Page 24 of Spotted at Lighthouse Bay (Spotted Cottage #4)

He knew he wasn’t her first choice to take on the kayak tour, but Rick was thrilled. Not that he cared much for kayaking – that seating position made his hips ache – but he was excited to do something with Addy.

She’d been busy recently, and he’d missed her insightful comments. He missed the way she looked up when she was thinking, then the way his heart sped when her gaze fell back on him…

At dinner, Addy was quiet, forcing Rick to lead the conversation.

“What’s next for you after San Juan Island?” he asked.

She shrugged. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it.”

“Really? You’re such a planner.”

“Normally I am, but with the divorce, it feels like the rug was pulled out from under me. I’m still figuring out where to start.”

To Rick, it seemed like she always knew what she was doing. He wondered if he seemed that way to other people. What a fabrication that was. “How are the translations going?”

“Surprisingly well.” A smile finally lit her delicate features. “Just when I think I’ve reached the end of the line, I get a new client. Then another, then another. My clients keep referring

me to people they know, which is…” She shook her head. “So incredibly flattering.”

Rick grinned. “I think you’ve created your dream job.”

“You have no idea. I never thought someone like me could make a living this way.”

“Someone like you?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know. A boring mom. Someone who thought her job at the university was so lowly that she’d be safe. I was wrong about that, too.”

“You’re not boring, Addy.”

She shrugged. “I try to stay useful.”

Did she really believe these things about herself? Shane had done a number on her. Or maybe it was just a boring marriage, because Addy certainly wasn’t boring.

“You’re a businesswoman. An entrepreneur.”

“Yeah,” she scoffed, “I’m a real Andrew Carnegie.”

He laughed. “The most exciting thing about your new job is you can do it anywhere. Even Italy.”

She took a bite of her french fries. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Not being insane, I guess?”

He smiled. “Something to think about.”

Addy stood from her seat, stacking their empty baskets onto a tray. “We should get going. I don’t want to be late.”

Rick nodded and stood. He wasn’t going to argue with her, but it seemed like Addy was living inside an invisible box.

Invisible to her, at least. Maybe it used to be there, blocking her in. Maybe her ex-husband put walls around her, or maybe her mother had, or society in general. She’d lived inside the box dutifully for many years.

But now the box was gone. There was nothing to keep her contained, save for her instinctive recoil whenever she got close to where the boundaries used to be.

There had to be a way to show her she was anything but boring, that she didn’t have to be useful to be worthwhile.

If only Rick had the words…

They got back in the car and drove to the launch site. The sun had started to set, and the sky was kissed with pinks and reds, darkness quickly falling. Rick shone a flashlight on the steep, wooden stairs down to the beach, fighting the urge to hold Addy’s hand on the way down.

There were four other people going on the tour, plus the guide. They stood on the beach, sinking into the rocks, and listened to the guide talk about safety, then the wonder of the sea.

After getting dressed in the kayak spray-skirts and life vests, Rick helped drag all the kayaks to the edge of the water. He and Addy were assigned a two-person kayak. He held it steady as she stepped in.

“I don’t want you to hurt your shoulder,” Rick said. “So I forbid you from paddling.”

“I have to paddle!” she said. “I have to pull my weight!”

He pushed the kayak out slightly, hopping in once they were clear. The icy water was above his knees. “You can pull your weight by taking pictures.”

“I don’t know why, but I’m nervous,” she said, a giggle escaping her as they took off. “Is it cold? It feels cold.”

Rick’s arms were already warm from paddling. He should’ve worn short sleeves. “It’s cold.”

He followed the guide as best as he could, avoiding any prolonged gazes at the endless dark sea. The fact that anything or anyone could be hiding in the darkness made his skin tingle.

Within minutes, the water lit up around them. At first it was a few glimmers of light, but soon every stroke of the paddle glowed a bright, electric blue.

The kayaks around them cut through the water, splashing and thrashing, a stunning dance in the stark black night.

“This is incredible!” Addy whispered. She plunged her paddle into the water, ripping it back and forth in a bright blue blast.

Rick laughed. He splashed his paddle forward, the blue arch of water gracefully collapsing beside her. Her face was lit for the briefest of moments, her smile wide and laughing.

Maybe Addy would never leave the island. The trial could drag on for years. They could live here where no one else could find them. Rick could settle for this paradise.

A call early the next morning cut his dream short. It was his boss at IronClad Elite.

“Morning,” Rick said, toothbrush hanging from his mouth.

“Hey, Rick. Good news. Your contract is up. You can go home.”

