“Almost every day. We should go together while you’re here. We could take the path that runs along the bluffs. You won’t believe how much Angel’s Bay has grown. Grand Avenue has completely changed—upscale art galleries, antique stores, and designer clothing boutiques. And there are some mansions going up along the coast. Apparently the rich and famous have decided to make Angel’s Bay their new summer escape.”
“I noticed a few big houses on my way in,” Lauren said. “I guess it’s not such a small town anymore. When did you get back? I thought you were practicing in New York.”
“I came home several months ago, when my father died. My brother is a marine, stationed in the Middle East. My sister is in San Francisco with her husband and kids, so my mom was here all alone. I was elected to come and take care of her.” Charlotte gave a rueful smile. “My mother was thrilled to have her least favorite child move back into the house.”
Lauren grinned at her dry comment. She remembered the battles Charlotte had had with her very strict and always opinionated mother. “How’s it going?”
“That is too long a story to get into now, and one I should probably save for a therapist. So are you going to make me ask for a cookie?”
“Sorry.” Lauren took off the plastic wrap and handed the plate to Charlotte.
“What are you going to do about your father?” Charlotte asked.
Lauren started, suddenly reminded that she didn’t know where her father was. “I’m not sure. In fact, I was about to go look for him when you rang the bell.”
“He’s probably at Dina’s Café. He has breakfast there every day.”
“Well, I hope that’s true. Last night he decided to go for a joyride in his boat.” She hesitated, then figured Charlotte would probably hear the story before the day was out. “I saw Shane. He was on the dock when my father took off, and we went after him together.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened with surprise. “Are you serious? How was that?”
“Uncomfortable, tense.” She wasn’t going to tell Charlotte about their kiss.
“That good, huh?”
“It’s been thirteen years since I saw him, but it felt like five minutes, which scared the hell out of me. The last thing I want to do is go back to that time or place.”
Charlotte reached across the table, placing her hand over Lauren’s. “What happened to Abby was unimaginable. And having Shane accused of her murder—I don’t know how you got through it.” Guilt flitted through her eyes. “I wanted to be there for you, but we hadn’t been talking for a while, and I didn’t know if you wanted to hear from me.”
“I was so wrapped up in my misery, I didn’t want to talk to anyone.” Lauren paused, thinking about how their friendship had splintered. “What happened between us, Charlie? One minute we were best friends and the next minute we weren’t.”
Charlotte smiled sadly as she let go of Lauren’s hand and sat back in her chair. “We let some boys and mean gossip get in the way.”
Lauren tilted her head. “It was more than that. You went through something, but you never told me what. You just pulled away.”
“I made a lot of mistakes in high school. I got so tired of being the minister’s daughter, the good girl, and I went a little crazy. Thank God I finally grew up. It took me long enough.” Charlotte popped the last bite of her cookie into her mouth. “Did you hear about poor Kara?”
“Kara Murray—Shane’s sister? What happened?”
“The good news is that she’s having a baby in two weeks. The bad news is that her husband, Colin, got shot a few months ago and he’s in a coma.”
Lauren’s jaw dropped. “Oh, my God. That’s terrible. How is Kara coping?”
“She’s a fighter, but the prognosis isn’t good. We’re all doing what we can to support her.”
“That’s tremendously sad. How did Colin get shot?”
“In the line of duty, unfortunately. He’s a police officer now,” Charlotte said.
“He was always such a good guy. I hope he recovers.”
“We all do. And on a happier note, we’re having a baby shower for Kara tomorrow at two o’clock at the quilt shop. You should come.”
“Oh, no, I don’t think so,” Lauren said immediately.
“Kara would love to see you, and so would everyone else.”
“I’m not part of things anymore.”
“That doesn’t matter. I was gone for a long time, too. Believe me, a few minutes at the quilt shop and you’ll feel like you never left.”
That’s what Lauren was afraid of. “I don’t think Kara would want me there. The Murrays were upset with me for not standing up for Shane.”
“The Murrays understood that Abby had just been killed. No one blamed you.”
“Shane did,” she murmured. “He wanted me to believe in him, stand up for him, but I couldn’t. I was so confused and shattered by Abby’s death.”
