Sea Glass Cottage (37 page)

The rest of
that day Thane walked through his routine in a fog. His anger hadn’t completely subsided and probably wouldn’t. He knew himself well enough to know it still simmered just beneath the surface and at the slightest provocation might go volcanic if pressed.

Inside his little office at the restaurant, he got into it with Fischer over ordering meat supplies. When he waited on customers he was a tad on the short-tempered side. Not a good habit to get into when you were trying to get a new business up and going. When he had to fix the soda machine, he used words he hadn’t used since his playing days to no one’s benefit but his own. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to get past the way he felt about Isabella.

Later that afternoon when Brent brought his family in to order a large pepperoni pizza, Thane couldn’t help but ask River how Izzy was doing.

River rolled her eyes at the question. “She’s maintaining the status quo for miserable heartache. If you’re so worried about her why not pick up a phone and ask her yourself?”

Brent sent his wife a knowing glare. “We discussed this, remember? Stay out of it.”

“Fine. But is being right worth being alone? That’s really the question,” River reasoned, lifting a shoulder in a unbiased gesture. “I’ve heard the ability to forgive is a virtue.”

After that exchange, the Cody family moved to a table and got Luke settled into his booster chair. They sat down to wait for their pie. Sitting across from each other, Brent whispered, “I’m so glad we agreed that you’d stay out of it.”

“I simply have an opinion and voiced it. That’s all. I’m entitled to do that you know. In case, you haven’t noticed everyone’s picking a side. Most women think what Izzy did was nothing short of incredible while the men are taking a ‘she lied and I’m not forgiving her for a minute’ stance.”

“And yet, I’m supposed to be pleased that the women in town endorse what Isabella did.”

“I’m simply saying that there are people willing to get in the middle of the issue and not think twice about it.”

Thane overheard the discussion and knew River was right. He’d heard all the rumblings firsthand. His friend, Fischer, the worldly New Yorker, hadn’t had a problem weighing in. Fischer had already counseled Thane to distance himself from the woman who’d been so dishonest.

Thane had gotten an earful from each and every customer who’d walked through the door at Longboard Pizza. Everyone it seemed had an opinion. Ryder, Zach and Troy seemed to be firmly in his corner while their significant others held slightly opposite viewpoints. He’d listened to more sentiments than he’d bargained for from Julianne, Drea, and Bree.

But it had been Jonah who had added the most poignant thing of all to the debate. His son didn’t care so much about opposing perspectives. The boy just wanted to know why Izzy wasn’t coming around anymore.

“Did you two have a fight?” Jonah asked while practicing his spelling words sitting at one of the tables next to the Codys.

Thane hated being put in this position, which only made him resent Izzy all the more at the moment. That feeling, in turn, prevented him from eating the crow he’d discussed earlier with Logan. “Grownups disagree sometimes. It’s the nature of adult relationships. We’re having a disagreement.”

“Could you have it somewhere else so she could read me a story tonight? She promised to read me the one about the baby dragon.”

Thane ignored River’s snicker coming from the next table. “I’ll talk to Izzy tomorrow about it, how’s that?”

About that time, Thane heard Brent’s cell phone ring, listened while the top cop dealt with an obvious law enforcement issue, the problem, an apparent BOLO, something about a roadblock and an escape.

Brent pushed back his chair and said to River, “I have to go. Box up the pizza when it comes out and take Luke back home. I have to go see Isabella.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Thane said in alarm.

“Henry Navarro somehow managed to slip past the guard stationed outside his hospital room and escaped from the secure ward. He’s gone on the run.”

Thane jumped to his feet. “What? They let him get away? What about Isabella’s safety? Henry will come after her. You know he will.”

“I’m taking care of it. I’ll put a guard around her twenty-four seven.”

“What good will that do? We need to come up with a better plan than that,” Thane pointed out.

“I’m all ears.”

