"Depends on who's giving the little caress. Cut it out." Carolyn smiled, not taking her eyes off the traffic. "That, or I'll be forced to pull over and have my way with you."
Delighted, Carolyn heard Annelie moan quietly before withdrawing her hand. "Okay, so drive, then."
Caroyn laughed as she drove toward the beach, turning south on the smaller road following the coast. They passed the tourist-filled areas, and when the traffic thinned, Annelie pointed to the left. "What about that place?"
"Barnacle Bill's Crab Shack?" Carolyn read. "You've been there?"
"No, but it looks genuinely quaint enough to be worth a try."
Feeling her stomach growl, Carolyn agreed. She turned into the gravel parking lot, looking for a remote spot for her beloved car. Under a group of palm trees, she switched off the ignition and stretched before she opened the door.
"Still sore?" Annelie frowned. "We might have to get you to a massage parlor before you start working next week. We can't have Diana Maddox limping or flinching every time she moves."
"Very funny. No, I'm not sore—just…a little tender."
They stepped up on the large veranda that circled the house, noticing the rustic tables and chairs. The door was flung open, startling both of them, and a tall, skinny man boasting a red ponytail and mustache stepped outside.
"You like seafood?" he asked abruptly, glaring at them.
"Yes," Annelie replied, raising an eyebrow.
A broad smile spread across his freckled face. "Then you've come to the right place! Step inside where it's nice and cool, and I'll pour you a glass of our homemade iced tea."
Carolyn sighed inwardly. "You have coffee?"
"Sure do! We don't have any of the fancy latte stuff, but we have fresh-ground beans, and the brew is strong enough to knock your socks off."
"Sounds wonderful." Carolyn sighed in relief at the prospect of not having to drink tea, since she detested the stuff. "Are you Barnacle Bill, perhaps?"
"Nope, I'm Pete. His son."
Annelie smiled faintly. "There really is a Bill, then?"
"Yup, he's in the kitchen."
Carolyn had to stifle a giggle or risk offending the colorful man showing them inside.
Large ceiling fans kept the air cool around tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths. The walls were covered with postcards, odd signs, and maritime art, together with fishnets. Pete showed them to a corner booth, motioning for them to sit down before handing them worn leather-covered menus. "I'll bring you your drinks. One iced tea and one coffee?"
"Yes, please," Annelie said.
Carolyn opened the menu, and she widened her eyes at the many choices of different seafood. "I think we might have stumbled on something extraordinary," she said. "If it tastes as good as it sounds on the menu, we have a winner."
"I agree. I think I'll have the medium seafood platter."
"Me too."
They placed their order when Pete returned with their drinks, Carolyn hard-pressed not to giggle when he nodded in agreement at their choice.
Remembering the small package in her pocket, she pulled it out discreetly, holding it in her hand before raising her glance to Annelie.
"I have something for you," she began, "and I hope you'll like it."
"You do? What?"
Mutely, Carolyn pushed the gift across the table, not taking her eyes off Annelie as she took the small package. Shooting Carolyn a curious glance, she slowly removed the black-and-gold paper. When
Annelie looked at the brand name on the small wooden box, her eyebrows rose.
"When did you have time…?"
"When you were in the gizmo shop."
"Ah." Annelie carefully opened the box and lifted the cotton to reveal the item underneath. "Oh, Carolyn, it's beautiful," she breathed. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, startling Carolyn.
"Annie, don't cry." She reached across the table. "Here, let me put it on for you." She lifted from the box a white gold bracelet, a simple chain with three charms attached to it—a heart, a cross, and an anchor. Carolyn had fallen for its old-fashioned look and immediately thought of Annelie. "There. It looks wonderful on your wrist, but of course you can take it back if you—"
"Never," Annelie said huskily. "I love it. Nobody has ever given me anything so romantic."
Carolyn couldn't hold back a broad smile. "I'm glad you like it."
Annelie looked up, her face composed once again. "I do." She held on to Carolyn's hand. "I can't believe I'm here with you. I'm afraid I'll wake up and find it's a dream."
Carolyn stroked her thumb across the back of Annelie's hand. "In that case, we're having the same dream," she said. "I never thought I'd ever feel this way about anybody—and there's no place I'd rather be."
Approaching steps announced Pete's presence, but Annelie kept Carolyn's hand in hers. Whistling off-key, Pete placed their food in front of them, giving no indication he had noticed their joined hands.
"Eat and be merry," he said and walked away to greet a new group of guests.
Carolyn winked at Annelie as she tackled a jumbo shrimp. "Be merry…sounds good to me."
"Speaking of that, I picked up something for you, but I'll give it to you in the car."
Carolyn licked her lips suggestively. "Something you can't give me in public. Now I'm curious."
"I can see what you're thinking, but don't let that imagination run away with you," Annelie warned, raising her fork in mock admonishment.
"What are you talking about? What imagination?" Carolyn did her best to look innocent.
"You know what I mean." Annelie grinned. "Eat your lunch and stop trying to make me blush."
Carolyn gave a resounding husky laugh, making several people turn their heads. "All right, Annie. I'll behave and let you reveal your gift in private later."
Annelie looked down at her bracelet, the expression in her eyes softening. "It's beautiful."
Carolyn found it impossible not to smile as she gazed at the beauty before her. She leaned in closer. "It's pretty," she agreed in a low voice. "But you're beautiful."
***
Annelie had to laugh at the expression on Carolyn's face when she gave her the hands-free device for her cell phone.
"What's this?" Carolyn frowned. "You know me and tech stuff. We're not compatible."
"Yes, I know. This is to make your life easier. You plug it in here, in the cigarette lighter, like this. Then you attach your cell phone to the cord…like this…and now you can talk without using your hands. And also, it charges your phone. Smart, huh?"
"Very smart…wait, how do you mean, without using my hands?"
"All you have to do is press one button if the phone rings, and then you can just talk out loud. It's like a speakerphone. It'll make your driving safer. You can focus on the traffic around you instead of the cell phone."
"Amazing." Carolyn grinned. "And here I thought you'd bought something naughty."
Annelie rolled her eyes and laughed. Feeling a slight blush creep up her cheeks at involuntary images flashing before her eyes, she had to ask. "Naughty? Such as?"
It was Carolyn's turn to blush. "Oh, I don't know. Like massage oil, or…well, some tech toy, or something. I mean, after all, you were in one of those stores. They have all sorts of things."
"Oh, Carolyn." Annelie smiled. "If I wanted to buy something like that, I'd be a little more subtle about it. You're just teasing me."
"A little. This was a very thoughtful gift. Thanks, Annie." Carolyn leaned in and kissed Annelie's cheek.
"You're very welcome. As for the other suggestions, I'll give it some thought. I'm all for massage oils and, well, I suppose a toy can be fun." Annelie winked at Carolyn, who promptly started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
***