Page 91 of Courting Danger

“Today was perfect,” he declared as they headed up the steps, the dogs scrambling after them now that they’d been freed from their screened enclosure.

“You can say that again,” Danger said.

When they reached the top, Ocean went inside, returning with two of the dog beds they’d brought home from The Pet Emporium, and arranged them between the deck chairs so Grunge and Diesel wouldn’t have to lie on bare wood. Kermit pulled a chair closer to them, and Roan did the same, so they’d be close enough to pet them whenever they wanted. Pope had even installed a wooden gate at the top of the steps, so they didn’t have to worry about the dogs spotting something on the beach and taking off after it if they got excited.

“That is the most fun I’ve ever had on the beach without getting in the water,” Ocean admitted.

“You guys didn’t have to do that,” Danger admitted. “But I appreciate that you did. Getting to play today erased the sting of having to wait to wait nine more days before I can get these stitches out.”

“Thanks for inviting us over to join in,” Kermit said. “I rarely get to have pet play dates.”

“Now we can have them all the time,” Ocean said. “It’s so cool that you guys live less than a mile away.”

“Next time, we’ll have you over,” Sunshine said.

She’d smiled more today than Roan had ever seen her do. When they first met, he’d been low-key terrified of her scowl and the way she had of commanding everyone’s attention with a glare or an ear-splitting whistle. Now, she was just another awesome new friend he was getting to know better, along with Kermit, whose artwork was etched into her skin. Ocean had even asked if Kermit would draw something for his next board, which had made the man blush just as much as he’d grinned when they’d started discussing design ideas.

That he’d asked for an octopus wearing ruby slippers had earned them both a side eye from Danger, who’d muttered about never living down the whole Wizard of Oz experience everyone likened his misadventures in the grocery store to.

“Well, you will never believe who stopped in at Joker’s Wild yesterday, asking how a certain person was doing,” Sunshine said as she pulled iced teas from the cooler and started passing them around.

“I’m curious,” Pope said. “Who?”

“Garrett Reed,” Sunshine replied. “Until the roof fell in, he was the butcher down at the grocery store. He couldn’t stop raving about how Roan and Danger jumped in when the shit hit the fan and worked with the employees to help make everyone comfortable and keep them safe. Turns out he rides a beast of a Harley but has always been a bit leery of anyone in a kutte after some of the stories he’s heard. After seeing Roan give a terrified little girl a pink poodle to help soothe her when the thunder got loud, and Danger and Roan carrying folks who couldn’t quickly make it to the back, he realized there was a whole different side to the people who wore them. He spent a couple hours shooting pool and talking to folks in the clubhouse and accepted an invitation to join the Chapel Point ride next week. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future.”

“Cool,” Roan said. “He offered to put our carts in the back to keep everything cold, and the little girl’s mom’s too. Her name was Tessa. I hope she was able to find diapers somewhere. She was worried about running out in the middle of the storm, which was why they’d come out to try to get some before it hit. Everyone there was amazing. I hope they get the store rebuilt too, so the employees won’t be out of work for too long.”

“No worries there,” Sunshine said. “Plans are already being drawn up, bids are being submitted, and the owners were so grateful and relieved that no one was seriously hurt or killed thatthey pledged to pay their employees lost wages until they could return to work, and their insurance is covering the rebuild. They also gave bonuses to the employees who were there that day and worked to keep the customers safe.”

“As well they should,” Danger said. “Those folks were top-notch, every last one of them. Didn’t hesitate to use the stock on hand, juice, fruit, lanterns, batteries, or whatever else was needed; the manager told them to use it without hesitation.”

“That dude was a rock; he never blinked, never wavered, just did what needed to be done, and when it came time to go out in the rain, he was one of the four who volunteered,” Roan said. “Not once did he expect his staff to do something he wasn’t willing to do.”

“The hallmark of a great manager,” Sunshine replied, while Pope nodded in agreement.

“Speaking of managers,” Danger said. “I’ve got a hell of a lot more down time now that Teddy is handling the office paperwork at Jokers Wild too.”

“He’s whipped Jester’s Delight back into shape, from everything I’ve heard,” Sunshine replied. “Did it swiftly, decisively, and without hesitation. Brought new talent in too, which they desperately needed.”

“And on that note, dinner is served,” Pope said after determining that the meat was properly rested.

One by one they went to the table, where there was a spread of food ranging from green goddess pasta salad to succulent shrimp and beef, and filled their plates. There were deviled eggs too and baked beans that were swimming in a beautiful brown sauce. Roan got a scoop of everything, but knowing that there would be dessert later, he didn’t want to stuff himself too much and have to miss out. With the sun beginning to cast a gorgeous red hue across the water, they settled in to enjoy the food andwhatever topics of conversation cropped up over the course of the meal.

“You know,” Sunshine began, gazing over at Roan, “your treasure chest inspired me this afternoon. Joker and I have been thinking about getting a couple of metal detectors to take along on our evening walks, but I kept putting it off. Today was such an amazingly chill, and yet exciting, day of discovery that I’m going to go ahead and order a few.”

“Do you still have one around here somewhere?” Danger asked Pope.

“Hmm, yeah, tucked away in the closet in the mud room with those sifting pans you loved,” Pope said. “I know I took the batteries out so they wouldn’t go bad and mess up the interior, so it should work just fine. Wouldn’t hurt to upgrade though, so we have more than one.”

“I still can’t believe that perfume bottle was down there perfectly intact,” Sunshine said. “I’m not sure if it’s from the sixties or the seventies, but it’s certainly vintage. It was enough to make me wonder what else has washed up and gotten buried here.”

“I’m all for relaxing evenings spent combing the beach,” Pope said. “Some days I spend so much time behind the desk that my ass feels like it’s falling into a state of stasis and will never recover. Nothing like a long walk to loosen up the muscles and clear the brain.”

“Well, we can always start from our end and head your way and meet in the middle to give the boys some time to hang out before we sweep our way home,” Sunshine suggested. “I’m sure they’d love the opportunity to show off their treasures to one another and splash in the surf, especially as the days get hotter.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Pope said. “I’ll order more metal detectors tonight.”

“And I’ll order ours,” Sunshine said. “Who knows, we might even find enough interesting bobbles and bits for a display at the historical society.”