Page 34

The room had foosball, air hockey, and pinball machines. There was even a Ms. Pacman arcade machine, which Audrey loved.

There weren’t many people in the game room, so it was a great opportunity for some quality time with my daughter. But she was distant in a way that was hard to pin down. She talked, but not quite as much as usual. She played games, but her normal competitive nature was subdued.

Now, we were eating dinner, and she was distant. At least, she was with me. Things seemed normal between her and Audrey.

“I’m just saying, we didn’t even get into the water. You would’ve been fine.” Audrey was still chattering about the boat excursion, not picking up on the way things were strained between Christine and me.

I didn’t really blame her for that. It was subtle, but I felt the unease between us.

“You don’t understand what it’s like to be out on the water and unable to swim,” I said, trying to keep conversation going in the hopes that Christine would shake off whatever was bothering her.”

“You almost sound scared,” Audrey said, surprised.

I shrugged, unwilling to admit out loud that it was true. The idea of being on a boat turned my stomach. All I could think about was sinking like a rock to the bottom of the ocean.

Heather would understand that. I wasn’t sure how I knew it, but I was sure that she would.

“Well, we had a great time. Didn’t we, sweetheart?”

Christine nodded with an easy smile. “Yeah, Mom. I kind of thought it might be boring, but I had fun.”

“What did you do this afternoon?” Audrey asked, her attention shifting back to me.

Christine’s smile slipped away, and her eyes returned to her food.

This had to be about Heather. I knew that Christine had seen her leaving my bungalow this afternoon, but she didn’t mention it, and I hoped that I misinterpreted the expression on her face. After all, there was really no reason for her to be upset. She didn’t want Audrey and me to get back together. She’d been old enough in the last few years of our marriage to see that we were a terrible match.

But nothing else explained why she was acting like this.

“Just hung around my bungalow,” I said. Not a lie. Just not the whole truth.

Christine exhaled just loudly enough to draw my attention.

“Do you like your pasta?” I asked, nodding toward the plate of seafood alfredo in front of her. “It smells good.”

“It’s fine.” She didn’t even look up. I didn’t get a smile like Audrey did.

Fuck.

Audrey still didn’t notice anything strange because her eyes were now on her phone. “I just got a text from Valerie, one of the women I met on the boat today. She and a couple of the gals are going to the exclusive hot tubs tonight.”

“Exclusive?” Christine asked.

“Those are for adults-only,” Audrey said while typing out a response. “So, you’ll stay with your dad tonight.”

Christine’s eyes shifted to me for a moment—unreadable—and then she looked away again.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Audrey asked, and I was still so focused on Christine that it took me a moment to realize she was talking to me.

“Uh, no.” It was true, I didn’t mind at all. I wanted time with my daughter. I just wasn’t sure how she felt about that right now.

“Great. I’ll head out now so I can change and meet the gals.”

The gals. I shook my head as she left the table, wondering how anyone could make friends so easily.

“I’m done eating.” Christine pushed her plate away, her food only half-eaten.

I hadn’t finished my fish and chips yet, but she seemed to want to leave, so I called the waiter over. Signing the check so it could be added onto my bill at checkout, I shoved my chair back and stood. Christine was already walking out of the restaurant, and annoyance bubbled up for the first time today.