When the FBI transport van pulled up outside the hotel in Olympia, Lily could practically hear the hundreds of beds inside screaming, “Sleep on me!” She slid her bag onto her back and hopped out with Molly. As she began rolling her suitcase to the doors, Ethan grabbed the handle and took it for her—his was still back at the campsite. Molly was full of beans after receiving the royal treatment at the station, but she probably deserved it since she was the real hero of the day—thanks to her weak bladder.
They’d been up all night answering questions. It was already past lunch. Part of Lily thought the interrogation had been the worst part of the whole experience, crime boss included. But as they trudged into the lobby, she thought the next few moments were about to take the top spot. Her mother was sitting on one of the sofas.
Lily’s feet glued to the floor in shock, but her body melted with relief to see her mother’s face. The only thing that kept her standing was sheer will power.
Leaping to her feet, her mum ran across the lobby, her arms wide. They encircled Lily, reminding her of all the injuries she’d acquired over the last week, like little souvenirs she’d collected along the way.
Molly grunted under the strain and licked her mother’s chin. The woman recoiled and sneered at the puppy like it was a rat. As she stepped back, Lily could see Marilyn hovering close by. She gave her aunt a firm hug before stepping back and staring at the two women in awe.
“What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast?” Though, “fast” was a relative term, and her sense of time had evaporated the second Ethan had been kidnapped.
A mixture of concern and fury swirled in her mother’s tear-puffed eyes. “What am I doing here? The nerve of you.” She started counting on her fingers. “Chasing after crime bosses, breaking into properties, sleeping in the middle of nowhere so you could get held at gunpoint. And that’s just to start.”
Lily shrank back. Oh God, she knows too much. “It was only one crime boss.”
Marilyn pulled a sheepish grin. She mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
Lily shrugged. She couldn’t blame her aunt, and it’s not like she really thought she could keep it from her mother anyway. But she’d secretly hoped to downplay most of it. Apparently, it was too late for that.
Ethan gave her a pitying look before his gaze shifted across the room. His jaw dropped. “Piper?”
Lily turned to see his sister step off the lift. Piper spotted Ethan and raced across the room, holding her round belly for support. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his shoulder.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” The look of relief on the woman’s face was heart wrenching.
He shook off his surprise and hugged his sister back. “What are you doing here? Didn’t the doctor tell you not to travel?”
Marilyn chuckled. “When has she ever done anything she’s told to do?”
Molly wiggled and jiggled in Lily’s arms, so excited by all the people who’d come to see her. I charge for autographs, but kisses are free.
Piper finally released Ethan from her vise-like hug. “After they kidnapped you, Lily called me. She said she didn’t know who else to trust, so I called Bob.”
Marilyn cut in. “After the San Fran Slayer case, he had direct contacts in the FBI.” She turned to Lily. “And since you were involved, he told me. And I couldn’t very well keep it from your mother. She hopped on the next flight, I flew up from San Francisco, and, Bob’s your uncle, here we are.”
Piper squeezed Lily’s arm. “You were amazing. I’m just glad you’re both okay. As soon as things were set in motion with the FBI, we arranged for a dogsitter and jumped in the car. Aiden drove all night while I slept. He’s in the room, napping.”
“We just finished answering questions at the station,” Ethan said. “I don’t think it’s over, but they’ve released us for now.”
“Why don’t you check in?” she told him. “You probably need some rest.”
“I don’t think I could sleep if I tried right now.
Piper linked her arm through his. “Then let’s get some coffee next door. I want to hear everything.” She leaned in. “Everything.”
Lily remembered filling Piper in the day before. She might have let a few things slip about the court case and their father’s death. It looked like the siblings were finally going to clear the air.
Ethan turned back to Lily. “Are you coming?”
“No, I think I’ve got my own catching up to do.” She handed Molly to him. “Besides, I reckon you two need some alone time together.”
He nodded and turned to leave. As she watched her human shields exit, Lily felt the full force of her mother’s furious look.
Steeling herself, she turned to face her. “I can’t believe you came all the way to California.”
Her mother flung her hands into the air. “What did you think was going to happen? You didn’t show up at the airport. You didn’t even check in. I texted you. I rang you. You never responded. I was already in London to pick you up, so I got on the next flight.”
