Ripple Effect: Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 3

by Barritt, Christy

  “I actually got permission to talk to Jason,” Cassidy said. “I’m going to head up to the prison where he’s being kept. I want to find out for myself how his prints got on this knife. Maybe he’ll have some answers.”

  “Homeland Security or the FBI is going to approve this visit?” Griff knew how these things worked. A small-town police chief was considered the low person on the totem pole in situations like this.

  “They may try to stop me, but I’m going to see what I can do until then.”

  “Good luck. I hope you’re able to find out something.” Griff meant the words. Though he wished he could be the one out there talking to Jason, he knew that Cassidy would do a good job. She was tough when she needed to be tough.

  As Cassidy disappeared from the room, Griff’s thoughts raced. Just what was going on here? What else did he need to do to ensure that Bethany and Ada were safe from all this craziness?

  Chapter Seventeen

  A few minutes later, the raisin had been successfully removed from Ada’s nose, and the three of them were sent on their way.

  Bethany was grateful to be out of the clinic and on her way back to the cottage.

  As they headed down the road, her phone rang. It was her friend Cindi. As Ada happily looked at a book in the backseat, Bethany answered.

  Bethany had sent her friend a quick text before she’d left for Lantern Beach. Since the two of them worked together, Cindi needed to know that Bethany wouldn’t be in. Knowing Cindi, she’d send the entire police department out looking for her otherwise.

  “Cindi,” Bethany muttered. “How are you?”

  “It’s not me that I want to talk about. It’s you. How are you holding up? I can’t stop thinking about what happened at the park.”

  Bethany considered how to honestly answer that question. The past couple of days had been crazy. “I’ve been better, but I’m still alive so I can’t complain.”

  Cindi chuckled, but it sounded half-hearted. “That’s one way to look at it. You’ve been on my mind. I’ve been worried about you. And Ada.”

  “Thanks, but we’re doing fine. For now.”

  “Where are you?”

  Bethany froze for a moment, wondering if she should answer. But whoever was chasing her obviously knew that she was here on Lantern Beach. Even if her phone line was somehow bugged, she wasn’t going to tell anybody something that they did not already know.

  “I came to Lantern Beach,” she said. “It’s safe here. Safer than it is at home, at least.”

  “Lantern Beach? Isn’t that where your ex is?”

  Bethany glanced at Griff. His gaze was focused on the road ahead.

  “Yes, it is. But it’s all good. Nobody loves Ada like her parents.”

  “If he loves her so much, why did he leave her?” Cindi gasped as soon as the question left her lips. “Oh, Bethany. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry.”

  Bethany felt the frown forming on her face. The question had felt like a slap, but maybe it was what she needed to hear. “No, you’re right. That’s a question that I’ve asked myself also.”

  “Has it been awkward?”

  Bethany stole a quick glance at Griff. “You could say that. But you know I’ll do anything for Ada. Even put up with Griff.”

  “Hey, I heard that,” Griff muttered.

  Bethany smiled briefly. She’d said it loud enough that he could hear, just to give him a hard time.

  “I’ll be praying for all of you,” Cindi continued. “When this is all over, I want to hear about it.”

  When this is all over . . . sometimes, Bethany didn’t feel like it would ever be over. The stress of the situation made the days feel more like years and, as far as she was concerned, there was no end in sight.

  Despite that, she said, “Thank you.”

  “And, not to change the subject, but you’ll never believe who called me this morning,” Cindi continued.

  “Who’s that?”

  “Mason.”

  Bethany paused, trying to figure out where this was going. Certainly Cindi wasn’t going to play matchmaker now, of all times. “Why would Mason call you?”

  “He noticed that you didn’t come home the past two nights. He got worried.”

  Bethany tucked a leg beneath her. “I didn’t even know he had your number.”

  “Remember that party you had at your house at Christmas time? We talked while we were there, and it turned out he was looking for a dog trainer. He gave me his number so I could text him the name of the lady we used for FiFi.”

  “Oh, I see.” Her explanation made sense. “That was kind of him to notice. It’s always good to be missed.”

  “That’s why people say that you need nosy neighbors.” Cindi’s voice lilted up in a brittle laugh.

  Bethany stared out the window, marveling at the weathered landscape on the barrier island. She only wished she was here solely to enjoy it. “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him that you were shaken up over what happened, but that you were fine. That you just needed to get away for a few days.”

  Still, Bethany tried to put all the pieces together. Maybe she was just overthinking things. But whoever was behind this had been watching her. Knew her schedule. The more information she had, the better her chances of figuring out how to protect her daughter.

  “I know I told you this earlier, but I think Mason really cares about you, Bethany. When this is all over, maybe you should give him a shot. Even Ian likes him.”

  Ian was Cindi’s husband. He was a captain in the military, and one of those strong, silent types.

  “Good to know.”

