part0049

“Is there anything else you need?” Whit asked, his arm around Chris as they walked to the door.

“No, we’ll be okay.” Lee managed a smile, toweling off her head from the shower. The men stayed, helping Lee get Nicole ready for bed and sitting with Willa while Lee took her own shower.

Chris stepped up and gave her a hug. “You know where to find us.”

“Thanks, Chris.”

The girls were finally in bed, resting comfortably after the Tylenol kicked in for Nicole’s headache. Lee spent some time with Maggie, vaguely explaining what may have been going on with Nicole. How being here and having Emily’s death on her mind so strongly, plus the margaritas, caused her to experience vivid dreams and sleepwalk what she imagined Emily went through. It was a sensible enough explanation and Lee was tempted to believe it herself.

Maggie seemed both unconvinced and satisfied at the explanation and that was enough for now. It made just as much sense as anything else and Lee was too exhausted to offer her anything else. She hugged her daughter tightly before turning off the light and leaving the door open a crack.

She checked on Nicole one more time, relieved to find her warm, dry, and deeply asleep. She moved into the doorway of the bedroom to find Willa sitting up in bed, clutching her untouched tea with both hands and staring at nothing. “Can I get you anything?”

Willa shook her head, her eyes swollen and bloodshot and cheeks blotchy from crying. Her voice was barely audible. “No.”

“You want to be alone?”

Willa looked up, tears filling her eyes again and her hands trembling. “Don’t go.”

“Hey.” Lee quickly sat down at the edge of the bed and removed the mug from Willa’s hands before it spilled. She pulled her into her arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Lee could feel Willa come apart in her arms, and she tightened her hold, running her hands over her back while Willa wept anew for her beautiful and brave little sister who died all over again for her tonight.

Lee didn’t try to stop the hot tears that coursed down her cheeks as she rocked and whispered soothing words long after she felt Willa cry herself to sleep.

“David?” Willa answered the side door to the soft knock, zipping up her hoodie to ward off the chill she couldn’t seem to shake. It was past nine but she was still the first one up, taking advantage of the quiet house to have a hot shower while the coffee was brewing and pull herself together as best she could.

The girls were still asleep after the late and emotional night, as was Lee, who, even in sleep, looked positively worn out. Willa knew Lee would have spent the night making sure everyone else was taken care of before seeing to herself.

“Hi, Willa.” He smiled hesitantly. “I was picking up the boys from next door and wanted to check in with you and make sure you all were doing okay after last night?”

Willa sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe to take weight off her sore ankle. “Thank you. We’re going to be okay.”

“Okay, well.” He shuffled his feet and held out his hand showing her a single key. “I think you should have this.”

“What’s that?” She made no move to take it.

“The key to the boathouse. The Danforth’s aren’t staying for the summer after all. I don’t know if they’ll be back.”

“You should keep it.” Willa smiled gently. “We’re not staying either. As soon as I can manage, we’re leaving. Today, I hope. I’m going to sell the place as is, fully furnished.”

“Oh.” He blinked at her and dropped his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you.” Willa smiled wistfully and gazed out at the trees. “I think it’s time to let this place go and close this chapter of my life once and for all.”

“I understand. Well, I mean, I don’t really understand what happened, but it was really nice having you here again.”

“Um, will you tell Nicole I took care of things and that I’m going to settle my accounts?” He shrugged. “She’ll know what I mean.”

“Sure.” She didn’t have any spare energy to spend on David’s cryptic message. “Bye, David.” Willa closed the door softly, jumping with a gasp when she saw Lee standing on the other side. “Christ!”

“You scared the hell out of me.”

“You’re not staying?” Lee asked in surprise. “What about your book?”

“I can write from anywhere.” Willa pulled down mugs from the cabinet and poured coffee for them both, handing one to Lee. “That’s one of the many perks of doing what I do.”

“Thank you. Where will you go?”

