To Be With You

by Daphne Abbott

  “Well, you already know my answer,” Lucy said. “Where’s the pen? I’ll sign this now.”

  I smiled and handed her a pen. “I’m only sorry it took me this long to offer it to you, Luce.”

  Lucy finished signing the contract and looked up. It shocked me to see a serious expression on her face. “I understood your doubts.”

  “I’m sorry I had them at all. You’ve been running the marina for years and handling the renovations, and the opening of the restaurant this year has to have been a challenge.” I reached out across the table and covered her hand with mine.

  “No, you had a right to question me. I’d been acting like a brat. Just look at the way I treated Ruby for so long.” Lucy turned and gave the other woman a small, sad smile. “I’m just glad she’s a decent person and forgave me.”

  “You weren’t that bad.” Ruby’s cheeks were turning a pretty shade of pink. “Besides, I can’t blame the mood considering the shit between you and Hunt that went on.”

  I saw Lucy flush, and I cut off the conversation before it turned into a trash Caleb Hunter session. “Ruby, I’d really love it if you’d join us. But I’ll understand if you want to take some time and talk to Gray before you give me an answer.”

  “Are you kidding me? He’s been pushing me to get a different job for months. We just got the new house, and I know he can afford it, but it’s so much more expensive, and I feel like I’m not contributing. But if I took this job, we’d be more equal.” She snapped her fingers at Lucy. “Gimme the pen. I’m signing too.”

  * * *

  After going over logistics with Ruby and Lucy for an hour, Ruby left to get her sisters, and Lucy had to check in with something at the marina. We’d ironed out start dates, salaries, and expectations, which turned out better than I’d expected. Then I’d left to meet Gavin for dinner and let him in on all the details.

  When I got back to the little red cottage, the lights were out, and there was no car in the garage or in the drive. I checked my phone, and there was no message from Fabián or Callum. Not that I expected one. I just assumed that my fight with Cal would ruin the budding friendship I’d enjoyed with Fab.

  Another thing to hate myself for.

  In the kitchen, I found a note from Fabián that said he’d gone to Chicago for the weekend to meet with their PA, Jolene, but he’d be back on Sunday night.

  Since I was alone again and it was still early, I changed into a pair of leggings and a soft tee I’d stolen from Cal that had RISD printed across the chest. Then I took my laptop and work bag up to the loft office to finish ordering some decor for the bride and groom suites.

  I got so absorbed in my work that it was after midnight before I looked up from my laptop. A knot had formed in the center of my shoulder blades, and my eyes were so dry it felt like they were burning every time I blinked.

  “Fuck.” I groaned as I stretched my arms above my head to relieve the tension in my back.

  There was nothing else to be done that couldn’t wait till tomorrow, so I closed the laptop, grabbed the glass of water I’d brought up, and headed down the steps. Exhaustion was creeping in now that I’d stepped away from the computer, which worked for me because last night I’d lain awake till dawn, thinking about the mess I’d made of my relationship with Callum.

  To chase away my unease, I’d left lights burning in every room of the cabin, which had seemed logical. But now, it required me to walk around with my phone firmly in hand and darken every room one by one. The eerie feeling I’d battled for weeks followed me like a ghost and made me even more frustrated.

  When I got to the master bedroom, my heart rate was going as fast as if I’d run a mile. Every sound of the house settling made my hair stand on end. My thumb hovered on the phone, and I contemplated calling Lucy to come over.

  But Lucy had made her opinion of the breakup known as she walked out the door that afternoon. She accused me of being stubborn and short-sighted; two things I repeated were her own problems with love. She’d only laughed sadly and agreed with my opinion, then warned me that second chances weren’t forever. They had expiration dates.

  If I let Callum Waite leave Eagle Creek without making amends, I’d never get a second-second chance. But how could I make amends when I’d been the architect of his heartbreak twice? I’d have to do some serious groveling.

  How the hell did I grovel?

  Chapter 27

  Callum

  The phone rang, vibrating the bedside table so hard the sound of the rickety wood woke me before my ringtone registered in my brain. Eyes still closed, I reached out for the phone and fumbled it twice before I got it to my ear.

  “Yea?” I croaked.

  “Where are you?” It was Liam, and the panic in his voice zapped the last of the sleep from my brain.

  I bolted upright in bed. “My parents. Why?”

  “Liv with you?”

  “No. We uh–No.” I kicked the covers from my legs and ran to the duffle I’d tossed on a chair in the corner. I pulled out the first pair of pants I could find and began shoving my legs into them. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m on duty tonight, heard a call come through over the radio. EMS, Fire, Sheriff, we’ve all been called in,” he paused, and I thought I’d die from fear in that tiny space of time. “It’s the Van Ess House. She’s burning down.”

  “Fuck!” I jammed my feet into shoes and grabbed the rental car keys off the dresser. “Where’s Liv?”

  “That’s why I’m calling, man. I rang her as soon as I heard the call, but there’s no answer on her cell or at the cottage phone.” Liam’s voice was rough with worry, and I understood the fear because it was the same one rolling through my veins.

  “What about Ruby or Lucy? I can call them.”

