Chapter 2 #2
She pulled her jacket tighter, then tugged the sliding door open and climbed inside. Seventy-two hours ago, she’d played beach volleyball in the warm California sunshine. Now she’d be lucky if she saw the sun at all today. She slammed the door shut and picked a seat by the window.
The passenger door slid open again and a man joined her, shaking droplets from his thick, sun-kissed blond hair.
“Hey,” he said, his lips curving into a half smile. The spicy scent of his aftershave or cologne filled the interior. It was better than the damp upholstery smell, but also a little much.
“Scottie, right? I saw you on the plane but didn’t want to bother you.”
She shook his outstretched hand. “Scottie Sheridan.”
“I’m Theo.”
Theo Caldwell, of course. One of Hollywood’s handsome up-and-comers.
If he wasn’t posing for a denim ad campaign, he was on somebody’s tell-all podcast. Charming, ruggedly handsome guy who looked like he either played football, dated a pop star, or was the leading man in the next action-adventure film.
“We worked on Valley of Fire in Arizona, right? Although I had the tiniest role of all time.”
Her stomach twisted. “Right. That was really something.”
He settled into the seat beside her. “That rig almost took your head off. Scared us to death.”
She looked away, the memory flooding back. Deafening crash, hammering in her ears. The shaking—oh, the shaking. She hadn’t been able to stop for hours. That had been the moment when she’d lost her mojo.
Damian opened the front door and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Glad to have you both here in Redemption. Theo, Scottie and I are both from here, so you’ve got two locals showing you around today.”
“Showing him around?” Scottie leaned forward. “Where are we going?”
Damian’s gaze found hers in the rearview mirror. “I got you both rooms at Hillside B&B.”
“Damian, no.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
“What’s the problem?” Theo pulled out his buzzing phone, then silenced it. “Termites? Rowdy neighbors?”
“No, nothing like that,” Scottie said. “It’s my stepsister’s place, that’s all.”
“Oh, I did not have wicked stepsister on my bingo card,” Theo said. “Sounds intriguing.”
“She’s not wicked,” Scottie said, warmth heating her skin. “She’s a lovely human. We just don’t get along.”
“Your dad made me promise to look out for you while you’re here,” Damian said. “Your sister has the best place in town. Besides, your dad’s house is a bit…crowded.”
Crowded. Huh. What did that mean? She sank back into her seat. Of course her dad was behind this. He probably thought this was some grand gesture to get her and Lainey to bond or heal old wounds. Sadly, in their case, time had not done its thing.
Theo leaned closer. “So you grew up here? That must’ve been amazing.”
“Amazing’s a bit of a stretch.”
“Wow. Someone did not get enough sleep on that flight,” Theo said, his tone playful. “And you had that mask on the whole time.”
He was right. She’d kept her sleep mask on, but rest had eluded her.
“I’m not grumpy. Although I probably am sleep-deprived. I just didn’t realize my boss was sending me to an impromptu family reunion.”
“I thought you’d be happy,” Damian said, his voice calm but firm. “Would you rather I take you to your dad’s?”
“No.” She softened her tone. “Lainey’s place will be just fine.”
“Good.” He steered the van out of the parking lot.
Theo shifted in his seat, angling his whole body toward her. “What’s your favorite thing to do here? Fishing? Hiking? Come on. Hit me with all the insider secrets.”
“I like coffee.”
Theo frowned. “That does not sound very adventurous.”
“Well, how about you? What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not being so charming?”
He laughed. “Point taken. I do like to fish. I see those videos of people standing out in the river with those big rubber boots, special vests. It just looks so cool.”
“We’ll try to make that happen for you while you’re here,” Damian said. “Although you might get plenty of practice on your own.”
“Ooh. Do we have to fish to keep from getting voted off the island?”
Damian laughed. “Stay tuned. You’ll see.”
As he slowed for traffic on Main Street, she glanced around. Nothing much had changed. Coffee shop. Gift shop with a cluttered window display. Bright floral blooms spilling from baskets alternated with American flags hanging from lampposts.
It should have been comforting, right? Coming home? Except she still felt like an outsider.
The van climbed the winding road up the hillside, the fog getting thicker. Her palms were slick with sweat despite the gloomy day. She clenched her fists, focused on her breathing.
“Hey, are you okay?” Theo asked, his voice laced with genuine concern.
“I’m fine,” she said, fixing her gaze straight ahead on the dark-green evergreen trees.
Then they pulled into the gravel parking area in front of the beautiful, historic home. The porch, with its railings, framed a turret room perched like a crown. She had to give Lainey credit. This girl rocked when it came to aesthetics.
Damian and Theo helped her get her luggage out of the van, and then she followed them both to the porch.
Lainey opened the door, her blonde pixie hair styled, her makeup highlighting her stunning cheekbones and her brilliant blue eyes.
She wore a floral tunic and stylish jeans with patent-leather clogs.
Not fair. She even made clogs look good.
“Welcome home, Scottie,” she said.
“Hi, Lainey.” Scottie forced herself to accept her stepsister’s gentle hug, the perfunctory pat on the back.
Theo stepped inside, turned in a slow circle, then whistled. “This place is gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” Lainey said. “Welcome to Redemption, Theo. It’s a pleasure to have you.”
“Thrilled to be here, Lainey. Thank you. Did you grow up here as well?”
“I did,” Lainey said. “I’ve got rooms ready for you both. Theo, you’ll be in the turret.”
“Wait, what?” Scottie said, shifting her backpack to her other shoulder.
Lainey pinned her with an exasperated look. “The turret room is our most popular, and I reserve it for paying guests. I’ve got a cozy spot fixed for you in the sewing room. Trust me, you’re better off here than in your old room at your dad’s.”
Scottie opened her mouth to argue. The cramped space off the laundry room behind the kitchen? Wow, how thoughtful.
“I can switch,” Theo said. “It’s no big deal.”
“Scottie will be fine.” Lainey tipped her head toward the stairs. “Wait until you see the view from your room.”
This was how it always went. Lainey got to be the responsible, practical one, while Scottie played the role of pesky, flighty little sister.
Theo glanced between the two of them. “It’s gonna be a fun night.”
“Yep, Lainey and I are a delight when we’re together, aren’t we?” She flashed her stepsister a tight smile.
Lainey turned away. “Let me show you to your room, Theo.”
“See?” Scottie turned to Damian, standing inside the front door and scrolling on his phone. “That’s why this is a bad idea.”
Damian didn’t even bother to look up. “Or maybe it’s a great one. What if this is the season when you restore order instead of trying to outrun the chaos?”
She couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “Oh, please. You’ve clearly forgotten how my family operates. All we do is chaos.”
Grabbing her suitcase, Scottie headed for the sewing room. New Zealand. Just think about how much fun you’ll have working in New Zealand.
The anticipation of moving on, exploring a new place on the other side of the world, would have to be the thing that kept her going. Because her first few minutes with Lainey had already hinted that there wasn’t going to be any progress in healing their relationship. So why bother trying?