by Sophie Love
Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Where had this come from? And since when did Daniel think that he was the only one who worked hard? They’d built the inn together from the ground up. They’d worked side by side the whole time. Just because her pregnancy had forced her to take a bit of a back seat recently didn’t mean she didn’t work hard!
“No, because the last thing Chantelle needs right now is to hear us bickering,” Emily replied.
Daniel let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re using my daughter to silence me,” he said. Then with spiteful sarcasm, added, “How pleasant.” He turned to Chantelle. “Come on, kid. It’s time for school.”
Chantelle obeyed her father immediately. Before Emily even had a chance to blink, the two of them were gone, leaving her sitting at the kitchen table alone, stunned.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Daniel wasn’t quite sure what had come over him. He gripped the steering wheel of his truck tightly as he tried to focus on the road, but he was seething. He hated the way he reacted with anger when deep down he was actually desperately sad. He hated the look in Emily’s eyes when he snapped at her, when he threw his unhappiness in her face and blamed her for it. It was a terrible way to behave, an awful habit he’d learned from his own parents.
“Daddy?” Chantelle’s voice said from beside him, snapping him back to the moment.
“What?”
“If you’re angry because of my tantrum yesterday, then I want you to know I’m very sorry,” she said.
Daniel looked at her sadly. “That’s not it, honey.”
“But I am sorry,” she implored. “I don’t mean to get so angry.”
He sighed, saddened that his daughter thought she might in any way be responsible for his foul mood. “Thanks, sweetie. But I promise you I’m not mad about it.”
“Are you worried then?” Chantelle asked. “You know I don’t want to move back to Tennessee. Sheila has Darla to play with so it’s not like she’s lonely. I want to stay here and live with my new sister when she arrives.”
Daniel felt a heaviness in his chest. It was all so cruel. An eight-year-old shouldn’t be burdened with such things.
“I know,” he told her. “And I’m not worried about that. Honestly. My mood has nothing to do with you.”
She nodded and went back to peering out the window. Silence fell. A moment later, Daniel heard Chantelle’s voice again.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, honey?”
“You missed the turning for the school.”
Daniel realized she was right. He slammed on the brakes and did a three-point turn in the middle of the road. He headed back to the school and turned in.
Up ahead he saw a group of Emily’s friends. Suzanna was there looking fresh and happy with her baby. Yvonne, too, but he could vaguely recall some falling out between her and Emily. And then there was Raven Kingsley, actually deigning them worthy of her attention. The last thing he wanted was to speak to them.
“Have a good day, honey,” he said to Chantelle.
She peered at him, surprised. “Aren’t you getting out?”
“Not today,” he mumbled. “I’m late for work. Sorry, sweetie. I’ll see you tonight.”
Looking perturbed, Chantelle opened the back seat and slid out of the pickup truck. He watched her trundle, dejected, across the parking lot to the playground. Emily’s friends were peering at him, confused by his antisocial behavior.
Daniel thrummed the pickup truck to life and accelerated away. He couldn’t deal with speaking to them. They’d ask about Greece and then he’d be forced to think of Roy, the man he thought of as a father figure. It was too painful. He didn’t want to think about it.
He headed to the carpentry shop and went to unlock the big garage door. To his surprise he found that it had already been opened. Jack, who’d been covering the store while Daniel was in Greece, must have come in today as well. Maybe he’d misunderstood the dates of Daniel’s vacation. Or maybe Daniel had told him the wrong ones. That was more likely, he thought, since he’d had next to no time to organize it and was in a highly stressed state at the time.
Daniel heaved the garage door up and the sounds from the woodshop swarmed him; the radio, the whirring saws. He spotted Jack bent over one of the tool benches using the sanding machine or a large bit of beech wood.
“What are you doing in?” Daniel said, walking up to the older man.
Jack removed his protective goggles and clapped Daniel on the back in a gesture of welcoming.