Charlotte’s gaze met hers. “You don’t really think Shane hurt Abby, do you? I know he saw Abby that night, but he was in love with you.”
“Then why was he with Abby?”
“He never told you?”
Lauren shook her head. “No. Never. He just asked me to trust that he was innocent.”
“Well, I think he
was
innocent, and I’m betting you think so, too.”
Lauren gave a small nod. “Yes. But I don’t know why I do.”
“Because you knew him better than anyone. So come to the shower. Kara doesn’t hold grudges, and right now she needs all the friends she can get. Plus, seeing you would take her mind off of her own situation. Think of it as an act of charity.”
Lauren waved a warning finger at Charlotte, who had always been very persuasive. “You’re not playing fair, Charlie.”
“You’re going to run into people eventually. You might as well get it over with.”
“I don’t know if I can face all the questions about Abby and Shane and me. I thought enough time had passed, but now there’s a movie producer going around town talking about Abby’s murder. I had no idea I would come home and end up right back where I was.”
“Another good reason to come to the shower. You’re one of us, Lauren. You grew up here. These are your friends, your neighbors. The movie producer is an outsider. You need to remind the women in this town that you’re a local girl. They’ll circle around you. You’ll see.” Charlotte got to her feet. “And you don’t need to bring a present.”
“I’ll think about it,” Lauren said as she stood up. “It was nice talking to you, Charlotte.”
“You too. It’s funny how so many of us left Angel’s Bay, and now we’re all coming back.”
“Who else is back?”
“Andrew Schilling,” Charlotte said with a mischievous smile.
“Your old boyfriend?” Lauren asked in surprise.
“That’s right. He replaced my father as the new minister. How do you like that?”
“How do
you
like that?”
Charlotte laughed as she headed toward the door. “Come to the shower. Maybe I’ll tell you.”
Kara stood in the doorway of her baby’s bedroom. It was almost noon and she’d planned to be at Colin’s bedside by now, but she just hadn’t gotten up the energy to go. She hadn’t slept well, and she felt tired and really, really fat. The baby was getting so big; her abdomen was tight as a drum, which reminded her that time was passing too quickly. The baby’s room wasn’t done yet. The trim needed to be painted, the curtains hung, and the new bedding had yet to be unpacked. She’d been waiting for Colin to wake up, come home, and finish it, the way they’d planned.
She pressed her hand to her abdomen, feeling the tiny outline of a foot. Her little girl was itching to get out. “Just a little while longer,” she told her. “Daddy needs to wake up first.”
Tears gathered in her eyes as her daughter kicked. There was a tiny life inside her, a life she
and Colin had created. He had been so happy when she got pregnant. He’d watched over her like a hawk and talked about his dreams for the future, all the things they would do with their child. Her big, burly husband had cried when they’d seen the first sonogram. Colin had lost his parents to divorce, and all he’d ever wanted was a family to hold on to.
He has to wake up.
Desperation bubbled through her veins, making her hot and sweaty, and even more anxious by the following thought . . .
What if he doesn’t?
She hated herself for going there, but in recent days the doubt had begun to take root. She wanted to be brave and resolute in her optimism, but it had been three months and the clock kept ticking. There was a good chance she would have to raise this baby on her own, and how on earth would she do that?
She drew in a deep breath and shoved the doubts away. She was Colin’s wife. If she didn’t believe in his recovery, who would?
The door bell rang, and she frowned. She didn’t want to see anyone until she had her game face back on, but as the bell rang again, she knew that she had to open the door. Her car was in the driveway. If she didn’t answer, someone might think she’d gone into labor, was lying helpless on the floor, and they’d probably call 911 and bring out the whole damn town to save her.
She marched to the front door and flung it open, feeling decidedly grumpy. Jason Marlow stood on
the porch. Jason, with his light brown hair, brown eyes, and lazy grin, had grown up with her and Colin, and was also a deputy in the Angel’s Bay Police Department. He was a good guy, but unfortunately he’d come at the wrong time. She was too tired and frustrated to be polite.
