“Yeah.” Encouraged by her interest, Josh smiled. “There’s a monastery on the island.”
“Seriously?” She leaned forward, her desire to stay hidden apparently quelled by her curiosity.
“Jessica told me that the nuns used to run the store, but they sold it. You still see them around the island.”
“Huh.” She leaned her head back. “Well, at least I know some of my neighbors will show me some grace.”
As he moved to restart the car, he realized that he didn’t want to take her back to the house yet. He told himself it was because he wanted to give her more time to recover from the ice cream store incident, but in all honesty he was enjoying his time with her. As he looked around the small settlement, an idea struck.
Instead of starting the car, he pocketed the keys and opened his door. “Hey, come on.”
Her pretty blue eyes filled with fear. “Where are we going?
“I just want to show you that you don’t have to hole up like a hermit.”
Ignoring her look of uncertainty, he got out and crossed to her side of the car. By the time he opened her door, she had appeared to have at least progressed from terror to indecision. He reached out a hand and she hesitated, then accepted it. He helped her to stand, somewhat unsteadily, then started to lead her across the street.
Looking like she trusted him about as much as she did law enforcement, she slouched low into her shoulders and fell into stride next to him. “What are we doing?”
He nodded toward the country store. His observant eye from his stop yesterday on his way in was about to pay off, or so he hoped. “We never got our ice cream.”
She tilted her head in realization. “What happened to your shake?”
He shrugged. “I left it on the table when you ran out of the ice cream parlor. Other things suddenly seemed more important.”
Stepping onto the rustic front porch, they passed under an old wooden sign with the words ‘General Store’ painted in faded red letters. Josh pulled open one of the old fashioned wooden double doors and followed Kate into the small but serviceable store.
He watched her shoulders visibly ease. It would be hard to feel threatened in such a cheerful place.
“This way.” Resisting the urge to place a guiding hand on the small of her back, he tipped a nod toward the rear of the store.
“This place is great.” Kate regarded the island memorabilia hanging on the walls above groceries, colorful produce, wine, clothing, and even hardware which were displayed on antique tables and shelves.
As they reached the back of the building, Josh watched Kate’s eyes light up. She walked up to the ice cream counter and peered into the glass case.
“Hey!” She looked up at him with the bright blue enthusiasm he’d found so appealing just the day before when they’d had their first conversation in Mr. Cole’s dining room. “How did you know they’d have coconut?”
He smiled. “Sometimes things just work out.”
By the time they stepped back outside with a couple of cones in their hands, Kate’s mood had visibly lightened.
“This is exactly what I needed.” She took a big bite of fluffy coconut and her face gave way to a look of pure delight.
“And there wasn’t even one bomb threat the whole time we were in there.” Taking a bite that encompassed both the chocolate and the peanut butter that formed his favorite flavor, he made an after-you gesture toward a red wooden bench in front of the store. “See. Perfectly safe.”
The sideways glance she cast him as she sat let on that she didn’t entirely believe him or appreciate his attempt at humor. Sure, the community wasn’t exactly throwing a welcome party, but it would be a stretch to think that someone had been trying to scare her away. Something else was clearly troubling her, and Josh couldn’t quite explain his desire to find out what it was.
An adorable knee-height black dog with soulful brown eyes and graying paws sauntered around the corner and made a slow beeline for them.
“Hey there, fella.” Josh checked the dog’s tag. “‘Lucky’. Nice name.”
“Hi, boy” Kate reached out to pet him. “I could use a little luck. Got any to spare?”
“It’s a nice thought.” Josh petted the dog, who seemed to think that if he persisted with the warm island welcome, he’d be rewarded with a bite of ice cream. Clearly, he’d played this game before. “But I think luck is highly overrated.”
She let out a little laugh. “You don’t believe in luck? Why not?”
“Because everything’s in God’s hands.” He wanted to be real with her, but he had to be careful not to overstep. “Things seem to happen randomly, but the reality is that God is always in control.”
Kate looked at him skeptically. “So you’re saying that God planned for them to have coconut ice cream today?”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t put it past Him.”
“Mm.” Twisting her mouth, she returned her focus to eating her ice cream and petting the dog. “Well, all I know is, my luck changed when I met Chase.”
Discouraged at her stubbornness in sticking with her worldly view, he took advantage of the conversational opening. “How did you and Mr. Cole meet, anyway?”
She hesitated. “We…uh…met in San Francisco. He came into the place where I worked.”
“Oh?” Josh pretended to focus on catching a driblet of chocolate with his tongue. “And where was that?”
“I was working as a waitress.” She dipped her head, as if there was more to the job that she wasn’t saying. “He came in one night and we just started talking.”
He nodded without judgment, hoping she’d continue.
She wiped a bit of melted coconut off her chin. “It was love at first sight.”
Josh tried not to cringe at her use of that phrase. “And did you recognize him right away?”
“Recognize him? Oh, you mean because of Trina?” Tipping her head, she attempted to get a better angle on her ice cream. “I know the story was in the paper, but I don’t pay attention to the news. My world was pretty small.”