Lily winced, remembering all the texts from the night before. And since they’d left the station, she’d barely been able to keep her eyes open much less look at her phone. “Mum, I’m so sorry. I’m sure you’ve been worried to death.”
“Thankfully, your aunt kept me in the loop.” She swung an arm to indicate Marilyn, who shifted awkwardly. “At least someone around here cares about my feelings. But then she told me you were being held by a crime boss and the FBI had to rescue you—”
“We didn’t need rescuing—”
Her mother yanked her in for another hug, dragging her down so her head laid on her shoulder like she was still a child. She patted Lily’s head, running a comforting hand down her long red hair. “Shush, dear. I’m here now. You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll get you back home and take care of you. Everything will be all right.”
Lily backed away. She wasn’t some toddler to be coddled.
Two weeks ago, she wasn’t sure she’d ever find the courage to move out on her own—although, she now wondered how much of that had been her own belief and how much had been her mother’s influence. Now, she felt ready to take on the whole bloody world. Starting with her mum.
Her fists clenched at her sides. “I know it will be all right. Everything is all right.”
“All right? This trip has been a recipe for disaster right from the get-go.”
The words sparked something in Lily’s memory, but it wasn’t a phrase her mother had ever used. Then she recalled where she’d heard it recently. Josh had said the same thing when he’d tried to convince her to travel with him. He’d doubted her, too, patronizing her, treating her like she was some kind of porcelain doll that needed protection.
“Mum, I’m sorry that you’ve had to worry so much, but I’m a grown woman who made my own choices last night. And I’m going to continue to make my own decisions from now on, and I guarantee you won’t like a lot of them, but it’s something you need to accept.”
“Now, now.” Her mother clicked her tongue. “I think we’re both a tad on edge. Let’s just calm down and we can talk about all this over a cuppa.”
Lily took a calming breath and imagined she was standing at the top of a mountain: free, untouchable. At least she’d said how she felt, and she meant every word. Her mother may not accept the changes in her right away, but it was a start.
“That sounds like a good idea,” she said. “But you’ll have to pay. My wallet was stolen the other day.”
Her mother dug in her handbag and handed her some cash. “What would you do without me?”
A lot, as it turns out, she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue.
Turning, she headed for the doors to the parking lot. When her mother didn’t follow, she spun around to find her seated on the sofa again.
Her mum waved a hand in a shooing motion. “I’ll take the usual, luv. And I’m a bit peckish. Bring back something to nibble on.”
Lily ground her teeth. She’ll take care of me, huh? Typical.
But it was only a tea, after all. She had bigger fish to fry, like telling her mother she was moving out as soon as they got home. Might as well butter her up beforehand. “Auntie, can I get you anything when I’m there?”
Marilyn held up her hands. “Don’t mind me, dear.”
“And Lilypad,” her mother said. “Don’t forget to bring in the luggage on your way in.”
“But I’ll be carrying tea.”
“Oh, bother. Then you’ll have to make two trips.” She sighed. “We’ll be waiting for you here.”
Marilyn got to her feet, secretly giving Lily an exasperated look. “I’ll come and help you, shall I?”
She held up a hand. “That’s okay, Auntie. I’ve got this. Really.”
Maybe it was her tone of voice, but Marilyn seemed to sense Lily wanted to be alone. Pressing her lips together, she handed off the keys.
“It’s the blue sedan parked along the front of the building.” She pointed to the general area.
Lily nodded. Leaving her camera bag behind with her suitcase, she slipped out of the building and headed across the parking lot to the coffee shop at the corner. As she walked in, a chime announced her arrival, and Piper glanced up from a corner table. Molly was curled up on her lap.
Lily gave Piper a wave but didn’t want to interrupt her time with Ethan. He was currently MIA, though, maybe in the loo.
She ordered a couple of scones and two “breakfast” teas, as they called them in America, and shuffled down to the end of the counter. As she waited, she could hear a voice. It was Ethan’s.
He spoke haltingly, so she assumed he was on the phone. She wondered if it was the FBI with more questions. She didn’t try to listen, not really, but the sign said “Wait here,” so she couldn’t really help it, could she?
