Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Cici stared out the window to hide her tears.
She felt like a fool for being so upset, but Asher’s low opinion of her cut deep. She’d spent her life trying to prove that she wasn’t just a frivolous girl.
Growing up the third of five sisters, she’d struggled to stand out.
She wasn’t the smart one—that was Alyssa.
She wasn’t the talented one. Brooklynn had earned that title early on with her outstanding photography.
She wasn’t the kindest one. Even as a little girl, Delaney had claimed that prize.
She wasn’t the adventurous one. Kenzie had been into extreme sports back in high school and now sailed around the world as the captain of her own sailboat.
Cici had always just been…the other one. The middle one. The one who never stood out.
By finding Forbes’s family’s long-lost necklace, for the first time in her life, she had the opportunity to do something that mattered, something heroic. Something that might get her father’s attention.
Oh, why did she still care what he thought?
If he were here, what would he tell her?
To trust Asher, obviously. Because Asher was trained. And a man. Though Dad had never said so, Cici had always guessed he was disappointed that he hadn’t had any sons. She’d even, a few times in her life, wished she were a boy. Maybe then Dad would pay her a little attention.
Stupid. She really needed to get over her daddy issues. She hated being a cliché.
And anyway, Dad would be right. Of course she should trust Asher. He knew how to keep them both safe. She just wanted to contribute…something. To be more than just a useless damsel in distress.
Keeping her face averted from Asher’s gaze, Cici wiped her tears with a tissue she found in her purse.
She was tired and nervous and eager to be done with this, even if there was a teeny tiny part of her that regretted not being able to get to know Asher better—and not just because of their kiss.
A kiss he hadn’t apologized for or remarked on at all, as if it’d never happened. As if it hadn’t meant anything to him.
Obviously, it hadn’t.
Any attraction the teenage boy had once had for her had burned off over the years. Or maybe her hurtful rejection to his prom invitation had wrecked it forever.
This version of Asher, all grown up and buff and gorgeous, clearly had no interest in her. He’d dump Cici in Shadow Cove with barely a see-you-around. He’d forget all about her.
Whatever. She didn’t need him or Dad or anyone else. She lived alone. She’d built her business alone.
She spent her life alone, and once she was out of this mess, life would go right back to the way it had been.
And she’d smile and pretend she was happy, just like she’d always done.
She sniffed and wiped away fresh tears.
“Are you…?” Asher’s words trailed, but a moment later, he asked, “Are you crying?”
“Allergies.”
A plausible enough excuse. Though August wasn’t the worst month in New England, there was always something dropping pollen.
“What’s wrong, Cici? I didn’t mean to…” His words trailed again, as if he had no idea how to handle a woman’s tears. He sounded equal parts frustrated and worried.
“I’m fine.”
“Is it your sister? What happened to her? Is she in trouble or something?”
“Delaney,” Cici said, assuming he’d forgotten her little sister’s name, if he’d ever even known it. She was glad to talk about something besides herself. “She was dating a guy this summer. You might remember him—Owen Stratton?”
“Played football, right?”
“He seemed like a nice guy. Really attentive. Delaney’s sensitive, always has been, and he was good with her.”
“But?”
“You heard about what happened at the Ballentine estate?”
“A little. There was a smuggling ring—connected to the murders?”
“My sister, Brooklyn, got wrapped up in all that. If not for Forbes, she might’ve been killed.”
Asher nodded. “Okay.”
“Turns out, Owen was working for the smugglers. He told the police he’d started because he wanted to make enough money to buy Delaney a ring.
She was devastated. She’s the sort who always thinks the best of everybody.
It would never occur to her that anyone she cares about could do anything bad.
When she found out what Owen had done, it was like something snapped.
She just took off. She’s always been a bit of a homebody, the one who checks on the rest of us to make sure we’re okay.
It’s so out of character for her to leave, to worry all of us. ”
“No idea where she is?”
“None. She checks in with Mom, but she doesn’t want us to come after her. We’re all trying to give her space.”
“You’re worried about her.” No question in his statement, as if there were no doubt.
“She’s not exactly worldly, my little sister. And she has a habit of trusting the wrong people.” Though Delaney had sworn she’d never trust anyone, ever again.
“If Owen is bad, then how can I ever believe anyone is good?”
