On Shadow Beach

by Barbara Freethy

  “Thank you.”

  “If you feel you need some tests, don’t wait too long before you see Dr. Landon.” Charlotte took off her gloves and left the room. Out in the hall, she stopped to catch her breath. Was Tim Sorensen the father of Annie’s baby? Had Erica just implied that her husband had a thing for young girls?

  Lauren had questioned her about Coach Sorensen at the shower, something to do with Abby. Had he had a thing for Abby, too? Or was she jumping to a crazy conclusion? Either way, there wasn’t a damn thing she could say or do about it.

  The only way she’d ever been able to work off frustration and anger was to bake, but around one o’clock on Monday afternoon, Lauren realized she’d gone overboard. She’d started out making a few cookies, which had segued into banana bread, blueberry muffins, and strawberry tarts. The counter was now loaded down with desserts and she had no idea what on earth she would do with it all.

  The timer went off, and she took out the last tray of cookies and turned off the oven. She blew a wisp of hair off her hot face as her father came through the back door.

  “What do we have here?” Ned asked in amazement.

  “I thought you could take cookies and muffins to Mort and your other friends, to pay people back for all the casseroles they’ve been bringing you.”

  “That was thoughtful of you. But I’m not sure I have enough friends to eat all this,” he said with a grin.

  Her father seemed in good spirits, with no trace of his forgetful paranoia from the night before. That was the problem with this disease. It was easy to get lulled into thinking things weren’t that bad, because between episodes her father acted perfectly normal.

  “Have you been at the café all this time?” Her father’s routine included a trip to Dina’s Café every morning for breakfast and cards with the boys.

  “I stopped by my old shop. Walter Brady’s grandson is going to run it into the ground if he’s not careful, selling things for half price for no good reason.” Ned paused as a knock came at the back door. “Can you get that? I need to use the bathroom.”

  Lauren opened the door, surprised to see Shane on the step. A little thrill ran through her, and as his dark gaze swept across her body she felt heat rise within her. One look and she remembered everything—the way he’d kissed her, touched her, moved inside of her. She pulled in a sharp breath. “What are you doing here?”

  “Picking up your father,” he said tersely. “He asked me to take him out on the water for a few hours. Don’t worry, I didn’t come here to see you.”

  “I wasn’t worried.” She didn’t like the cold awkwardness between them now, but she could hardly blame Shane for not being happy to see her. She’d flat-out told him she didn’t want him in her life only a few hours earlier.

  Shane’s jaw dropped as he walked into the kitchen. “Are you getting ready for a bake sale?”

  “I thought I’d pay back some of the people who’ve been kind enough to bring my father food the past few months. When did you and he make your plans? You didn’t say anything this morning.”

  “I ran into him an hour ago. It was a spur of the moment invitation. I know how he likes to get out on the water, and I’d rather take him than chase him down again.”

  “That’s generous of you.”

  “It’s not a hardship. I like your dad.”

  “You have more in common with him than I do,” she said, realizing how true that was.

  Shane shrugged as he grabbed a peanut butter cookie off a plate on the counter. He popped it in his mouth and finished it in two bites. “These are great. I’d forgotten how good you were at making cookies.”

  “It’s not that difficult.”

  “What’s with the sudden modesty? You used to brag that you could be the best baker in town.”

  “That wasn’t much of an ambition, was it?”

  His gaze narrowed. “What does that mean?”

  She shrugged. “It’s not saving the world, or doing something important. I forgot to tell you yesterday that I found out my father had put some money away for Abby. He wanted to fund her dream of becoming a marine biologist.”

  “Sometimes your father is an ass.”

  “You just said you liked him.”

  “I can’t believe he told you that he gave Abby money.”

  “He didn’t tell me, Chief Silveira did. He found the one-time cash deposit on the day of Abby’s murder to be interesting in some way.”

  There was an odd gleam in Shane’s eyes. “The day of her death, your dad put money in her account?”

  “For college. He didn’t want my mother to know about it.”

  “The timing is a little odd.”

  “I think it’s just a coincidence. It makes sense he’d do it, though. My dad and Abby were super close. They loved the same things and he wanted her to have the education his parents couldn’t afford. And she deserved it. At her funeral, every person who spoke talked about how much promise she had, how it was so wrong that someone with all of her potential could die so young, and I kept thinking, they’re right. It shouldn’t have been Abby.”

  “If you say it should have been you—”

  “I wasn’t going to go that far, but Abby was special, and I don’t think I fully appreciated her. She was my often annoying little sister who shared my room and took my stuff, and used up all the hot water in the bathroom every morning.”

  “And that’s the truth, too. People are not one-dimensional. Abby had her faults.”

  “It’s hard to remember what they were now.” She paused. “Neither Chief Silveira nor Mark Devlin thinks that Abby was killed by a transient. They believe someone in town murdered her, someone she knew.” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine who that would be.”

  “I heard what you said about me at the shower yesterday,” Shane said. “My mother told me you stood up for me.”

  “It was long overdue.”

  “Still appreciated.”

  Her father reentered the room, looking happy. The eagerness in his eyes took ten years off his age. “I’m ready to go.”