“This early retirement thing isn’t what it’s cracked up to be,” he said out the corner of his mouth. “My wife’s driving me crazy. She seems to think that it was only ever tiredness from working in this place that made me not want to tend the garden or bake cakes! I’d much prefer to be here, even if I do ruin my back in the process.”
Daniel smiled automatically, but deep down he felt on edge. Was Jack planning on returning? If he did, what would that mean for the promotion, for the extra money? He was relying on that to pay for Charlotte. Emily had a million and one things she wanted for the kids and without that income, how was he supposed to provide it for them? Not to mention all this talk of sending a home help over to Greece to help with Roy. He had no idea how he was supposed to afford it all.
“Jack, if you’re in for the day, do you mind if I take an extra leave day?” Daniel asked.
Jack looked at him, concerned. He knew the bare basics of what was going on with Roy; that he was ill and Daniel had taken the news hard.
“Sure. Is everything okay?” he asked. “Did something happen in Greece?”
Daniel felt a wave of grief come over him. He blocked it out, forcing it not to take hold. “Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it right now if that’s all right.”
“Sure, sure,” Jack said, kindly, respectfully. “Just take as much time as you need, son.”
Daniel felt extremely grateful, but at a risk of cracking his carefully constructed exterior, he gave a lackluster response of, “Thanks, buddy. I’ll see you soon.”
He left the store, not even sure of where he was going to go, knowing only that he didn’t want to be around people.
He got in his truck and took some deep breaths. His bike would have been a better choice. He could always numb his emotions by driving too fast through the cliffsides. Something about the danger, about taking his life in his hands, made him feel calm and in control. But he didn’t want Emily to know he’d shirked a day off work and if he headed back to the inn for the bike he’d be busted.
Then he had a better idea.
His boat was still down at the harbor—no one was working on the island today, he recalled; instead, they were off on a errand to source marble for the fireplace. He could take a trip there, get a bit of peace and quiet, get his thoughts in order. It seemed like the best option, so he turned the key in the ignition and accelerated away from Jack’s.
The drive to the harbor was short, but for the first time Daniel paid attention to the weather. Emily had been right when she’d predicted that the fall weather would be upon them on their return from Greece. It may have arrived late but it was certainly making up for lost time. The sky was almost black. Just as he peered up at the clouds, speckles of rain appeared on his windshield.
He reached the harbor and through the windshield of his truck, he saw that his boat was the only one still on the water. The waves were forcing it up and down again in a nausea-inducing rhythm. But Daniel knew he was a proficient sailor. He could handle a bit of seasickness no problem.
He shut off the engine and hopped out of the truck. The rain was little more than a drizzle, closer to wet air than rain, and absolutely nothing to worry about. Still, Daniel pulled his hood up over his head as he trudged toward the boat.
He got to work preparing his boat for a short voyage. Already he felt calmer, his mind relaxing as it focused on the single task ahead of him. The weather was unfortunate but this had definitely been the right call. After a day on the wate
r and the solitude of his lonely island, he’d be able to return back to his family a better man, the man he wanted to be, not the grumpy, short-tempered one he became when his emotions got too heavy to handle.
With the boat ready, he set sail, wrapping his jacket more closely about him as protection from the rain. It was getting heavier, he realized, and he wanted to get across the water as quickly as possible.
As he went, there was an almighty crack from above. Daniel looked up, surprised. A thunderstorm had appeared out of nowhere. Sailing in a storm was inadvisable, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. He plowed on.
The boat rocked more violently beneath him. The waves were getting bigger. Now, Daniel felt the first hints of panic. Rain was one thing, storms another, but rough seas were never fun to be out in. Nor safe. He considered turning back.
Looking behind him, he realized that he was equidistant between the harbor and the island. It didn’t matter now whether he kept going or turned back, the outcome would be much the same. He decided to head onward as planned.
