26. Jamison

An outdoor party on the beach wouldn't be complete without a proper weather event. As Liam steered her through the crush of people, a storm brewed offshore, causing many partygoers to pause in their discussions and gaze out over the darkened water.

"If it pours, I'm guessing we'll get soaked, thanks to that dress."

They cut their way through the crowd to the bar sitting in the rear corner of the promenade. Their number one rule anytime they had to come to a Fairweather event was to enjoy a quiet drink together before diving into the mandatory socializing. "I'm used to being wet whenever you're around."

Liam stopped abruptly, the horrified look on his face making her want to melt into the pavement and straight into hell where the heat there couldn't possibly come as close to the burn in her cheeks.

"Are you," he blinked a few times as if he couldn't quite process what she'd just said, "attempting to flirt?"

Of course, she was trying to flirt, but damn it, she was five years out of practice. With only the romance books Annabeth loaned her as a guide, she had obviously missed the mark by a long shot.

"Uh, no?"

A smile unfurled at the corner of his mouth, and then the other half joined. It was a slow progression, but with it, her Liam returned.

"Yes, you are," he argued, his grin turning her to mush. "That was flirting."

"I promise it was not."

"And it was bad flirting. Like almost as bad as when we first met."

Pretending to be offended, she gasped and clutched her invisible pearls. "I don't know what you mean."

She really didn't. When he first came to Haven, there had been so many lame lines falling out of her mouth that she'd forgotten exactly what was said.

"Come on, you weirdo." He took her hand, and they made their way to the bar. "Let's get our drinks."

Security cameras tracked them as they went. Positioned throughout the area, each lens zoomed in on their location.

"Is he watching?"

Liam kept his face blank, shaking his head slightly as Rowan's voice came through her earpiece. "That's me. Just checking to make sure we're good."

The crowd was a minefield of the outrageous. Aliens, witches, and even a giant man baby clad in a diaper blocked their way.

"I didn't think people would take the dressing up part seriously," she shouted at Liam over the music, dodging an enormous pair of fairy wings as best she could. "I guess I was wrong."

He ducked when someone in a balloon animal costume turned too fast, and he was almost taken out by the tail. "This is insane."

"The man baby propositioned me when we got here," Izzy's voice said. She and Abe were sitting at one of the tables outside the winery. "If I can survive that, you can survive death by balloon, Cohen."

Making it to the bar, Liam ordered, already knowing what she wanted. Frozen drinks were for vacations, red wines for quiet nights in, and whites for business.

Passing her the wine, he guided them to where the pavement and greenery ended at the sandy shoreline. With the sun fully set, the white-capped waves crashing on the beach flashed every so often, the only sign of life in the night.

"Hollingsdale PD is here," he said, settling her at his side. "They're not familiar with handling something of this nature, but the second I said Fairweather, they all jumped at the chance to help. There should be a total of four spread in and around the party."

Hollingsdale, the town built off the Fairweather name. It started as a small, sleepy place sitting on the edge of the bay, but once the Fairweathers moved their operations from Haven House further east, the area prospered. Not as large as Port Michaelson, but enough to where the residents remembered that debt over a hundred years later.

"They're going to work shifts at Samuel's place, and occasionally Haven once Selah leaves tomorrow."

"We're really spread thin, aren't we?"

"Dangerously so."

Rowan cleared his throat. "I'm not picking up anything on the feeds."

"I guess we're not giving him a good enough show." Liam pulled her closer, which she didn't mind. "I'm going to kiss you and I want you to make it look good."

"Okay, bu—"

Seizing her by the back of the neck, Liam cut off her response with his lips. It was like being claimed, overwhelming her until she yielded.

And when the kiss deepened, the party disappeared, leaving just the two of them. The crowds were gone. The sounds of the bar and its staff next to them faded into nothing. There was only the stroke of his tongue against hers, pulling at their connection and knotting the tie that bound them together.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell Liam was smiling. His hand released her neck to grab a handful of her ass. With a squeeze, he pressed their bodies together, driving a whimper from her.

Rowan's voice crackled in her ear a second later. "I've got a watcher coming out of Georgia."

