Gertrude, her nanny, hadn’t been able to reach them because her dad was in an important, no interruptions style of meeting, and her mom was having some type of procedure done—probably Botox—and hadn’t had her phone on her.
The second time they’d said it had been when Lucy died. At the funeral, her mom had leaned toward Cassidy and whispered that she loved her.
It had been so subtle that Cassidy had wondered if she’d imagined the words. Or if she longed to hear them so badly that she’d engaged in wishful thinking.
Cassidy hadn’t watched TV much as a child, but from the little she’d seen, the commercials had stood out to her the most. Each one had images of a perfect family with a loving mom and dad who took their kids to the park. Whose faces beamed with pride as their kids graduated from high school. Of parents who offered grace and forgiveness when their child scribbled on the walls or got involved in a fender bender.
Cassidy’s parents had been none of those things. They’d mostly been absent, but the times they were with her, they weren’t really with her. Her dad was on the phone with work. Her mom was planning parties or redecorating her house, as she seemed to do every two years.
It was amazing that Cassidy had the capacity at all for warmth and connection.
At least Gertrude had shown her love and affection. Cassidy still thought of her nanny as a second mom, though in truth she was more of a mom than Cassidy’s real mother had ever been.
If she married Ryan one day, she was going to be following in her parents’ footsteps. Wasn’t that what people did? They gravitated toward what they knew because, even if the familiar was bad, it was also comfortable and expected. Though Cassidy had vowed not to be like that, she was headed exactly down that same path.
That realization wouldn’t leave her. It had captured her thoughts earlier this week as well, almost like some kind of wisdom from someone bigger than herself was speaking to her conscience.
“Let me walk you back.” Ty started toward the steps with Cassidy, a hand on her back.
Oh no. More time with him? That was a terrible idea.
Cassidy paused and pressed her hand gently against his chest. “You know what? Stay with your parents. I’ll be fine.”
Ty opened his mouth like he wanted to say more. But then shut it again and nodded as his gaze searched hers. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, we can talk later, okay?”
He nodded again, though it looked reluctant. Relief rushed through Cassidy. Right now, she just needed space from him—at least until her head stopped spinning. Ideally, she’d forget that kiss all together. Not likely, though.
She rushed through ankle-deep water—a mix of rain and ocean overwash—to her house. Once inside, she found a note from Skye. “I’m tired, so I turned in early. See you in the morning.”
Cassidy had never taken Skye for someone to turn in so early, but stress could probably cause that also. Cassidy wasn’t going to complain about it right now, because she needed some time alone.
She sat on her couch and pulled her purse into her lap. Her hands trembled as she pulled out her hidden phone. She needed to talk to someone.
Ryan.
This wasn’t about Ty. Not really. Sure, Cassidy had never felt such a jolt from a simple kiss before. And the fact that she was feeling anything toward Ty should be a sign that she wasn’t ready to be with Ryan.
This phone call was about the fact that Ryan had chosen to hide his relationship with Cassidy, putting his upcoming election for prosecuting attorney first. It was about the fact that Ryan was a workaholic. That they were dating more because of logic than any type of connection.
There needed to be a balance, didn’t there?
With her heart lodged firmly in her throat, Cassidy dialed Ryan’s number. Again.
She remembered the pictures of Ryan with his new paralegal. Did that woman have anything to do with his inability to call Cassidy back?
Cassidy wanted to say no, yet something inside her screamed yes. She had no evidence. No proof. Just pure gut instinct.
The phone rang and rang and rang some more. But there was no answer from Ryan.
As the line went to voicemail, she cleared her throat. This was never the way she’d intended on doing this, but Ryan had left her no other choice.
“Hey, it’s me. Listen, I haven’t been able to get in touch. I hope everything is okay. I just wanted you to know . . . you and me . . . we just need to call it quits. I think we’ve both known it for a while. There are a lot of reasons, starting with the fact that we’ve been apart more than we’ve been together. My time away . . . well, it’s shown me some sides of myself that I need to change. I think it would be better if we went our separate ways. Sorry to leave this as a message, but I haven’t been able to catch up with you. I wish you the best, Ryan. Bye.”
When Cassidy hung up, a huge weight felt like it had been lifted from her chest.
It was time she made some changes in her life. Cassidy didn’t want to go back to Seattle and act like the same person she’d left as. That wasn’t even possible.
Her time in DH-7, her time here on Lantern Beach . . . both had changed her.
And she needed to figure out what that meant.
Ty felt as if he’d touched electricity. He’d tried to wipe his feelings from his expression as he’d stood there with Cassidy on the deck, but the woman was insightful. Surely she’d seen the surprise—and maybe even enjoyment—on his face after their brief kiss.
Had she felt the same thing he had?
All those thoughts had come to a halt when he realized his mom had texted the picture to Cassidy’s phone. Whoever had taken the device had just been handed irrefutable evidence about who they were.
Which meant he needed to keep an eye on Cassidy.
If the man who’d come into the produce stand had been the one behind the blood at Buddy’s place . . . then Cassidy—and Ty—could both be targets now.
