Chapter 33
“The power should be back on by tomorrow morning,” Leif said. He lit the candle on his bedside table and handed Ella a flashlight. “Just in case you need to find your way around the house.”
“It’s all good. I’m beat. And candlelight is soothing.”
“I’m beat too.” It was midnight and finally dark, as the summer sun had sunk below the horizon.
They’d barely made it back to Leif’s house before the storm hit Lyng?r and knocked out the electricity.
He lit another candle, one of a dozen illuminating his room.
He was still trying to sort through all the evidence in his head.
The nets were hard to argue against, and yet he had his doubts.
He felt like he was walking a thin line though; he didn’t want his disbelief to make it seem as though he wasn’t taking her side.
“I still can’t believe how fast that storm rolled in!” Ella said. “I’m glad we came here instead of trying to clean my cottage tonight. I don’t even know if I have a flashlight or candles. Do you think you might still have time to help me tomorrow morning?”
“Yup, no worries. I’ll always make time for you.” He kissed her neck and pulled her closer. When Erik returned from his latest trip, Leif would have no choice but to confront him about the nets and scotch, but he didn’t want to think about that yet.
“I’d like to borrow one of your shirts again,” Ella said and kissed his lips.
“I think you’re really sexy in them,” he arched his brow at her flirtatiously and then slid a flannel shirt from a hanger in his wardrobe. “How about this one.”
“Perfect. A beautiful blue, the color of the blue jay. Hey, I just got the best idea ever!” She grinned at him and reached for the shirt.
“What?” He laughed. He never knew what she was going to say or do.
“I’ll show you,” she winked. The flannel shirt hit her mid-thigh.
She tugged at the hem and straightened it.
Selecting one of Leif’s belts, she cinched it tight around her waist, then pushed up on her toes and kissed him.
“Wearing your shirts has inspired me. I’m going to design belted shirt dresses, and I’d like to create prints for them inspired by your carvings, if that’s OK with you.
And I’ll call the line Leif. It will be one of a kind, just like you. ”
He felt flattered. “Come here, you.” He held her cheeks in his hands and kissed her on the lips.
He wondered what his life would be like if Ella stayed in Lyng?r.
Honestly, he’d never been so happy to be with anyone in his entire life.
He’d been perfectly content with his arrangement with Charlotte—safe and steady, with excellent no-strings-attached sex—until Ella came along.
But now perhaps he wanted more from a relationship, and maybe also from his life.
Charlotte and everyone in Lyng?r saw him only one way, but Ella saw more in him.
For the first time he thought seriously about starting a side hustle carving his designs on wooden boats.
He could rent a space at Erik’s marina or find his own spot.
What was stopping him? Nothing but his own fear.
But with Ella near, everything seemed possible.
· · ·
By early morning, the power had returned. Leif pocketed his boat keys and joined Ella in his foyer.
“I’m ready,” she said, and smiled at him.
Leif hugged her. “Mia’s going to meet us at Ringpynten.”
“I’m still touched that Mia already got rid of some of the mess. It won’t take us long to finish.”
As they went out the door, they nearly crashed into Inger. She looked exhausted, with bad bedhead and bloodshot eyes.
“Are you OK?” Leif asked her. “You look terrible.”
“Jeez, thanks,” she grumbled. “Ragnar called. Erik wants you to meet him at his mountain cabin, and to go there alone—you are not to bring Ella. Am I clear?”
Leif nodded.
“Wait, I need to see Erik too,” Ella said.
Inger huffed at Ella. “Whoa, just stop. You’re not in charge here. And anyway, it’s your fault Erik has gone off the rails.”
“What? How could that possibly be my fault?” Ella frowned.
Inger sighed. “Look. I talked to Ragnar last night. And yeah, he was drunk and didn’t hold back, and from what I suspect . . . well, I think your mother and Leif’s father died together. Erik was there.”
“From what you suspect?” Leif’s voice was loud and getting louder. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to come here and say something like that! And so casually—as if you’re reporting that the cost of your damn cigarillos has gone up!”
Ella’s face was as pale as fish pudding. She stammered, “I don’t understand . . . how could this be?”