Thane began to pace. “Normally I’d say a defensive position is the answer but in this case we need to go on the offense.”

“I know you don’t mean a stakeout. That’s what brought Henry here in the first place,” River said, helping Luke out of his booster seat. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to put anyone else at risk that way.”

With those words, something inside Thane moved. The scales tipped all the way in Isabella’s favor. She’d pulled off an incredible feat. Why hadn’t he been able to see that and be more supportive? The realization hit him then that Henry Navarro had to be dealt with once and for all. If the man was allowed to remain free, Henry would never stop coming after the woman he thought was his wife.

During the rest of his shift Thane went through the motions at work, considering his change of heart. He went over everything in his head again, like keeping track of an inventory list. He slid what he knew into columns of pros and cons. But in the end it was what he felt in his heart that eclipsed everything else. Maybe it had taken something like this to admit he’d fallen all the way in love.

Later, there was Jonah’s homework to check, bath time to deal with, and story time before bed. Once that was all done he was too tired to think anymore.

Thane turned out the lights and plopped down on the couch in the dark. He didn’t seem to be able to muster the energy to do anything else. What a mess, he decided as he let his head fall back on the cushions. At some point, he drifted off to sleep.

Soon, it was as if he’d landed in a dream that kept fading in and out. All he could see in his mind was a man standing in the shadows holding a knife watching Isabella from a distance.

The angle changed and he was able to zero in on her face. She looked so defenseless, so ill-prepared to take on an armed attacker. Looks, though, could be deceiving. Even in this version he knew she could handle herself. She’d already proven she could.

As the fantasy played out, Thane called to her. When Isabella turned to look at him, it was the intruder who sent him a wry smile and took advantage of the distraction to go on the attack. Henry brought the knife up and then down. Thane started running, doing his best to get to her in time. But no matter how fast he ran it wasn’t fast enough. Through a haze he saw Henry hit his mark again and then again, more and more determined with each slice of the blade to end Isabella’s life. Thane watched as blood turned the sheets bright red, watched as the pool grew larger and larger until…

Fischer walked into the dark living room, spotted Thane tossing and turning in his sleep. He went over to the sofa, jostled an arm, trying to roust him awake. “Hey, Thane, what are you doing in here? Go to bed,” Fisch directed. “You look awful.”

Thane bolted upright, almost knocking Fischer off his feet.

“Whoa, it’s just me. You’re really letting this whole thing get to you.”

Rubbing his eyes, Thane gave Fischer a look of disgust. “I was dreaming that Henry came after Isabella again. It was like being a witness to murder this time. Like before, he carried a knife…” Thane held out both hands as if measuring. “About this long.”

“You were dreaming, buddy. Go to bed. Put on some music or watch sports highlights. Do something to get your mind off all this.”

“Weren’t you listening to Brent earlier? Henry’s on the lam. And now… I’m beginning to feel really stupid about the way I reacted. On some level I can see why she felt the need to do what she did.”

“That’s crazy, man. What about how she put Jonah in jeopardy? What about her lying to you?”

Thane eyed the man he’d known for a decade. “I appreciate your loyalty, I really do, but I realize I’m in love with her.”

“All the more reason to let it run its course.”

Thane furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear what I said? Aren’t you listening to me?”

“Yeah, I heard you, loud and clear, for the past three days. So excuse me if I’m not used to seeing Thane Delacourt going all-in over a woman, okay?”

“She’s a good person.”

“So just ignore the fact that she claimed to be someone entirely different all this time? See, I don’t get doing that, don’t see how you’re able to do that either.”

Not wanting a discussion about it, Thane reassured his friend, “Look, I’m okay now. You go on to bed. I’ll sort this thing out on my own.”

Fischer shook his head and grumbled, “You’ve changed since you’ve been here.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“The jury’s still out,” Fischer mumbled, heading off down the hall to the guest room.

Tormented and confused, Thane tried to get his mind on something else so he picked up the remote, turned on the TV. Something was seriously wrong with him if he couldn’t focus on ESPN.