“Cassidy’s nice, Ty,” his mom said as they washed dishes. “Very nice.”
Guilt panged through him again. Tell her the truth.
Yet it had been so long since he’d seen his mom this happy. He hated to ruin that. His mom just wanted Ty to have what she and his father had together. They were happy. Best friends. Companions.
But Ty doubted that would ever happen for him. What his mom and dad had was something only a select few experienced. What made Ty think he was lucky enough to be one of those people?
“Cassidy is nice, isn’t she?” Ty slipped a platter back into his cabinet.
“Can you see yourself spending forever with her?”
Ty nearly dropped the plate he’d just picked up from the drying rack. “I think you’re rushing ahead a little bit.”
“Am I? When you know, you know.”
A cloud formed over him as his thoughts shifted. “I thought I knew with Renee.”
“You know I never liked her from the start,” Mom said.
“You’ve never liked any of my girlfriends.” It was true—none of them were ever good enough or right for him, according to Mom. She’d tried to be kind each time when breaking the news to Ty, but her message was always loud and clear: she didn’t approve. Now, the one time Mom did approve was with a girl Ty wasn’t really dating. Go figure.
“I like Cassidy.”
Well, there was that.
“I’m not in a hurry, Mom. We haven’t been dating that long.” Only two days officially, and that was still questionable. He lowered his voice as his thoughts shifted. “How are you feeling lately? Do you have any more appointments coming up?”
He almost didn’t want to ask. He’d rather avoid the subject. Yet he had to know. He needed to face reality, however ugly it was.
“I have my six-month follow-up next week, as a matter of fact. I already had the blood work done for it before I left. If this one goes well, I’ll be considered cancer free.”
“That’s great.” He prayed for good news. He more than prayed for it—he
yearned for it with all his being.
“You know how your dad gets all worked up every time these appointments roll closer,” she said, lowering her voice. “That was another reason I suggested we come here. I thought it would be a good distraction.”
“I’m glad you came, Mom.” He kissed her forehead, praying again that the appointment went well. His mom and dad deserved some peace in their lives—a period of walking through the Land of Promise instead of through the desert.
Tell her.
Ty opened his mouth, guilt—rightful guilt—getting the best of him. He’d prided himself in being honest and virtuous. What had he been thinking with this ruse? It was so unlike him.
“But you know what?” His mom turned to face him.
“What’s that?” Ty turned toward her.
“I know I’ll sleep so much better at night knowing you’re not here all by yourself. Man isn’t meant to be alone. That’s why God created woman.”
Ty shut his mouth and shut away his thoughts of confessing.
But that didn’t stop the regret from pounding at his temples.
Chapter 15
Today’s Goals: Pinch pennies until the rain clears and ice cream sales resume. Keep asking questions. Don’t kiss Ty again.
Cassidy woke up the next morning feeling more well-rested than she had in months. She hadn’t realized how much dating Ryan had left her feeling unsettled. But apparently she’d known deep inside that it wasn’t right. She’d just chosen to ignore those feelings.
She climbed out of bed, hopped in the shower, and then went to grab breakfast.
The bad weather had let up for a little while, but forecasts had said it would be raining off and on all week. This wasn’t boding well for her paycheck. And, yes, Cassidy needed her paycheck to survive here.
She hadn’t had time to secure any money before leaving, and the little she’d had on her would run out quickly without some supplementation. If worse came to worst, she could ask Samuel to wire her some funds, but that wasn’t without risks. She’d rather do this on her own.
She grabbed a granola bar and poured herself a glass of almond milk before sitting at the breakfast bar. As she glanced out the kitchen window at Ty’s house, she spotted him and his father walking toward the beach with fishing poles in hand.
She smiled at the sight.
That was what family should be.
She looked away and took another bite of her granola bar. She wanted to formulate a plan for today. Unofficial goals: she wanted to track down Buddy Macklemore—or the man who’d looked like him, at least. She might want to pay another visit to that produce stand. And she wanted to know if Buddy had any friends he’d hung out with while he was in town.
If there wasn’t some resolution to this soon, she feared Skye might have a breakdown. Her friend wasn’t handling the accusations well, and the rain had made it nearly impossible to work at the produce stand and keep her thoughts distracted.
Stay low-key, she reminded herself. Don’t draw any unnecessary attention to yourself.
She had to repeat that to herself at least ten times a day.
After she finished her breakfast, Cassidy decided to check on Skye just to make sure she was okay.
She gently knocked at her door. When there was no answer, Cassidy twisted the knob and prodded the door open.
Sunlight filled the room, revealing . . . an empty bed.
An empty bed? What?
Cassidy rushed into the room, looking for a sign of where her friend had gone. As she reached the nightstand, she saw a piece of paper there and snatched it up.
I’ve gone to follow a hunch. Be back soon. ~ Skye
Cassidy’s stomach dropped. Just where exactly had Skye gone?
She didn’t like the sound of this.
Ty and Cassidy sat across from each other on her deck, not even the balmy wind rushing over them offering any comfort.
