Tidewater Inn

by Colleen Coble

  She picked up a piece of paper. “What’s this about? It’s a note from Mindy asking her to meet Brent for parasailing. Look, Mindy was going to go with them. She didn’t mention that. I think we need to ask her how many times she saw Nicole. She hasn’t been up front with us.”

  “I’m going to tell Tom about it too. Something isn’t right about all of it. I think Mindy knows more than she’s telling. Brent too.” He stretched his arm across the back of the sofa. She was sitting close to him. Was it on purpose?

  “I’m so tired of trying to figure this out.”

  Her hair tickled his arm. All he had to do was drop his arm around her and pull her close. What would she do if he tried it? Slap him? He felt as though he’d known her forever. They’d spent more time together in the past four days than he’d spent with the last woman he’d dated for two months. The fragrance in her hair was wonderful. Vanilla maybe? Sweet and enticing. He leaned a fraction of an inch closer and inhaled.

  She must have heard him, because she turned her head and lifted a brow. “Is something wrong?”

  “I was just smelling your hair,” he said, his voice soft.

  She didn’t slap him. In fact, she leaned a little closer. “Vanilla shampoo,” she said.

  Her breath whispered across his face. With his right hand, he reached out and twisted a curl around his finger. “Nice,” he said. With the back of his hand, he caressed her jaw. His gaze was caught by the glimpse of a necklace under her collar. “Is that Ray’s?”

  “You recognize it?” She pulled it free of her shirt and held it up. “WWJD. I’ve been trying to figure out how Jesus would act if his siblings hated him.”

  “So that’s how you’ve been keeping your cool so well.” Ray’s legacy continued, even now. The realization stunned Alec.

  “I don’t know that I’ve been doing a good job of it. It’s hard. My dad’s letter asked me to be generous with Vanessa and Brent. I think he meant more than money.”

  “I’m sure he did. Money never mattered much to him.”

  “He said to be generous in grace. It would be easier just to share the property with them. Neither of them make it easy. But I’m trying.”

  No wonder he was so drawn to her. She was remarkable. “Back at the fish fry, I was going to ask you if—”

  “What are you doing up here?” Vanessa shouted from behind them. She stood at the top of the stairs.

  Libby sprang to her feet. “I’m looking around. How was your swim?”

  Nice way to keep her cool. Alec managed not to grin. Her soft answer did nothing to calm Vanessa, who stood with her hands on her hips. Her wet hair hung down her back, and she wore a blue cover-up.

  “See any sharks?” he asked.

  Her gaze skewered him, and she ignored the question. “This is my father’s personal space. You have no business here.”

  “I own it,” Libby said, a steel undercurrent in her voice.

  Vanessa strode across the floor to stop two feet from Libby. “So you keep throwing in my face! You may own the property, but you don’t own the personal contents.”

  “Oh, but I do,” Libby said. “Ask Horace if you don’t believe me.”

  Tears hung on Vanessa’s lashes, and Alec realized she was genuinely hurt. It wasn’t anger that drove her. She was covering her pain with outrage.

  “You miss your dad, don’t you?” he asked her. “Do you come up here often?”

  Vanessa burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. “She didn’t even know him or love him.” She ran to the bedroom and twisted the knob, but it didn’t open. She pounded on the door and shrieked, “It’s not fair. It’s not!”

  Libby went to her and put her hand on her shoulder. “Vanessa, I’m sorry. I wish I’d known him. It’s not my fault, you know.”

  Vanessa flinched away. “Don’t touch me! It wasn’t my fault either, but I’m paying the price.”

  Libby said nothing. Her hand fell to her side. She bit her lip and turned away.

  “You two are sisters, Vanessa. You can build a relationship if you work on it.”

  Vanessa folded her arms across her chest. “It’s too late. I don’t want to.” She rattled the doorknob. “Give me the key. I want to go in. By myself.” Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at Libby’s neck. “That necklace. Where did you find it? Up here?” She swiped at Libby’s throat.

