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Five
DELILAH
The drive through the North Fork of Long Island was as beautiful as always, but things got serious after Mattituck. The road continued eastward, winding through Cutchogue, Peconic, and finally into Southold. I’d intentionally not looked up the address the florist had given me. I wanted to be surprised.
Holy shit…
Surprised wasn’t even the word for it.
“Youhaveto be kidding.”
I breathed the words as I turned onto the long, tree-lined driveway, passing slowly beneath a great, wrought-iron gate. The letter ‘J’ should’ve been centered above me, but was slightly askew. The cherry trees on both sides should’ve been well-manicured, but instead of being perfectly groomed they looked misshapen and inconsistent.
Still, the property wasenormous.And with this much acreage, in this exclusive of a Hamptons neighborhood? It could be covered in brambles and still be worth its weight in gold.
The driveway ended in a circular loop, surrounding a beautiful, multi-tiered stone fountain. There was no water though, and hadn’t been in some time. The fountain was filled with leaves, the sides streaked and stained.
Another path led straight up to the house, which towered impressively over everything. At one point it must’ve been magnificent, with dual turrets, reverse gables, and a great wrap-around porch that skirted both sides and disappeared toward the back of the home. Fancy columns held up the overhang, beyond which dozens of long, reaching windows offered incredible views of the surrounding property and the Long Island sound.
Unreal.
Whoever lived here had certainly let the place go, but there were also new signs of hope. I could hear a steady hammering, and the distant sound of what sounded like a chop-saw. Scaffolding covered the whole left side of the house, and two different trucks — both filled with lumber and other building materials — lay parked alongside a sleek black sedan.
I pulled next to the fountain, marched up the walkway, and knocked right on the double doors, which were both propped open. Almost immediately, the hammering from inside stopped.
For some reason the silence made me suddenly nervous. And I never felt nervous.
“Hello?”
The voice that called out from inside was deep, but pleasant. I saw the shifting of shadows, then one of the two men from the aquarium stepped into view.
“It’s you!”
His eyes went wide with immediate recognition. He looked so utterly shocked, I couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“Yes. It’s me.”
The bearded dad of the little blonde girl wore the tightest, dirtiest muscle-shirt I’d ever seen. Two ripped arms sprouted from a pair of gorgeously-muscled shoulders, which were even more covered in grit and grime.
“W—What are you… how did you—”
“I came to thank you for about a million flowers,” I said with a smile. “But mostly to see the boy. I needed to make sure he was alright.”
“Jace,” the man breathed. “You’re talking about Jace.”
“Is that his name?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re…”
“Liam,” he said, turning a shade redder than he already was. He extended one sawdust-covered hand, stopped himself, then wiped it on his leg a few times before extending it again. “Sorry, I’ve been—”
“Working hard,” I finished. “Yeah, I can see that.”
He was bigger than I remembered, taller and leaner and more imposing. His shirt was so tight it was ripped in places, showing off a broad, muscular back that tapered to a trim, tight waist.
Damn.
