He hesitated. “My sister.”
What could I do? Say I was sorry for his loss and then walk away? The new Holly would. She’d offer a polite smile, murmur some meaningless words of condolence, and leave without a backward glance. I took a deep breath and gripped Lily’s lead a little tighter. “Sometimes it’s easiest to talk to a complete stranger. Do you want to talk about her?” He hunched his shoulders and stared at his boots again, and I took a step forward. “My name’s Holly. Holly Jacobs. My parents died young, in a car crash, so I know a bit about loss.”
I’d known him all of two minutes. I’m not sure why I was so intent on making him talk to me, but when he met my gaze and gave a tight nod, I felt absurdly pleased. “Zack Winter.” He raised the fist with the bracelet. “It’s her birthday next week.” He grimaced. “Would have been her birthday. I was about to post it to her when I got the message. She was twenty-two years old. Twenty-fucking-two.” His eyes flashed, with pain or anger, I wasn’t sure. “So tell me, Holly Jacobs. Do you know how it feels for your baby sister to die before she’d barely lived her life?”
“No.” I kept my voice calm. “My younger brother is very much alive, although two weeks ago he very nearly killed himself in a car accident. On the same stretch of road where Mum and Dad died. When I found out, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hug him or finish him off.” Silence fell between us, and I wondered if I’d been totally insensitive. “Do you want to come back to my place and get a drink? I’m only five minutes away.”
Chapter Two
Zack stared at me for a long moment and then scrubbed his hand across his face. “I’ve got a bottle of vodka if you want to share it.” He jerked his chin up the beach toward the two rental cottages on the edge of the sand. “My place is closer than yours.” He hesitated. “The funeral’s tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind the company.”
I nodded. “We can sit on the deck, and the dogs can stay loose.” Why didn’t I walk away? He may have been a stranger, but he was hurting, and I couldn’t leave him to suffer alone. And there was something else, some indefinable quality in him that sang out to me. Tall, strong, and brooding, he reminded me of a rough sea, of immense power barely leashed beneath a veneer of civility.
We turned and set off across the sand, and I whistled for Gwen to follow us. For once she did as I wanted. I knew the two rentals, and I’d known the landlord for years. Jas now lived in Gran’s old house up the street, where we’d spent our school holidays as children. I’d always loved this quiet beachside community, but as a retreat, not as somewhere to live full time. I dragged my mind back from my own problems and followed Zack up the wooden steps to the deck of the smaller cottage. Letting Lily run free again, I sank onto one of the wooden chairs and watched Zack moving around the kitchen. He flicked on a recessed light, grabbed a bottle from the fridge, and then opened and closed several cupboards before finding two glass tumblers.
There was enough light coming from the kitchen to cast a soft illumination over the deck. Zack sat opposite me, face half hidden in the shadows, as he lined up the glasses and cracked open the bottle. I waited until he’d poured generous measures and then picked up a glass and clinked it against his. The vodka was strong and aromatic, and I sipped with care while Zack took a large gulp. For once, I was at a loss for words. Maybe just being here, offering him some silent company, would be enough?
Lily and Gwen jostled their way up the stairs to flop at my feet, and I wondered how long I should stay out before Jas grew concerned. I didn’t have my cell phone with me. I’d stormed out rather than arguing with him again.
“They’re nice dogs. Crossbreeds?” Huh? The sudden conversation took me by surprise. Zack jerked a thumb toward Lily. “Looks like she has some golden lab in her.”
“They’re Heinz 57,” I murmured.
“What’s that?”
I glanced up to see puzzlement on his face. “My bad. It’s a phrase the English use for a mixed breed. Heinz makes fifty-seven varieties of stuff, apparently.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. Did you ever think of obedience classes?”
My cheeks heated. “They’re not mine. I’m just walking them. For my brother. He’s got a broken leg from the accident.” Yeah, Holly, tell him your life story next.
Zack shrugged. “Maybe you should suggest it. It’d only take a few weeks.”
I had to laugh. “It’d take a bit more than that for these two madams. But to be fair, they behave for Jas. Mostly.” I took another sip of the vodka and rolled the spirit around my mouth. Zack poured himself another measure and tilted the bottle toward me. I shook my head in reply. “Could I be really cheeky and use your phone for a moment? I left mine at home.”
“Sure.” He dug into a pocket and produced an iPhone, unlocking it before handing it over to me.
I tapped out Jasper’s number and waited for him to answer. My eyes were drawn to the man lounging in the chair opposite. He stared into his drink as though it held the solution to all of life’s problems. One half of his face lay in shadow, light playing across the other. His cheekbones were strong and clearly defined under a fuzz of stubble. He was quite simply the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and I swallowed hard as I tried to rationalize my attraction to him. How many times had I done this? Felt sorry for someone and handed over my heart, only to have it shredded and dumped back at my feet?
Jas answered, sounding sleepy, and I quickly explained that I’d be a while, that I’d stopped to have a drink with a friend. Call done, I slid the phone back across the table to Zack, and he picked it up and flicked through some menus.
“This is her. Marnie.” He turned the phone to show me a picture of a young woman with a shy smile, peeking around a big tabby cat she held in her arms. He had the same dark eyes and hair as his sister, although her locks tumbled to her chin in wild curls. “This was taken last year when I came back on leave.” He took a slug of vodka and replaced the phone on the tabletop, Marnie’s picture smiling up at us. “It’s the last time I saw her.”
I sipped my drink for courage before asking the question burning inside me. “What happened?”
He was silent for so long, I figured he wasn’t going to answer, and I was about to apologize when he spoke again. “She fell down the stairs and broke her neck. It was only six steps into the cellar. She’d gone for firewood. Her asshole boyfriend was out and didn’t find her until later.” He rubbed his thumb over her image. “How fucking stupid is that?”
“You didn’t like her boyfriend?”
“He was a jerk. Not good enough for her.” Anger simmered in his voice. “I have this mental image of her lying there calling for help, and nobody knowing she was hurt.” He slammed his empty glass onto the wooden tabletop. “I hope it was quick.”
Before I even thought about it, I reached across and placed my hand on his arm. His gaze leaped to mine and my heart turned over at the pain in his eyes. “She’s beautiful. Tell me about her.”
With a shaking hand he poured another slug of vodka into his glass. “We came here on holiday once, as kids. Camping somewhere near here.” He took a thoughtful sip of his drink. He still spoke clearly, despite the alcohol. “Marnie said she always wanted to live near the beach. She loved the sound of the waves.” He shifted position and leaned toward me. “Do you think it would be crazy if her ashes were sprinkled into the water?”