The party and reality came crashing in, and Liam ended the kiss. She held on to his shoulder until steady, trying to comprehend the rapid-fire conversation happening between him and Rowan.

"Not local?"

"Nope."

"As in coming from where I think in Georgia?"

"On the money. Looks like your theory was right."

Jamison shivered, the cool fall air penetrating the fading heat of their kiss. "What theory?"

"We got another one," Rowan whispered before Liam could answer. "And it's coming from here."

The arm around her waist tightened like he was afraid someone was going to steal her away. "Florida?"

"Firewater."

"Hello!"

The loud female voice startled them both, and shoving her behind him, Liam blocked her with his body. They turned as one to see Jan McKenzie from Fairweather's local PR department making her way over.

"Hey, you two!" Jan waved a napkin as she approached with a large fishbowl sized drink in her hand. Judging by the uneven gait in her walk, it likely wasn't her first for the night. "You look adorable." She halted seconds before crashing into them, her red wig tilting slightly off her head. "But Liam, what are you supposed to be?"

He shot her the same heart melting smile he used on Hillary. "Undercover cop."

"And you're a mermaid?" Jamison asked, not exactly trying to extract herself from the death squeeze she was currently in, but at least attempting to gain some wiggle room so the dress wouldn't tear. "Cute shells."

Jan shimmied in the shell bra, her wig slipping more. A large male hand came from behind to thrust the mass of red back into place. "Oh, this is my boyfriend, Eddie," she said. "Eddie, this is my boss, the infamous Jamison Fairweather, and her… erm…"

Extending a hand, Liam introduced himself. "Liam Cohen. I'm Jamison's boyfriend."

Jamison felt the word slap her square in the face. Boyfriend? They had been engaged for years, and while technically they were nothing any longer, hearing the word boyfriend set her teeth on edge.

"Nice to meet you." The men shook hands, and Eddie gently relieved Jan of her drink before she spilled it all over the mermaid costume. He wore clothing similar to Liam. Plain and boring. "This is a nice party, Ms. Fairweather."

"It is, but I had nothing to do with it," Jamison replied. "So, how long have you two been dating?"

"A couple of weeks." Eddie grinned at Jan dancing to the music. The guy was massive compared to his girlfriend's small, petite frame. He was at least six and a half feet, while Jan was a good bit shorter. The phrase climb him like a tree definitely applied here. "And it's been a trip, right, honey?"

Jan stumbled forward. "I have never had this much sex in my life," she drunkenly whispered in Jamison's ear. "The man fucks like a machine."

"Uh." Jamison patted her shoulder. She and Jan were friends, but work friends, having tackled a few projects together. None of which had them becoming close enough to share details on their sex lives. "That is so awesome for you."

"Very awesome," Liam agreed, steadying Jan so she wouldn't knock them over. "Have you guys tried the tapas stations further down the promenade?"

"Oh!" Jan danced over to Eddie, a volleyball of liquored up excitement. "Tapas! Tapas!"

"Let's go get some tapas." Eddie caught her before she stumbled into another group of people and turned them in the direction of food. "We'll see you guys later."

The camera above swiveled on its axis, following Jan and Eddie.

Liam tapped two fingers on her back. Their sign to hold for a moment. Having attended countless Fairweather events together, they used signals to work the crowds. Two to hold, three to move on, and a solid pat on the ass meant it was time to go.

She obeyed without even stopping to question him.

"Ex-military. First name likely Edward," Liam said. "Walking with the drunk mermaid."

"Yeah, I see him. He definitely is or was military with that haircut," Rowan replied. "Facial recognition is already processing."

"You're doing that on your phone?" Jamison asked, and she heard Annabeth faintly repeating the same question through her earpiece.

Rowan chuckled. "This is me," he said as if that explained everything. "Edward Hampton from Oregon. Ex-marine, now unemployed."

"Ex-Marine, huh?" Scanning the crowd, Liam nodded. "Let's see if he belongs to Sinclair."

"He's dating Jan," Jamison said. "And she's harmless."

"We'll see." Liam patted her ass. "Get ready to wiggle, worm."