They’d called everyone they knew, and no one had seen Skye. Cassidy had even called Skye’s niece Serena in Michigan. She hadn’t heard from Skye but promised to call if she did.
“Where could she have gone?” Cassidy mumbled.
“I can’t believe she would do this.” Ty shook his head. “It’s just not like her.”
At the sound of heavy footsteps, their heads turned toward the noise. Austin appeared, taking the stairs by twos and revealing his work jeans and boots. He was a handyman in the area, and one of Ty’s good friends. The man looked like he could host one of those shows on HGTV, with his long dark hair that he pulled back in a ponytail, a fit build, and chiseled cheekbones.
“Anything?” Austin looked wired and ready to pounce at the first sign of bad news. It showed in everything from his voice to his posture.
He cared for Skye, didn’t he? Cassidy had known the two of them were good friends. Skye had told Cassidy that she liked the creative, artistic type. Cassidy had never thought of Austin that way, but . . . maybe Skye did. Or was Skye even aware that Austin had feelings for her?
Ty shook his head. “No, no leads so far.”
Austin sat down hard in a chair across from them. “So you’re thinking she took off last night?”
“She left me a note last night telling me she was going to bed early,” Cassidy said. “I thought it was weird that she was constantly sleeping so much, but I figured it was the stress of it all.”
“But she really left that note to throw you off, so you wouldn’t know what she was actually doing,” Ty said. “She has more guile than I thought.”
“But her car is still here,” Austin said.
“My bike is missing,” Cassidy admitted. “The only thing I can figure is that she took it.”
“Why would she take your bike instead of her car?” Austin asked.
“That’s a great question.” Cassidy couldn’t figure it out either.
Austin leaned toward them, his concern still wrenching the joy from his eyes. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“Before dinner last night,” Cassidy said. She’d stopped by briefly to get a sweater before heading back to Ty’s. “Skye seemed a little stunned still but like she was doing okay.”
“Maybe we should split up and go around town, asking business owners and anyone else if they’ve seen her,” Ty said.
“Sounds good. I’m in. I’ll call Wes. I’m sure he’ll help also.”
Cassidy grabbed her keys, ready to do her part when Ty stopped in front of her and shook his head. “I’ll drive.”
Not this conversation. Not again. Why did they seem to have it every time they were together?
“We’re splitting up,” she repeated.
“We’re not splitting up.” He pointed his fingers back and forth from Cassidy to himself, a rock-like demeanor hardening his body.
“But it makes more sense.”
He shook his head again. “Not when we consider the fact that your photo went out last night and the person who stole your phone may have seen it.”
“Your photo went out also.”
“But I can handle myself.”
Cassidy wanted to argue that she could handle herself as well, but she knew how that would sound. There was no earthly reason, in Ty’s mind, for him to believe she could protect herself in a dangerous situation.
So she had no choice but to comply, whether she wanted to or not. All for the sake of her cover.
“Fine, but I still think I’d be okay.”
He leaned closer, not backing down an inch. “Besides, there’s still a flood watch and parts of the highway are covered. My truck makes more sense than your sedan.”
Again, Cassidy couldn’t even argue with him. “Let’s go then.”
It looked like another bad day for selling ice cream. Poor Elsa was going to start feeling neglected if this weather didn’t change.
As if on cue, “The More We Get Together” started blaring from the truck’s speakers.
Cassidy shook her head. That truck . . . it was like she had a mind of her
own.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact her original owner had been found dead inside.
Cassidy laughed at herself. No, of course not. The thought was crazy.
But if Elsa kept playing music on her own, Cassidy might become a believer.
Cassidy and Ty hit several businesses before finally stopping at the Crazy Chefette to talk to Lisa. Their friend met them at the door, her worry obvious amidst the orange splatters on her lab coat. Another food experiment, most likely. Perhaps one that had gone wrong, based on the smell of smoke lingering in the air.
“Anything?” Lisa wiped her hands on a towel before flinging it over her shoulder.
Cassidy shook her head, wishing she had better news. “No one has seen Skye.”
“Have you heard anything here?” Ty scooted to the side as a man and woman exited the restaurant, complaining that it was hard to breathe inside.
“I’ve been asking around, but it’s the same,” Lisa said. “No one seems to know anything. Granted, business here is really slow right now with all the rain and flooded streets. There haven’t been a ton of people in here, but I’ve asked everyone I’ve seen.”
“Keep asking.” Ty’s hands went to his hips like a soldier surveying a battlefield. “You never know when something will turn up.”
“You guys have tried her phone, right?” Lisa asked, worry lines forming at her eyes.
Cassidy nodded. “Several times. We’ve also been by the van stand. Nothing.”
“I just wish I could leave and help.” The lines on her face deepened. “But two people called in sick with a stomach bug and . . .”
“You’re doing a fine job here,” Cassidy said. “Just keep talking to people.”
“I will.” But Lisa didn’t look convinced. No, she frowned, and her gaze had a far-off, distracted look. “But I’m having trouble concentrating, if you can’t tell. I burned a whole pan of cauliflower bread.”
Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set Page 29