  “We should take some cookies with us.” Shane sent Lauren a hopeful look.

  “I’ll put some in a plastic container for you,” she agreed.

  “Why don’t you come with us, Lauren?” her father suggested. “I bet you haven’t been on a boat in a while.”

  She’d been on one the night she’d arrived, to chase him down, but she didn’t feel like putting a damper on the day by reminding him. “You two don’t need me.” She glanced at Shane, wondering what he thought of the invitation.

  “You can come if you want,” he said, as if he didn’t care either way.

  “Come,” her father urged. “It will be good for you to get some fresh air.”

  Only a few hours ago she’d decided that she wouldn’t see Shane again, yet here she was, considering another invitation. But her father would be there, and maybe it would be good to spend some time with him in his element.

  “All right,” she said. “Just let me put the food away and I’ll be ready.”

  * * *

  It was a perfect day for a cruise, Lauren thought. The sun was out, the wind was down, and the waves were gentle. Her father sat on the bench, his gaze fixed on the horizon, pure joy in his expression. When he lifted his face to the sun, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, he seemed completely at peace with his world.

  “You made his day,” she told Shane, who stood at the helm, his hands light on the wheel.

  “I’m glad I could help.”

  “You’ve taken him out before, haven’t you?”

  “A few times,” he replied with a casual shrug. “We’ve done a little fishing together since I came back to Angel’s Bay.”

  “Did you talk about me?”

  He gave her a lazy smile. “We mostly talked about catching fish, what kind of bait to use—fascinating stuff.”

  She slid into the chair next to his. They were passing around the point now, and she cou
ldn’t help noticing the odd markings on the rock wall, as well as a group of spectators gathered above. “What’s going on at the cliff ?”

  “A few months ago, Henry Milton’s grandson took a video of what looked like angels flying around the point, carving symbols or some kind of map into the rock face. People have been going there ever since, to see the angels or say a prayer or figure out if the rocks are trying to tell them something.”

  She tilted her head, studying the cliff face. “I see a woman with long hair flowing out behind her.” Abby’s face flashed through her mind, but that wasn’t Abby’s picture on the wall. “I guess angel sightings will always be a part of this town.”

  “I don’t believe in angels,” Shane said.

  “Or much else.” Shane had been a cynic as long as she’d known him. “It’s funny how different you and Kara are. She seems to have endless faith.”

  Shane didn’t reply, but she didn’t really expect him to. He’d been willing to share his body with her, but heart and soul, definitely not.

  She turned her gaze toward the horizon as they headed farther away from shore. They sailed for almost ten minutes without saying a word. The waves grew a little rougher, and she put out a hand to steady herself. Her hand came down on Shane’s arm rather than the chair next to her, and she quickly removed it. “Sorry.”

  “You never have to apologize for touching me,” he said, his hand reaching out for hers.

  She wanted to resist, but his fingers squeezed hers in a reassuring grip. His warm smile caressed her face, and she couldn’t pull away.

  “I feel like a fish,” she said abruptly. “Your smile, your hand, your touch—it’s the bait, and I keep taking it, and I keep getting reeled in.”

  “Not very easily. You’re putting up a damn good fight.”

  “If that were true, I wouldn’t be here so soon after my declaration of independence this morning.” She paused, her gaze meeting his. “But I don’t think you really want to catch me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because long-term, intimate relationships scare the hell out of you.”

  “That’s a sweeping statement.”

  “Has there been a long-term relationship in the past decade?”

  “Hard to have one, when I wasn’t in one place for more than a few months at a time.”

  “It was your choice to move around. If you wanted a different kind of life, you could have had one.” She gave him a thoughtful look. “Are you really going to stay in Angel’s Bay? How could it possibly be enough for you?”

  “Maybe it won’t be,” he said shortly. “My plans are—fluid.”

  “So you’re leaving your options open. That doesn’t surprise me.” Shane had never been one to commit. She could give him everything he wanted, and he still might leave. She’d known that at seventeen, and it was still true. She pulled her hand away from his. “I’m going to sit with my dad.”

  She made her way to the stern and sat next to her father on the bench seat.

  He opened his eyes and gave her a joyous smile. “There’s nothing better than this, Lauren.”

  “It is nice,” she agreed. “Reality feels a million miles away.”

  “If I could choose my own way to leave this world, it would be to get in my boat and head out to sea. I’d find the perfect, bluest-blue water, miles from land, where the fish practically jump out of the ocean, and I’d just stay there—drift away.”

  It was a nice fantasy, but she didn’t think it would work that way. “You’d have to deal with storms, illness, lack of food and water. You’d be alone, too.”

  “I don’t feel alone on the sea. Nature is my company—the birds, the fish, the wind, the clouds, even the rain.”

  She couldn’t imagine sailing anywhere by herself. She’d be terrified.

  “It’s okay, Lauren. You don’t have to get it.” He patted her hand. “You have your mother in you. She always felt better on land. Now Shane, he gets it. The sea runs through his soul.” He nodded his head toward Shane, who stood with his back to them.

