“The fact that I like you?”
A smile cracked her face, and she shrugged playfully. “Well, yes. Partly. But the thought of falling for someone. There’s just so much I don’t know right now . . .”
Wes decided to stop hesitating. He reached forward. His finger slipped into the belt loop of her jean shorts, and he tugged her closer. Paige let out a laugh that sounded half nervous, half giddy. But her eyes turned serious as her gaze locked with his.
“You’re definitely flirting,” she murmured.
“Yes, I am.” Wes leaned toward her, imagining what her lips would feel like against his. He couldn’t wait to find out.
But before he could properly kiss her, something crashed through the window.
Chapter Sixteen
Paige jerked back, clinging to Wes’s arm as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. All she’d heard was a crash and glass breaking.
She glanced at the floor near her feet and saw a brick there.
“Stay here,” Wes said, a steely determination in his voice.
He charged toward the door.
“Wes!” Paige reached for him. As much as she wanted Wes to figure out what was happening, she didn’t want him to get hurt. Jennifer, assuming she was behind these attacks, was clearly a threat right now and seemed to be coming more unhinged by the moment.
Wes didn’t seem to hear Paige—or he ignored her. He darted outside.
Tires squealed in the distance. Whoever had thrown that brick had taken off. They wouldn’t catch her now.
Her.
Because Paige now felt sure Jennifer was behind this. But how were they going to prove it? And how were they going to stop her?
She had no idea.
Wes walked back inside, adrenaline pulsating from him. He was mad, and rightfully so.
He stormed over to the brick and pulled off a piece of paper that had been wrapped around it.
In crudely written letters, Paige read the message over his shoulder.
You’re mine and only mine. Forever. Nothing can separate us.
A chill raced up Paige’s spine.
This wasn’t going to end, was it? She knew it wouldn’t. Not until someone was either seriously hurt or dead—and those somebodies could only be Wes, Paige, or Jennifer.
Cassidy showed up at Wes’s house fifteen minutes later. Wes was used to seeing her on a friendly basis. But having her over so often to investigate? He didn’t like it.
Nor did he like the extreme measures Jennifer was going through to get his attention.
He didn’t know how to keep Paige safe. Or even worse—he didn’t know if he could keep Paige safe. That answer wasn’t acceptable.
The three of them stood in his living room, hot air seeping in through the broken window beside them and Wes’s irritation growing with every puff of hot air he felt.
“Listen,” Cassidy said after bagging the evidence. “Why don’t you two stay at my place tonight? We have two extra bedrooms. I know you can’t stay here. It would be better if you were somewhere safe, at least until we have answers.”
Wes glanced at Paige, who nodded.
“I’d feel better staying anywhere other than my own place,” she affirmed.
“I’m going to need to fix my window before I stay here again.”
“Ty is bringing some wood over,” Cassidy said. “I just called him.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Cassidy glanced back and forth between them. “You two doing okay? It’s quite the day you’re having. The week, for that matter.”
“I, for one, am just happy to be alive,” Paige said.
Cassidy nodded. “I can imagine. We’ve been taking Jennifer’s photo around to various business owners and rental agencies to see if anyone recognizes her. So far, I haven’t had any luck.”
“Certainly, someone here on the island has seen her,” Wes said. “She’s not a ghost. She launched that boat from somewhere.”
“As far as I know, the only time someone can confirm seeing her was in Lisa’s that day. As soon as we’re able to locate her, we’ll bring her in for questioning.”
“What about the boat that hit us?” Wes asked. “Any leads on that?”
“Not yet. We’ve been at the marina talking to people. We’re hopeful that someone will come forward who saw something.”
“It’s like she’s invisible,” Wes said. “It just doesn’t seem possible that she’s getting away with this.”
“I’m sorry.” Cassidy frowned, compassion staining her eyes. “I know it has to be terribly frustrating for you.”
“I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.” Paige. He mostly didn’t want to see Paige get hurt.
“None of us do.”
Wes rubbed his jaw. He had to think of a plan to keep Paige safe.
Just as the thought entered his mind, an idea hit him and he straightened. He replayed some of the things Paige had told him today. He remembered hearing her talk, hearing her share about the things in life that were valuable to her. Things that might convince her to put her safety first.
His idea was risky. It could totally backfire.
But it was worth pursuing.
His plan could save Paige’s life . . . and that was the most important thing. He only prayed that she would forgive him.
Chapter Seventeen
Paige had slept better than she expected in the spare bedroom at Cassidy and Ty’s place. It helped knowing that Wes, the police chief, and a former Navy SEAL were in the same house.
She’d awoken as the sunlight filtered through the blinds and into the room. On the other side of the house, she could hear murmuring and dishes clanging together. Obviously, other people were up. But she wasn’t quite ready.
Instead, she drew in a deep breath. Memories of yesterday filled her mind.
Memories of the boat crash. Of almost kissing Wes. Of hearing that brick shatter the window.
Scary. Wonderful. Scary.