Willa sipped her coffee and met Lee’s eyes over the top of her mug. “I was hoping you might be able to recommend a place? Somewhere nearby with a nice view from the deck?”

Lee heaved a sigh and closed her eyes. “Oh, shit, Will. Talk about scaring the hell out of someone.”

“What? Really? You thought I was leaving you?”

“Yeah.” Lee placed a hand over her heart. “That was momentarily terrifying.”

“Are we on such shaky ground that you would think that an option for me?” she asked, seriously.

“We haven’t seen each in a quarter lifetime, and it’s only been what? A week?”

“And what a week it’s been.”

“Things still seem sort of unsettled.”

Willa set her cup down on the counter before closing the distance between them, slipping her arms around Lee’s waist and laying her head on her chest, sighing happily. “This part is settled.”

Lee wrapped her arms around Willa and relaxed into her embrace. “Yeah?”

Willa squeezed her hard for emphasis. “I am so grateful for you, Lee. I don’t know how I will ever thank you for being here for me and Nicole this week.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“But I intend to try,” Willa insisted, slipping her hands beneath Lee’s shirt to caress her bare skin, feeling Lee shiver beneath her touch. “In every way I can think of and some that have never before occurred to me.”

Lee laughed, squirming at Willa’s caress. “Mmm, okay, well, I think we can make this work.”

Nicole padded out to the kitchen and straight to the coffeemaker. “Morning.”

“Hi.” Willa pulled away from Lee. “How are you feeling?”

“A little hung.” Nicole slurped her coffee. “Probably should avoid tequila in the future if I’m going to end up in the lake at the end of the night, huh? Jesus.”

Willa eyed Lee. “Do you remember?”

“Just Lee pulling my sorry ass out of the lake again. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.” Lee looked her over. “But otherwise you feel okay?”

“Yeah, but…” Nicole looked between them then settled her gaze on Willa.

“What is it?” Willa asked concerned.

“I had the strangest dream.” Nicole’s brow furrowed. “Emily was in my room, well her room, and she was just sitting on the side of the bed.”

Willa sucked in a shuddering breath, feeling the tears, still so near the surface well up again. “Did she say anything?”

“No.” Nicole shook her head, her own eyes bright with emotion. “She just smiled at me and I felt really warm inside and then she was gone. It was really fucking weird—and nice.”

Willa felt Lee’s hand wrap around hers and squeeze gently as she wiped away the tears that spilled over. “Listen, Nic,” Willa began, clearing her throat and swallowing around the tightness, determined not to break down again. “I’ve been thinking we should get out of here.”

“What? You want to go home?”

“No. I was thinking maybe we’d spend the summer on the other side of Forestlands Lake with Lee and Maggie.”

“Really?” Maggie squealed from the hallway. “That’s awesome!”

Nicole nodded, mouth curving into a smile. “Could be cool.”

Willa smiled. “I will take that as a yes and make arrangements accordingly. Before I forget, David asked me to tell you he was going to ‘settle his accounts.’ He said you’d know what that meant.”

Nicole snorted a laugh into her coffee. “Hilarious.”

Willa eyed her. “Care to share?”

“Nope. Oh, hey, Will. Would it be okay if maybe Mom came up for a couple days or something?”

“You want to see Mom?”

“Yeah. I just kinda woke up this morning thinking about her and missing her, and if you tell her that I’ll deny it.”

“Your secret is safe with me. As soon as we relocate and get settled, we’ll call Mom and have her come up.”

“How do you feel now about everything, Will?” Lee asked while packing up Willa’s car.

“Honestly, I don’t even know. Totally overwhelmed and exhausted, for one.”

“What else?” Lee set a suitcase in the back of Willa’s car and leaned against the bumper.

Willa limped over and set in her laptop case. “Objectively, I am completely in shock by what we witnessed. I don’t even have words. I don’t know if I should tell anyone or who that would even be.”

