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Logan exhaled, relieved to have some distance between them. He waited for a few seconds before leaving the storeroom, then came up short when he saw Corinne standing at the foot of the stairs. How long had she been there? Had she been able to hear their conversation? And had she seen Peach leave?
Of course, there could be a completely innocent explanation for them both being in the small storeroom at once, with the door closed, but judging by the look in her eyes, that wasn’t where her mind had gone.
“Mum—”
She shook her head. “There are customers.”
She swept past him, and out into the pub. He swore. Damn it. Nothing was going according to plan today. He followed and tried to pull her aside to talk, but her jaw tightened.
“Later,” she snapped.
His stomach sank. How could his own mother think the worst of him? Had nothing he’d done lately to put the past behind him mattered at all?
He glanced at the clock. His shift had officially ended. He needed to clear his mind.
He went to the beach and changed into one of his rental wet suits, then took a board and hit the waves. There was nothing like the cold spray of the ocean to help him get perspective.
* * *
Gabby restedher head against the edge of the bathtub and wondered how long she’d be able to hold out against the wrath of her hungry stomach. She should have thought to grab a snack before she ran the bath, but she’d been too distracted by her aching back. Now, the hot water had eased the ache, and her head was swimming in a woozy state between sleep and wakefulness, but her stomach had been growling for the past half hour.
She closed her eyes and focused on the way the water cocooned her limbs. So good. Her tummy rumbled and clenched, reminding her of how empty it was. She sighed. She’d just have to get food and return to the bath. There was no rule saying she couldn’t lounge in the water while she ate. She’d been expecting Logan back any time now, so she’d been putting off eating because she figured he’d be hungry when he finished his shift and they could have something together.
Another growl. Time to stop waiting.
She slung one leg over the side of the bath. She felt so dozy, her muscles so languid, that she knew standing wouldn’t be easy. She’d do it on the count of three.
One.
Two.
She pushed herself upright, one leg inside the tub and one leg out. Her vision flickered at the corners. Her pulse thumped in her ears. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and then she was falling. Her knee caught the edge of the tub and her head thwacked into the other edge.
Everything went dark.
An image popped into her mind. She was riding Princess through the fields. She touched her belly, confused. She hadn’t been riding for the past month because of the pregnancy. But her abdomen was flat. Princess ran faster and faster, and no matter what Gabby did, she wouldn’t stop. Gabby opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t. She couldn’t even breathe. She clutched her throat and tried to scream, but there was only silence.
She woke with a rush, jolting into a seated position. Water streamed down her face and she gasped for breath, her lungs straining to drag in air. Pain flared on the side of her head. She blinked, struggling to make sense of what had happened. Had she fainted?
She coughed, clearing her throat, and forced herself to inhale slowly and deeply. Her head spun as she reached shakily for the plug and pulled it out. The water swirling around the drain was tinged pink. She cocked her head, gasping as it throbbed again. She raised her hand to the area that hurt, and flinched when she touched it. Her hand came away coated in red.
Shit. She was bleeding.
She ran her hand over the cut. The side of her head was already swelling, but with how wet her hair was and the fact the water had diluted her blood, it was impossible to tell how bad it was. Was it just a nick, or a serious head trauma?
She needed help.
She eyed the edge of the bath but didn’t try to stand again. If she fell, a second blow to the head might trigger a nasty concussion—assuming she wasn’t already concussed. She scanned her surroundings and spotted her cell phone on the vanity. She reached for it, but it was too far away.
With difficulty, she scrambled onto her knees, clutching the side of the bath so she wouldn’t slip. This time, she was able to get a hold of the phone with the tips of her fingers. She stared at the screen, trying to remember how to make a call. Her hands were wet, and water and blood dripped onto the phone. She reached over the edge for a second time and grabbed the bathmat, using it to dry her hands and the screen, then she found Logan’s number and called. The phone rang and rang and no one picked up.
She blinked, and when she opened her eyes again, she was resting against the end of the tub, the phone slack in her hand. She must have passed out. Her stomach tightened. That wasn’t a good sign.
This time, she found Shane’s number in her recent contacts. Her finger missed the ‘Call’ button twice before she managed to hit it.
He answered on the third ring. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Her thoughts were muddled. What did she need him for? “Um, I’ve hit my head. I think I might have fainted. Could you come and get me? I probably need to visit a doctor.”
