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“You’ll just have to wait and see. Now come on or we’ll miss it.”
He shed his suit jacket and tie, tossing them into the backseat.
There was a playful innocence in her tone that made him smile. Everyone, even him at first, saw the sweet exterior. And she was; kind, gentle and sweet, but he knew her naughty side, too.
Juniper grabbed his hand and led them down a wide sidewalk with remnants of sand brushing across the edges. Maybe he should have opted for sandals instead of boots.
They passed several surf shops and a couple of restaurants but the building thinned out to reveal sand dunes with patches of beach grass and a small park area nestled close ways back from the water's edge.
“Okay, we have to stop here. Close your eyes.”
He smiled. “What?” It was hard enough walking in sand when he could see. Juniper released his hand and cupped her hands over his eyes.
Her breasts rubbed against part of his back and arm with every step and if he were a lesser of a man who held his needs above his woman’s he’d turn around and devour those hard nipples right here, right now.
“Come on, trust me okay.”
He could feel her warm breath against his cheek as she spoke behind him.
She nudged him forward. “Okay, Okay.” He chuckled. “This must be one big surprise. You’re not leading me to some sex club where you’ll tie me up and do nasty things to me, are you?”
“You wish!”
“How did you know?”
She laughed the sexiest sound and God, his dick turned rock solid in an instant. Lucky for them no one else was around.
“Lucky guess, now stop fidgeting and no peeking. I promise you’re going to love it.”
He heard the excitement in her words and it reached into him.
With her in sandals with a small heel, he worried she would slip, so he walked slowly and kept a hand ready to catch her should she lost balance in the shifting sand.
“Welcome to Sandy Lane, the official name, that is.”
He caught the play on the name. “Cute.”
Her hands pulled away to reveal small potted palm trees. Lots and lots of palm trees.
“I thought so too. This part of town is a break away from all the glitz and money of LA. A hideaway I guess to people who live in this small section. This lane, really just a sideway leading to the beach, has a tradition about it that goes back to my mother’s childhood. It was started by local families looking for a way to help others back then. Now, this spot’s nickname is Wish Alley.” She beamed up at him waiting for his reaction from how she bounced on the balls of her feet.
Every tree stood neatly trimmed in large pots, strong trucks wrapped in lights, all towering over them by several feet. Juniper was right. The palms followed a trail that led in the direction of the water. The sound of waves carried and if he listened, he could hear absolutely nothing other than nature and Juniper’s light breathing.
In between the palms he caught a glimpse of the water.
“Come. We don’t have much time.”
Juniper slipped her hand into his.
“When I was a kid I used to sneak away from school and come here to eat my lunch. Fall, winter, spring, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t get enough of how calm the place was. These trees are a tradition and part of what makes our neighborhood unique. People come from all over to visit this far south of the big city for this.”
She pointed to the trees. Each frond had something white hanging from them and tied with a thin strip of blue ribbon. He stopped. Paper angels with names on them. “What do these names mean?”
“Those are names of children that need staying in school, going to summer camp, getting food on the table so they can stay in school. Lots of things. People come from all over to tie their wishes to the tree all summer long. People from town, and visitors alike all gather names of those in need and help a wish come true for someone.”
His brows pinched together in confusion. Not at children needing miracles but why there were so many left? One after another he plucked one angel then another. Before he could stop himself, he had close to twenty in his hand and headed to the next palm for more.
“No, no. Marshall,” Juniper smothered a tiny laugh. “You have such a big heart and don’t even know it.”