  Libby leaped back. “Our father left it to me.”

  Vanessa went even whiter. “That’s impossible. He knew I wanted it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Libby said. “I can show you the letter. He wanted me to think about the meaning of the necklace every day as I’m working to try to get to know you and Brent.”

  Vanessa’s face worked and her eyes filled again. “That belongs to me. You have no right to it.”

  Alec winced when he realized what Ray had intended for good was causing more division between the sisters.

  TWENTY-ONE

  The beads were warm and smooth under Libby’s fingers. What would Jesus do? The necklace was just a thing. Yes, her father had left it to her, had wanted her to have it. But did it mean even more to Vanessa? Her father had asked Libby to give mercy and grace to Vanessa and Brent. What exactly did that mean?

  Libby studied her sister’s face. Were those tears of pain or of anger?

  Vanessa covered her face with her hands. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” Libby asked. “I’m trying to understand.”

  “I don’t want your understanding. Or anything else from you. I just want my daddy back!” Vanessa whirled and rushed out of the room.

  Tears sprang to Libby’s eyes too. Alec put his arms around her, and she buried her face in his chest. “What should I do?” she choked.

  “What do you mean?”

  She pulled away and touched the beads. “About this? Should I give it to her?”

  “I don’t think I can tell you the right thing to do. What does your heart say?”

  “I think Jesus would give it to her.” Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard. “It’s only a thing. I think I may have already gotten out of the necklace what my father hoped I would. But he wore it for over twenty years. I feel close to him when I’m wearing it. It’s all I have of him. So I want to keep it.”

  “No one is making you do anything. It’s your choice.”

  She studied his kind eyes. “You think I should give it up, don’t you?”

  He shook his head. “I think Vanessa is acting like a spoiled brat, and I wouldn’t give in to her. But she’s not my sister. I’m not the one trying to be part of a family the way you are. I don’t know what the right answer is.”

  “I don’t either. Vanessa is acting like a brat. But I see her pain too. I think I’m going to have to pray about this and see if God will give me some clear direction.”

  “Let’s pray together.” His head touched hers.

  She closed her eyes and listened to him pray for wisdom and discernment on how to best handle the family dynamics. No other person had ever prayed with her like this, about concerns that mattered so deeply to her. Her spirit bonded with his as they asked God for help.

  “Amen,” she said when he was finished. “Thank you, Alec. You’re a good man.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve got lots of faults, believe me.”

  “I’m not seeing them,” she said, holding his gaze. “Thank you for caring enough to pray. I don’t know anyone else who would do that.”

  His fingers touched her chin and tipped her face up. He leaned forward and his lips touched hers. Warmth spread through her belly and up her neck. His lips were firm and tender. No kiss she’d ever experienced affected her like this one. In his arms she felt safe and treasured. She palmed his face, relishing the feel of the stubble on his cheek. He was all man, yet the tender side of him was so godly, so strong.

  She pulled away when Delilah called up the stairs. “Alec, phone call.”

  “Sorry,” he said with obvious regret. “I’
ll be back.” He went down the stairs.

  Libby stared at the door to her father’s inner sanctum. There was no reason not to go inside. Before she could talk herself out of it, she fitted the key into the door and unlocked it. Her hand shook when she twisted the knob, and her knees were weak. She pushed open the door.

  There weren’t many windows, so she flipped on the lights to illuminate the dim room. It contained a king-size bed with tan and blue linens. Pillows were heaped at the head of the bed. The walls were painted a creamy tan. The wood floors gleamed. Libby wandered around the room, picking up pictures and examining details. There were many photos of her father with Vanessa and Brent. Also ones of him on a big yacht with his wife.

  If only she could have been part of his life. If only there was even one picture of her with her father. Libby turned back toward the door and spied a brown leather Bible on the bed stand. She picked it up and settled on the edge of the bed. The ribbon marked a passage in Hebrews 13. She skimmed it until she saw verse 16 highlighted in yellow.

