Free The Newcomer (Thunder Point) by Robyn Carr Page B

place—the folks had to return to work. But there were twenty of them including Cliff from Cliffhanger’s and his wife, Aunt Lou, Ray Anne, Stu from the diner and his wife, Belinda. Landon got a pass from school to represent Sarah, who had to work. A few of Rawley’s neighbors showed up. Carrie and Gina brought a couple of big trays of cold cuts, cheeses, olives, pickles, sliced tomatoes, lettuce and red onion. Some of Carrie’s small sandwich loaves and condiments were placed on the table. There were seven covered dishes that could be frozen—each one bearing the name of the contributor so the dishes could be returned. “If you just bring them by the diner whenever it’s convenient, Gina will see they get back where they belong,” Carrie suggested.
    Rawley showed up at the beach bar first thing the next morning and his whole face looked different. He had not expected this kind of outpouring from folks he felt he knew only in passing. “Ain’t this place something?” he asked Cooper.
    Cooper shook his head in wonder. “It really is something,” he agreed. “You okay on your own for a while? Like a few hours?”
    “Take a day off if you want,” Rawley said. “I got things covered.”

Five
     
    A nother April day had dawned bright and clear. Four days after the funeral, Sarah finally had a day off. Leaving Rawley in charge, Cooper got out the Harley and took it to Highway 101 and drove the five miles to the exit to Thunder Point and to Sarah’s house. When she opened the door, she was just drying her hair, fresh out of the shower. She wore jeans and a T-shirt and her feet were bare—she was barely dressed and that made him smile.
    “Well, Mr. Cooper, this is a surprise,” she said. “I don’t usually see you this early unless I walk across the beach with Hamlet.”
    “I thought I’d take you into the hills to see the wildflowers—all that rain was good for something. I thought we’d just get out of town. But, seeing you, I’m having some second thoughts....”
    “Are you now?” she asked with a laugh.
    Cooper stepped inside, slipped his hand around to the back of her neck and pulled her lips onto his. She parted her lips for him, embraced him and he gave the inside of her mouth a healthy taste. “We haven’t made love in a while,” he pointed out to her.
    “It’s been a few days,” she admitted. “But I want to see the flowers.”
    “You will. You will. But first I want to strip you naked, kiss every inch of your body, turn you on, stir you up, make you scream my name...at least twice.”
    “Only twice?” she whispered, breathless already.
    “Then I’m going to put you on the back of that Harley and take you to see the flowers on the hillsides. And vibrate all your tender lady parts so you’ll want me again.”
    She laughed at him. “Cooper, you are such a sweet talker.”
    “Let’s not talk right now,” he said. “Let’s talk after.”
    She took his hand to lead him to her bedroom. The bed hadn’t even been made yet. She stood beside the bed and said, “If you’re going to seduce me, you have to undress me.” Then she slid a hand over the crotch of his jeans and said, “Quickly.”
    “Maybe we don’t have to be quick today,” he said. “Maybe we can be slow and easy and—”
    And she laughed. He loved the sound of her laughter and hadn’t heard enough of it lately. “We’ve tried that,” she said. He lifted the T-shirt over her head and her hands went to the snap on his jeans. “It takes about three minutes for me to start begging and you to start delivering.”
    “I have to admit, I do like that part.”
    Lately he’d been concerned; Sarah had been quiet. Too many times he’d looked at her and found her staring off at nothing, distracted by some deep thought. Or he might say something and she’d miss it, her mind wandering. He knew something had been bothering her and now he knew it was not the inspection at the Coast Guard station.
    And yet, when they were