Not that Cici didn’t understand her sister’s fear. Owen had seemed like the nicest guy. Delaney hadn’t been the only one shocked to learn he was involved with smugglers and murderers.
In Owen’s defense—not that she’d make it for him—he hadn’t known the people he worked for had been guilty of murder. He’d just been paid to offload goods. He hadn’t known what was inside the crates, hadn’t understood the depths his employers would sink to in order to remain out of jail.
He could claim innocence all he wanted, but he’d been instrumental in helping his employers track down Brooklynn and Forbes.
He’d fired a shot that had hit Forbes in the shoulder. After the fact, he claimed he wasn’t aiming to kill, but Cici didn’t care about his excuses. Owen could’ve killed Forbes. He could’ve killed Brooklynn. All in the pursuit of trying to be something he wasn’t.
As if Delaney had cared a whit how much money was in his bank account or the size of a ring he might’ve bought her.
“What’s Delaney doing?” Asher asked. “Is she working, or…?” He let the question trail, but she heard what he hadn’t said. Or living off Daddy’s money.
“I don’t know. I doubt Mom and Dad are funding her life.
I know they’ve never offered to fund mine.
Delaney has worked since college—she worked as a nanny—and she’s pretty thrifty.
She might have enough to live on. Or maybe she got a job somewhere.
” Cici hated that Delaney wouldn’t just come home and be with the people who loved her.
Did she really think they judged her for not seeing Owen’s faults?
Nobody else had seen them. People as kind and good as Delaney didn’t see evil in others. It was one of her best qualities.
Best qualities, like shiny quarters, always had a flip side. Confidence could quickly become arrogance. Kindness could turn into gullibility. Empathy could become charm or even manipulation.
Cici thought of the man sitting next to her. Asher was competent and quick thinking, no doubt. Also, stubborn and controlling.
That was his flip side.
It was so easy to peg others. What would her family say about her? What would Asher say?
“Is that why you were crying?” he asked.
“I told you, I have—”
“Allergies. Yeah. I get them, too, but they don’t bring me to tears.” She didn’t respond, and after a minute, he said, “You don’t owe me an explanation. For the record, if I hurt your feelings, I’m sorry.”
“For the record, I’m not that fragile.”
“Aren’t you, though?” The words were muttered under his breath.
Whatever. Who cared what he thought?
She did, more than she should, certainly more than she let on.
She stared through the windshield at the world all around. Rolling hills covered in the deep green foliage of late summer. It seemed calm and beautiful, a stark contrast to how she felt.
“Why did you join the Navy?” she asked, needing to change the subject. “Not that it wasn’t a good decision or anything. I’m just curious.”
“I thought about college, but I didn’t want to end up in debt.”
“No scholarships? You were certainly smart enough.”
His eyebrows rose as if she’d surprised him, but his intelligence hadn’t been a secret.
He’d graduated at the top of their class.
He’d won academic awards. He’d been valedictorian.
“I got a couple, but they weren’t full-ride.
I figured I could go into the service, then go to college for free.
I watched my parents take risks and struggle financially all their lives, and I didn’t want that.
And, honestly… It sounds corny, but I wanted to serve my country. To do my duty.”
“Not corny at all. It’s honorable.” People their age didn’t use the word duty that often, at least not without a sneering tone.
It felt like a concept lost on her generation, but sometimes, life was about duty.
Her father had taught her that, always off saving the world.
And her mother had taught her, always managing the family by herself, even when it was hard.
When Asher added nothing else, she asked, “Did you always want to be a SEAL?”
“Made that decision after I joined. I was a scrawny kid, but after high school, I grew a little.”
“I noticed.”
That had his lip tugging up. “My dad was the same. Said he grew four inches taller after high school graduation. Went back for his reunion, and classmates he’d known all his life had no idea who he was.”
“I was this height in eighth grade.”
“I remember. You were taller than just about everyone else in our class.”
She had been, and for years, none of the boys paid her any attention. And then they grew, and suddenly, she was popular.
“So you were big and strong and decided to become a SEAL?”
“There’re a lot of big, strong guys in the Navy. I just wanted to do it. The training was…” He rubbed his lips together. “Not easy.”
She didn’t know much about the military, but she knew enough to know that was a colossal understatement.
“I wanted to be the kind of guy who could do it.”
“Like a personal challenge?”