Page 123 of Against The Tide

The minute he’s out of sight, I can’t get settled. I toss and turn for what feels like forever, until I decide it’s a hopeless cause and head downstairs. Throwing Rhett’s hoodie on, I pause by the hallway window overlooking the driveway. It’s dark, and it could be my eyes playing tricks on me given how on edge I am about the mess my father left on my doorstep and Carl. However, the longer I stare out at the shadow in the distance, the more certain I am that it’s not a figment of my imagination. That oppressing feeling I’ve been trying to push away tightens my chest. The chilling sense of being watched fills me with dread until all my insides are twisting painfully.

Turning the lamp beside the window off, I blink, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when I look back out toward the top of the drive, there’s nothing.

I go to the window farther down that has a clear sight path down the driveway. I’m searching through the hollow blackness of night when I jump at the sound of the footsteps behind me.

“Whoa, what’s wrong?” Rhett asks as he turns me toward him, studying my face before looking past me, out of the window.

“I-I saw something.” Turning back to search the dark once more, I take a deep breath to try and settle my pounding heart while my stomach begins to churn. Bile burns up my chest to my swelling throat. “I think?”

“There’s nothing out there …” he whispers as though trying not upset me.

“I’m not crazy.” Shaking my head, I turn back to him. “I swear, Doc, someone was out there.”

“Okay.” Coaxing me toward the bedroom, he takes one last good look back out there. “Let’s get you back to bed. I’ll go take a look around.”

“Are you crazy?” I come to a stop just outside Iris’ room. There’s nothing amiss as I peer inside, and Breeze is calm as ever, as are the other dogs. If something were wrong, I’m certain they would be going mad. “You can’t go out there on your own. Besides, the dogs aren’t fussing, so…”

“If it will put you at ease, I can ask Rowan to come over and we can⁠—”

“No! No, that’s not necessary. I think I’m spooked, is all, and my mind is playing tricks on me.”

“You sure?” he asks, pulling back the covers and waiting for me to get into bed.

“Yeah, you’ve locked up, right?”

“I did.”

“And you checked on Jo?” He always checks on Jo, but I need to be certain right now.

“Like always.”

“It’s okay, then.” I slip into bed and watch as he disappears into the bathroom to get changed.

For the first couple of minutes, I’m doing okay. In my mind I know that the shadows on the ceiling are from the tall naked trees outside the window. But then the what if it isn’t hits, and I find myself staring out of the window again, searching for something that clearly isn’t there, and I start to wonder if maybe I am losing my mind a little. If the pressure is getting to me and messing with my head.

“Want me to take your mind off things?” Rhett asks from behind me, making me jump slightly.

When I turn to look at him, I find him in the bathroom doorway, strong arms crossed in front of his chest, bulging in that way that makes my eyes widen and my heart skip a beat or two. Pushing off the doorjamb, he saunters toward me slow enough that I can’t help but ogle every dip and groove of his chest and abs.

Before I can say anything, Rhett hoists me up his body. My arms and legs wrap around him as he sits on the edge of the bed and murmurs into my ear, “Wanna make up?”

“Mmhmm,” I reply, pulling back to find his gaze.

We sit in silence for a beat or two, our breaths the only whisper in the night. Shadows be damned—when we’re this close, nothing else matters.

Tipping my head back, Rhett presses a kiss to my lips and with a savoring moan, peppers infinite kisses down to my jaw and my neck. I’m barely able to catch a single breath when he pulls my pajama shirt off and loosens my hair from the knot on my head. Hands all tangled in it, he lies back, taking me with him.

It doesn’t take long for our limbs to tangle together too as he makes love to me as though it might be the last time. There’s no inch of me he leaves unkissed and untouched. No part of me he doesn’t consume and worship. Even when we’re done, he keeps me wrapped in his arms so tight that I can’t help but fall asleep. Physically spent. Mentally exhausted. I don’t wake up until the morning light soaks through my eyelids.

Thursday comes by far quicker than I’m ready for. Over the last two days, we’ve barely spoken on any of the things my father left. Rowan and Callie are handling it, although Callie is pretty certain she’s onto something. Instead, we’ve focused on making a plan for telling Jo about what we intend to do once things settle. At this point, I’m not sure whether she’ll take it well or not. Although, she seems to be a lot perkier the last few days. Maybe having the ranch to herself last weekend did her some good. I think that’s what she needs—peace and quiet—instead of constant chaos.

“So Callie’s going to meet me at the beach before the kids get there,” I tell Rhett over breakfast. I don’t feel so bad today. Maybe a little bloated, but my stomach finally feels somewhat back to normal after the last few weeks.

“She’s still antsy about Scarlett going in the water?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty certain I’m the only reason she signed the permission slip.” I take a sip of my coffee and smile at the fact that it tastes amazing again.

“You realize she tried to get Rowan to take the day off work so he could play lifeguard, right?”