Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Are you sure?” Ken asked, holding Janet’s hand.
Bobby Jackson, the fire inspector, nodded his head. “It was started on the porch with an accelerant. It spread quickly, and by the time it was called in, there was no way they could save the structure. I’m really sorry, Brody. I wish we could have done more.”
Brody reached his hand out for Bobby’s to shake it. “I’m just glad no one was hurt. The house can be replaced.”
Janet sniffled, and Ken ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “Brody’s right,” he said. “I’m also glad no one was seriously injured while fighting the fire.”
“What if you had been living there?” Janet asked the question I’d been running over and over in my head.
He smiled tightly at her. “I wasn’t, though, Mom. So we don’t even have to imagine it.”
Janet nodded and wiped her tears. I quickly stood and rushed to the downstairs bathroom in Ken and Janet’s house.
I could hear Brody’s footsteps behind me. I barely made it to the toilet before I threw up.
Brody knelt next to me, holding my hair back and gently rubbing my back. I thought about how I’d watched his father do the same thing for his mom only moments ago.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
I fell back onto my ass and buried my face in my hands as I started to cry.
Brody engulfed me in his arms and held me while I let out all the fear and anger I’d built up over the last few days.
“Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart.”
“Who would do such a thing?” I could see he had someone on his mind but didn’t want to say it aloud. “Brody, who do you think it was?”
“If I’m being honest, I’d say Jack.”
Gasping, I stared at him. “Jack? He’s in France though. I mean, that’s what his lawyer said—that he was going back to his wife and kids.”
Brody nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to worry, but Brax was almost certain he saw Jack on his parents’ yacht. The one that’s docked at the marina.”
“Has anyone gone to see if he’s there?”
“I mentioned it to the Seaside Police. They’re going to investigate.”
“When?”
“Yesterday, after I spoke to them.”
“And you haven’t heard anything since?”
Brody shook his head and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Not yet.”
“We should go see for ourselves then.”
His eyes went wide. “Are you crazy? First, you still have a restraining order on him. Second, Brax wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was Jack. It could have been someone else. His father even.”
I shook my head. “Don and Melinda aren’t in Seaside.”
His brows pulled down as he frowned. “How do you know that?”
“They stopped by the store the other day to say they were leaving town that evening. They wanted to tell me they were sorry for all the problems Jack had caused me, and for any part they might have played in it.”
“I wish that family would just leave you the hell alone.”
I forced myself to smile. “Me too. What does your gut say? Do you think Jack is still in Seaside?”
Brody shook his head. “I think he left with this tail between his legs. Come on, let’s get you up and get some water to rinse out your mouth.”
“Can we stop by the police station on the way home and ask if they’ve checked on your tip yet?”
He gave me a sweet smile. “Yes.”
Brody and I stayed at his parents’ house for dinner after Janet begged us not to leave just yet. Brody had emailed the fire inspector’s report to his insurance agent. After they went through the house, Brody planned on tearing the rest of it down. We would decide what to do with the property later. We all decided to wait to tell Gannon and Addie about it until they came back home. There was no reason to spoil their honeymoon.
Later that night, as Brody pulled into the driveway of our house, I had the strangest feeling that someone was watching us. A shiver ran down my spine. It was quickly chased away by the warmth of my husband’s hand on my lower back as we made our way into the house.
But before we walked in, I glanced over my shoulder and did a quick sweep of the backyard. It was dark, so I wasn’t sure what I expected to see.
“What’s wrong?” Brody asked.
I forced a smile as I looked at him. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Me too. Let’s take a shower, and then I’ll give you a massage.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Sutton
Two weeks had passed since the fire. The police had checked the marina, and not only were there no signs of Jack, but they discovered that his parents had sold their boat. Their house was also up for sale, and Jack’s dad had closed his accounting firm in Seaside. No advance notice, nothing. Just shut the doors and that was it. It was clear that the Larsons were no longer making Seaside their home, which was fine by me.