  “Sadie already did. No one’s seen or talked to her since Gavin had dinner with her at the Nest. That was six hours ago,” Liam said. “Look, I gotta get to the scene. First responders are already there, saying it could be a total loss. Can you go to the cottage, see if she’s just sleeping with the phone off?”

  “Yeah, of course.” I was already running down the stairs, heedless of the racket I was making. “I’ll let you know when I find her.”

  I jumped into the SUV and hit the phone button on the steering wheel as soon as my cell paired. “Grayson Archer.”

  Gray sounded wide awake, which made me feel less shitty for calling at such an hour. “Gray, it’s Callum Waite. Look, long story short, the Van Ess house is burning as we speak, and Olivia’s nowhere to be found.”

  “I’m aware. Sadie called Ruby. We’re already up and in the truck driving to the mansion.”

  “Can you re-route to Priscilla’s house? Liv and I had a fight two nights ago, and I’ve been staying at my parents while she’s at the cottage alone. She was acting weird even before that fight, and I’m worried. Can you check to see if she’s with Pris and Pru or maybe even Ida? I don’t have their numbers, and I’m on the way to my rental cottage.” With each second I wasted on the phone, I felt my anxiety intensify, but I knew I had to keep it together for Olivia’s sake.

  “You got it. We’ll connect with Hunt and Lucy, who are also out looking. Let you know if we see or hear anything,” Gray replied, and we hung up.

  I pushed the button one more time, and Fabián picked up on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”

  “Van Ess House is burning, and Liv’s nowhere to be found.”

  “We’re on our way,” Fabián replied and hung up.

  There was no doubt in my mind he’d pack up Jolene and be on the road within minutes. It would be nearly an eight-hour drive from Chicago, but they’d make in six.

  I only hoped this night was over by then.

  * * *

  Olivia

  I had a lot of flaws, but stubbornness and a refusal to seek help were high atop the list of my wors
t traits. It was that perfect storm of bad habits that had led me to the mess I was in at that very moment.

  I’d gone to bed hours ago, sure that the exhaustion from a long day of work would put me to sleep. Instead, I’d repeated the process from the night before. Stuck in a loop of self-doubt and recrimination that’d lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

  Around three in the morning, I’d gotten up intending to make a pot of that foul-tasting sleep tea. But when I’d walked through the living room, faint lights across the water had grabbed my attention. I couldn’t see the details of where the lights were coming from, but it was obvious something was going on at my house.

  Instinct had kicked in, and I’d run back to the bedroom for a pair of pants and the bat I’d threatened Callum with. When I got to my car and started driving, I thought about calling Callum just to make sure it wasn’t him out there. But I decided against it just in case the lights were a figment of my sleep-deprived brain.

  The drive around the lake didn’t take long, and by the time I got to the entrance of the mile-long driveway, dread had taken root in my gut. I didn’t believe in magic and mojos like my cousin Pris, but I believed in trusting your gut.

  So, I turned the headlights off on the car and drove as slowly as I could up the gravel drive. As an extra precaution, I rolled down my windows and poked my head out to listen, for what, I didn’t know, but it felt like something I should do.

  As I crept around the first bend in the road, the house came into view. There was no sign of the lights and no sounds of human activity from this spot. I doubted what I’d seen from the deck at the red cottage. Then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.

  Moonlight glinted off two vehicles parked at the base of the small hill that led to my front drive. I would have missed them had it not been such a bright, cloudless night. Two black sedans tucked in between the tree line and a massive dogwood shrub I’d meant to get trimmed for weeks.

  I drove a little further down the road and pulled into a gap in the trees. From this spot, I could see the cars more clearly, and it was obvious no one was anywhere nearby. I reached for the phone in the cup holder and cursed when my hand met dead air.

  My heart plummeted, and my false bravado popped like a balloon. I felt paralyzed by the situation I’d put myself in. I was in a car in the middle of my woods, ten miles from town and four miles from the nearest house. I had no cell, and no one knew where I was. Plus, it terrified me to turn the car back on in case it brought whoever owned those two sedans after me.

  My best bet would be to walk through the woods to the Boy Scout camp nearby. They would have a phone or a radio I could use to get a hold of the cops.

  “Just do it,” I muttered to myself. “You were brave enough to drive here. You can get your ass out there and over to the camp.”

  My pep talk didn’t work, probably because I’d seen too many stupid girls die in slasher films. Of course, that thought made the idea of going out into the woods even more terrifying. I sat in petrified silence for a few more moments.

  Then I noticed the smell of smoke.

  No longer worried about the people in the cars or my lack of phone, I got out of my car. I took a wide arc around the cars and circled around the back of the hill toward the lake and the newly refinished boathouse. Luckily, I had the bright moon and stars to help guide me through the trees. Though I worried it would make it easier to spot me as I snuck through the forest.

  The smell of smoke got stronger as I neared the house. Without a doubt, I knew those cars belonged to the person or persons who’d ruined Hunt’s RV. Whether they were the same people who’d stolen tools and supplies from the job site remained a mystery, but my money was on it all being connected.