Her life was never simple. No, it had always been a sandwich of good times and bad times. Her stay here in Lantern Beach was no different.
She pressed her head into the pillow. What was she going to do? Would Jennifer keep coming after her if she stayed here? How would everything end?
She had no idea. But she did know she had a job to do.
After getting dressed, she stepped into the kitchen. Everyone sat around the table, enjoying some yogurt parfaits and coffee.
Her gaze met Wes’s, and she felt her cheeks heat. There was no reason for her to react this way. Yet she couldn’t deny that she was drawn to the man.
“Good morning.” She pushed a curl behind her ear.
“Morning,” Ty said. “Help yourself. These blueberries are out of this world. Got them from Skye’s produce stand.”
Paige lowered herself into an empty chair, realizing that everything felt oddly normal. She desperately wanted to feel normal as well.
After taking a sip of her coffee, she asked, “Any updates?”
The three of them glanced at each other.
“We haven’t located Jennifer yet,” Cassidy said. “We’re going to start the search again this morning. We’re hoping for some answers.”
“I’m hoping for answers also.”
“We did get a lead on the boat,” Cassidy continued. “A vacationer reported that he was about to launch from the harbor area. He forgot something in his car. When he returned, his boat was gone. He could see someone behind the wheel in the distance, but it was too far away to see any details.”
“Did they find his boat?” Paige stuck her spoon into the yogurt, berry, granola mix.
“They did. It had been left at one of the private docks soundside. There was obviously some damage to it, but the house near the dock is currently empty.”
She frowned. “In other words, no one saw anything?”
Cassidy nodded. “Right.”
Another dead end.
“I think it wo
uld be better if you stayed here this morning,” Cassidy continued, starting to collect the dishes from the table and carry them to the sink. “I’ll get someone to cover for you at work.”
“But—I have a job to do. I don’t want to sit around all day in fear.” That sounded awful.
“I know that doesn’t sound fun,” Cassidy said. “But your safety is my first concern.”
Paige wanted to keep arguing and pushing her point. Before she could, someone knocked at the door.
She braced herself, halfway expecting another attack by Jennifer. But when she saw Wes exchange a glance with Cassidy, her instincts told her there was more to this story.
As Ty answered the door and then stepped back, Paige saw two familiar figures step inside.
She stood, the air leaving her lungs. “Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?”
Paige glanced at her mom and dad, unsure if she was seeing things or if they were really here.
But it was them.
Her mom with her short honey-blonde hair and premature wrinkles from her years out in the sun. Her dad with his nearly bald head and twenty extra pounds, mostly in his stomach area.
She’d never seen a more welcome sight.
“How did you know where I was?” Paige stepped toward them, still feeling uncertain about how they would react to seeing her. She didn’t know whether to hug them or to run.
“Wes called us last night.” Worry and concern etched into her mom’s features. “He said you were in trouble and that we should come right away.”
Paige looked back at Wes, her eyes flaring with disbelief. This wasn’t his business. He never should have interfered.
She plastered on a more pleasant expression as she turned back to her parents. “Is that right?”
Her dad reached for her arm, that same worry present in his expression. But it was his voice—wrought with something close to grief—that pummeled her heart.
“Are you okay, Paige?” he asked.
Her shoulders heaved as she stared at her dad. She held back a sob. Her dad . . . he was here . . . and he didn’t look angry. Or like he hated her. Or . . . any of the other scenarios that had constantly run through her head.
“I’m . . . fine.”
“I’ve missed you so much.” Her dad’s voice cracked, like he also had to hold back tears.
Her dad? Cry? She’d only ever seen that once—after his mother died. Seeing it broke her heart.
“I’ve missed you too, Dad.” She could hardly understand her own words as her voice seemed to yelp with emotion.
The next instant, they embraced. She buried herself in her dad’s arms, strong from his days of fishing and hauling in the big catches. He’d always been such a good dad, from the time he read her stories on his knee all the way until he danced with her at her cousin’s wedding last fall.
Paige glanced back. Cassidy, Ty, and Kujo had disappeared—probably to the back of the house. But Wes still lingered, as if he wanted to explain.
Explain? There was no way he’d be able to explain this one.
“I can’t believe you came.” Paige shook her head, still feeling shell-shocked or like this was a dream.
“We drove all night.”
Dark circles hung beneath her mom’s eyes, the circles that clearly showcased her exhaustion, how much she’d aged in the short time since Paige had last seen her. The thought caused a ball of emotion to lodge in Paige’s throat.
“We’ve been praying that we would hear from you,” Mom whispered. “That you’d come back into our lives.”
“I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me after Owen . . .” Paige’s voice broke. She didn’t deserve her parents’ forgiveness. She’d messed up so badly and caused them so much pain.
“I messed up, Paige,” Dad said. “I spoke out of anger, out of hurt. I was desperate to get you to stay and thought the ultimatum would keep you at home. I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t call . . .” If his words were true, why had they been silent?
“By the time we came to our senses, you’d changed your phone number.”