“That’s a very generous offer,” he said. “It’s enough you want me back, but to make me partner?”
She froze. It was his old boss. This must have been the beginning of the golden boy’s fanfare she’d predicted. They were begging him to come back. But he wouldn’t … would he?
“… I appreciate the kind words. That means a lot … I don’t blame you. I know how things must have looked … Yes, absolutely … I’ll see you at the office on Monday.”
There was a squeak, and when Ethan didn’t come back, she assumed he’d gone into the loo.
Lily’s mouth went slack. He was returning to his old job? She couldn’t believe it. Then again, maybe she could.
She recalled their conversation in the “drunk tank.” Ethan himself had questioned if he would. But they’d been through so much since then. She felt like an entirely new person, yet he was running back to his old life, his old self.
Did everything we went through mean nothing to him?
Back at the campsite, she’d wondered if what she was searching for was in America, with Ethan. She supposed she had her answer now. And after the night she’d had, she couldn’t possibly say that to his face.
She marched over to Piper, trying to keep her expression clear of the emotions broiling inside her: anger, regret, disappointment, but mostly heartache. As she approached, Molly tried to leap off Piper’s lap to say hello.
Piper struggled to hold on to her. “Hey, Lil—”
Lily cleared her throat. “Do you think you’d be able to drive back with Ethan? I mean, I know you couldn’t at first because of the baby and all, but since you’re here …” She glanced at the bathroom, desperate to be gone before he came back. “I’m sure your mother would feel so much more comfortable, and it would give you and Ethan a chance to catch up more. I just think my mother—”
Piper held up her hands. “Of course. I don’t mind at all.” Her eyebrows drew together slightly as she stared at Lily. “Perhaps that’s for the best, anyway.”
Obviously, those emotions had bubbled out. She hastily wiped a tear away. “Thank you.”
There was so much more she wanted to say, to thank Piper for her help, for getting the FBI involved, and for coming all that way. But she was afraid it would only bring on more tears, and she didn’t fancy Ethan seeing her like that.
Giving Molly one last pet, she headed out of the coffee shop. Guilt gnawed at her for not saying goodbye to Ethan after everything they’d been through together. However, she knew what she wanted now. And it wasn’t a life of BMWs, champagne, and nights of eating dinner alone while he worked late at the office. She had her own plans, and they didn’t involve any of that. Well, not really concrete plans so much as plans to make plans. But they were hers. She was in control now.
Lily was halfway back to the hotel before she realized she’d forgotten the teas and scones at the coffee shop. But she couldn’t go back in there and face Ethan right then. As she passed her aunt’s car, she remembered the suitcases.
She paused at the blue sedan and hauled them out. Slamming the boot closed, she turned for the lobby. However, she’d made it only a few steps before her brain tried to get her attention, like a tap on the shoulder. She was almost too tired to listen to it, but then it screamed: purple.
She stopped and took a step back. The black car next to her sported tinted back windows and, pasted to the bottom right side of the bumper, was a purple sticker.
The ground seemed to shift beneath her feet. Feeling faint, she braced herself against the car for support. She willed her eyes to focus and read the purple sticker.
Rent-and-Away. It was a rental car.
Stumbling back from it, she wheeled around like their stalker was standing right behind her. But she was alone, having a meltdown in a hotel parking lot.
It’s a rental car, she told herself. It could be anyone. Just another tourist like me. And it was true, because as she scanned the lot, she noticed a few other cars with the same sticker on the bumper. But none that were black like this one, and none with tinted windows.
Swallowing hard, she forced herself to turn and read the license plate. Her camera was inside with her aunt and her mum, but she was sure it was the same. At least, she thought so. Just in case, she took a photo with her phone to compare.
Grabbing the suitcases again, she wheeled them through the sliding doors and into the lobby. She forced her legs to take measured steps while she tried to act naturally. She needed to tell someone. The first person who came to mind was Ethan, but she instantly shook off that thought.
She was a big girl, and she needed to start relying on herself. Well, and the cops, but before she rang them, she had to be sure. But how would she find the person who drove the car?
“Where is the tea?” her mother asked.
Lily was dragged from her thoughts. “What? Oh, they … were out.”
