Page 17 of Shallow Remains

When he didn’t say anything else, Beth drew in a breath and stood. He didn’t move as she walked over and stopped in front of him, her hazel eyes searching his.

I’m sorry. So damned sorry, Beth. He’d never meant to hurt her. But he couldn’t get any of that out.

She forced a brave smile and slid her arms around his back to hug him. “Bye, Grey.”

He returned it, then forced himself to let go and step back, resisting the urge to blurt out an apology and ask her to stay. To work things out.

The truth was, there was no working this out. And she’d been the only one willing to face that head on.

He stood there in silence while she moved to her suitcases. Was he supposed to carry her fucking luggage down to the car so she could leave him faster? “I’ll get them.”

“No, it’s okay. I got it.” She wheeled them past him and out into the hallway. Started down the stairs.

The front door shut behind her a minute later. Her car started up soon after.

He sat down on the edge of their bed where the comforter still bore the indent of her weight from only a minute or two ago, feeling almost hollow. Dragging in a ragged breath, he scrubbed a hand through his hair when he heard her car reverse out of the driveway and disappear down the street.

The scent of her perfume hung in the air around him. A ghostly reminder of her.

Gradually, the eerie stillness of the house surrounded him. Pressing inward with that terrible, oppressive emptiness that reminded him he was now all on his own.

Beth was gone. She wasn’t coming back.

And he needed to get the hell out of here for a while.

“Fuck,” he whispered, and dug his phone out of his pocket to text his brother.

EIGHT

Was this a mistake? It was probably a mistake. Yet here Maddy was, carrying two coffees down the dock in the morning mist while the scent of saltwater and acrid creosote filled the air and the others chatted around her. She was prepared to make the best of it now that she’d committed to her decision and put it into action.

She’d justified the last-minute decision to come on the trip by telling herself this was for research purposes. And that it wouldn’t be weird because she had Xanthe, Bronwyn, and Willow with her.

But when they were halfway down the dock, Lachlan looked up from where he was doing something near the bow of the zodiac. And when he saw her, the smile he gave her made her stomach do a backwards somersault.

“Mornin’,” he called out to them.

“Captain.” Then Bronwyn nudged her in the side and lowered her voice to murmur, “Wow, you just made someone’s day.”

Maddy flushed and stole a glance at Xanthe even as a secret thrill shot through her. Xanthe looked over at her and didn’t say anything but seemed to fight a smile.

Maddy waited behind the others as they climbed aboard. Lachlan offered a hand to Bronwyn and Willow while Xanthe hopped aboard with practiced ease. Then it was Maddy’s turn.

“I’m glad you came,” he said to her when she stepped up to the edge of the boat.

She was, too, now that she was here. Close up he was more gorgeous than she remembered, wearing a thick charcoal-gray sweater under his flotation suit pant suspenders and a knit cap with his company’s logo on the front.

His eyes dipped to the takeout cups she held. “What’ve you got there?”

“Just a coffee from Seas the Day Café. Xanthe said it’s your favorite. Two creams, two sugars.”

“North of the border, we like to call that a double-double,” Bronwyn said.

He gave Maddy another smile that made her stare. “That was really thoughtful of you. Thanks.” He accepted the still-hot cup in a big hand.

She felt small next to him, acutely aware of her femininity in a good way. Only a bit nervous because of the way she reacted to him.

“Here, let me help you aboard.”