Small…and apparently sheltered. How could she not have known about the story that had been headline news for the past year? He bit into his cone. “So, how long till he told you about his missing wife?”
“The second night he came into the club.”
“The club. That’s where you worked?”
“It was a sort of club…where we served drinks…” The blush that scaled her cheeks implied that more was served there than just drinks. She caught his eye. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t…” She twirled her free hand like she was tossing off a piece of clothing. “Anyway, he told me that his wife had left him for another man, but that no one knew where she was.”
“And…you didn’t think that was strange?”
“Maybe a little unusual. But he was honest with me about the situation. He told me that his wife had just vanished and that the police always suspect the husband if a wife goes missing. There was no evidence of foul play, but they targeted Chase anyway.” She paused to take a less enthusiastic bite of ice cream. “Then when we got engaged, he warned me that the media would be on me like wolves and he was right. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they aren’t letting up.” She cast a nervous glance at the couple of cars waiting to board the next ferry, and the wooded area beyond. “That’s been the hard part.”
Josh nodded slowly. This woman was obviously intelligent. Could she honestly have been so naïve? “So, you really think she left intentionally? That nothing happened to her?”
“I’ll admit that part seems strange. Maybe something did happen to her. But I know Chase had nothing to do with it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because he told me. He was out of town the last day that people saw her here on the island, so he couldn’t have had anything to do with it. Look, if you knew him the way I do, you’d understand that he could never hurt anybody. He’s the kindest man in the world. He helped me out of a re
ally tough bind that I was in.”
Josh’s imagination started to wander. A rich guy takes advantage of a woman in a vulnerable situation. He had money and he had helped her. That was obviously the basis for their relationship. But why marry the guy?
He tried to sound casual. “What kind of ‘tough bind’?”
“I’d rather not say.” The redness in her cheeks deepened. “Anyway, our romance has been a regular whirlwind.”
He nodded tightly. “And how long has it been?”
“Eight weeks.” She stared at her cone. “I know that doesn’t sound like a very long time.”
“No…”
“But that doesn’t matter.” She looked at him, her grip on her cone tightening. “Sometimes you meet someone and it’s like you’ve known them your whole life. Know what I mean?”
“Sort of.” He eyed her. He did know what she meant because he’d had that undeniable sensation about her. “Except that if you had known Mr. Cole your whole life, you wouldn’t have found out about his two kids a week before your wedding.”
Her forehead creased. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Of course not. But Mr. Cole is kind of notorious. Public opinion has been pretty much swayed against him. Not just because of this situation, but his unethical business practices.”
“He’s a very successful businessman.”
“That may be true, but there’s talk that he greases palms to get his drugs pushed through the testing so they can get FDA approval faster. I don’t think a lot of women who are well-informed would choose to get engaged to the guy.”
She straightened. “You don’t have to insult me.”
“I don’t mean to insult you. But haven’t you wondered why Trina would just leave?
“He told me she was troubled.”
“Even so, mothers don’t usually just leave their kids.”
She twisted her mouth. “Well, you’ve met her kids.”
“I’m serious, Kate.”
“I don’t have all the answers, Josh.”
“And that doesn’t bother you? Don’t you think you should have all the answers before you join this family?”
“Not when I know Chase is innocent.” She stood and crossed to the railing at the edge of the walkway.
“But how do you know that?” He stood and followed her. “The media reported what he said, but—”
“But, what?”
“I don’t know. It just doesn’t add up.” He paused, confirming in his heart that he had to take this opportunity to say more. Even if it made her angry, at least someone would have said it to her. “Maybe you should wait a while before you marry the guy.”
She turned a gaze on him that was both dark and fiery. “Wait for what?”
“I don’t know. For Trina to resurface.” He paused, glancing past her at the bit of Blind Bay that peeked through the trees. “One way or the other.”
As he returned his gaze to Kate, a cloud passed in front of the sun, stealing the brightness from the parking lot and sending a chill through him.
She glanced over at the bay, fear cutting a jagged line across her face. “What if that never happens?”
“Then at least give yourself some time to get to know Mr. Cole a little better.” The cloud passed, and the sunlight returned. “Marriage is a covenant. It’s not something you should rush into.”
Her jaw firmed, and she took a stiff bite of her dripping cone. “I don’t know anything about ‘covenants’. I just know that I want to be a wife.”
He frowned. “It’s better to stay single than to marry the wrong person.”
The little creases in her forehead returned. “Are you saying you think I’m marrying the wrong person?”
“I don’t have any way of knowing that.” He hated having to be so blunt with a girl he hardly knew. And the fact that he was undeniably drawn to her might be clouding his judgment. “I just get a really uneasy feeling about this. And it’s more than just the age difference—”
“Okay, stop right there.” The hurt in her eyes ignited in anger. “I know it might seem a little strange at first…me being closer in age to Chase’s kids than to him—”
“Kate.” He held up a hand. “I didn’t mean to judge.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
He jerked back, totally caught off guard by the question. “I…”
Turning her back on him, she huffed out indignation. “Because age makes no difference to true love.”