“What?” She scoffed. “Americans. Well, my ankles are swelling from sitting on the plane and the drive here. Can you please go check us in?”
“Sure thing,” she said distractedly.
Marilyn stood up and strolled to the counter with her. “Are you all right, dear? You look like someone walked on your grave.”
“I’m fine.” But she didn’t meet her aunt’s concerned gaze.
As they approached the counter, an idea suddenly came to her. She wouldn’t have to find the driver of the car. He would come find her.
The clerk noticed them and smiled. “Welcome. Checking in?”
“We are, but actually …” Lily leaned across the counter, keeping her voice low like she had a secret. “When we were driving into the parking lot, I accidentally hit another vehicle. Just a little fender bender. A black Rent-and-Away car.”
His lip curled like he wished it had happened on someone else’s shift. “Oh, no. Do you have the license plate number?”
“Yes, I took a photo.” Pulling out her phone, she showed him the shot of the plate. “I was wondering if you could look up the car in your records and call the owner down so we can exchange insurance info.”
“Of course. Just give me a moment.” He stepped behind his computer and clicked the mouse a few times before picking up the phone.
While they waited, Marilyn gave her a strange look. Lily shook her head slightly, widening her eyes in a silent plea for her aunt to go along with it. Thankfully, she didn’t blow her ruse.
The clerk hung up the phone. “They’ll be right down.”
“Thank you.” She backed away from the counter and drifted toward her mother.
Relax. It’s probably nothing. A coincidence—one of a million other rental cars like it.
And yet as each second ticked by, the hairs on her neck rose higher, and her eyes kept flicking to her mum on the couch, who had her feet up on the coffee table.
Recipe for disaster.
It was such a strange thing to say. And why had Josh been so insistent that they travel together? For that matter, what were the chances they’d meet on the road, in a tiny town like Shady Cove? At the time, she’d thought little of it. But after so many hours on the road, experiencing the vastness of the country firsthand, she now realized how unlikely it was.
The numbers above the lift dropped, and her stomach dropped with it. It dinged as it reached the ground floor and the doors slid open. Josh.
She covered her mouth with a hand and closed her eyes as the meaning of it all sank in. She suddenly wished she’d been wrong or had never discovered the truth, because it changed everything.
He stepped into the lobby and headed for the reception desk. The clerk pointed to her. Lily spun around, wanting to make sure he didn’t see her face too soon. Instead, she focused on her mother, watching her expression.
As his footsteps drew near, her mother glanced up. Then she did a double take, eyes widening, mouth popping open. And Lily had her answer.
Her mother shook her head in a silent exchange with him. Josh frowned and turned his attention to Lily. He took a step back.
She beamed at him before turning her false cheer on her mother. “Mum, you remember Josh, right? The man who’s been stalking me? You asked him to follow me, didn’t you?”
In fact, she realized, he was probably staying at their hotel so her mum could pay him in person—no paper trail. She had Lily do her taxes every year, after all.
Marilyn gasped. “Tell me you didn’t.”
Josh slipped out of Lily’s periphery. Before he could make a break for the lift, she grabbed his sleeve and yanked him back.
“You should stay for this.”
He jammed his hands into his pockets and stared at his feet. She crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.
Her mother sniffed and raised her chin. “I might have paid him to follow you.”
“Susan!” Marilyn laid a hand on her chest.
“I did what I had to do to protect her, and I was clearly justified.”
“Protect me?” Lily’s eyes bulged. “He almost killed me on multiple occasions.”
Josh stiffened and took a step back. “This seems like a family thing. I should get going.”
Lily stopped him with a look.
Her mum drew herself up. “I simply asked him to make sure you didn’t have a good time, to scare you into coming home. But he knew what he was doing. He’s a retired mercenary doing a sort of PI thing. I found him on the internet after I came across the flight confirmation emails in your inbox.”
Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, not even sure where to begin. The invasion of her privacy? The fact that her mother had paid a stranger to follow her?
“What she said.” Josh gestured to her mother. “You were never in any real danger.”
“I nearly got into a car wreck, drowned in a river, fell from a cliff face, and ended up dead in a ditch.”
Her mother flinched like that was the worst way to die. “Obviously, he took things too far.”
