Page 34 of Spotted at Lighthouse Bay (Spotted Cottage #4)
After a week, Mia couldn’t take it anymore. She broke down and called her dad.
He answered with a far too bright tone. “Hey, Mia!”
He had no choice but to sound happy to hear from her with all that unconditional love he had.
Mia sighed. “Hi, Dad.”
His tone shifted. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, I got Addy kidnapped. Is she still upset?” She dropped her voice. “Is Sheila upset?”
“What? No!” He laughed. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding my calls?”
She’d said she was busy. It wasn’t a total lie. She was busy feeling guilty, imagining all the ways it could’ve gotten worse. “Yes.”
“I promise you, no one is angry. They have no reason to be. Adelaide took matters into her own hands, and she’s very happy with how things turned out. You didn’t hear?”
Mia frowned. “No. I didn’t hear anything.”
“I know she’s been meaning to call you – it’s been hectic. How about Joey picks you up and you talk to her yourself?”
She bit her lip. “Is Rick still there?”
“He is, and he’s not upset either. Please, come on. I’d love to see you. Eliza’s making apple cobbler. She serves it on homemade vanilla ice cream.”
Hm. Staring at the brown walls of her apartment or eating hot, cinnamon-soaked apples as they melt into homemade ice cream?
“Okay,” she finally said. “It’d be nice to see you, too.”
“There’s my girl!”
Two hours later, she was in the seaplane making an approach on San Juan Island.
“What have I missed?” Mia asked over her headset.
Joey turned to her with wide eyes. “Tons of stuff. Are you kidding me?”
He rattled off a list of discoveries Addy and Rick had made after the kidnapping, connecting Flex Knock to corruption all the way in Canada.
“That is insane!” Mia said, shaking her head.
“Oops.” Joey made a face. “Addy probably wanted to tell you that herself. Try to act surprised when she tells you.”
They descended, circling a spot to land. The weight on her chest lifted. “I will.”
Inside the tea shop, all was calm. Sheila and Addy sat at a corner table, eyes focused on their computer screens. Eliza was just disappearing into the kitchen, and Russell was off to the side with Rick.
Joey yelled hello as he pushed the door open.
“I’m back here!” Eliza called out.
He grinned, disappearing behind the swinging door.
Mia quietly snuck up on Addy’s table and reached the edge before she spoke. “Hi.”
Addy looked up and a smile spread across her face. “Mia!” She stood and pulled her in for a hug.
“Hey there!” Sheila said, taking her turn.
Mia finished hugging everyone and stood back, shoulders squared.
“Addy,” she said heavily, “I have been thinking about this nonstop and I have to tell you I am so, so sorry about what happened. I have no excuse for letting you get kidnapped. It’s been turning in my head how badly it could’ve gone, and I just can’t sleep.
I let myself get too caught up the excitement and –”
Addy put up a hand. “No Mia, I’m sorry! I haven’t had time to catch you up on everything.”
Mia dropped her voice. “Joey told me on the way over. Though he told me not to tell he told.”
“Oh, good!” She laughed. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. You were key to piecing that mystery together. You were amazing! Besides, I’m an adult and I make my own bad choices.”
Rick walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. “There’s the truth. She’s unstoppable.”
Mia blinked at them.
Rick narrowed his eyes. “Nice to see you too, little hacker.”
“I'm not the hacker,” Mia said, “but hang on… uh, did I miss something?”
Addy and Rick looked at each other and smiled.
Mia turned to look back at her dad.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “They’re madly in love.”
Addy rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Russell.”
“When did this happen?” Mia shouted. “Joey forgot to mention that.”
“He’s a terrible gossip,” Sheila said with a sigh. “And by that, I mean he’s terrible at it. Always leaving out the good parts.”
“I guess it all happened after I got trapped in that van.” Addy shrugged. “So, in a way, this is all your fault.”
Mia’s hands were on her face, her mouth hanging open. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you.” Addy beamed. “If you can excuse me for a second, I need to go check on Patty.”
“I’ll come with you,” Rick said.
Sheila walked over and bumped Mia with her hip. “I’ve never seen Addy so happy.”
“I’m so happy for her. Rick is so kind.”
Sheila nodded. “And so cute.”
“So cute!” Mia agreed.
Russell walked over. “Excuse me, I thought I was cute?”
“You are, dear,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
Mia chortled a laugh. “Okay, Dad, no need to be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous. I could whisk Sheila off to Italy.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you dare. We don’t have time for that.”
He sighed and turned to Mia. “I’m not allowed to be romantic.”
“When are they going to Italy?” Mia asked.
“Next week. Addy wanted to visit her daughter Riley first. Riley is very keen to meet the mysterious Rick and she’s excited for her mom.”
The weight on Mia’s chest was entirely replaced by a warm and cozy pot of tea. “That’s so sweet.”
Russell nodded. “It was your best kidnapping yet. I don’t know if you can top it.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “I think I'll retire while I'm on top.”
“Good idea.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Mom.
She slipped outside to take the call. “Hey Mom! Everything okay?”
“Everything is great! How are you?”
“I'm good. Visiting Dad on San Juan Island.”
“Oh, nice.” She sighed. “I really miss you. I'm going to come visit as soon as this shoot is over.”
“I’d love that. I miss you too.”
“I have something else to tell you. Something to look forward to.”
“Oh?” Mia took a seat on the picnic table looking over the sea. Her view from her apartment was of a parking lot and a dumpster. Her dad had her beat here. If Addy and Rick were going off to travel, he might have an opening in his house soon…
“I know you’ve been having a hard time with the press and the critics after your last movie,” her mom said slowly, “and I think I might have found a solution.”
“For me to quit acting?” Mia said with a laugh.
“No! Of course not. Never give up. Never ever give up.” Her mom cleared her throat. “There's a new movie. I was approached by this incredible director who wants to shoot an indie film with a mother and daughter pair. He said the first people he thought of were us.”
Mia’s stomach leapt. “Well, that’s very flattering.”
“I agree. It would be a quick shoot. You’d have a number of key scenes, but there aren’t as many as your last movie, so you’d have time to work through them. Make the character exactly how you want her to be.”
It was temping, but… “I don't know, Mom. I think I've embarrassed myself enough.”
“I'm not going to pressure you into it. I want to send you the script. Read it over. It made me think of that actress, you know, Margaret Qualley? She did that amazing show with her mom and everyone loved it!”
Mia laughed. “She's a good actress, though.”
“You're a good actress, too! And we could spend so much time together on set! I could help coach you – if you wanted that, of course. We could work together and it would be so much fun.”
“It would be really fun to work with you.” Mia bit her lip.
What did she have to lose? Being even more embarrassed? Was that even possible?
“It’ll be a low budget, small film, so if it doesn't go anywhere, I don’t expect you’ll have people hounding you again. If it takes off, then your career will finally be where it was meant to be.”
Oh, a mother’s unfaltering love. Mia couldn’t help but laugh. “I don't know what to say.”
“Say yes!” Mom paused. “Or at least say you’ll think about it.”
“I don't know who I'm kidding,” Mia said. “I don't have any other opportunities right now and that sounds really fun so…yes!”
Her mom squealed. “Yes! I'll send it over right now. I love you, honey!”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Mia hung up the call and took a deep breath. The sun sparkled on the water and warmed her face. The air was cool on her skin. It was a perfect day in a perfect place, enough to make Mia believe that even she could have a new beginning.
She stood, casting one last glance at the sea, before walking back to the tea shop. When she pulled the door open, laughter poured out to greet her.