  “Even Ian has been concerned, by the way. He asked where you were. When I told him you were with Griff, he said you could stay with us. He’d even drive and pick you up himself.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”

  As Ada fussed in the backseat, Griff began singing her a song and making silly faces in the mirror.

  This was what Bethany had imagined for her future. Ada growing up with a mom and dad who loved her and were there for her.

  Why did it have to take an emergency to make it happen? Even more so, she had to remind herself that this was not permanent. Soon enough, both she and Griff would return to their normal lives. And Bethany would have to take some proactive steps to move on.

  Bethany remembered what Cindi said about giving Mason a chance. She’d known the man was interested. Had heard him hinting that maybe they could get together sometime. She’d always pretended she didn’t notice.

  “I’ll think about it,” Bethany said. Maybe it was time for her to move on—after she got her official divorce papers, of course.

  “That’s my girl,” Cindi said. “Now, you take care of yourself. If you need anything at all, you give me a call. I don’t know what I can do, but I have been brushing up on my ninja skills.”

  That got a laugh out of Bethany. “You’re first on my list if I need help, Cindi. Thanks so much for offering.”

  * * *

  Griff tried not to listen to too much of the conversation, but he couldn’t help it.

  There was something he just didn’t like about Bethany’s neighbor. The man had moved in two and a half years ago, back when he and Bethany were still together. Even back then, he’d rubbed Griff the wrong way.

  Maybe it was the fact that Mason had always been so helpful to Bethany whenever Griff had been deployed. Griff supposed he should be grateful, but he’d never gotten to that point.

  And there was more to it than that. It was also the fact that Mason seemed like exactly the kind of guy Bethany should have ended up with. The man had a stable job, an even temperament, and he was active in his church. Griff, on the other hand, had baggage, had an erratic work schedule, and he hadn’t gone to church until he had met Bethany.

  Bethany changed everything. From the moment they had met, Griffin had known he wanted to be a better man. The kind of man who was worthy of someone like Bethany. A
nd when she had said yes to that first date . . . he’d been walking on the clouds.

  When that first date had gone well, Griff had felt even more elated. Their relationship had felt relatively seamless, other than the protest Bethany had received from her family. They’d been worried Griff would corrupt her. He supposed when he’d left her, all their concerns had felt justified.

  But hearing Bethany talking to Cindi just now had done something strange to his heart. It made him realize that Bethany had moved on. She had friends. She had other men who were interested in her.

  Had she dated? He didn’t think so. But the thought of it made his heart twist.

  No, that’s what you want. You want the best for her. You’re not the best.

  Mentally, he might understand that. But emotionally? He couldn’t stand the thought of her being with anyone else.

  Days like today made him realize what he was missing out on. The ordinary things like taking your child to the clinic for a raisin up her nose.

  He hid a smile.

  Ada could definitely be a handful at times. But children who marched to their own beat, who were strong-willed . . . they were the ones who could change the world.

  As they came upon a bend in the road, Griff pressed on the brakes.

  Nothing happened.

  His adrenaline surged.

  He pressed again.

  Still nothing.

  “What’s going on?” Bethany asked.

  He swallowed hard. “The brakes aren’t working.”

  “That’s . . . not good.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  As an eighteen-wheeler—probably from the hotel site—came toward them, he braced himself and tried to figure out a plan.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cassidy knocked on the office door and waited until she heard Ty say, “Come in.” She was pleasantly surprised when she stepped inside and saw Ty by himself looking over the books at his desk.

  “How’s everything going?” Cassidy closed the door behind her, shutting out the sounds from her living room.

  He turned toward her and ran a hand over his face. She knew her husband—he’d much rather be doing something physical any day than doing paperwork. Maybe, in good time, he could hire someone else to help him with administrative work.

  “Not too bad,” he finally said. “Of course, it would be better if we had more money coming in. I really need to hire somebody to do fundraising for me. It’s not my specialty.”

  “I thought with that donation my father’s company made to you, along with Bree’s donation, you were all set.”

  “You would be surprised how much it costs to bring these guys out here for Hope House.”

  Ty didn’t want to burden attendees with any extra expenses, so he paid airfare for everyone who came. But all the costs added up very quickly. Though they were both thrilled to have CJ working here, she was also another expense.

  “I know the Blackout guys are looking for somewhere else they can stay,” Cassidy said. “Although, I’m not sure if that helps or hurts. I suppose the only thing they’re costing us is some food and electricity. I really don’t mind having them here.”

  “But it would be nice to have a little more privacy sometimes, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes, it would.” Cassidy glanced back at the hallway as she heard CJ singing in the kitchen. It was kind of her thing whenever she cooked. “Especially when we decide to have a family.”

  She returned her gaze to Ty, watching his expression. They had talked about having kids before, but the subject hadn’t been brought up recently. Initially, they had decided to wait at least four years to get established before starting a family. But sometimes, when Cassidy saw little babies and children, her heart panged with a longing she didn’t know she had.

