And hours later when she was in the guest room, she called Seth to talk after she knew Adele was sleeping. “Hey,” she said. “Still annoyed with me?”
She heard his sigh on the other end. “Sorry about that. It’s your life.”
“It is, but I’d like to think we are trying to have one together. Or am I moving too fast? You can tell me if I am. I’ll understand. I’ll understand if all my problems are too much for you too.”
There was silence on the other end, then he said, “Don’t even go there. Is that what this is about? Why you didn’t tell me on Sunday night? Because you think it’s too much for me?”
And there was the anger again. Carson was probably right and she was looking at this all wrong. That maybe Seth was starting to feel more for her and that was where his reaction was coming from. “I did think it, but my brother told me it’s an insult to both of us.”
“Which brother?”
“Carson first and then later Hudson when we were eating dinner. They said everyone is watching out for me and it’s a man’s job to do that and I had to get over it. It only means they all care.”
“We do,” he said. “And yes, I’d never put Adele in harm’s way, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is worried as much as confused over this whole thing.”
“Confusion is a good word. I’m just trying to get through this. I was ready to put the whole identity thing behind me and thought I was doing a good job with it. Everyone that can find answers is, but it’s not a fast process. I’m moving on with my life. I thought or feel like what we’ve got is great. And then wham, I come home and find out someone has been in my house. But the only proof was the way I keep my doors shut.”
“And smudge prints on the handles,” Seth said.
“That too. Drew had cleaning people in the house before I moved in. I wiped everything down that morning, but who is to say it’s not my own print that is smudged too?”
“But you wouldn’t have shut the doors, you said.”
“No. I wouldn’t. Maybe the house is haunted?” she asked. “It does creak a lot like many others on this island.”
Seth laughed. “Mine does too. I’m sorry if I was angry or annoyed. I don’t want you pulling away because you think I can’t handle something or I don’t need this in my life.”’
“I’m not. I wouldn’t think that. And I didn’t hold back calling you for that reason. It was late and I figured you were in bed. It wasn’t an emergency.”
“I know. I get it. I do want us to try to spend some time together this weekend. I know you’re on call though.”
“I am. It didn’t stop us last time from spending the night, but your mother is gone for the month and that is hard too. You’ve got nowhere for Adele to go.”
“Which got me thinking,” he said. “I’ve got a weeks’ vacation coming up in August. It’s probably too short of notice for you to take time off to do something with us.”
Her heart was starting to race. “I don’t think I can get a full week off, but I can probably get a few days if I’m not on call. But considering everything going on in the past few months, I’ll try for a week. They will just rearrange my schedule. Appointments are made all the time before we put in for vacations.”
“I don’t have any concrete plans and I can change my week to coincide with your on call schedule. So you tell me what works for you and I’ll make it work. Maybe we can go off island for a few days somewhere.”
“I’ll let you know for sure tomorrow. I’d like that if you think Adele will be fine with it,” she said. “We’d be staying in the same place if we do that.”
“We would. Let me talk to her in the next day or so. Maybe we can have a sleepover this weekend and feel her out?”
“I’ll follow your lead,” she said. They hung up a few minutes later and she had to remind herself that so far Seth’s lead was working out just fine for her too.
26
Watching Me
“Are you sure you’re okay with doing this today?” Seth asked when Ava pulled behind him at the public beach and parked.
“Of course. I might have to leave if I get a call and I don’t want Adele to have to stop enjoying her day.”
“I love the beach and we’ve never been here before,” Adele said, dancing around with her little flower dress on over her bathing suit.
“There are only a few public beaches now on Amore Island and hopefully they stay. I believe they are protected by the island council to remain for tourists to come over for the day and visit, but if it’s too busy, Atlantic Rise is down the road and we can sneak onto their beach. My cousins won’t care.”
“It doesn’t look that busy,” Adele said almost running ahead of them.
“That’s because it’s still early,” Seth said. They were up and out the door before eight thirty to get here. He was surprised Ava wanted to come to his house this early but shouldn’t be because she seemed just as excited as him to spend the time together this weekend. Even to the point she was staying the night.
“The excitement of a youth,” Ava said. “I remember being like that as a kid too.”
He wasn’t sure if he ever was. They came here a lot when he was a kid since his parents had the summer home. But he