“Jason, I do not need any more food.” She eyed the paper bag in his hand. “The people in this town must think I’m eating for five. I won’t be able to get through the door soon.”
“Good thing this doesn’t have food in it. Can I come in?”
“Can I stop you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re in a mood.”
“No, I’m not. I’m the Angel’s Bay saint, haven’t you heard?” She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Jason shut the front door and followed her into the room.
“I’ve never thought of you as a saint, Red,” he drawled.
“Don’t call me that.” Jason had been mocking her red hair and freckles since junior high school. “So what did you bring me?”
“I’m not sure I should give it to you anymore.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her enormous stomach. “I didn’t ask you here. I didn’t ask you or anyone else to bring me anything. God, Jason, when is it going to
stop
?”
His smile faded as he met her eyes. He knew she wasn’t talking about the ever-arriving food. “I don’t know, Kara.”
She drew in a shaky breath as the baby gave her a good strong kick, reminding her to buck up. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“You can say anything to me. And I didn’t bring food, I brought paint.” He pulled the can out to show her. “Colin never got a chance to finish the trim in the baby’s room.”
“He will when he wakes up,” she said for the hundredth time. She’d already refused help from her brothers, her father, and her next-door neighbor.
“When Colin wakes up, he’ll be too busy to worry about paint. Let me do it, Kara. Let me finish the room for you.”
“You don’t think he will wake up, do you?” She could hardly believe she’d said the words, but now they were out there, hanging thick in the air between them. “Do you?” She waited for him to deny it, and saw the conflict in his eyes. When he didn’t answer, she said, “You need to go home and take your paint with you.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t even matter what you think, Kara. Colin’s return to the living doesn’t depend on your happy, positive thoughts.”
“It might. You don’t know.”
He set the can on the coffee table. “Colin’s recovery depends on whether or not the swelling in his brain goes down, and whatever other physiological things have to happen. You don’t have the power to bring him back, so stop putting that weight on yourself. It’s
not good for you, and it’s not good for the baby.”
“How
dare
you tell me not to believe in my husband’s recovery?” She was itching to fight someone and, unfortunately for Jason, he was the closest.
“I didn’t say that. And you’re not pissed at me, Kara. You’re mad at yourself, because you’re the one who’s having doubts. You’re afraid Colin won’t wake up, only you can’t let yourself say it out loud. So you’re putting the words in my mouth instead.”
He had a point, but she didn’t want to admit it. “That’s not true. I don’t have any doubts, but if you want to paint the damn trim, then go ahead and do it. And I suppose you could fix the leak in the bathroom sink, too.”
“Anything else?”
“I want to hang a picture in the baby’s room. My grandmother gave it to me. It’s in the garage. And the kitchen floor could use a good scrubbing when you’re done with that, not to mention the toilet and the shower.”
“Now you’re pushing it.”
His words drew a reluctant smile from her, then she sighed. “You were right what you said before. I am worried that Colin won’t wake up, but I’m terrified that saying it out loud will make it come true.”
“Worrying doesn’t stop anything, nor does not worrying make something happen. It just makes you feel bad.”
She hated his pragmatic attitude, but she knew he was right.
Jason sat in the armchair across from her. It was Colin’s favorite chair and she almost asked him to move but managed to stop herself just in time. He’d think she was a complete lunatic.
“I know it’s his chair,” Jason said, with a gleam in his eyes. “I was with him when he bought it.”
“You were the one who convinced him to get the expensive leather version. Thanks for that,” she said dryly.
“He was already halfway there; I just gave him a little push. Leather lasts longer.”
“You were always there for Colin.”
“Not the night he was shot,” Jason said darkly. “I called in sick that day. It should have been me who was watching Jenna Davies’s house. It should have been me who got shot. I’ve wanted to tell you that for three months, but I couldn’t find the words.”
She stared at him, not sure she was happy to have heard his confession. Colin hadn’t mentioned he was taking Jason’s shift that night. But it wasn’t as if the attack on Colin had been directed at him; he’d simply been caught in the line of fire while doing his job.
“Should I blame you for being sick?” she asked Jason.
“I blame myself.”