He pushed off the sofa, went over and turned the lights back on. His eyes immediately wandered to the familiar man’s face sitting in the chair in the corner of the living room.

Put off at the sight of Scott, Thane sighed. “Not you. Not tonight. What are you doing in my house? Go away.” Before the apparition could speak, Thane added, “No doubt finding a way to bug me. Whose side are you taking in all this?”

Not waiting for an answer Thane slogged into the kitchen to get a glass of milk, keeping up a steady stream of chatter as he went. “By the way, thanks for pointing me in the right direction so I could find Izzy. Helluva sight though when she came bursting out of that house with blood all over her. I don’t mind telling you the blood splatter got to me. I didn’t know whether to hug her or wring her neck right there on the spot.”

“Doesn’t really matter, does it? You broke up with her. I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you.”

“Taking my side in all this? Somehow that surprises me. Reverse psychology? From a ghost? Priceless,” Thane uttered, gulping down the milk straight from the carton.

“Henry is still a very real threat. Did you ever once consider what it was like for Isabella to have to deal with someone that crazy on a day-to-day basis, to do it for years, how much courage it took over the past thirty-six months to put herself in a position to try and stop a man like Henry?”

“What do you want me to say?” Thane insisted. “It took guts and nerve to do what she did to come out on top. But Henry’s out now and where does that leave all that she risked getting him, all the lies she told to do it? What if this Henry goes after her again at a time she’s in my house with my boy? What about that?”

“She’s proved to me she can take care of herself and your boy. I might point out that just because you’re angry with her does that equate to abandoning her entirely when she needs help the most? In case you haven’t figured this out by now, we take care of our own in this town. And keep something else in mind. No matter how upset you are at her, it doesn’t change the fact that Henry is still out there.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Then do something about it.”

“I’m working on it.”

The next day
Isabella got up and rode her bike to work despite having the headache from hell. She hadn’t slept well for days and it showed on her face. The bags under her eyes were a tribute to the restless nights she’d endured and all the tears she’d shed.

As she pedaled down Ocean Street near the same spot where Henry had snatched her, she went on alert for anything out of the norm. But nothing seemed amiss, not today. As the water shimmered in the bay to her right, she took in the beautiful crisp day. Along her route, towering oak and sycamore released their leaves in a signal that fall had given way to cooler temperatures. 

She waved to a group of children walking to school and thought of Jonah, wondered how long the wound would take to heal. She reminded herself she’d been hurt before and she’d come out on top. She’d do it again this time getting over Thane Delacourt, no matter how long it took for her heart to stop the ache. Hadn’t she proved over the last three years she didn’t need a man dictating how and what she should do?

She spotted Drake Boedecker, who did his best not to look obvious trailing after her. Drake had taken over the day shift after Brent had spent last night parked near the woods determined to keep an eye on her while she slept.

Grateful for the protection, she realized she needed to be vigilant on her own.

She also realized something else. No matter what happened with Henry, she would make this town her home for good. No one was running her off.

After all, she and Thane might be kaput, but despite their breakup, Isabella knew deep down she’d found the place where she wanted to spend the rest of her life. This little town had been a good fit for her. Where else could she find people who cared about what happened to her after living here such a short amount of time? She also knew Brent was just doing his job, sitting out at her house on guard duty. But she also knew others cared. A long list of people—Jordan, Hayden, Keegan, Kinsey, Julianne, Bree, and Drea—had called to ask if she needed anything. They were all concerned for her well-being. Every one of them had offered her a safe place to stay in spite of the jeopardy her being there might put them in. With that kind of sentiment foremost on her mind, she steered to the curb in front of the museum, parked her bike, and headed inside to start her day.

“How’s it going, boss,” Izzy said by way of cheery greeting.

“Never mind me, how’d you sleep? Any better?”

