must be why Hazel is forming a group.
My friends offered me sympathy and a few swear words interspersed the heightened conversation.
Mark patted my back. “It’ll be fine, I know it.”
No doubt about it now. This day had won the crown, sash and bouquet of roses for the most awful day of my life. I felt numb.
Lucas walked over and slung an arm around me. “Kiddo, don’t worry. I’ll dig up more information on it, check around the office and see if I can find out any more, okay? I’ll call you if I have anything.”
“Estelle got a letter from a lawyer,” I said.
There was not one more thing I could handle today.
Mark chimed in, “Why not ask Ken? He works there. Wouldn't he know about the hospital’s plans and give you an idea of what’s going on? ”
I finished my beer and set the mug on the bar. “ You’d think .”
A much older woman in a too-short denim skirt and knee high red cowboy boots pulled Lucas to the dance floor and began kissing him as they swayed to the music. The music from the band grew louder as the night wore on.
Glancing at my cell phone, I saw it was after ten o’clock. Shoot. “I have to go.”
“I’m waiting here in case Francesca shows up again. Catch you tomorrow,” Mark said.
I hugged him. The blackmailer could’ve followed me here, and be waiting to kill me. “I love you. Just know that if anything happens that I had no choice. Okay?”
Mark furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about? You know you’ve been acting really bizarre today.”
“I can’t tell you. I had to do it. There were no other options.” No choice years ago at the truck stop, and no choice now paying off a blackmailer.
My cell rang. Ken’s number shone in the screen. I punched a button and held it close to my ear. “Hello?”
“Babe, are you okay? I’ve been here ten minutes. Where are you?" Ken asked.
“I’m so sorry. I’m on my way.” I clicked off.
Maybe I needed to let Ken know there was a blackmailer, because of a death I'd caused four years ago. Wouldn’t he be able to help me out of this mess? But then again, the ‘for better or worse’ part didn’t apply when I was only engaged, did it? But I also was pissed that he may have already known about the eminent domain, and failed to tell me that my home was going to be destroyed.
Once outside, I buttoned up my sweater against the nippy night air. The fresh smell of the air was a relief from the beer stench in the bar. I jogged over to the pavilion to meet Ken. He wanted to ride in his new boat, but now I had more pressing issues for tonight.
I was so over my head it felt like I was drowning again.
Chapter Eight
“I don’t know if this is such a great idea,” I said to Ken as he idled his speedboat, readying it to leave the pavilion’s dock. “We have to talk. First you need to tell me what you know about phase two. Second, my life may change soon and you need to know some things. About what’s going on in my life. Some bad things.”
He shook his head. “CiCi, I can’t hear you too well. Can we do this later? After my twelve hour shift, I just want to unwind and have some fun.”
Ken had ordered his custom boat six months ago. Maybe I shouldn’t spoil his night. Under my breath I said, “I don’t want Estelle to lose her house. And Francesca is back and I really don’t mean to hurt anyone, but we had to do what we did and…”
He stood over the steering wheel, “What did you say, hurt who? Are you okay? How much did you drink?”
I wrapped my arms around myself, and plopped into the seat next to him. “I’m not drunk. I’m in trouble. Francesca is in trouble too. I have to come clean.”
He revved the engine put his hand to his ear and shook his head. “Babe, I’m sorry but I still can’t hear you very well. Can we talk more later?”
I strained to hear what he said. But he was right, between hum of the engine and the crash of the waves, it was difficult to have a decent
My friends offered me sympathy and a few swear words interspersed the heightened conversation.
Mark patted my back. “It’ll be fine, I know it.”
No doubt about it now. This day had won the crown, sash and bouquet of roses for the most awful day of my life. I felt numb.
Lucas walked over and slung an arm around me. “Kiddo, don’t worry. I’ll dig up more information on it, check around the office and see if I can find out any more, okay? I’ll call you if I have anything.”
“Estelle got a letter from a lawyer,” I said.
There was not one more thing I could handle today.
Mark chimed in, “Why not ask Ken? He works there. Wouldn't he know about the hospital’s plans and give you an idea of what’s going on? ”
I finished my beer and set the mug on the bar. “ You’d think .”
A much older woman in a too-short denim skirt and knee high red cowboy boots pulled Lucas to the dance floor and began kissing him as they swayed to the music. The music from the band grew louder as the night wore on.
Glancing at my cell phone, I saw it was after ten o’clock. Shoot. “I have to go.”
“I’m waiting here in case Francesca shows up again. Catch you tomorrow,” Mark said.
I hugged him. The blackmailer could’ve followed me here, and be waiting to kill me. “I love you. Just know that if anything happens that I had no choice. Okay?”
Mark furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about? You know you’ve been acting really bizarre today.”
“I can’t tell you. I had to do it. There were no other options.” No choice years ago at the truck stop, and no choice now paying off a blackmailer.
My cell rang. Ken’s number shone in the screen. I punched a button and held it close to my ear. “Hello?”
“Babe, are you okay? I’ve been here ten minutes. Where are you?" Ken asked.
“I’m so sorry. I’m on my way.” I clicked off.
Maybe I needed to let Ken know there was a blackmailer, because of a death I'd caused four years ago. Wouldn’t he be able to help me out of this mess? But then again, the ‘for better or worse’ part didn’t apply when I was only engaged, did it? But I also was pissed that he may have already known about the eminent domain, and failed to tell me that my home was going to be destroyed.
Once outside, I buttoned up my sweater against the nippy night air. The fresh smell of the air was a relief from the beer stench in the bar. I jogged over to the pavilion to meet Ken. He wanted to ride in his new boat, but now I had more pressing issues for tonight.
I was so over my head it felt like I was drowning again.
Chapter Eight
“I don’t know if this is such a great idea,” I said to Ken as he idled his speedboat, readying it to leave the pavilion’s dock. “We have to talk. First you need to tell me what you know about phase two. Second, my life may change soon and you need to know some things. About what’s going on in my life. Some bad things.”
He shook his head. “CiCi, I can’t hear you too well. Can we do this later? After my twelve hour shift, I just want to unwind and have some fun.”
Ken had ordered his custom boat six months ago. Maybe I shouldn’t spoil his night. Under my breath I said, “I don’t want Estelle to lose her house. And Francesca is back and I really don’t mean to hurt anyone, but we had to do what we did and…”
He stood over the steering wheel, “What did you say, hurt who? Are you okay? How much did you drink?”
I wrapped my arms around myself, and plopped into the seat next to him. “I’m not drunk. I’m in trouble. Francesca is in trouble too. I have to come clean.”
He revved the engine put his hand to his ear and shook his head. “Babe, I’m sorry but I still can’t hear you very well. Can we talk more later?”
I strained to hear what he said. But he was right, between hum of the engine and the crash of the waves, it was difficult to have a decent
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