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I smiled. “You’re not that old.”
He reached into the cooler and tossed me another beer. “That was the right answer. All right, I gave you my spiel. Now let’s enjoy fishing in silence.”
We spent the day on the lake, and after Dad left that evening, I did feel a little better. I still wasn’t sure what I should do, but I did feel more grounded. Like I was myself again.
When I went for a jog again the next day, I wasn’t hungover. I was feeling more fresh than ever, and my mind was already racing with ideas for my new marketing company to compete with the Bobs. Dad was right: some time out on the lake was helping me see clearly again.
It was around mile three when a helicopter passed overhead. I didn’t think much of it because I was in my own head making plans, but then the helicopter flew by again, slower than the first time. I glanced up at it and stopped in my tracks.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I said.
40
Melinda
Pierce’s private helicopter hung in the air like a constellation, unmistakable after I had spent so much time on the Bellerophon. Stubbornly, I continued on my jog. The path wound into the forest that circled the lake, but the helicopter slowly followed me.
Three days, I thought. Three days went by before Pierce came begging.
It was impossible to focus with the constant noise above me, so eventually I gave up and pulled out my phone to call Pierce. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to find a place to land,” he replied simply. “There are too many trees. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Go home. I don’t want to see you,” I insisted.
“Not going to happen. We’re landing this somewhere, even if we have to crash it into the lake. You might as well help us find a landing spot.”
I covered the receiver, let out a frustrated shriek, then said, “I’m staying at the cabin on the west side of the lake. My car is parked out front. There should be enough room to land on the lawn.”
The helicopter swung out over the lake, and I hung up and finished my run. By the time I arrived at the cabin, the aircraft had landed and Pierce and Linda were standing by the back porch.
“You going to invite us in?” Pierce asked with a smile.
“I don’t want to see you!” I insisted. “How did you even find me? Did my parents tell you where I was?”
Linda cleared her throat. “We enabled tracking on your phone. There’s just enough signal out here to pinpoint your location.”
I gasped. “You’re here to beg for me to come back, and the first thing you do is breach my trust?”
“You agreed to it,” Linda said evenly. “It was in the security addendum you signed on day one.”
“And I’m not here to beg for you to come back,” Pierce said. “But I do want to talk about a few things. Now are you going to invite me in?”
He seemed so certain, so sure that I would let him in. It infuriated me. “No,” I said, and slammed the door on him. The shocked look on his face, and the click of the deadbolt sliding into place, was immensely satisfying.
“Okay, you’ve made your point.”
“Have I? You’re still there,” I replied through the door.
“Let’s talk about this, Melinda.”
“I don’t want to do any talking. I came here to clear my head, which you’re currently inhibiting.”
“Take as much time as you need,” he replied.
“You’re just going to wait?”
“If I have to, sure.”
