me if you need me
The protectiveness in his words made my chest tight. I wanted to tell Tessa and Natalie everything—about Kai, about Chase at the bookstore, about how scared I was for my brother. But some secrets weren’t mine to tell.
Kai valued his privacy, and I valued his life.
Who knew what would happen if my other two brothers found out what I’d been up to.