“What?” He shifted the phone to his other ear. He must’ve misheard. “It can’t be up. I asked for more resources, not to be released. There are issues here. Safety and –”

“You don’t need anything else. We’ve determined the threat is over. You can return the car by the end of the week, and you’ll be paid for the rest of the month.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Is the trial over?”

“I don’t ask questions, man. I just carry out the orders, and you should do the same.”

Rick spit into the sink. “I’m the one on the ground here. I know what’s going on, and the threat isn’t over.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. End of the week.”

Click .

Sweat sprung on his forehead. Rick looked at himself in the mirror. His skin was pale, drained of blood.

He turned on the water to warm his hands. Who was going to look out for Addy if they sent him away? Why were they doing this? Were they trying to punish him for speaking up?

His chest heaved with breaths, each one more difficult than the last.

“Oh Rick!” Addy called through the door. “Did I catch you still snoozing, sleepy head?”

He cleared his throat. “No, I’m up. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“I’m going to head downstairs.”

“Sounds good.” He’d never not been there when she opened the door. She would know something was up. He had to act fast.

Think, think .

If IronClad Elite wasn’t going to stand behind him, he had to find someone who would. Who would have the power and influence to do anything? Unless…

He searched for Addy’s husband online. Judge Shane Ashbourne. He was easy to find, a picture of his unnaturally dark hair and stern gaze front and center. The phone number for his office was right there.

It was the fastest he was going to be able to talk to someone about this. Rick dialed.

“Judge Ashbourne’s office, how can I direct your call?”

“Hi, this is Rick Hayle. I’m providing personal security for Judge Ashbourne’s ex-wife Adelaide Ashbourne. I have urgent security concerns I need to discuss with him. “

“He’s in a meeting right now, but I’ll take down your information and get it to him right away.”

The muscles in his chest eased. He let out a breath. “Thank you.”

He explained IronClad Elite wanted to sever his contract, but he had concerns, especially with a recent attack on Addy’s safety.

After hanging up, he took a few deep breaths. The judge would call him back. They would sort this out. It would be okay.

The smell of toasting bread drifted into his room. He opened the door and walked down the stairs, counting as he went, grounding himself.

“Good morning,” Addy said.

“Good morning,” he said back, his voice controlled.

Coffee. That would steady his hands. They were shaking a little. Addy couldn’t see that. A pot was already brewing. He grabbed a mug.

“Did you have sweet dreams of glowing water?”

He jumped a little. She was talking to him. “Ha, yeah. Did you?”

“No, in my dreams I was having lunch at an Italian café. It was sunny, and I had a cappuccino and a pastry.” She paused. “Pretty boring, but maybe it was a dream of heaven.”

He smiled. “Maybe.”

Her phone rang and she grabbed it from the counter. “Hello?” Her brow furrowed. “What? I didn’t hear anything about this.”

Rick stared at her, his arm frozen, holding his mug, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

“Hang on, that doesn’t make any sense.” Addy turned to him. “Rick, my ex-husband is saying he got a call from someone concerned about my safety?”

Rick cleared his throat. “I called him, yes. IronClad Elite severed my contract today and I needed to fix it.”

She held up a finger, indicating for him to wait. He clenched his teeth, focusing on his breaths. One in, one out. Two in, two out.

Addy listened, biting her lip. “Okay, well, like I said, I didn’t know about it but –” She sighed. “All right, it’s not my fault that –”

She stopped again. The guy wouldn’t let her get a word in.

“Let her talk!” Rick bellowed.

She set the phone onto the kitchen counter. “He had to go.”

“He was supposed to call me back. I need to talk to him. This is unacceptable.”

“What’s unacceptable is that you didn’t talk to me first. I didn’t know you’d set me up for an angry phone call from my ex-husband about how I need to be more responsible.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Rick said. “He needs to –”

She cut him off. “Why did you go behind my back?”

“I didn’t go behind your back,” he said. “I needed to talk to someone immediately who had power to do something about this.”

“That’s not it.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “You treat me like I have no idea what’s going on. You’re no better than he is.”

“Come on,” Rick said. “You can’t be serious.”

“Now he thinks I’m sitting here, scared to death. He told me to grow up.”

“You should be scared. You were threatened. You –”

“I’m not going to be scared, Rick! If they think the threat is gone, maybe the threat is gone. Maybe it was never there to begin with.”

“But it was. It is ,” Rick stammered. “What are you saying? Do you want me to go?”

“I – that’s not what this is about.”

It was too late. His chest was a vise. No air was getting in, no matter how hard he fought. He shut his eyes. Addy could not see him like this. He turned, pushed the front door open, and walked out.