  First, her friend Rebecca had a baby. Now one of her closest friends, Lisa Dillinger, was pregnant. And seeing Ada here . . .

  Ty stood from his chair and wrapped his arms around Cassidy’s waist. “You’re really thinking about children?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I know there would be a lot of benefits to waiting four years—now down to three, by the way. But other times I think, what are we waiting for? There’s never going to be an ideal time.”

  “I agree.” He leaned closer until their foreheads touched. “I would be open to the idea of talking about having kids sooner rather than later.”

  Warmth rushed through Cassidy, and she ran a finger along the side of his face. “Would you? I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”

  He grinned. “I like making you happy.”

  “But that’s going to have to wait until later.” She took a step back.

  Ty straightened and tilted his head, his hands still resting on her waist. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve got to go up to Virginia Beach.”

  Ty squinted. “Virginia Beach? Why Virginia Beach?”

  She explained the knife and its connection to Jason Perkins. As soon as she said Jason’s name, Ty tensed again.

  “I should go with you,” Ty said.

  “That’s not necessary. You have stuff to do here for Hope House.”

  “But—”

  She raised a finger. “No buts about it. I shouldn’t be in any danger. I’m just going to go and ask some questions. Besides, I’m kind of looking forward to getting away from all of this drama with the hotel.”

  That got a small smile out of him. “I can’t blame you for that. But I don’t want to go with you because you’re incapable. I want to go so we can spend time together.”

  Delight burst inside her. She hoped she never stopped feeling this way about her husband. She thanked God every day He’d brought them together.

  Cassidy stepped closer and planted a kiss on Ty’s lips. “You convinced me then. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Griff stayed in his lane and eased past the truck.

  He released a breath.

  First obstacle conquered.

  But he still had to figure out how to stop this pickup without anyone getting hurt.

  By not pressing the accelerator, his truck slowed. If he could continue decreasing his speed, he could turn down the lane toward Ty’s cottage in a few minutes.

  He hit the brakes again.

  Still nothing.

  Someone must have tampered with his truck. But when? While they were at the clinic?

  He was going to have to see if they had security cameras. He found it hard to believe someone was able to do this without being spotted.

  “Griff?” Bethany asked.

  “I’ve got this,” he murmured.

  With her lips pressed together, she nodded. She was nervous. Why wouldn’t she be? After everything that had happened, she had to be expecting the worst.

  As he approached the lane, he gradually turned the steering wheel. He was going slow enough that he was able to make the turn without going into the ditch.

  Score a second victory.

  But this wasn’t over yet.

  The truck was still moving.

  A sand dune rose at the end of the lane. If worse came to worst, he could hit it. Impact would be minimal.

  Only inches before the dune, the truck rolled to a stop.

  He released his breath.

  Crisis averted.

  For now.

  * * *

  Bethany closed her eyes as she realized they weren’t going to hit the dune.

  Thank goodness.

  Worst-case scenarios had been running through her mind—scenarios that had ended with someone being hurt.

  Who could have cut the brake line? It made no sense.

  She couldn’t figure out the endgame. Did these men want to abduct Ada? Or did they want to kill them both? It didn’t make sense.

  And what about what Griff had said? What if the person behind this was someone she knew?

  The bad feeling continued to brew in her gut.

  On the bright side, Ada was okay. Fo
r now, at least.

  They hopped out of the truck and stood beneath Ty’s place for a minute. While Griff examined the truck, Bethany glanced around, looking for any signs of trouble.

  She saw nothing.

  For now.

  How long would that last?

  Griff popped back from beneath the truck a moment later. “Someone definitely cut the brake line, probably while we were in the clinic.”

  “Whatever we do, these guys are always there, aren’t they?”

  He frowned. “Yes, they are.”

  His words didn’t make her feel any better, unfortunately.

  Chapter Twenty

  Inside the house, Griff turned to Ada, giving her his full attention as they built a tower together. But, as they played, it was obvious that Ada was becoming restless. She was losing patience with the tower, knocking it down. Then she would point outside, like it was driving her crazy not to be exploring.

  She’d gotten that from Griff. He’d always loved the outdoors. There was nowhere he felt quite as peaceful.

  Bethany had mentioned earlier that Ada liked to throw tantrums lately. He hadn’t seen one yet, but he had a feeling his little girl was on the brink right now. Cabin fever seemed to be kicking in.

  Bethany watched them from the couch, a frown on her face. “I wish she could get out there and enjoy the sand and the ocean. Seems like such a shame to be here but stuck inside.” She shrugged. “Maybe another time.”

  Griff glanced at the window. Ada would love the beach. Would love building sandcastles and chasing the waves and entertaining the seagulls.

  “If you want to, we can take her on a quick walk.”

  Bethany’s eyes widened as she studied his face. “Are you sure that’s safe? Especially after what happened last time . . .”

  “The only thing about being in this cottage is that we’re separated from the outside world by four walls. But if someone wants to get to us, it’s not these four walls that will save us. It’s the people here.”