She wasn't ready, and almost dug her heels in when he guided them deep into the crowd. Making their way to Izzy and Abe's table, she gripped her wine glass so hard she thought she might snap the stem.

Izzy didn't so much as glance away from Abe when they arrived. "The giant?"

"That's the one." Liam set his glass on the table. "Abe, stop looking."

Abe stiffened, snapping his head forward. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Can I help?"

"Yeah, actually, you can."

Liam released his hold, and immediately, the terror over not having him as her anchor seized Jamison. She went to follow, but he gave her a look that said to stay put.

"I'm going to talk to Rowan. Izzy is going to come with me, and you and Jamison are going to stay right here," Liam explained to Abe. "If someone approaches, watch her drink. They could slip her something. If someone speaks to her, get on your phone and pretend not to listen. We can hear everything through the mic."

Izzy stood and made her way to Rowan and Annabeth, but Liam hesitated, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I'm less than twenty feet away."

"That's too far."

"I know." He tucked her hair behind her ears, wanting her vision unobstructed. "But we're just going to see if Eddie, or anyone, approaches."

"Yes, he's going to approach," she hissed, watching Jan and Eddie fill their appetizer plates at one of the food stations. "Jan just told me he fucks her like a machine, so I think that means we're now best friends in her drunk mind, and any good drunk best friend will come to the rescue of the other if they see them standing all alone at a party."

"Abe is with you. Sit at the table with him."

"I can't!" she whisper-shouted over the music. "This dress… stop smiling, William."

He didn't listen. "I told you I didn't like it."

Downing the last bit of her wine, she set her empty glass next to his. "Go."

"I'll be back in less than ten minutes." He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and was gone.

Thunder rumbled closer this time, and Abe glanced up. "If it rains, we're both screwed."

Hell, he was right. "Liam could have at least dumped us under some sort of shelter."

"Sooooo, what's going with you two?"

"I have no clue. He is literally hot one minute and cold the next."

"He's also losing his mind trying to figure this all out." Abe rolled forward to get out of someone's way, bumping her calf as he did. "I'm sure he'll cave once things get back to normal, but I wouldn't expect him to fold too quickly."

"Thus, why I'm wearing this dress."

"Yeah, that thing looks painful."

Jamison sighed, surveying the crowd. No one was paying them any attention. Well, except for her father on the other side of the promenade. He was stuck talking to some older, bald man, but every so often, he would catch her eye and mouth, are you okay?

She nodded, letting him know she was fine.

"Ugh, I can hardly breathe in this dress."

"Poor thing." Abe laughed. "Suffering just so you can get laid."

"What about you, Angel?" she teased, knowing everyone was listening. Even Izzy. "Do you really think that outfit is going to get you into Izzy's bed?"

"Hell, yeah it is." Abe ran a hand down his shirt to smooth it out. "I look good."

He always looked good. Abraham worked hard on his body, keeping his lean frame packed with muscle. Mix in his boyish smile, and women couldn't resist. Tonight was no exception, with appreciative looks coming his way from every direction.

"If you can't land Izzy, you've got options. Little Red Riding Hood over there is practically drooling."

Abe's brows shot up. "I should go borrow Rowan's wolf mask."

As she giggled, a light tap on her shoulder had her turning. "Oh, hey, Jan."

"Hi, again!"

Eddie wasn't with her, and from the corner of Jamison's eye, a group of what had to be Hollingsdale PD loitered, sticking out like sore thumbs.

But that was okay. Their presence helped relax her a little.

"I had a question about the shrimp," Jan said, biting into a chilled one from her plate. She'd lost the wig somewhere, and her long chestnut hair blew about in the increasing wind. "Do you think your environmentalist could help with something we have going on here?"

Jamison's stomach growled as she watched Jan eat. Thirty minutes. All she had to do was stick this out for another thirty minutes, and she could go home to stuff her face. "What's going on here?" she asked. "Another jellyfish invasion?"

Red Riding Hood scampered over to talk with Abe, arching down in a way that allowed him to see all the goodies going to Grandma's house. Jan took the opening to move closer.

"No, it's the turtles. We have one more round of hatchlings to go, and they're taking their sweet time."