“With your hubby babysitting from that forest of trees, how could I not sleep like a rock?”

River tilted her head, studied Isabella. “You may put up a brave front to everyone else but I know it’s unnerving having Navarro on the loose.”

“Well. Yeah. But what can I do? What can Brent do?”

“His presence must have paid off because you seem…I don’t know…more chipper today than you have been.”

“That’s because I’ve seen the light. I’m fed up with moping over some lamebrain who doesn’t appreciate me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in love with said lamebrain, my heart’s still broken, but I won’t live my life mired down in regret for something I thought was a good idea.”

“Plus, you kicked Henry’s ass before they allowed him to escape.”

“Maybe it takes having a psycho ex to get it.”

“ Could be. Maybe it takes membership in the narcissistic ex club.”

“Not to mention, I already wasted too many years of my life trying to please one of those egotistical, self-important beasts to make that same mistake again. If Thane can’t see that I’m a terrific person then I shouldn’t squander another minute boohooing over him.”

“Atta girl.”

“I do miss Jonah though.”

River told her about the scene at Longboard Pizza where the boy had wanted her to read him a story. “I believe he mentioned a baby dragon.”

At the reminder, Isabella’s shoulders slumped. “
My Father’s Dragon
. I picked it up at Hayden’s bookstore because my mom read that book to me when I was in first grade.”

“Then maybe you should come over to my house tonight, read it to Jonah when you tuck him into bed,” Thane suggested from the doorway. “I followed you to work. I need to talk to you.”

River cleared her throat. “I think I need to get something out of the storage room.” With that, she disappeared into the back leaving the two of them alone.

“Jonah misses you. I miss you. But if you come over tonight, plan to stay.”

Isabella’s breath hitched. The knot in her stomach relaxed. “I missed all those silly funny faces you do that make Jonah and me crack up.”

He ambled toward her, reached out to touch her cheek, ran a finger down her jaw to her long elegant neck. “I feel empty without you. I haven’t been able to sleep a wink in four days.”

“That makes two of us.”

“I’m sorry for acting like such an ass about this whole thing.”

“I’m sorry for lying to you without letting you in on the secret I was keeping. It was wrong. I should have handled it better. I never meant to hurt…”

He held up a finger across her lips to shush her, slid his arm around her waist. Tilting his head, he touched his lips to hers, felt her comply, give way to the rush before they both fell into the kiss.

“For now, I’ll let you get back to work. Where’s Jazz?”

“I left her at home with her chew toys. I planned to go back for lunch and check on her.”

“If you give me the keys to your house, I’ll go pick her up. I’d like you to stay with me until this whole thing with Henry blows over.”

“After escaping from the hospital, Henry probably ran to Mexico or the nearest boat dock and caught a ride back to Spain.”

“Probably. If that’s the case then you should humor me and stay at my place.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want to put you or Jonah in jeopardy. I’m fine. Really I am.”

“Okay, then tonight I’ll come to you.”

Isabella spent the
rest of the day wondering if her conversation with Thane had been real. No argument that he’d certainly done an about-face. But was it a true indication of the way he felt now?

When she arrived home, there’d been a shift change. Instead of Drake, Brent had taken up his position from last night and stationed himself near the trees again. She sent him a wave, headed inside where Jazz greeted her with tail wagging and a lick on the face. 

“Aren’t you a good girl,” Isabella said rubbing the puppy’s ears. “And look, no accidents, or should I check every nook and cranny? Nope, not gonna do that. Let’s take you for a potty break instead.”

She and Jazz circled the lighthouse twice, the dog exploring every shrub and blade of grass. They walked as far out to the cliffs as possible, sat near the edge and listened to the waves crashing like the roar of thunder below on the rocks. The sound of it soothed her as she stayed put to watch the sun go down over the glimmering water in the bay.

Returning to the house, she fed the dog, reheated the vegetable chowder she’d made the night before and sat down to enjoy her soup.