Paige pressed her lips together. She’d gotten a new cellular plan when she’d gone to Wilmington—a cheaper one that fit her new budget. At that point, she’d figured the phone number change wouldn’t matter, that her family was a part of her past.
“We’ll always love you, Paige.” Her dad pulled her into another hug. “We just want what’s best for you. We could have handled the situation better.”
Tears burned her eyes. Paige wanted to believe his words. She did. But there was so much more to the story. As much as she craved her parents’ forgiveness . . . could she ever forgive herself?
“But your heart . . .” Paige’s hand went over her mouth as her emotions overwhelmed her. “Can you even travel like this?”
“I’m doing much better.”
“It’s all my fault,” Paige whispered. “If I hadn’t gone with Owen, you would still be healthy right now. You’d have your business. I messed everything up!”
“Your father would have had his heart attack if you’d stayed or gone,” her mom said. “Stop beating yourself up over it.”
“No, Aunt Sue told me that the doctor said it was caused by stress. I was the one who stressed you out. Who made your blood pressure skyrocket. It was my fault!”
“Aunt Sue? You talked to her?” her mom asked.
“I knew you didn’t want to talk to me, so I called her. She told me I had no business being concerned for Dad, that this was all my fault . . .”
“Oh, Paige . . . Aunt Sue should have never said that.”
“But it was true.”
Mom shook her head. “Paige . . . we just want to take you home, dear.”
Paige stepped back, shock washing over her. “Home? To Florida?”
“That’s right,” her mom said. “We want you to be safe. With us.”
What exactly had Wes told them?
Paige turned toward Wes, her eyes blazing as she realized just how many lines he’d crossed. “Could I have a moment with you, Wes?”
His expression remained placid. “Of course.”
He had no idea just how deep her story went. But he was about to find out.
And it wasn’t going to be fun.
Wes braced himself as Paige shut the door behind her after they’d stepped into her temporary bedroom. He knew he’d taken a risk by doing this, but he’d had no other choice. He had to get Paige off of this island and away from danger.
“What gave you the right to call my parents?” Paige blurted. Fire lit her eyes as she faced him, looking like she was ready to fight to the death.
“I need to get you out of here and get you somewhere safe.” His words sounded feeble, even to his own ears.
“That’s for me to decide, not you.” She jammed her finger into her chest and then his as if to emphasize her words.
He raised his hands. This was going to be worse than he imagined, and he wasn’t sure how to explain himself. “I only want to help.”
“You overstepped.”
“What happened with your dad, Paige? With his heart?”
Her eyes welled with tears. “When I chose Owen instead of him . . . when I accused my father of falsely accusing Owen . . . it broke his heart. Literally.”
Wes’s heart pounded in his ears, each beat seeming to suspend time.
“He could have died,” Paige continued. “The stress I put him under . . . it was too much for his body to handle. My aunt told me that he was in surgery for six hours, and doctors weren’t sure he was going to make it.”
A sob wracked her body as tears streamed down her cheeks. He saw the guilt she’d been carrying. The anger she held toward herself. The doubt she had about her decisions.
And suddenly everything made sense to Wes. No wonder she was so guarded. So cautious. So confused by the way Jennifer had tried to poison her thoughts.
Wes leaned closer, desperate to get through to her. “Paige, you know I car
e about you. I’m concerned for you. I can’t have you stay here with a psycho on the loose.”
“That’s my choice. I’ve felt myself falling for you, Wes, and that’s scared me to no end. But your problems can’t dictate my future.” Her voice rose with emotion with every word.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way.” If Paige would just slow down and take a minute to really think this through, maybe she’d understand . . .
“You shouldn’t have called them.” She raised her chin, not backing down.
Wes didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t regret his actions—not if they kept Paige alive. But he hated the agony in her gaze right now. “I can’t apologize.”
Paige stared at him a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t even know what to say. I have to go out there and talk to my mom and dad. I can’t do this right now.”
“Do what?”
“You. Me. This.”
She stormed out before Wes could say anything else.
Wes lowered his head as his heart twisted in agony. Why had doing the right thing felt so awful?
Chapter Eighteen
Wes could feel Cassidy and Ty’s eyes on him as he stared out the window.
A few minutes ago, Paige had left with her parents. She’d given him a scowl. Hugged Cassidy and Ty. Patted Kujo on the head. Then she was gone, and an emptiness filled him.
“That was tough,” Cassidy finally said. She stood in the background with her arms crossed, giving him space. She’d warned him how this might turn out. So had Ty.
“Tell me about it.” He rubbed his jaw, wondering if all of this was a huge mistake.
“You sure you don’t want to go after her?” Ty asked. “It’s not too late.”
“Do I want to?” Wes rubbed his neck. “Yes, more than anything. But I need her off this island until I know she’s safe. Even if she hates me. At least, I know she’s okay.”
“I’d feel better if she’d let one of my officers escort her . . .” Cassidy said.
She’d offered, but Paige had refused. Said she was with her parents, leaving the island, so no one should come after her now.
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