  But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

  She clutched the beads. God didn’t mean the necklace. She could share other things with Vanessa. But even as she argued with herself, a sick roiling in her belly told her the truth. God had answered Alec’s prayer with a clear message.

  The question was whether she could make herself give up something so precious to her.

  Debris still littered Oyster Road, and folks were out cleaning their yards. It was going to take a long time before Hope Beach looked like it did before the storm. Mud puddles were everywhere, and gulls swarmed the area, scavenging sea creatures that the waves had left behind. The air reeked of rotting fish and seaweed.

  She sniffed the air. “Smells like the sea on a really bad day.”

  “Careful.” Alec put out his hand to stop Libby from stepping in front of a kid on a motorbike.

  The wind tugged strands of her shiny hair loose from the ponytail. She sure was pretty. He’d lain awake for hours last night reliving that kiss. Their attraction felt God-ordained to him.

  He nodded toward a neat white bungalow that had been converted into a small café. “Mindy is usually getting an egg sandwich for her and Horace about now. Let’s see what she has to say about the note in Nicole’s purse.”

  They crossed the street to the courtyard. Live oak trees shaded tables draped with red-and-white cloths. Inside, several residents spoke and nodded greetings to them as they threaded their way to where Mindy sat with lunch in one hand and a novel in the other. Her attention was on the book as she absently took a bite of her egg sandwich.

  She looked up when Alec cleared his throat. Her gaze went from him to Libby and back again. She finished chewing and swallowed, then dabbed her napkin to her lips. “You looking for Horace? He’s not here.”

  “Nope. We wanted to talk to you. Mind if we join you?”

  She put down her book with obvious reluctance. “I don’t have long. Horace will be wanting his egg sandwich in another fifteen minutes.”

  “This won’t take long.” He pulled out a chair for Libby, then settled into the one beside her. “We want to ask you a few more questions.”

  Mindy hunched her shoulders. “I already told you everything I know.”

  Alec brought out the note they’d found in Nicole’s purse. “I don’t think so.”

  Mindy’s face went white. Her gaze darted from him to the note.

  “Why didn’t you tell us you went parasailing with them?”

  Mindy bit her lip and looked down at her hands. “It didn’t seem important.”

  “Every detail is important. We have to retrace Nicole’s tracks and find out what happened to her,” he said.

  Libby leaned forward in her chair. “What did you all talk about?”

  Mindy took a sip of her pink lemonade. “Mostly business stuff. She talked to Brent about the sale of the inn.”

  Libby shook her head. “By then he would have known I owned the inn, not him. So why would Nicole discuss it with him?”

  Mindy looked down at her lap. “He wanted to know if she could talk you into giving up your inheritance. He thought she might have enough influence.”

  “What did Nicole say?” Libby asked.

  “That no one would be that stupid.”

  Knowing Brent the way he did, Alec could only imagine how well that went over. “I’ll bet that ticked Brent off.”

  “Yes.” Her admission was barely audible.

  So that’s why Brent brushed them off when questioned about the parasailing event. If they knew there’d been an argument, he would draw suspicion.

  Mindy glanced at her watch. “I need to get back to work.” She signaled to the server, who brought her the bill and a white lunch sack. She left money on the table and rose. “You aren’t going to tell Horace, are you? He wouldn’t like it if he knew I’d gone out with them. She was a client.”

  “If Brent had anything to do with Nicole’s disappearance, it’s going to come out sooner or later,” Alec said. “You should tell him yourself.”

  Mindy shook her head violently. “He’d fire me in a heartbeat. I know Brent had nothing to do with it, so I’m safe.” She scooped up the bag and headed out through the dining room and into the courtyard.

  Alec sat back in his chair. “I think we’d better talk to your brother. He knows more about this than I thought.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  The last of the clouds had rolled away when Libby got out of Alec’s truck in the circular drive by the old hotel. She was struck again at the structure’s beauty. Someone moved on the expansive columned porch, and she saw Brent leaning on the balustrade. Vanessa was at a table with a coffee cup in her hand.

