Chapter 6
Chapter Six
L ater that afternoon, Cathy gave Andrew a call to make sure he had been given an updated plan from his brother. He said he was excited about coming to Martha’s Vineyard for spring break and didn’t seem all that phased when Cathy reiterated that his father was going to be there.
“I know,” he said. “It’s fine with me. I’m a little worried he and Aaron are going to have a fight or something, but I suppose that was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s better than them avoiding each other and letting all this tension boil over.”
“I agree,” Cathy said. She was seated behind the desk, expecting a handful of guests to be coming through in the next couple of hours to check in. “Although I still think we should cross our fingers and pray that there won’t be a fight at all. I’m hoping that being away from school and relaxing here in this gorgeous place will help keep Aaron’s frustrations low.”
“Could be. Just make sure he has a quiet place to study because he’s going to be freaking out about school even though it’s break.”
“Roger that.” She chewed on the side of her cheek, wondering if it was a good idea for her to ask Andrew about soccer. She wanted to make sure her son wasn’t feeling too down over the big loss but also knew that by bringing it up, she’d surely be reminding him of that disappointment. “Er—okay, well, let me know that you got the flight information I sent over.”
“I already got it,” he said. “I can’t believe you put me in the middle seat on the plane.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to who got which seat,” she said. “Can’t you and your brother just switch?”
“He’d never go for that.”
“Alright, well I’m about to book your return flight and I’ll make sure to put Aaron in the middle on the way back. Sound fair?”
Andrew chuckled. “Yes. Thank you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think the two of you are growing up way too fast, and then you bicker about something as childish as a plane seat, and I realize that you’re still my little baby boys.” Andrew scoffed and seemed about to launch into a counterargument, but then the bell above the front door to the inn rang out, and Cathy hurriedly got off the phone to greet the incoming guests.
It was an older couple with thick Long Island accents and lots of luggage. The woman had bottle-blond hair and bedazzled eyeglasses. She was the one Cathy mostly dealt with as she told them what room they were going to be in and handed over a packet of activity ideas.
“Do you have a spa?” she asked.
“I told you, Deb, they don’t have a spa,” her husband said. “I checked the website, and this place is really bare bones.” He glanced at Cathy. “No offense.”
Trying not to take any, Cathy smiled. “It’s true, we don’t have as many offerings as some of the more resort-like places to stay, but we have one of the best views. And if you look at the back page of that information packet I gave you, there are a few coupons for spa services at the inn a few blocks down.”
“Ah, I see that.” The woman narrowed her eyes at the page. “Woah, Jim, look at this! $50 off a couples massage! That’s a good deal.”
He snorted. “Even if it was $100 off, you’re not convincing me to do that. It’s not my thing, no, thank you.”
Cathy laughed and looked at the wife. “If you need someone to come with you, just let me know. I would kill for a massage.”
This made Deb smile, and Cathy knew she’d endeared herself to them. The Edgartown Bed and Breakfast might not have an in-house spa, but they had stellar hospitality, and that was what really counted. Anyone could open up a fancy spa if they had the money, but not everyone knew how to make the guests feel like they were truly at home throughout their stay.
Cathy moved on to explain the hours of the free breakfast and what to do if the guests forgot the code to get into their room. She handed the couple a receipt for their presumed charges and was sending them on their way when Julie emerged from the kitchen. She smiled at the folks on their way up the stairs but walked over to the desk instead of going to her room. She had a coy expression on her face.
“Hey,” Cathy said, frowning. “Is everything alright? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
“That’s nice of you to say.” But there wasn’t the usual spark to Julie’s voice when she said this sarcastic comment.
“I just mean you look a little faint. Do you need to sit down?”
Julie shook her head and looked over her shoulder both ways. “I was just—I was wondering if now was a good time to talk.”
Cathy laughed. “If one more person asks to have a serious conversation with me, I’m going to set up a confessional box or something.”
Julie didn’t laugh. She didn’t even crack a smile.
“Er—” Cathy frowned. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be dismissive. Of course we can talk. What’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about something,” she said. “Ever since we chatted on the deck this morning, and I wanted to…” She squared her shoulders back and looked Cathy in the eye. “I wanted to explain why I took off so quickly.”
“I was wondering.”
“I’m sure you were. It was very abrupt. You had asked about your mother, and I didn’t really know how to respond.”
“But why was that question so difficult for you to answer?”
“... Because—”
“Cathy, don’t believe a word she says!” Hunter’s voice boomed throughout the lobby, startling the guests who weren’t even at the top of the stairs yet given all the luggage they had to haul with them. Cathy gave a start and gawked as her ex-husband came running down the steps, pointing an accusatory finger at Julie. “She’s a liar!”
“What are you talking about?” Cathy demanded to know.
“When I got back from the hike, I started doing more research.”
Julie took a step back, visibly nervous. “Research into what?”
“You,” Hunter said.
“Me?” Julie gasped. “Why on earth would you be researching me?”
“Because I don’t trust you.”
Julie laughed harshly. “That’s rich, coming from you!”
“Don’t even try to spin this around,” Hunter warned. “I know everything, Julie, and maybe if you weren’t such a skilled liar, then I would give you the chance to explain yourself, but no. I don’t trust you to tell the truth. You’d only twist the facts and convince Cathy that you’re someone you’re not, just as you’ve been doing all along.”
“Hunter!” Cathy snapped. “Stop berating her!”
Hunter did drop his finger, but he didn’t back up. Instead, he turned to look at Cathy, an odd sort of excitement in his eye. “She’s been keeping a big secret from you.”
“What?”
“She hasn’t been honest about who she is.”
“Cathy,” Julie croaked, tears already streaming down her cheeks. “I think I know what he’s talking about, and I can explain?—”
“She’s a criminal,” Hunter spoke over Julie, still staring directly at Cathy. “A thief!”
“A what?” Cathy scoffed.
“Go ahead and ask her why she can never return to the state of New York!”
“Hunter, just tell?—”
“It’s because she would be arrested,” he said. “Cathy, listen to me. Julie is a wanted woman.”