  “Why don’t you still dislike him?” Lauren asked. “You once thought he had something to do with Abby’s death. What changed?”

  “I was blinded by rage. I regret that.”

  “So you don’t believe he could have hurt Abby?”

  “No. Because he loved you,” Ned said, his gaze meeting hers.

  “We were kids back then. We didn’t know what love was,” she said, dismissing his words.

  “What about now?” her father asked quietly. “You’re not kids anymore. And when you have a second chance at love, you should take it. Think of Leonora and Tommy.”

  She smiled. “You’re such a romantic.”

  He smiled back. “So are you, deep down. Abby hated reading through those old journals. She wasn’t much of a history buff.”

  “No, she wasn’t,” Lauren said. Maybe she and her father did have something in common, after all.

  Shane called her name, interrupting their conversation, and she walked back to the helm. He slowed the boat down and pointed out several dolphins sliding through the water with grace and speed.

  “Beautiful,” she breathed.

  “Yes,” he agreed. But he wasn’t looking at the dolphins, he was looking at her.

  And with that smile, he reeled her in just a little bit more.

  THIRTEEN

  It was almost five o’clock when Lauren and her father returned home, although her dad wasn’t staying there long. Lauren had begun to realize that despite his declining mental condition her father led an active social life. He had a circle of male friends, most of whom were either widowed or divorced, and they spent a great deal of time together. Tonight he was meeting his gang at Murray’s Bar for dinner, beers, and a football game on the big screen.

  She, on the other hand, was at loose ends. She needed to keep herself too busy to go looking for Shane again, so before her father left, she broached a difficult subject.

  “Dad, I was thinking I might do some cleaning and organizing around here,” she said. “I could pack up some of your older clothes and give them away to charity. I could also go through Abby’s clothes.”

  Her father’s happy smile faded. “Thought you’d just throw that in there, did you?”

  “Just the clothes and shoes—nothing personal, no mementos. It has to be done at some point, and if I’m not here, who will do it? Wouldn’t it be better if I did just a little now? I won’t change the room. I’ll just go through the closet.”

  Her father hesitated for a long minute. “All right, but don’t touch her desk or her bed.”

  “Okay, good.” She felt relieved with the small victory. As her father walked into the living room, she grabbed a roll of trash bags out of the closet and headed down the hall.

  A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. She heard her father say he’d get it and then he was leaving.

  Her ears perked up at the sound of a female voice, followed by footsteps coming down the hall. She expected Charlotte or Kara, and was surprised to see Lisa Delaney in the doorway. Their last conversation hadn’t been particularly friendly.

  Lisa stepped into the bedroom and the blood drained out of her face. She put a hand on the wall to steady herself. “Oh, my God! I—I didn’t know that the room was still the same. I thought your parents cleaned it out long ago. It’s like Abby never left.”

  Her gaze moved to Abby’s bed. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes grew misty. “I can almost see Abby sitting there, holding that stupid bunny, and talking a mile a minute.” Lisa walked across the room to the bulletin board and touched the concert ticket there. “We were supposed to go to this together.” She turned and looked at Lauren, at the trash bags in her hand. “Are you clearing the room out?”

  “I’m going to start with the closet.”

  “Can I talk to you in the other room? I can’t stay in here.”

  “Sure.” Lauren followed Lisa down the hall and into the living room. “Ar
e you all right?”

  “Not really. How can you stand to be in that room?”

  “I’m getting used to it. Do you want to sit down?”

  “No, I just wanted to apologize for being so abrupt yesterday and for what I said about Shane, even though I still think it’s true. But I didn’t mean to snap at you when you asked about that Saturday night.” Lisa glanced toward the hall, as if she were afraid Abby’s ghost would suddenly appear. “Maybe we could talk on the porch.”

  Lauren opened the front door and ushered her outside. “Better?” She felt far more sympathetic to Lisa than she had the day before. This was the girl she remembered, the one who’d been Abby’s best friend, who’d cried buckets of tears when Abby died.

  “Yes, thanks. I didn’t expect to see Abby’s room looking exactly the same. It’s like she’s just out for a walk and will be right back.”

  “It shook me up, too,” Lauren admitted. “My father couldn’t let go of her things. I’m going to try to get a little organization done while I’m here.”

  “How long will that be?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” Lauren leaned against the porch railing. “I never thought you’d stay here, Lisa. You always said this town felt too small to you.”

  “It still does, but I’m too lazy to make any big changes. My mom moved a couple of years ago and left me the house. I work at the Blue Pelican, and I have a boyfriend. He runs the bar. We’re thinking about getting married.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, I just wanted to reassure you that Abby wasn’t doing anything wrong before she died. I know that movie producer wants to make it seem like she had some big, dark secret, but she didn’t.”

  “I’m really happy to hear that.” Lauren hesitated, not sure if she should ask, but this might be her only chance. “Did Abby have a crush on someone?”

  “She had crushes on lots of boys. She was fifteen. It was a new guy every week. You remember high school, don’t you?”

  “Do you know who she had sex with?” The question had been nagging at her ever since Joe Silveira had told her Abby wasn’t a virgin.

  Lisa’s eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know she had sex?”