Page 20 of Spotted at Lighthouse Bay (Spotted Cottage #4)

He walked quickly, disguising his gasps for air as exertion. Would Addy notice? The tingling in his hands was fading, but his heart was still racing and his chest was in a vise.

Rick could tell her about Cody. It had been a year. He should be able to talk about it, especially with her.

But Addy couldn’t know about this problem of his. This weakness. The shooting pains in his chest. The numbness in his hands. His vision tunneling into darkness.

If Rick thought he was about to die, the decent thing was to keep it to himself.

They reached the tea shop and he pulled the door open for her. He forced a smile, or at least he thought he did.

Inside the tea shop, the air was pleasantly warm and smelled of cinnamon and bergamot. Sheila was shouting at Marilyn. Patty stood with her hands on her hips, watching as Sheila whisked Addy away.

The room kept shifting beneath his feet. Rick took a seat at a table near the door and tried the techniques he’d read on the internet. The feel of his jeans on his hand. One yellow thing he could see. Two red things…

Enough of that. He needed to watch the entrances. The guys could be lurking around. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Addy.

The vise crushing his chest loosened and he took a full breath, then another. He wasn’t dying. Not this time.

Just a little panic attack .

As if it being “little” were such a thing. He hated the term. He hated the feeling, the loss of control and the humiliation.

No one seemed to have noticed, though. He’d staved it off for now. Addy couldn’t know what a mess he was. She would think –

“If you ever want to talk,” she said, appearing at his side, “I’m always here.” Then she laughed. “Well, you know that, because you’re always here, too.”

He forced a laugh. “Ha, yeah. Thanks.”

“I mean it, Rick.” She raised her eyebrows. “You can’t avoid me.”

“I know.” He looked down.

Stop being weird. Act normal .

Rick looked back up. Her grey eyes were focused on him, as calm as the sea.

She smiled and walked off, back to her seat with Sheila.

By the time he was able to tune in, talks on how to keep Addy safe were well underway.

Rick had his own opinions. It’d be best for Addy to move out of Russell’s house, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He’d have to install cameras. Maybe he could get IronClad Elite to pay for another bodyguard for more complete coverage? Anyone but Phil. Phil was useless.

Eliza stopped by his table. “Can I get you anything?”

“No. I’m all right, thanks.”

She leaned in. “I’m glad you’re back. Phil wasn’t all there, if you know what I mean.”

“I know. He was barely here at all.”

Though Phil definitely didn’t get panic attacks, making him more useful than Rick…

“I think Aunt Addy is glad you’re back, too.”

He looked down at the table. “Glad to be back.” He hesitated. “Actually, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Anything!” Eliza said, grinning.

“Could you get some flyers printed for me? I want the pictures of those guys all over the island.”

“I would be honored , ” she said, hand to her heart.

He laughed. She was a good kid. They were a nice family, even with Marilyn casting the shadow of her ego over everyone.

His family had been a nice family once. It had only taken one tragedy to shatter it to pieces.

He wasn’t going to let anything like that happen to Addy.

It was hard to interrupt all the bickering, but eventually he got the pictures of the salesmen’s licenses and reached out to his contact to get background. He wanted to know everything about these guys.

Eliza got to work immediately and had a sample ready in thirty minutes. Rick asked her to add WANTED FOR QUESTIONING at the top before approving it.

Patty swooped in and said she was friends with the Chief Deputy Sheriff, Hank. She also said his wife Margie knew all the ferry workers and would get the word out.

For the ragtag bunch they were, with a panic-ridden Rick at the helm, their defense came together swiftly. The salesmen wouldn’t be able to step foot on the island without being spotted.

Rick was happy with that. It was a good start, but it wasn’t enough. He ordered a camera system using the company credit card. It would take two days to get there. That was okay. He didn’t plan to sleep.

Through Patty, he secured a mechanic to fix Addy’s car. The guy would tow it, fix it up, and bring it back in three days. Top-tier service on this little island.

After two hours, Addy agreed to go back to the house. Once he’d checked the rooms and the property, he let himself relax a little, unlike at the tea shop, where his muscles had been tense and ready to spring with every opening of the door.

Addy didn’t seem shaken up anymore. She spent the evening laughing and playing a card game called “Sounds Fishy” with Sheila and Russell.

Rick didn’t want to join, but they’d insisted they needed one more player.

If there had been any sort of real threat, he wouldn’t have, but the laughter pulled him in.

The next morning, he heard back from his contact. The salesmen were run-of-the mill petty criminals. Both had spent time in prison. Theft, home break-ins. Check fraud. Witness intimidation. Real stand-up guys.

He called IronClad Elite and told them about the situation and the increased threat to Addy. There was no one higher up to talk to, just someone taking messages, so he said he’d like to discuss more resources for Addy’s case.

All there was left to do was sit and wait. They were going to slip up. They would make a mistake and Rick would be there to catch it.

He might not be able to get Marilyn’s money back, but he would make them pay. They would go back to prison for what they’d done to Addy.

Maybe then he’d be able to sleep again.