Jamison frowned. That was an easy fix. "The best option is to extend lights out on the beach until the end of the month. If the hatchlings aren't gone by November, call someone at the Port Michaelson marine park to come look at the nests."

"I'm concerned that if we tamper with the nests, the turtles won't return to lay their eggs."

Other than making sure the residents at their beachfront developments kept their exterior lights off at night during hatching season, the comings and goings of sea turtles had nothing to do with Fairweather Holdings. However, there were always activist groups who would make a stink, and tarnish Fairweather's already murky image. Shrimp, turtles, and then there was that flock of endangered whooping cranes early in her career. Jamison had no idea Mother Nature would become her greatest adversary in this field.

"Again, the best we can do is call in an expert at the marine park."

"Did you know that sea turtles will mate for life?" Jan asked, popping the last of her shrimp in her mouth. "It's really beautiful."

Living close to the beach and participating in plenty of school field trips to estuaries, Jamison shook her head. "Not true. Female sea turtles are monogamous, but a male sea turtle will screw any female who stays still long enough."

"I meant seahorses." Jan teetered to the side. With a little food, she was steadier, but still wobbly. "But what I'm trying to say is, I think it's great that the wedding is back on."

Perhaps it was time to invest in a small sign. Something she could post over her heart that said insert knife here whenever anyone brought up the wedding. This way, people would know exactly how to put her out of her misery. "The wedding isn't back on."

Jan's eyes sharpened, suddenly less hazy. "Oh, I'm sorry. After the whole make-out session back there, I just assumed you two were a thing again."

"Not exactly."

That answer made Jan happy. "So, there might be another seahorse out there for you."

"Uh, sure?"

Her earpiece crackled, and Liam's voice broke through in bits, but not enough to understand. Probably just him telling Jan to go to hell.

Arching up to look out on the crowd, Jan waved to someone in the mass of bodies. "The neat thing about male seahorses is that they carry the burden of pregnancy. It's their goal to find the perfect female to have babies with, and then take over the hard stuff because she's not designed to carry them."

The polite smile on Jamison's lips faded, her mouth drawing slowly into a pressed line. Abe had scooted around the table to chat with Red Riding Hood, too engrossed in the conversation to be paying attention. "Really."

"Imagine finding your seahorse. The perfect man who wants nothing more than to love you and start a big family," Jan continued. "A guy that wants to create a world for you and your babies so that they can be raised in peace."

This was wrong. She might be overreacting, but a sense of unease drifted in with the next rush of wind off the gulf, and Jamison glanced around for an escape. Right as she spotted one, Eddie appeared, blocking the way before she could tell Abe it was time to go.

"What are you girls talking about?"

"True love." Jan giggled, tucking herself at Eddie's side. "And babies."

Eddie kissed Jan square on the mouth, and for some reason, it made Jamison sick. The unease turned into a ball of dread, kicking around in her stomach until she felt dizzy.

On the dance floor behind the pair, a lone woman moved, her body flowing at an unnaturally slow rate compared to the high-energy music. The white gown she wore swirled around her ankles as she spun with her arms wide and face tilted to the sky.

"I need to go," Jamison said, unable to peel her eyes from the woman dancing. "Liam?"

When he didn't reply or appear, a cold, sickly sweat hit, and full-blown terror seized Jamison. She'd sat with her sister through so many panic attacks, but she had never experienced one herself. She couldn't move—couldn't breathe—held in the grips of this strange, dancing woman and the cottage cheese smiles of Jan and Eddie.

Cottage cheese smiles.

Fake smiles were made of cottage cheese.

Grins people used when hiding the truth behind their intentions.

Simone.

Simone always said that.

"If they look like they've got a mouth full of cottage cheese, it's usually a cover for all the bull crap they're about to spew."

Jamison didn't know where that thought came from but had never seen a more apt example of cottage cheese smiles than in Jan and Eddie.

"True love is a special thing," Eddie said, dragging her attention from the dancing woman. "But when lies overshadow the truth, a relationship can never make it. Know what I mean, Jamison?"

"I don't." The static in her earpiece kicked up. "Where are you from, Eddie?"