  When I got to the boathouse, I was happy to see no one around and the structure still in place. Because I was curious about my enemies, I slipped into the building, then climbed up to the loft to get a better look at the house and grounds. I knew it was probably a waste of time, but I wanted to see the people responsible so I could press charges.

  If I got out of this alive.

  No. I couldn’t think like that. Nothing with the sabotage or creepy vibes I’d been getting felt like I was mortally in danger. The fire added a level of danger, but if I was cautious and stayed far away from the vandals, I’d be fine.

  The window at the end of the loft was covered in years of grime and cobwebs, but it opened when I flipped the locks and pushed on the sash. Cool night air washed over my face, carrying the scent of the lilacs planted nearby and the smoke that was billowing out of the basement of my house.

  “No,” I whispered, then choked on my emotion. “Damn it, no!”

  I could see in the distance two figures walking back and forth on the brick patio near the base of the house. One was taller than the other, though not by much, and both had wide shoulders and heads, which meant it was a good chance my assailants were men.

  Like that was a surprise.

  As I watched, Thing 1 was waving his hands at Thing 2, and Thing 2 was not happy about the subject. The smaller one was pacing and shaking his head like he couldn’t believe the things Thing 1 was saying. I was tempted to call out at them, but my anger wouldn’t do me any good. If I wanted these two caught, I needed to keep my head on straight and wait for the right opportunity.

  I noticed that the fire didn’t seem to engulf the entire house. Yet. If I left now, maybe I would have time to get to the camp next door and save the house from collapsing. I exited the building as quietly as I’d come in and went back out into the night. The moon was still bright, so it was easy to plot my moves without being seen.

  The two people continued to argue as I got closer, and it was clear the voices were male. And to my horror, I recognized both.

  “… think you’re doing? The house is on the national register!” This came from my dad, and I was shocked to find him at the scene of a crime. Especially the scene of a crime that directly affected his daughter.

  “You said you didn’t want her to complete the job.” This came from Kevin, and the tone of his voice creeped me out more than any slasher film ever could. Kevin sounded robotic and detached, like he had no responsibility or understanding of the fire that was ruining the foundation of my house. “All I did was make sure the bitch had a reason to quit.”

  “I said I didn’t want her to complete the job because I didn’t want the house to turn into spectacle. I never told you or anyone else to do anything to her or the house.”

  Fascinated by the discussion, I crept closer and hid behind an ancient cement urn. The biggest question was the extent to which my father was involved. And how did Kevin factor into this? I’d never seen them together, and they didn’t run in the same social circles.

  “She said you did.” Doubt was creeping into Kevin’s voice. “She had a voicemail on her phone from you.”

  “She?” Dad stopped pacing and turned to look at Kevin. “Who the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Mary Beth McPherson.”

  The name hit me like a semi-truck. Though I’d suspected Mary Beth of nefarious dealings, this was beyond anything I’d imagined. Could the land deals Kevin mentioned weeks ago have something to do with this? But how? The area they were buying up was miles away and not connected to my land or the lake.

  “Are you kidding me?” Dad said. “What the hell does that old crow think she’s doing?”

  I couldn’t see Kevin’s face in the dark, but I could hear the confusion in his voice. “She said that you were helping her and her husband to buy up land to put resorts on each lake in the chain. She said you were selling the Van Ess House to her and Bill just as soon as you could get Olivia to give it back to you.”

  “The MacPhersons tried to destroy my daughter and drag the Van Ess name through the mud. Why would I ever work with them?”

  A tiny part of me wante
d to believe that dear old Dad cared about me just as much as he cared about our name. But I had years of proof to the contrary.

  I didn’t need to listen to the argument anymore. I knew the players and their game for financial gain was unfortunately not that surprising. What I needed to do was get to the damn camp before Kevin’s fire destroyed my house.

  I risked moving closer to the house once I passed the men, and I peeked into the window. I couldn’t see flames, but the scent of smoke and smoldering wood was strong. I wanted to go inside, but I couldn’t risk the chance of getting hurt or caught by Dad or Kevin.

  I turned from the house and found the trail that led to the camp. I sent up a prayer to any deity that would listen that I would save my house and started running. Pushing myself harder than I ever had in any cross-country or marathon I’d ever run.

  A gunshot rang through the silence of the forest, and even though my heart felt like it would hammer out of my chest, I kept running. Time was ticking, and now, a life was on the line as well as my dream.

  I would not let that bitch Mary Beth MacPherson win.

  Chapter 28

  Callum

  I didn’t find Olivia asleep in our bed at the red cottage. The mussed sheets were cool to the touch, and it looked like she’d left in a hurry because her purse and phone still sat in their usual place on the table near the garage door.

  I locked up the house and started toward the Van Ess House while I checked in with the others. Fab and Jo were still hours away, but thanks to Jo’s sporty little BMW, they were making good time. Gray and Ruby confirmed Olivia wasn’t with Pris and Pru or Ida. Nor was she with Liam or Gavin when Lucy and Hunter checked.

  Out of ideas and options, we all agreed to head to the manor to see if she turned up there. As I drove, I ignored the urge to spiral into a terrifying game of “what if.” I couldn’t even entertain the idea that Olivia was hurt, or worse, because I would not put that kind of energy in the world.