It was just as he’d made his decision that it happened. A swell, bigger than any he could ever have anticipated, made the boat lurch dangerously to one side. As it rode the wave it catapulted him across to the other side. Daniel slipped, the water on the deck eliminating the friction he needed to stay grounded. In the blink of an eye he was over the side, and plunging into the dark, raging ocean.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Emily was still reeling from her fight with Daniel as she went about her day. She found herself in Charlotte’s nursery, tidying it for what felt like the millionth time, while rain lashed against the windowpane. The weather seemed to perfectly match her mood—both growing darker and stormier with every passing moment. She was so upset and stunned by Daniel’s behavior, she soon collapsed into the nursing chair.
How dare he say such horrible things to her? She felt like he’d been harboring resentment for ages. They’d made a pact to communicate better but now it seemed like Daniel had been keeping his true feelings from her. All that had needed to happen was a frank and open conversation about money and what they could afford for Charlotte, where they could reasonably expect to be financially speaking when the time came to enroll her at school. Instead she’d gotten barbed insults and veiled anger.
She grabbed her phone, feeling miserable and needing to offload to Amy. But before she had a chance to call, it started ringing in her hand.
The number was one she didn’t recognize. She answered it, feeling confused.
“Is this Mrs. Morey?” the voice on the other end said.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“I’m calling from the hospital. Your husband is here. He’s had a boating accident.”
Emily was on her feet in a second. She clapped a hand over her mouth. What the hell was Daniel doing out on his boat? He was supposed to be at work!
“Are you sure?” she stammered. “My husband’s name is Daniel.”
“That’s what it said on his ID,” the woman replied.
Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Is he okay?” she cried, her hand clutching her cell phone so tightly it felt like she could snap it in two. “Please God tell me he’s okay.”
“He has hyperthermia but other than that he’s looking good. You might want to come down here, though.”
Emily didn’t need telling twice. She hurried out of the nursery and thundered down the steps of the inn. Lois was at reception and looked panicked when she saw Emily’s stricken expression.
“What’s happened?” she asked, concerned.
“It’s Daniel,” Emily told her. “He’s in the hospital.”
Lois gasped. “Emily, wait,” she said as Emily headed for the door. “You can’t drive like this. There’s a storm and you’re really upset. Let me call you a cab.”
“There’s no time,” Emily said, grabbing a jacket from the hooks and her keys from the bowl by the door. She yanked the door open and was lashed by rain. But there was no time to stop and think. She had to get to Daniel.
She hurried down the steps. Behind her she heard the sound of Lois calling her name, her voice swallowed by the now howling wind.
Emily got into her car and threw it into reverse, moving at speed through the parking lot and along the lane. She reached the road in record time and turned. That’s when she heard the sound of a blaring horn.
She slammed on the brakes. The car juddered to a halt. Panting, Emily looked out her driver’s window and saw dazzling headlamps. She’d pulled out right in front of another car.
The door of the other car opened and a figure ran toward her, covering their head with their jacket to protect themselves from the rain. Emily wound her window down.
“I’m sorry,” she began.
But then she realized it was Raven Kingsley. She tensed. There wasn’t anyone worse she could have run into really.
“Emily?” Raven said, surprised. “What are you doing?”
If she’d been planning on biting Emily’s ear off she’d clearly changed her mind.
Without even thinking, Emily blurted out, “Daniel’s in the hospital.” Then she broke down in sobs.
A second later, Raven had heaved open the driver’s door. She started tugging Emily by the arm.
“Come on, I’ll drive,” she said.
Emily was so consumed by anguish she didn’t even protest. She let Raven guide her through the rain to her car, with its heated leather seats and tinted windows. She was relieved that someone had taken command.
“I was on my way to school to pick up Laverne and Bailey,” Raven said as she swung the car back around the way she’d come. “I’ll call Yvonne.”