"Here and there," he replied. "But what I was saying is if you can't be honest with a man and share the tough stuff with him, then you shouldn't be together. Keeping the truth hidden is as bad as lying."

The surrounding crowd pressed closer, cutting her off from Abe. "Ugh, I hate when parties get like this," Jan complained, elbowing someone. "Let's leave before it gets worse. Jamison, do you want to come with us?"

"I'm obligated to stay."

Jan's purple painted lips curved. "Honey, you're not obligated to do anything. Don't you see? In the end, none of it matters." She shrugged, and one of the straps of the shell bra drooped off her shoulder. "If it's over with Liam, you're free to go out and find someone new. A real seahorse who can make it all better."

Not wanting to turn her back on them, Jamison took a step to the left to reach Abe. "Yeah, okay."

Eddie pulled Jan in the opposite direction. "We'll see you later, Jamison."

They melted into a group of clowns and vampires, seamlessly disappearing into the night.

"You are the most beautiful woman."

The whisper in her ear had Jamison freezing. She stared blankly at a man dressed as a lobster directly in front of her. "What?"

The lobster frowned, just as confused. "What?"

The voice coming from her earpiece chuckled. "It's not the lobster talking, gorgeous."

Michael.

Spinning around, she searched for Liam, but the crowd had thickened between them.

"Liam?"

"He can't respond, but he can listen," Michael replied. "So, while I have everyone's attention, let me ask, did you tell him why yet?"

She paled, and the lobster's confusion turned to concern. "Honey, are you okay?"

Through the breaking crowd, she spotted the top of Liam's head moving in her direction, and she pushed her way through a batch of witches to get to him.

"Did you tell him why you didn't call?" Michael pressed. "Didn't text? Didn't try to get him to come hom—"

"Shut the hell up, you prick," Rowan snarled in her ear. "I knocked him out of the feed. He's somewhere within a hundred miles."

Jamison didn't respond, too desperate to get to Liam. She was crying by the time they met in the crush of people, launching herself at him as lightning split the sky and a thunderous boom ushered in the fall of heavy rain.

The partygoers screamed and ran, darting into the shops or under any available cover. Burying her face in Liam's neck, she held on while struggling to regain control.

"You're okay," He shouted over the chaos, his arms wrapping around her. "Sinclair caught you off guard, but you're fine."

She wasn't fine. Liam had heard what Michael said. "I can't breathe."

Lifting her in his arms, he hustled through the rain and across the promenade to a small alcove that connected to one of the many public gardens designed by Abe.

"I've got you." He set her to stand. "He's gone."

Out of the storm, he pulled her into a hug, and they stood holding each other while the party broke up for good. Over Liam's shoulder, she saw Rowan usher Annabeth off in the direction of the bookstore.

"Annabeth?"

"She's okay," Rowan assured her through the earpiece. "We're going to hang in the bookshop until the storm passes. Izzy got Abe into the winery, and your dad is in there with them."

"We're good in here," Izzy said next. "Don't worry, Jamison. I calmed your dad down. He freaked when he couldn't find you."

Their voices were causing her head to spin, and unable to stand having the earpiece in for another second, Jamison dug the thing out. "I can't. I can't have that in my ear."

Liam snatched the device before she could send it hurtling out into the rain.

"Jan and Eddie," she said, struggling to catch her breath. "They didn't say anything outright, but I got a weird feeling, and they wanted me to leave with them."

Liam offered her a tight smile and nodded. "I'm having Hollingsdale PD tail them. Hopefully, it's nothing but Jan running her mouth."

He wasn't meeting her gaze, and alarm bells went off like a code red nuclear detonation was imminent. "Liam?"

"But we need to get back to the house."

"Liam?"

Turning away, he shot off orders to Izzy, telling her to prepare everyone to leave. "I'll have to walk," she said when he finished. "I can't run, especially in the rain."

"I'll carry you."

"What theory?" she blurted out before he could swoop her into his arms again. "What was Rowan talking about?"

The rain cascaded in sheets behind him, blurring the world, and he debated his reply for a second. "I guess it is time for us to talk."