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She smiled wryly. “Don’t act so shocked.”
He shook his head. “I just can’t believe it. Every time I think these people couldn’t go any lower, they find another level.”
“Now you see why I’m not going to walk away. We’re going to finish this and nail these bastards, once and for all. If we made a stink now, they’d find some way to get out of it and go back to hurting innocent people. We can’t let that happen.”
Santiago nodded, a renewed sense of determination filling him. “You’re right,” he said simply. How had he gotten so lucky? How had he picked the one woman in the world who was determined to see this through to the end, despite the personal cost?
More importantly, would he ever be able to repay her?
Ainsley nodded, satisfied with his response. “Just do me a favor,” he said as she turned to go.
She glanced back. “What’s that?”
He got to his feet, bracing for the battle his request was sure to provoke. “No more early morning runs alone. In fact, no more going anywhere alone.”
Her brows drew together and she took a breath. He held up his hand, forestalling her objection. “Ainsley, you got lucky this morning. That bump on your head could have been something much worse. Next time, it will be. Please don’t put yourself in danger. I’m begging you.”
Her eyes softened and she finally nodded. “All right,” she said quietly. “We’ll stick together from here on out.” She started walking away, then paused at the door. “I guess that means you’ll be getting up early, because I’m not about to start skipping my morning run.”
Even from this distance, he could see the mischievous glint in her eyes. He let out a dramatic sigh, knowing it was the reaction she was looking for. “Must you torture me, woman?”
She laughed, the sound curling in his chest and warming his heart. “Oh yes. And I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Chapter 9
Ainsley let the hot water flow over her hands, enjoying the soothing sensation for a moment. What she wouldn’t give for a relaxing soak in the bathtub! It would be the ideal way to ease the aches and pains she’d been dealing with since this morning’s attack, but there simply hadn’t been enough time. After convincing Santiago to stay the course, she’d had to squeeze in a shower before they’d headed to the main cabin for breakfast and the start of their day of counseling sessions.
The first group session had just concluded, and Ainsley had taken the opportunity for a bathroom break. She’d tried to catch Jenny’s eye during the meeting, but the other woman had repeatedly dodged her. Was that because she felt guilty or embarr
assed over what her husband had said yesterday, or was she too afraid to cross him by speaking to Ainsley? Either way, it looked like she wasn’t going to get another chance to connect with the beleaguered new mother. Perhaps that was for the best, at least right now. If Ainsley drew too much attention to Jenny, it was possible the Woodses would order Brett to terrorize the poor woman, the same way Ainsley suspected she was being targeted.
She glanced in the bathroom mirror, studying her appearance with a critical eye. There were no signs of the attack this morning, at least not on her face. And as long as no one put their hands on the back of her head, they’d never know she had a big lump under her hair. As far as anyone knew, she was fine. It was just another normal day.
A toilet flushed in one of the stalls behind her, and a young lady wearing the uniform of a Marriage Institute employee stepped out and walked to the sink. She smiled pleasantly at Ainsley as she turned on the tap and squirted soap into her hands.
“How are you this morning?”
Ainsley offered her a polite nod. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Are you enjoying the retreat?”
How to answer that? Ainsley had no illusions that anything she said to this person would remain between them. If she indicated she was experiencing any problems, the information would likely be used against her in some way. So she decided to play it cool, in keeping with what she’d asked Santiago to do earlier.
“I’m learning a lot,” she said truthfully.
The young woman smiled and turned off the tap. “That’s wonderful!” She reached for the paper towels as Ainsley shut off her own water. After a few seconds, the employee tossed her damp towels into the trash and nodded at Ainsley. “Have a good day!”
“You, too,” Ainsley said automatically. Then the words sank in and she frowned, staring after her as she walked away.
Have a good day.
The phrase buzzed around in Ainsley’s head, stirring a memory. She strained to identify it, but to no avail.
What was it about those words that bothered her? It was a throwaway phrase, the type of empty platitude people spouted all the time. Totally in keeping with the too-polished, too-perfect behavior of the other Institute employees.
And yet for some reason, the phrase struck Ainsley as disturbing.
She shook her head, wondering if the blow she’d taken that morning had knocked something loose inside her brain. It was silly to be so fixated on such a common, innocent sentiment.