Emily felt stunned to hear her friend’s name. She realized then how long it had been since they’d properly spoken. The whole Laverne issue had really put a dampener on their relationship and with everything going on in Emily’s life at the moment she hadn’t had time to deal with it.
Raven was tapping at a computerized screen on the dashboard of her car. The sound of a ringing phone filled the space.
“Yvonne, can you pick up the girls after all?” Raven said when the call connected. “Oh, and Chantelle, too?”
There was a pause before Yvonne spoke. “Chantelle Morey? But why?”
Emily spoke next. Her voice came out like a tremble. “Daniel’s in the hospital,” she said. “Raven’s driving me there now.”
“Emily?” Yvonne said. Then a wave of compassion was suddenly audible in her voice. “Of course. God, I’m sorry. Is he okay?”
“He had a boating accident,” Emily said, and she started shivering.
“I’ll bring Chantelle to the hospital,” Yvonne said. “Don’t worry, okay, hon? It’s going to be okay.”
Emily felt reassured for the first time since she’d received the call from the hospital. She let Raven’s state of the art air conditioning warm her to the bones and sat back, relinquishing control, as the car sped along the rain-drenched road.
*
A horrible sense of déjà vu raced through Emily as she hurried along the corridors of the hospital. It had been a matter of days since she’d been racing along with her father on a stretcher. Now it was Daniel who was the object of her deep anguish.
She reached his ward and rushed in, searching for his bed. Then she saw him, tucked up in a white blanket looking pale and disheveled.
“Daniel!” she cried, running forward.
He looked up at her, tears glittering in his eyes, and reached out. Emily grabbed his extended hand. He was as cold as ice.
“What were you doing?” she cried, falling into his arms. “Why were you out on the boat in this weather?”
“I’m so sorry,” Daniel said, choking as he spoke. “It was an accident. I just needed some space to get my head clear.”
“I don’t know whether to slap you or kiss you,” Emily stammered.
Daniel let out a strangled laugh. “You can do anything you want to me,” he
said. “Whatever you need to do to forgive me.”
She pressed her lips to his, over and over. They were as cold as his hands and somewhere in Emily’s mind she felt like her kisses were breathing life back into him. She sat back, finally, holding his cold face in her hands.
He gripped them tightly where they were pressed against his cheeks. “I don’t know how many times you’re going to keep allowing me to let you down,” he said through his gasped sobs.
Emily shook her head. “An infinite amount,” she said. “You know that. I’m committed to you through thick and thin.”
As she spoke, light caught the diamond on her wedding ring, making it sparkle.
“I don’t deserve you,” Daniel murmured. “I’m the luckiest guy alive.”
“Tell me about it,” Emily joked, her eyebrows rising sympathetically. “Lucky you got rescued! Who was even out there at that time?”
“It was the guys,” Daniel said. “Stu. Clyde. Evan. I thought they went to look at marble, but turns out they were transporting a load of materials to the island so had taken a bigger boat. They saw the whole thing happen.”
“Are they here?” Emily said.
“I think they went to get coffee.”
As if on cue, Daniel’s three rubish best friends clattered into the ward, bringing with them their loud chatter. Emily turned, tears falling from her cheeks, and collected all three in her arms.
“How can I ever thank you guys?” she said.
Stu spoke gently, his hand patting her back a little awkwardly. “You know we’d die for that guy, Em.”
“Thank you,” she said, breathless.
She moved out of their arms, squeezing each of their hands.
“God knows why,” Clyde added. “He isn’t half dumb sometimes.”
“I know, right,” Evan quipped. “What an idiot!”
Emily laughed, feeling relieved that someone had cut through the tension of the moment. Then she saw at the entrance of the door a new person appear. Chantelle.
The child caught Emily’s eye and ran full pelt at her. Emily caught her just as she saw Raven, Yvonne, Bailey, and Laverne reach the ward. They looked out of breath, like they’d been running to follow Chantelle. The child must have made a run for it the second they entered the hospital.