“Look, it’s your life and your decision.” He held a beat. “And no.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “No, what?”
“You asked if I’ve ever been in love. The answer is no. Not really.”
The fire in her eyes flickered out and was replaced by something else. Surprise? Discomfort, maybe. Josh couldn’t quite read it, but he hated that she’d become silent again. He hadn’t wanted to anger her, but at least she’d begun to open up.
A gentle rain started to dampen the ground in front of them, making him grateful they were under cover. He had to face it. Trying to help her was only drawing him deeper into the emotional hole into which she was not going to follow. He had to get away before he did some irreparable damage to his own heart. It would be better for both of them if he left tonight, but he wanted to make sure she’d be okay.
He drew in a breath to speak, but the door to the post office opened and the same nun they’d seen earlier stepped onto the walkway. She looked out at the light rain that had started to fall, then her gaze fixed on Kate.
“Excuse me.” The nun approached, and Kate snapped her head toward her as if she’d been startled. “Aren’t you the girl who’s going to marry Chase Cole?”
Kate blanched as she gave Josh a look edged in fear. She looked back at the nun. “Y…yes. I am.”
“Oh. I thought so.” The nun folded her hands in front of her. Her eyes narrowed and she started to speak, then bit down on her words. She looked away as if reconsidering what she wanted to say to her. “Did that young man find you?”
Kate frowned. “What young man?”
“The nice one who was asking about you.”
“Nice man? What did he—”
The ferry whistle blasted, making Kate visibly startle. The nun glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, it’s here already.” She looked back at Josh and Kate. “Please excuse me. I’m meeting someone who’s going to stay the week at Our Lady of the Rock.” She turned and started down toward the landing. “That’s our monastery, you know.”
Kate’s jaw trembled and her hold on her cone loosened. “A man was…asking about me…”
Josh grabbed the cone from her hand before she dropped it. “Probably just a reporter. They’re not always very subtle.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t under…” The cars started to exit the ferry, and Kate snapped her focus to the parking area. “That looks like Chase’s car.” She took a couple of steps, stumbled, and caught herself on the railing.
“Kate, you shouldn’t—”
“You don’t understand.” She shot Josh a look that reminded him of a scared rabbit. “I need him to keep me safe.” Maneuvering around the railing and into the rain, she waved an arm to signal Chase.
“Kate!” Josh followed on her heels, not wanting her to go.
She stopped abruptly, pulling in her arm. Josh followed her gaze, wondering why she’d suddenly turned as pale as the ice cream he salvaged from her wilting grasp.
As the car passed by them, he saw the reason why. There was already someone riding in the passenger seat of Mr. Cole’s car. And that ‘someone’ was a woman.
Chapter 12
Kate paced like a caged tiger. Her first couple of days on Shaw Island hadn’t gone at all as she’d hoped. Instead of relaxing in her new home with her husband-to-be, she was all alone in the guesthouse, wringing her hands and probably wearing a path in the carpet.
Hours had passed since she and Josh had seen Chase get off the ferry with a woman in his
car, and there had been no word from him. Where could he be? Shaw Island wasn’t that big.
But the other question pressed on her mind—who was he with?
Halting, her gaze rested on the dark blue water past her living room windows and the twilit ferry landing on the other side of the bay. The light afternoon rain had progressed into a persistent deluge that only served to darken her mood.
She was still reeling, not only from the events of the day, but from the realization that she had hurt people she loved by running away, not just once but twice. Even if things settled down in her life, how could she ever hope to make that up to them?
Maybe her access to Chase’s unlimited funds could be put to good use. She could start a foundation to help runaways. Some kind of safe house where kids could go without being afraid of being turned in to the cops. If she could make that a reality, maybe all of this suffering would be worth something.
An involuntary shiver accompanied the reminder that she’d left Dakota behind when she’d fled San Diego. She winced, pinching back tears. Was there a chance that Joe would assume Dakota knew her whereabouts? Would he take his anger out on him? Now that she knew, or thought she knew, what Joe was capable of…
A pathetic moan escaped her throat. The thought of sweet, innocent Dakota suffering because of her poor choices made her sick. She couldn’t let herself think about it. People would look out for him—she had to believe that. Shari and Ben and Iowa…they would fill in for her where Dakota was concerned. They cared about him too.
A persistent rumble gurgled from her stomach. She’d been too upset to eat dinner, plus the thought of facing Jessica and her friends only made it worse.
She crossed to the kitchen to check the fridge, which was surprisingly well-stocked. Staring at what would normally be an appetizing array of snacks, she settled on bottled water and a bag of organic dried fruit.
How could her life possibly get straightened out at this point? She was a fugitive, for all intents and purposes. If she came forward with what she knew about Joe, she’d go to prison. Even if the authorities believed she didn’t intend to take the money, that detective had already told her she was an accessory to Joe’s crimes. Surely, she had only made things worse by running.
Tide Will Tell (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans) Page 8