  Libby’s stomach tightened at the thought of the coming confrontation. She wanted to love her siblings. That they might be involved in Nicole’s disappearance was too horrible to contemplate.

  “Steady, let me handle this,” Alec said when she drew in a deep breath.

  She knew he would be calmer than she was, so she nodded and followed him up the sweeping steps to the grand porch. At the moment, she was glad she hadn’t given the necklace to Vanessa.

  Brent straightened when they drew near. Libby studied his handsome face. Vanessa was beautiful as well. Their adversarial situation showed no signs of changing. Libby touched her necklace. What would Jesus do?

  Brent’s smile melted away when he glanced at Alec’s face. “Something wrong?”

  “You tell us.” Alec stared at him. “You tried to persuade Nicole to talk Libby into giving up her inheritance. And when Nicole refused, you argued. Two days before she disappeared. That looks bad.”

  Vanessa joined them at the railing. “Who told you this?”

  Alec folded his arms across his chest. “That’s not important.”

  “It had to be Mindy. She was the only other person there,” Brent said. “So what? It’s no crime to try to convince Libby to do the right thing.”

  “The right thing.” Libby shook her head. “It was the right thing for you. Not for anyone else.”

  His eyes were cold. “I didn’t know you. I still don’t. You’re a stranger to us and to this town. You don’t understand.”

  “So help me understand! I know it’s too much to ask to be part of the family, but the least you could do is treat me with common courtesy.”

  Vanessa and Brent exchanged a glance. Was it Libby’s imagination or did her sister look a little shamefaced?

  Alec narrowed his eyes. “So why didn’t you go meet her to show her the lighthouse, Vanessa? Because the two of you’d made plans to do away with her?”

  “We had nothing to do with her disappearance,” Brent said.

  The screen door opened and Pearl stepped out. For someone so rotund, she was light on her feet. “What’s going on out here?” she asked. “Your voices are carrying to our guests.”

  “Brent and Vanessa may know more about Nicole’s disappearan
ce than they’ve been willing to tell us,” Alec said.

  “Oh dear me, that’s not true, is it?” Pearl’s gaze went from her nephew to her niece. “What do you know about that girl’s kidnapping? Tell the truth now.”

  Pearl’s appearance took all the bravado out of Brent. “We didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance, Aunt Pearl.”

  Pearl’s gaze narrowed on him. “Did you ask some friends to put a scare into her?”

  He flushed. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  Pearl lifted a brow. “No? I think Jennifer Masters might disagree with that.”

  “That was different.”

  Libby didn’t like the way he looked down, or the color that came and went in his face. “You’ve done this before?” If he’d played a prank, then maybe she would have Nicole safe and sound yet today.

  He shrugged. “It was just a trick on an old girlfriend.”

  “Way I heard it, you had two friends grab her and take her to the mainland, where they left her to find her own way back home,” Alec said. “I’d forgotten about that. Is that what you did with Nicole? Tell us the truth. We can have her picked up.”

  “I didn’t do anything!”

  “Quit harassing Brent,” Vanessa snapped. “He had nothing to do with this. Neither did I.”

  “It still seems odd that you didn’t meet her when you said you would,” Libby said. “I was watching on the cam. When she was taken, you were already ten minutes late.”

  “Being late is not a crime.” She glanced at her brother.

  This was getting them nowhere. The two weren’t budging, but Libby didn’t get the sense that they were guilty of harming Nicole. “How do you get to the lighthouse ruins you were going to show her?” she asked. “Maybe that’s a place to start looking.”

  “She wasn’t taken there,” Alec said. “She was on the boardwalk.”

  “True enough, but we don’t know anywhere else to look.” Libby wasn’t about to let any of them dissuade her. If she had to go by herself, she would. “Can someone direct me to it?”