both agreed. “Is she going to be alright?” Sadie asked.
“I’m sure she will be fine. The doctor will see to her.”
They were told they could return to their rooms, and together they moved toward the closest set of doors leading into the ship. A security guard had put up plastic signs around the area that said “Maintenance in Progress.”
The guard let Sadie and Pete through the doors, and they walked to the stairs, their moods sufficiently troubled.
“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Sadie asked Pete. “I got the impression Officer Jareg was more worried than he let on.”
“She was completely unresponsive,” Pete said. “Even a drunk will usually move or attempt to speak or something. But she was breathing and had a pulse and those are both good signs.”
Sadie nodded. “We need to talk to Shawn.” This wasn’t how she wanted to learn about his connection to this woman—Tanice—but it seemed as though the time had arrived.
When they reached Shawn’s cabin, Sadie knocked, waited, then knocked again.
Shawn didn’t answer.
Chapter 7
“He might still be at the club,” Pete said when Sadie knocked for the third time.
“We need to find him.” She hadn’t paid much attention to the different nightclubs on the ship since they held no interest for her, but now she scanned her memory banks. She thought there was one on deck ten. Was another one on deck twelve? She tried to remain calm, but her anticipation of explaining this to Shawn was rising.
“ I will find him,” Pete said, pulling Sadie toward the stairs. “Why don’t you go to your cabin?”
“There’s no way I’m going to my cabin right now,” Sadie said. “I need to find out what Shawn’s relationship is to that woman. I need to see his face when we tell him what’s happened.”
“This is not an opportunity for you to satisfy your curiosity.”
“Pete,” Sadie said, exasperated, “I’m worried about my son, and now this woman he knows is ill or drunk or something. Who is she, Pete? Why wouldn’t she talk to me earlier? What if Shawn told her to avoid me?” She could hear her own voice rising as she spoke and stopped to take a deep breath.
“This isn’t the time to interrogate him,” Pete said. “This will likely be upsetting for him to hear—especially if you’re there watching his reaction. Just let me bring him up to speed on my own, okay?”
Sadie shook her head. “He’s my son, and I’ll find him.” She tried to sound confident, but it came across more panicked than she’d have liked.
“Sadie,” Pete said, lowering his chin and holding her gaze with his eyes. “There is obviously some history between him and this woman that he didn’t want to tell you. You being there when he learns that she’s sick—really sick—isn’t a good idea. Let me take care of this, please.”
She didn’t want him to take care of this, but she could also picture exactly what she would do when she found Shawn. She’d either cry or get angry, and neither would be effective. Pete was right, this news would probably be upsetting for Shawn. She didn’t want to make it worse, so she finally gave in. “Will you bring him to my room after you talk to him? Just so I know he’s okay?”
“He’s fine, Sadie, just because she—”
“Pete, with all I’ve seen in the last few years, I want to see for myself that he’s okay. I need that, okay? And I won’t push for any information from him. I won’t freak out.”
He paused a moment before nodding. “Okay.”
Breanna was still asleep when Sadie entered the cabin, which meant Sadie couldn’t turn on the lights or the TV. She settled for propping open the bathroom door which gave her just enough light to see and then spent half an hour pacing the same six-foot area of carpet until she heard a tap on the door. She hurried to the door and pulled it open.
Shawn stood in the doorway, and Sadie took a step into the hallway and threw her arms around his
“I’m sure she will be fine. The doctor will see to her.”
They were told they could return to their rooms, and together they moved toward the closest set of doors leading into the ship. A security guard had put up plastic signs around the area that said “Maintenance in Progress.”
The guard let Sadie and Pete through the doors, and they walked to the stairs, their moods sufficiently troubled.
“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Sadie asked Pete. “I got the impression Officer Jareg was more worried than he let on.”
“She was completely unresponsive,” Pete said. “Even a drunk will usually move or attempt to speak or something. But she was breathing and had a pulse and those are both good signs.”
Sadie nodded. “We need to talk to Shawn.” This wasn’t how she wanted to learn about his connection to this woman—Tanice—but it seemed as though the time had arrived.
When they reached Shawn’s cabin, Sadie knocked, waited, then knocked again.
Shawn didn’t answer.
Chapter 7
“He might still be at the club,” Pete said when Sadie knocked for the third time.
“We need to find him.” She hadn’t paid much attention to the different nightclubs on the ship since they held no interest for her, but now she scanned her memory banks. She thought there was one on deck ten. Was another one on deck twelve? She tried to remain calm, but her anticipation of explaining this to Shawn was rising.
“ I will find him,” Pete said, pulling Sadie toward the stairs. “Why don’t you go to your cabin?”
“There’s no way I’m going to my cabin right now,” Sadie said. “I need to find out what Shawn’s relationship is to that woman. I need to see his face when we tell him what’s happened.”
“This is not an opportunity for you to satisfy your curiosity.”
“Pete,” Sadie said, exasperated, “I’m worried about my son, and now this woman he knows is ill or drunk or something. Who is she, Pete? Why wouldn’t she talk to me earlier? What if Shawn told her to avoid me?” She could hear her own voice rising as she spoke and stopped to take a deep breath.
“This isn’t the time to interrogate him,” Pete said. “This will likely be upsetting for him to hear—especially if you’re there watching his reaction. Just let me bring him up to speed on my own, okay?”
Sadie shook her head. “He’s my son, and I’ll find him.” She tried to sound confident, but it came across more panicked than she’d have liked.
“Sadie,” Pete said, lowering his chin and holding her gaze with his eyes. “There is obviously some history between him and this woman that he didn’t want to tell you. You being there when he learns that she’s sick—really sick—isn’t a good idea. Let me take care of this, please.”
She didn’t want him to take care of this, but she could also picture exactly what she would do when she found Shawn. She’d either cry or get angry, and neither would be effective. Pete was right, this news would probably be upsetting for Shawn. She didn’t want to make it worse, so she finally gave in. “Will you bring him to my room after you talk to him? Just so I know he’s okay?”
“He’s fine, Sadie, just because she—”
“Pete, with all I’ve seen in the last few years, I want to see for myself that he’s okay. I need that, okay? And I won’t push for any information from him. I won’t freak out.”
He paused a moment before nodding. “Okay.”
Breanna was still asleep when Sadie entered the cabin, which meant Sadie couldn’t turn on the lights or the TV. She settled for propping open the bathroom door which gave her just enough light to see and then spent half an hour pacing the same six-foot area of carpet until she heard a tap on the door. She hurried to the door and pulled it open.
Shawn stood in the doorway, and Sadie took a step into the hallway and threw her arms around his
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