There were dishes to clean up, clothes to sort and laundry to get started. She did all of it while waiting for Thane to make his appearance. But by nine-thirty, when he failed to show up, she headed to bed, sad that he hadn’t come to her like he promised. 

At the bottom
of the hill, Henry Navarro paused to look up at the lighthouse on the cliffs. Like a beacon it drew him to his Isabella. He’d show her once and for all that disobedience simply wasn’t permitted.

For the past thirty-plus hours Henry had been taking refuge onboard one of the sailboats in the harbor. He’d stolen bottles of water stacked behind the restaurant on Ocean Street and found food scraps to eat inside the trash cans near the pub. Earlier, he’d broken into a house across from the wharf, taken what food he could stuff into his pockets, along with a nine-inch butcher knife.

Now that his belly was full he needed to find the best way into Sea Glass Cottage. He didn’t understand how she could still be alive. How could she have survived the beating he’d given her that night? Days ago he’d had her in his grasp again and she’d fought back.

That was not the Isabella he’d known since childhood. That Isabella would do everything he asked her to do. This one had fought him. She’d taken his knife and stabbed him. Tonight, he would make her pay for that. He’d be certain to finish the job this time. After all, third time had to be the charm, he decided to himself, as he snuck around to the front of the house. Stupid woman didn’t even have the sense to put in a decent security system, he thought, all the while he picked the lock without much effort at all.

He stood inside the entryway, caught his shadowy reflection on the wall mirror over the hall table. The blade of the knife he held in his hand shined like a silver symbol of hope glinting back at him. He crept past the living room and headed down the hallway, checking out each room.

When he opened Isabella’s bedroom door, there was a slight hesitation, or maybe confusion. His eyes darted to the lump under the cover. There was movement from the corner that made him turn.

Thane sat near the French doors in the dark. He’d watched the man’s lengthy approach, held back as long as he could. But once he spotted the knife in Henry’s hand, he rose out of the chair, reached to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. Light flooded the room.

In the glare, Thane studied the psychopath who’d killed Isabella Rialto, the man who’d kidnapped Izzy.

“Who the hell are you?” Henry demanded.

“I’m your worst fucking nightmare, Navarro,” Thane stated. “Now drop the knife.”

“No. No, I want to see Isabella. I’m here for Isabella.”

“I’m aware of why you’re here.”

Izzy came out of the bathroom, stood in the doorway. That brief moment of distraction was all it took for Thane to charge, rushing Henry and knocking him to the floor. Pinning the man’s arm back, Thane twisted his arm so tightly that the smaller man let go of the blade.

Thane brought Henry upright and set him on his feet. “Face it. You’ve been set up, Navarro. I hope you like solitary confinement because that’s what they do to prisoners like you who’ve already tried to escape. They put them in a windowless box. Say goodbye to freedom. I doubt you’ll ever see your beloved Spain again.”

Brent entered the room from the hallway his weapon at the ready. “Maybe Navarro prefers cold weather because I see a Canadian prison in his immediate future.”

Confused, Henry rubbed his forehead. “I don’t understand. I must have the wrong house. Where’s my Isabella?”

“I’m right here, Henry,” Izzy said. “Ever since you broke out of the hospital ward yesterday, we’ve all been waiting for you to show up. Thanks for not disappointing us.”

Henry turned to stare, squinted at her appearance. “You’ve changed Isabella. Your coloring is different. Your hair, it’s much lighter than it used to be. What have you done to your hair?”

When he took a step toward Izzy, Thane squeezed the back of his neck while Brent slapped a pair of cuffs on Henry’s wrists.

“Henry Navarro, you’re under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Isabella Rialto.”

“Don’t be absurd, she’s standing right there. How is it possible for a dead woman to divorce me? You’re all insane. If she’s dead then who the hell divorced me?” Henry yelled, as Brent tried to get him to push him out of the room. “They’ll never make it stick. I know people,” Henry muttered.