Chapter 35
CHAPTER 35
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The car tires thumped as Ford navigated off the ferry ramp and back onto Hatterwick. We’d been gone for a full week that felt more like a million years. I half expected everything to look different. For Sutter’s Ferry to have undergone some kind of metamorphosis in my absence. But everything was the same. I was the one who’d changed.
Ford glanced over from the driver’s seat, his thumb grazing over the back of the hand he held. “You okay?”
My fingers tightened reflexively on his, compulsively checking my lifeline. Because that’s what he’d been. “What are we going to tell them?” The question popped out before I could think better of it. The status of our complicated relationship was hardly the update everybody was waiting on.
He lifted my hand and brushed a quick kiss to the back. The gesture had gooseflesh rising along my arm, even as a dozen erotic memories of how we’d spent much of our time outside the hospital unspooled in my mind.
“We don’t have to tell them anything until you’re ready. We have all the time in the world to figure out the details of us. Let’s just take this one step at a time.”
All the time in the world. Because he was staying. Building roots and a home for his daughter. And he wanted me to be a part of all that. It didn’t surprise me. When Ford Donoghue made a decision, he leapt in with both feet. He wanted to be with me—something I was still wrapping my brain around—so in his mind, the rest was a foregone conclusion.
But he understood that wasn’t how I worked.
I mustered a smile. “Thank you. I just don’t think I’m up to your moms’ reactions.”
“Valid. They’ll be… enthusiastic.”
I slanted him a look. “Will they? I basically excommunicated you from my life for a decade.”
“They never held that against you. Mimi’s been waiting for me to get my head out of my ass and fix things with you for years. So, yes. But they’ll all be focused on Ed, so we’ll roll with that for now.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I lapsed back into silence as Ford turned south of the marina and headed for the lighthouse. It was strange to be going there now. It had been so much a part of my childhood and teen years. As much a home to me as the house I’d shared with Pop. But I hadn’t been out here in a long, long time. I’d even avoided driving by, if I could help it, because it inevitably reminded me of Ford.
Coming back now, a trickle of unease slid through me. It wasn’t rational. Mama Flo and Mimi had been nothing but kind to me over all the years I’d cut Ford out of my life. They hadn’t avoided me. Hadn’t interfered in any way. And, of course, over these past weeks since Peyton had come into our world, they’d treated me as if nothing had changed. But a part of me still worried about my reception as he parked the car in front of the house.
The front door opened before we’d even managed to climb out of the car. Keeley made a beeline for me, and I hunkered down and braced myself for my pup’s enthusiastic greeting.
“Hey, baby girl. Who’s a good puppy? Have you been a good girl?”
She barked as if to say, “Duh.”
Peyton was right behind her, and as soon as I straightened, she pulled me into a big hug. It was the first contact she’d initiated. After a moment of shocked immobilization, I squeezed her back.
“Thanks for loaning me your dad.”
She gave me a funny look at that. Maybe because she hadn’t quite reached a point where she thought of Ford as her dad?
Mama Flo came next, wrapping me in a floral-scented hug. “How’s Ed?”
“Still in a medically induced coma for another week or two, but we’re past the initial crisis period, and the doctors say he’s responding well. They’re more confident in a positive prognosis for recovery.” I was really anxious about leaving him alone at the hospital, but I needed to check on the Brewhouse and make plans for a longer-term absence, if necessary.
Mimi brought up the rear, smelling of her usual blend of baking and art supplies. “That’s good to hear, sugar.” She gave me a hearty squeeze, then pulled back to study my face. She stared long enough that I wanted to fidget.
At last, she nodded in apparent satisfaction. “I’m glad y’all fixed things.”
In my periphery, I saw Peyton elbow Ford. “I told you apologizing would make a difference.”
My mouth fell open. Was I wearing a freaking sign? Did I have some kind of invisible tattoo across my forehead? With a vague sense of panic, I looked at Ford. He just offered a sheepish shrug.
Calm your tits, Cartwright. “Fixing things” does not inherently mean “jumped each other’s bones.” She just means she can tell we’re friends again.
Apparently not in need of my input, Mimi just wrapped an arm around me and began hustling me into the house. “Come on inside, baby. I’ve got a batch of cookies I made just this morning and a fresh pot of coffee.”
It was ten o’clock in the morning. I didn’t exactly need cookies. But that didn’t stop me from asking, “Peanut butter?”
“I know they’re you’re favorite.”
They were, and damn if that didn’t make my eyes sting with emotion as I got led into the house. Ford moved close enough to press a hand to my lower back, a silent show of support as we all got settled around the table in the kitchen nook with the aforementioned coffee and cookies.