Leif’s throat tightened. He didn’t want to relive the accident yet again, but it seemed there was no escaping it.
Where does one thing start and the other stop?
He didn’t know, and he felt ill. He started to sweat.
Before he could untangle his words, Inger spoke up.
“It was a horrific boat accident. And if you hadn’t come here, none of this would have come up again. ”
“A boat accident?” Ella gasped and clutched her stomach like she might retch.
“Yes,” Inger said.
“A boat accident,” Ella repeated, and then her eyes rounded on Leif. “Did you know how my mother died, but you didn’t tell me?”
“No, I didn’t know!” he shouted. “Remember a couple of days ago, I told you I had a new theory and asked if you wanted to hear it? You said no! To wait until I knew for sure!”
Ella looked at him with anguish in her eyes.
“I had no proof! And it’s complicated . .
.” His voice trailed off. What could he say that wouldn’t sound ridiculous or weak?
“You made me promise not to pursue the past. So, I buried it again.” He looked out at the blue waters of Lyng?r, the blue of Njord, god of the sea.
The blue Bjorn wore each day, except the day of his death.
Leif had recurring visions of Bjorn being crushed against the rocks as the current captured his lacerated body before tossing him around and finally dragging him out to sea.
He would give anything to stop those horrid images—and to keep Ella from thinking her mother may have suffered the same fate.
“Could you please take me home?” Ella said to Inger.
“OK. My boat is at my dock.” Inger gestured to Ella to follow her.
“Wait,” Leif said, “please hear me out.”
Ella held up her hands.
“Just give me two minutes!” he pleaded.
“Leif. Stop it,” Inger said. “You aren’t the only one that’s been affected by this.” She looked at Ella. “Time to go. Are you coming or not?”
Ella nodded, looking at Leif with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. He was truly at a loss for words now.
He reached for the leather cord strung around his neck, clasped his pendant, and held it toward her. “Don’t tell me this doesn’t mean anything!”
Ella blinked. She touched the aquamarine beads looped around her own neck. “I know . . . fate . . . maybe you and I were destined to meet.”
“Why don’t you hear him out,” Inger said to Ella. “I’ll wait in the backyard.”
Leif released the breath he’d been holding. He had to weigh his words carefully and make this right. Please let this go well.
Aloud he said, “It crossed my mind that Sara might have been on the boat with Erik and my dad that night. But I had no proof.” Grief struck him so hard, he stopped talking.
But Ella had asked for the truth, so he forced out the words.
“I feel horrible about all of this. I don’t want it to ruin what we have—that would be terrible.
In fact, I don’t want you to go back to the States. ”
As he offered this last bit, Ella’s breath caught, but she wanted to take this in order. “What makes you think she was there that night?”
Leif hesitated. His throat had seized up again, and his voice was hoarse as he continued.
“When Ragnar told us that our parents were friends, that the men always got drunk and acted up to impress Sara, I wondered if she was with them the night of the accident.” He scrubbed absentmindedly at his face before continuing.
“A couple weeks ago, the morning after the party at the Propeller, I had to help Erik to bed. He was muttering a bunch of nonsense like he always does when he’s wasted, but this time he offered something new.
A woman had been on my father’s boat when he crashed it.
I hope that’s wrong. And I pray that Inger’s wrong too—that your mum wasn’t there.
” His eyes stung, and he forced back tears.
“I don’t want you to suffer from knowing that. I don’t want you to suffer at all.”
“My poor mom.” Ella’s voice cracked, and a single tear slid down her cheek. “But surely they would have found her body, right?” She shivered even asking a question like that.
Leif rubbed his wet eyes with his palms. “No. Most likely the sea would’ve taken her, just like it did my father and those two others.
Their bodies never turned up. The rocks probably took care of them before the water did.
” As soon as Leif said this, he wanted to grab the words and yank them back.
Ella clamped her hand over her mouth in horror and shock, her eyes darting around the yard like her bearings were scattering and she had no way of collecting them.
He reached out to console her, but she twisted away and rushed toward his backyard, where Inger was waiting.