She started to turn but spotted a sandal in the water, poking out from under a jutting section of the boulder.
Had Nadia fallen? Gone for a walk barefoot?
Felicity dug out her phone. She didn’t know what was going on with Nadia—why she was in Knights Bridge, if she was in danger, wanted to cause trouble.
Time to get some help out here.
* * *
Gabe had vacated the hammock for Red Clover Inn’s sprawling front porch and was on the phone with Shannon. “Nadia called looking for you,” Shannon said. “She’s a mess, Gabe. I warned her against negative self-talk. That sort of thing isn’t helpful. You don’t say, My life sucks. You say something like, I’ve gone through a rough time, but I’ve come out of it stronger and happier. Have you ever read a self-help book? Visited a self-help website?”
“No.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Shannon—where is Nadia now, do you know?”
“No idea. She said she wants to move on, but she knows she needs to resist a fight-or-flight reaction. She’ll take her time deciding what’s next. She came out of the divorce okay financially. She doesn’t need to rush into things. She’ll get her head sorted out first.”
Gabe got to his feet and stood at the top of the porch steps. “Can you find out if she’s in Malibu or out here?”
“I’ll do my best. My guess is she never went home, and she’s still out here.”
“Are you concerned she’s going to cause trouble?” Gabe asked.
“Fifty-fifty,” Shannon said without hesitation. “More like she’s going to cause trouble for herself. I’m keeping an eye out as best I can, but I’m not her keeper. Neither are you.”
“Understood.”
“I just wanted you to know she called and she’s a mess. In case she shows up there again.”
“Thanks, Shannon.”
As he disconnected, Felicity called. “Have you seen Nadia?” she asked before he could say a word. He said no, and she quickly explained the situation. “It’s wet out here, Gabe. The rocks are slippery. The water’s high. If she fell and hit her head...”
“On my way.”
Gabe grabbed Justin, but they decided not to take any chances and alerted his firefighter and police-officer brothers. They took Justin’s truck out to Felicity’s house and met her down at the swimming hole. The blustery wind stirred up the river, creating white caps in the fast-moving, mud-brown water.
Felicity waved to them from the rocks. She’d scooped a towel and woman’s sandal out of the water and set them on the boulder next to her. She pointed downriver. “I think I just heard someone call for help. It must be Nadia.”
“Wait here,” Justin said. “More help’s on the way.”
But he and Gabe found Nadia about a hundred yards downriver, clinging to a tree branch on a treacherous section of the tree-lined bank. She was terrified and shivering but otherwise unharmed. They got her back to the swimming hole. Justin called his brothers and canceled the search party.
“I was waiting for you and Felicity,” Nadia said, clinging to Gabe. “I thought a fire would be fun. Welcoming. I wanted to tell you I’m going back to California in the morning. I’m making a fresh start, without David. Then everything got away from me. I threw a royal fit. I tore up your living room, Felicity. I told myself I was looking for proof Gabe and my ex-husband had colluded against me. Then I realized that was nuts.”
“Just get warm,” Gabe said. “Leave the rest for later.”
“No, no—I have to say this. When I realized you and Felicity were happy and I was miserable—that you’d found someone and I’d lost someone—I wanted to blame you. I wanted to blame Felicity, too. Misery loves company, right?”
Gabe was at a loss. “Nadia—”
“Everything exploded inside me. It was cathartic, and yet I felt so out of control. I ran down here. I stood on the rocks and realized the life I could have had if I’d set better boundaries for myself with David. I’ve been so absorbed in regret, anger, venting, blaming—myself most of all—and I started to cry. Then I slipped. I couldn’t get control of myself in the water.” She stood back from Gabe, allowing Justin to put his overshirt around her shoulders. “I could have died, and everyone would have thought it was suicide. That’s not me. That’s not what I want. But part of me just wanted to float down the river and be done with it all. Then I knew I needed to let the past float down the river, but by then I was drowning.”
“You didn’t drown,” Gabe said. “You’re here, Nadia.”
“Yeah. I am. I have work to do on myself, but I have plenty of money—not as much as if I’d stayed with David and done a better job of protecting myself, but enough.”
“One step at a time.”
“I didn’t mean to end up in the river. I promise I didn’t mean it.” She sniffled, tightening the shirt around her. “This is proof I don’t belong here.”
Justin eased in on her right side, Gabe on her left, and they helped her up the steep trail. Felicity led the way back to her house. She assured Justin she didn’t want to press charges against Nadia for throwing a few pillows and blankets, and he went on his way.
Nadia borrowed a set of flannel pajamas from Felicity and wrapped up in a blanket on the deck, her shivering easing as she warmed up and calmed down. “Is there anyone you want me to call?” Felicity asked.
Nadia shook her head. “Not on the East Coast, anyway, now that my grandmother’s gone. If I’d drowned, I suppose my ex-husband would want to know, if only because of the paperwork.” She managed a weak smile. “Sorry. That was a bad attempt at humor.” Her voice caught. “It’s time I went home once and for all. California is home for me.”
“Stay here as long as you like,” Felicity said.
“It must be hard sometimes not just to sit out