“Have the doctors indicated how long Ed’s recovery might take?” Mimi asked.
I clutched one of the hand-thrown mugs between my palms, soaking up the warmth. “Not yet. There are too many factors they don’t know. It’ll depend on what kind of shape he’s in when he wakes up. But his doctor is more optimistic now than when he came in, so that feels like a win.”
“Absolutely,” Mama Flo declared. “Of course, we’ll help however we can.”
“I appreciate that. Truly.” Because they weren’t obligated to help. No one was, really.
“I’ve been working on our project this week.”
I blinked at Peyton. “Project?”
“The treasure hunt,” she reminded me. “I gathered up all his notes from the Brewhouse the night he… well, when he went to the hospital. I didn’t want anything to happen to them, and I figured he’d want something to talk about during his recovery.”
Sweet, thoughtful kid. It took me a minute to get past the thickness in my throat. “Thanks. He’ll love that.”
Beneath the table, Ford settled a hand on my knee and squeezed. The touch grounded me.
“I think we could both do with a little distraction. Any news on the investigation?”
Mama Flo shook her head. “Not really. The police haven’t been able to determine whether the break-in at O’Connell’s offices and the attack on Lindsay Messina had anything to do with Galef or not.”
I set my mug down with a clatter. “Lindsay was attacked? When? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” Mimi assured me. “A little bump on the head. Mild concussion. It happened last week, the night before you left the island. Somebody broke in and searched the office. She apparently forgot something at work and surprised whoever it was.”
“Why would that have anything to do with Galef?” I asked.
“Because he used to work there,” Mama Flo continued. “They had to let him go recently.”
I thought back to last month. Lindsay had said something about somebody being fired, and it getting kind of ugly. I hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. “If Galef were still around, I could see him being behind it as some kind of retribution, but what would his killer want with his old job?”
Mama Flo grabbed a cookie from the plate. “That’s the million dollar question. Carson hasn’t found any connection yet. I think he’s pushing hard for one because he doesn’t want to admit there are multiple unsolved crimes going on at once in his jurisdiction.”
“There’s also the vandalism of the museum,” Peyton added.
“What vandalism?” Ford asked.
“Somebody broke in and trashed the place. Messed up a bunch of the displays. Peter was still cleaning up when I stopped by this week to do some more research. The petty cash was stolen, and the gift shop messed up, so apparently Chief Carson is trying to say it was just kids or some off-islander who didn’t know they don’t really keep much money on site. But I definitely haven’t heard any rumblings at school of anybody bragging about it.”
“Nobody with a lick of sense would be bragging about it,” Mama Flo pointed out. “Either way, the mayor has enacted a curfew in the name of public safety. With Galef’s killer still out there, he’s worried about how it’s going to impact tourism on the island.”
I huffed a humorless laugh and reached for a cookie.. “Yeah, that would be on-brand for Miles. Always concerned with how things look.”
Ford leaned his elbows on the table. “Maybe so, but I don’t disagree. Whether it’s all connected or different groups popping up to cause problems, I’d just as soon none of you take any unnecessary risks.” His gaze shifted to me. “That includes you. No closing up alone.”
“Nobody’s closed up alone since the fire. Not after Caroline was attacked.” Not that Caroline had been completely alone. Jasper, our cook at the time, had also been there, but he’d been knocked out and Caroline locked in the supply closet by the arsonist. She would have died if Hoyt hadn’t gone in after her, so we were all more cautious about safety ever since.
“No opening alone, either,” Ford insisted.
“None of the things that have happened have been during the day,” I pointed out. When he only arched a brow, I capitulated. “Fine. It’s a moot point, anyway. Chances are I won’t be around to open much. I’ll be going back and forth between here and the mainland.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“It’s not practical for you to go with me every time. Though I appreciate the willingness.”
His growl of frustration almost made me smile. Almost. He wanted to keep all of his people safe. That he couldn’t be everywhere at once wouldn’t sit well. But he couldn’t know what it meant to me that he counted me as one of his people again.
Although maybe I was the only one who had ever thought he’d stopped.
“Either way, I do need to get on in to check on things. If you could drop me by home so I can pick up my Jeep, I’d appreciate it.” Monty and Peter had moved it from the Brewhouse parking lot.
“I have food for you both to take home,” Mimi announced.
“Of course you do.” Ford grinned and leaned over to press a smacking kiss to her cheek. “Peyton, how about you go gather up your stuff? We’ll head home, too.”
“This is gonna take a minute,” Mimi said. “Y’all should have more cookies.”
I reached toward the plate in the center of the table. “Don’t mind if I do.”