someone who does.”
Gideon looked over at Colin. “What are you saying?”
“Henry Jefferson couldn’t wait for a damn boat and wanted to meet as soon as he possibly could.” Colin picked up the remote control but only twirled it in his hands. “But he never showed up.”
Rebecca’s stomach dropped. “You think that was a set up?”
Everyone looked at her and she involuntarily shrunk back in the chair. “Yeah,” Colin said then turned to his brother. “I think it was a set up to get you to some place where he could follow you back to the island. Back to her.” He nodded his head to Rebecca.
“Makes sense,” Gideon said slowly. “I didn’t notice anyone following me. Could they have put a tracking device or something on the speedboat?”
“Could have,” Charles mused. “We’ll have to check. Boys, get a flash light.”
Rebecca stood up abruptly. “If they did that, or followed you back here it wouldn’t matter if you took it off now. They already know where I am and they’ll come here soon. I have to get away from here, away from all of you.” Rebecca spoke in a rush, voicing the very opinions she’d hoped Charles wouldn’t feel. “One of you could be hurt.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Gideon said hunting up a flashlight out of the closet.
“Where’s the painting now?”
Gideon handed a flashlight to Charles. “In my room.”
“All right, go get it. We’ll put it in the safe at the boatyard. Then we’re going to do a little checking on this Henry Jefferson on Monday.”
They waited for Gideon to return with the wrapped up painting. Charles kissed Rose on the cheek. “Be right back.”
“You boys be careful,” Rose ordered softly and closed the door behind them.
Rebecca waited for someone to say something. There was a storm going on inside her that was threatening to unleash. Why wasn’t anyone raging at her? She was the cause of all this. There was a pressure on her chest that was almost unbearable. She wondered how she could even breathe through it.
Jess looked at her and her eyebrows came together in a frown. “Rebecca, what’s wrong?”
Rebecca looked her, then at Rose. “I think it’d be best if I went home.” Her voice sounded strong. She held on to that.
“Oh, honey. You’re going to be just fine.” Rose came forward and wound her arms around Rebecca’s stiff form.
“No.” The last strings of control were breaking. She struggled to hold on in fear that once she lost it, she wouldn’t be able to get it back. “No, it’s not me. You guys didn’t do anything. You don’t deserve this.”
Rose ran her hand up and down Rebecca’s back soothingly. It was a motherly gesture that came so simple from her. Tears stung in Rebecca’s eyes because she wasn’t used to this. Her mother didn’t give comfort; Lilah received comfort.
She’d called her ‘honey’ again, Rebecca thought as she let herself lean into Rose and her wonderful comfort. No one in her life had ever called her ‘honey’ until she came here. As much as she wanted to stay to get to know this beautiful family, the thought of risking their safety made her sick to her stomach.
“Everything will be fine,” Rose assured her.
Rebecca felt Jess’s hand on her forearm and she glanced over to her. “Everything will be fine, Rebecca. You don’t know my dad.” She leaned over to whisper in Rebecca’s ear. “He’s twice as bad as Gideon.”
Rebecca forced her lips to curve. Rose chuckled. “It’s no secret. Those men are the most stubborn, hard headed men I know. And I love them for it.” She patted Rebecca’s back and pulled back. “Don’t worry, Rebecca. They know what they’re doing.”
“I just feel so bad for dragging you all into this. I should have never jumped on his boat. I wish I could—”
“Hush.” Rose took hold of her arms again. “What’s done is done. No one’s hurt or upset. Everything will be just fine.”
Rebecca nodded. She could almost believe
Gideon looked over at Colin. “What are you saying?”
“Henry Jefferson couldn’t wait for a damn boat and wanted to meet as soon as he possibly could.” Colin picked up the remote control but only twirled it in his hands. “But he never showed up.”
Rebecca’s stomach dropped. “You think that was a set up?”
Everyone looked at her and she involuntarily shrunk back in the chair. “Yeah,” Colin said then turned to his brother. “I think it was a set up to get you to some place where he could follow you back to the island. Back to her.” He nodded his head to Rebecca.
“Makes sense,” Gideon said slowly. “I didn’t notice anyone following me. Could they have put a tracking device or something on the speedboat?”
“Could have,” Charles mused. “We’ll have to check. Boys, get a flash light.”
Rebecca stood up abruptly. “If they did that, or followed you back here it wouldn’t matter if you took it off now. They already know where I am and they’ll come here soon. I have to get away from here, away from all of you.” Rebecca spoke in a rush, voicing the very opinions she’d hoped Charles wouldn’t feel. “One of you could be hurt.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Gideon said hunting up a flashlight out of the closet.
“Where’s the painting now?”
Gideon handed a flashlight to Charles. “In my room.”
“All right, go get it. We’ll put it in the safe at the boatyard. Then we’re going to do a little checking on this Henry Jefferson on Monday.”
They waited for Gideon to return with the wrapped up painting. Charles kissed Rose on the cheek. “Be right back.”
“You boys be careful,” Rose ordered softly and closed the door behind them.
Rebecca waited for someone to say something. There was a storm going on inside her that was threatening to unleash. Why wasn’t anyone raging at her? She was the cause of all this. There was a pressure on her chest that was almost unbearable. She wondered how she could even breathe through it.
Jess looked at her and her eyebrows came together in a frown. “Rebecca, what’s wrong?”
Rebecca looked her, then at Rose. “I think it’d be best if I went home.” Her voice sounded strong. She held on to that.
“Oh, honey. You’re going to be just fine.” Rose came forward and wound her arms around Rebecca’s stiff form.
“No.” The last strings of control were breaking. She struggled to hold on in fear that once she lost it, she wouldn’t be able to get it back. “No, it’s not me. You guys didn’t do anything. You don’t deserve this.”
Rose ran her hand up and down Rebecca’s back soothingly. It was a motherly gesture that came so simple from her. Tears stung in Rebecca’s eyes because she wasn’t used to this. Her mother didn’t give comfort; Lilah received comfort.
She’d called her ‘honey’ again, Rebecca thought as she let herself lean into Rose and her wonderful comfort. No one in her life had ever called her ‘honey’ until she came here. As much as she wanted to stay to get to know this beautiful family, the thought of risking their safety made her sick to her stomach.
“Everything will be fine,” Rose assured her.
Rebecca felt Jess’s hand on her forearm and she glanced over to her. “Everything will be fine, Rebecca. You don’t know my dad.” She leaned over to whisper in Rebecca’s ear. “He’s twice as bad as Gideon.”
Rebecca forced her lips to curve. Rose chuckled. “It’s no secret. Those men are the most stubborn, hard headed men I know. And I love them for it.” She patted Rebecca’s back and pulled back. “Don’t worry, Rebecca. They know what they’re doing.”
“I just feel so bad for dragging you all into this. I should have never jumped on his boat. I wish I could—”
“Hush.” Rose took hold of her arms again. “What’s done is done. No one’s hurt or upset. Everything will be just fine.”
Rebecca nodded. She could almost believe
Similar Books
