She stared. Finally, someone believed her. She couldn’t celebrate or commiserate.
But his acceptance was off. He rattled off the conclusion in a second like a prepared remark. His family believed in the made-up story about treasure, and Zach had told her Steve mentioned odd sights on the island. She didn’t like his answer. But she didn’t have it in her to question him. “I don’t think a ghost can demolish stones like that.”
But a spirit could have saved me.She would have been standing directly under the windows if she hadn’t been shoved. She hated the deadly possibilities. Her throat sliced by shards of broken glass. Or her head smashed by a falling stone.
“Maybe Soupy?” Steve asked.
She stifled a groan, avoiding that minefield.
Why was everyone so eager to buy into a lake monster concept that made no sense? For a legend to endure, some logic was required. At least she presented a solid argument for her apparition. She crossed her arms over her body, rubbing her shoulders. She was icy down to her bones. “I’m okay. Can you take me to shore?”
“No. You need to get checked up. You might have a concussion or something. The Inn will want to brush this off. You need to file a report and get this cited.” Steve turned away and revved the engine of the idling, bobbing boat.
Don’t I get a say? She wouldn’t mind a checkup. As an adult, she could make her own choices.
Steve took charge of the situation, not asking her opinion or desires.
She hated the loss of control. Because she would have agreed to a check-up if he had asked.Why is he so invested in getting me to the hospital?Once again, she missed some bigger part of the whole picture, a connection that would make sense in hindsight.
Arguing with a determined man never achieved her goals. Ashley would placate Steve but get some much-needed support, even if asking her husband for back-up meant he’d insist on a trip to the lawyer to officially decide property ownership before further damage could be done.
“Can you get my purse?” Ashley shouted, her voice breaking. She pointed a shaky arm to the bag a few feet away near the rubble.
Steve nodded and steered the boat close. He retrieved the purse with one swift movement, barely lifting out of the captain’s chair. He tossed the bag in her direction.
If she wasn’t so cold, she’d stare. Instead, she grabbed the purse off the ground and pulled her cell phone out of her bag. With her cold hands, she fumbled with the device.
OTW to hospital with Steve Prim. Hurry.
She sank back against the seat cushion. She wasn’t sure if she’d added enough panic in the text or if she’d scared her husband too much. A manual for etiquette in tense situations would be handy.
Slipping the phone into her purse, she crossed her arms over her chest and held on tight. She had too many questions swirling around her mind. At the top of her list, she wondered at Steve’s proximity to the Inn in his personal watercraft. Why float around near the lighthouse if he wasn’t leading a tour?
Unless, he’s my ghost?
Fred’s folly had been built to establish ownership of the disputed land. Now it might serve to bring down the whole empire. She’d resolve to do the impossible. Not say a word until Christopher showed up at the hospital.
* * *
While living without her had been hard, Christopher always had hope for their future. If time could heal all things, he kept the faith for their reconciliation. In his mind, they were destined for each other.
After running off and eloping, they had returned to her very unimpressed father. Having grown up on the property alongside Ashley, he had known and respected her father the same as his own. Christopher had watched her manipulate every situation to her benefit. He hadn’t given the rushed marriage a second thought, figuring, like every other occasion, she’d charm everyone into accepting her decisions.
Only, this time, she hadn’t.
He’d gone to Xavier Hale. Christopher had vowed to stand tall and listen if the old man wanted to berate him. But instead, Xavier had been shaken by his daughter’s impetuous decision. He looked scared by the lengths she’d go to get her way. In that moment, Christopher didn’t see the institution but the human. And they’d forged an uneasy bond.
Slowly, day by day, Christopher proved to Xavier that he was worthy of the daughter and valued the business. But then he’d strained his relationship with Ashley. She wanted to be the center of his world, the only Hale he spent time with. She couldn’t appreciate what the unofficial apprenticeship meant. And he’d never been good at explaining.
Suddenly everything changed. While she had expressed frustration with her father for not training her, she had never told Christopher of an ultimatum until she was packing the car. One day, she was her usual, bubbly self, and the next, she was leaving. He didn’t take her decision seriously, figuring she said something rash to her father in the heat of the moment and would turn the car around as soon as she calmed down. By the time he realized he should have listened to the hurt in her tone over the angry words, he had lost her.
In the kitchen, he finished his salad while leaning back against the stainless-steel sink. If he stayed on his feet and kept moving, he could almost run away from his problems. Last night, when he had said he wanted to finish their business, she hadn’t flinched or tried to stop him. She hadn’t reacted at all.
He wanted some response. From a typically heart-on-her-sleeve personality, her stare was particularly chilling. Where was her fire and fight? He was starting the process of ending their marriage. It wasn’t in his best interest to remain financially tangled together. With a hefty payout, he would end the monthly allowance. He could start fresh.
Did he want that?
He had been okay with the status quo because at least it gave him the illusion that she still loved him. When she had brought up Elise, she had almost given him the impression she was jealous.
