And then came the sound. A bang followed by several loud pops like the delay of the Fourth of July fireworks shot from the same spot. Gunpowder. The remains of the lighthouse exploded.
This wasn’t symbolism. The Inn was under attack.
ChapterSixteen
Ashley thought they were finally having a moment. Learning that what she had feared most was true—Dad had abandoned her—hadn’t crushed her. She lived, she breathed, and she found a surprising inner calm. Because Christopher hadn’t given up on her.
Something had eased in her heart. Her relationship with Dad was over and done. The only reconciliation would be making peace with his memory. She had to search within for forgiveness.
Her husband remained. She had resigned herself to letting him go, and then came a flash of what they’d had. If she could release herself from the guilt over not making amends with Dad and walk ahead with her husband, she’d remove all the obstacles from their path.Did he still love her, or had his allowance been about pity?She needed the answer. In a second, she decided to scare herself and him. She asked for something better than sole ownership of the Inn. She asked for a partnership.
Why didn’t he say anything?
The longer the silence stretched between them, the more tension rose in her stiff limbs. A lump clogged her throat. Instead of lightness, she turned to stone inch by inch.
Maybe because she had said something neither of them would have anticipated, he hadn’t really heard her. Her chin trembled. She darted her tongue over her dry bottom lip. She’d have to put herself out there again. Her mouth opened.
He turned away.
The loss of his attention became a physical ache. She wanted to protest. Her question demanded an answer. She deserved a reply.
As he stared, rapt, focused on the window, a loud boom shook the Inn.
She followed his gaze. Her eyes widened.
The lighthouse was gone.
Against the dark sky, angry orange flames engulfed a pile of stony rubble.
From the safety of the office, she stared at the fire. They had been there on that spot not too long ago. Lonnie and Zach couldn’t be involved. The bad guys were in the back of a cruiser headed to jail.Was this an accident? Or arson? Was someone after them? What if the fire spread? How was it set? Was the entire property in danger?
An alarm sounded.
She heard it from a distance, not quite processing the noise, the scene, or the feelings. Frozen. Immobile. Horrified. Her brain and her body weren’t working in tandem.
“Ashley. Come on. We have to get out of here.” He stood, moving away.
Her skin chilled without his touch. No. He couldn’t move away. He needed to stay and answer her question. He had to agree. Because she couldn’t keep living her life without him. No more unknowns.
When he returned, he grabbed her hand. She almost sighed at his touch, relief making her boneless. She stood, and he pulled her to the secret staircase.
She bobbed along behind him, floating down the steps. Her brain didn’t process the locomotion necessary. Numb and cold, she was so very tired of running. She wanted to stay here with him and give them a chance. Waiting for his answer wasn’t her style. If she started doing that now, she’d gain nothing but maybe lose everything.
At the bottom of the stairs, he didn’t stop. He continued through the hall to the side door.
On the damp grass outside, she slid, thudding into him.
With a hand, he steadied her and gazed into her eyes. She had to ask him again. No, she’d tell him. They were going to be partners. They were not going to be idiots and lose each other in some misguided act of chivalry.
But she could hardly hear herself breathe. The Inn’s fire alarm system blared louder outside than on the top floor.
Guests milled on the lawn in various combinations of coats and pajamas. Employees raced through the chaotic, noisy scene. Conversations and cries mixed into a deafening sound.
The siren from the fire trucks echoed in the night.
“I’ve got to go. Stay here, okay?” Christopher asked.
No, don’t leave. We have to stick together. We’re a team. Her brain buzzed, processing the scene at a rapid pace. Her body didn’t match the speed. She couldn’t speak or move.