“Yeah,” Lee sighed, running a hand over her hair and scratching at her scalp. “I don’t know what to think about all this. I’m already rewriting the story in my head to make more sense and fit with what I know to be true.”

“Then there’s the part where I feel like…” Willa placed a hand over her heart. “This hole in my heart where Emily lived and died that was long scarred over has been torn open again and this grief is… I don’t want to feel this again, Lee.”

“I know. I keep thinking maybe I should have gone up to the house, you know, made sure those kids were—”

“Don’t. Don’t go back there, Lee, please. You are not responsible for any of this. It was a tragic accident and now we know why. Emily was a hero and that’s the part we need to hold on to.”

“Are you going to tell your mother?”

“I will. Not all of it but the part she needs to know. After I get a handle on everything that’s happened and get some perspective.”

“I’m not sure. I think, for now, I’m going to leave well enough alone. She seems to think you just remembered what happened more clearly and called out Sharon Danforth last night. She still doesn’t seem to be consciously aware of the part she played in all of this, and maybe that’s for the best. I can only assume with everything that happened last night, Emily’s message is complete and we won’t be hearing from her again.”

“Nicole really seems to be interested in making changes for the good. We should focus on that.”

“We?” Willa arched a brow.

“You’re going to be living with me. My house, my rules.”

“Oh, really? Am I going to be able to abide by these rules?”

Lee stepped to her and slid her hands behind Willa’s neck, threading her fingers through her hair. “I’m willing to negotiate rules we can all agree on.”

“Negotiate this.” Willa stretched up, pulling Lee’s head down and covering her lips with her own.

“Mmm.” Lee’s hands dropped lower, smoothing over Willa’s back and pressing them together.

“I think we got it all,” Maggie announced when the side door crashed open and she and Nicole wrestled the cooler out with the contents of the fridge. “Oops, sorry.”

“Jesus, get a room.” Nicole rolled her eyes and dropped her end of the cooler forcing Maggie to set hers down as well. “We bouncing or what?”

A grating, metal screech filled the air turning all their heads to the top of the road.

“What is that?” Maggie winced and covered her hears as the noise grew louder.

Willa scowled. “Sounds like the Earls’ wagon.”

Lee asked, “They still have that decrepit thing?”

“How can they not own a can of oil?” Nicole snarked as the squealing, rattling wagon started to lower in volume as they headed toward Sparrow Road.

Willa slipped her arm around Lee’s waist. “We ready to get out of here?”

“Yup.” Lee held the car door for Willa and helped her into the driver’s seat. “Nic, do me a favor and make sure the propane is off on the grill out back and put the cover on.”

“Why can’t you do it?” Nicole whined.

Lee hefted the cooler, arms straining, and moved around to the back of her truck. “Really?”

“Fine.” Nicole disappeared around back. “Propane is off,” she called a moment later.

“Great.” Lee grunted and wrestled the cooler into the back. “Throw the cover on and let’s go.”

“Spiders!” Nicole yelled.

“What?” Lee scowled, slamming the back of her truck.

“There are spiders all over it.” Nicole’s voice rose an octave.

Lee turned to Maggie. “Mags, can you—”

“Nope.” Maggie held up her hands and ran around to get in the car with Willa.

“Seriously.” Lee stomped around the back to find Nicole staring off into the woods behind the house, the cabins on Sparrow barely visible through the dense trees. “What’s up?”

“That girl is running around out there.” Nicole pointed toward Sparrow Road.

“What girl?” Lee picked up the cover and shook it out before throwing it over the grill.

“The girl I keep seeing. It’s making me fucking crazy.”

“All right, well, we’re done here, so—”

“I gotta know who she is. I’ll be right back,” Nicole called over her shoulder and headed into the woods.

“Wait, Nicole.” Lee went after her for a few yards before stopping and running back to the cars. “Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Willa asked when Lee came jogging around the house.

“Nicole just took off toward Sparrow looking for that mystery girl. I’m going to go after her.”