Shelter Harbor: Sinner Part 3

"I know what you're doing, Mr. Hammond," she says with a huff.

"Oh yeah?"

She swallows, putting on a mean face, but her cheeks are still blushing bright red. "I know what you see in me."

I grin. "I know what I'd like to see in you."

Her face gets even redder, if that was even possible, before she swallows it back. She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders.

"I can promise you, Mr. Hammond-"

"Mr. Hammond is my dad."

"Your dad is Reverend Hammond."

"Rowan is fine."

Her mouth goes tight. "Fine, Rowan. I know what you're doing."

"Well don't leave me hanging."

Her mouth tightens. "Well, I just want to let you know you're wasting your time."

"Doing?"

"Doing your darnedest to try and tease me."

I grin, the beer halfway to my lips. "Did you honestly just use the word 'darnedest'?"

"It is not going to work, Mr- Rowan."

"Oh it's not?"

"No, it's not."

"Sure about that?"

"I'm not the sheltered little church girl you think I am," she says tightly, eyeing me.

"Oh, of course not."

I step out from under the bar and move to lean against the side of it in front of her, dangling the key.

"I'm not some sheltered little-"

"No, of course not you're not, which is why you look so comfortable in a place like this."

"This place is a dump."

I laugh. "Aww, careful now, you'll hurt my feelings."

She gives me a look.

"It's also why you looked like I puked on your bible when I said the word c.o.c.k."

She visibly stiffens, her mouth going sour.

"See?"

"I do not, I just don't need to see that or hear that sort of vulgarity."

I roll my eyes.

"The key? Please?"

"Not at all thrown off or fl.u.s.tered, huh?"

"I told you, I am not the sheltered little-"

"f.u.c.k am I hung over as s.h.i.t!"

We both whirl at the sound of Jade's voice from the back hallway.

I snort.

Jade, wearing just a pair of boxer-briefs and a sports-bra as she shrugs a t-shirt over her disheveled hair.

"f.u.c.k me f.u.c.king sideways," she croaks out.

Evangeline peeps - an actual peep sound, like a baby bird.

Jade's head jerks up. "Oh, hey," Jade says groggily at her, turning and giving me a half grin and a raised brow before glancing back at church-girl. "You spend the night too?"

The front door slams open as Evangeline goes bolting out of it.

I sigh and take a sip of my beer.

Like I said. Master of first impressions.

Chapter Three.

Evangeline

I'm ten steps away from that horrible bar, that girl, and from that horrible man when I stop.

Because I also realize that I'm heading back to the rental house without the key that we need to actually get inside of it. And I don't have the key because I totally just ran out of there like a freak show.

What am I going to do, not go back with the key?

"No Dad, I didn't get the key from the nice minister's son because his p.e.n.i.s was hanging out."

My mother would faint.

My father might.

"Hey, hang on!"

I spin around to see Rowan jogging down the sidewalk, still in just a pair of jeans, barefoot.

"What?" I snap.

He laughs as he comes to a stop in front of me. "Did you want the key?"

"I asked you ten times for it."

"Well, but then you left without it. Sort of sends a mixed message."

I level my frown at him and he grins, shaking his head. "Sorry about Jade."

"And I am sorry for waking you and your- your- girlfriend." I let the words tumble out. "I just needed the key, and your father said you had the only copy, and that you knew I was coming over, and-"

He laughs. "Jade? Trust me, not my girlfriend. Nothing like that."

I turn redder, frowning at the thought of, well, whatever they are.

"It's none of my business, I just-"

"Believe me, I'm not exactly her type."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I don't have a v.a.g.i.n.a."

My eyes go wide before I can stop them, and he laughs. "Uh oh! You're in Ma.s.sachusetts now! Better watch out! We've got gays up here you know," he smirks, like he thinks he's hilarious. "I know you guys don't really do the whole gay thing down in Bible-land, but up here-"

"I don't not do the gay thing."

I can see the shot I've set him up for before the grin finishes unfurling across his face.

"No," I say sharply, pointing a finger at him. "Don't."

He laughs. "What?"

"Whatever crude, disgusting comment you were about to make."

"My lips are scissored. Uh, sealed."

I roll my eyes, looking away.

"Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"Did you get that impression as well?"

He smiles. "Let's try again, huh? I'm even wearing pants this time." He holds his hand out. "Hi, I'm Rowan. Our dads are friends and I think we're probably going to be working together a lot this fall on this church s.h.i.t."

I sigh. "This church s.h.i.t-" I bite my tongue at the swear, forcing myself to be cordial. "I'm Evangeline. You can call me Eva."

He takes my hand, and I resist the sudden urge to shiver. "Nice to meet you, Eva. You want that key now?"

"That would be great."

He pulls it out of his back pocket and drops it in my hand. "All yours. Don't throw too many parties in the place. I know you bible-thumpers like to get wild."

I grin in spite of my best efforts not to as I turn and march away from him.

"Oh, right, welcome to Shelter Harbor, church-girl!" he calls after me.

I bite back the grin as I round the corner.

"Did you stop for lunch?" My father snaps at me as he stands from the front steps leading up to the porch of the rental house.

"No, sorry, I just-"

What, I just had to navigate the most obnoxious, crude, disgusting man I've ever met? Not to mention the most naked one?

I smile at my father. "Rowan was doing his paperwork for the business - taxes and payroll and stuff. I didn't want to disturb him until he was done."

My father's frown softens. "Good girl, Evangeline. That was good. The Lord smiles on patience."

I nod, smiling back at him as I hand him the key. I have no idea why I lie about Rowan to my father's face like that, but there it is.

Welcome to Shelter Harbor indeed.

"You father's just tired from the trip, dear," my mother says quietly, placing a hand on my arm before picking up her suitcase and following him up the steps into the house.

"This town smells like fish."