Josh’s shoulders hunched, but he didn’t deny any of Lily’s accusations, so she knew they were all true. Each incident was because of him.
“I saved her from being shot,” he said. “The only reason she wasn’t is because I opened fire on the cabin. It was a distraction.”
Lily scowled. “Is that supposed to cancel out all the other times you tried to kill me?”
Her mother clutched her chest like she was having heartburn. “I only did this because I was looking out for you. I wouldn’t have had to do it if you hadn’t forced me by booking this daft holiday.” She raised her nose in the air, and her lips puckered like the argument poised in her mouth tasted bitter.
Lily knew that look too well. She’d been up against it her whole life. It said her mother knew best. She was right, and Lily should know her place and obey. She’d always gotten what she wanted with that look. But now Lily knew what she wanted, and she was ready to fight for it.
“I should really get going,” Josh said.
Lily wheeled on him. “You know, I should thank you. If I hadn’t survived all those near-miss incidents, I probably wouldn’t have re-evaluated my life or learned how brave I really am. I may never have tried to save Ethan or gone up against a crime boss. And you’re the reason I won’t be going back home.” She turned to her mother. “Ever. So, thank you both.”
She grabbed her suitcase and camera bag, but before she could leave, a realization hit her. She gasped and rounded on Josh. Ethan’s intuition had been right. “And where are our wallets?”
He cleared his throat. “Let me go get yours. I can leave Ethan’s at the front counter.” He looked grateful to be leaving their little discussion as he jogged out the doors.
Turning, Lily stormed toward the exit after him.
“Lilypad,” her mother called after her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Lily swung around and raised her hands in the air. “I don’t know. Why don’t you hire someone to follow me?” Then she whirled around and left.
The moment she stepped outside, she inhaled deeply, as though that was truly her first breath of freedom. She really didn’t know where she was going. She just knew it was the best thing she’d ever done for herself.
As she stood there, trying to think of her next move, the doors swished open behind her. She scowled and spun, expecting her mother to be standing there. It was her aunt.
“It’s only me, dear. I thought you could use some company for the flight back.”
“To where?” Lily asked.
“San Francisco. You still have a flight booked from there in a week. It would be a shame for you to end your first journey on this note.”
She laughed. “First and last.”
“That’s exactly why you should come back with me. See some sights. There’s so much you never got to do.” She squeezed Lily’s shoulder. “Your adventure doesn’t have to be over.”
“What about Mum?”
“You’re not the only one who doesn’t want to talk to her right now. She can get to the airport on her own. Come on. We’ll catch our own flight first thing in the morning.”
Lily didn’t argue anymore. She just needed to get out of there, and she was grateful for her aunt’s company. They wheeled their luggage to Marilyn’s rental car. When they got there, a wallet was sitting on the boot of the car, but even more surprisingly, her old suitcase was there too. Josh must have collected it from the carousel after they’d first landed in San Francisco.
She raised her face to the sky in exasperation and yelled, “You have got to be joking!”
But Josh himself was nowhere to be seen, which was for the best. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she got her hands on him.
As she loaded their belongings into the rental car, she could feel her aunt study her.
“Did you say goodbye to Ethan?” she asked.
Marilyn’s voice sounded light, her expression hinting at mere curiosity. However, the fact she’d hit the nail on the head said she suspected something had passed between them. Hadn’t she teased that something might when they’d first made the road trip plans?
Lily recalled the conversation she’d overheard between Ethan and his old boss—or, rather, new boss. “I think everything that needs to be said has been said.”
The corners of Marilyn’s mouth turned down, but she nodded and said nothing more as they rounded the car. However, as Lily went to climb in, she paused and turned back to the rental vehicle with the purple sticker.
Josh wasn’t going to get away with what he did. Sure, she’d ring the cops once she was on the road, but she could at least make sure he was easy to find. After all, Lily was nothing if not helpful.
Crouching in front of the driver’s tire, she unscrewed the valve stem cap and let out the air. For good measure, she rounded the car to do the same to the others, but someone was already there.
“Auntie?”
Marilyn’s grin looked absolutely devilish. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun, could I?”
A surprised laugh escaped Lily. She smothered it with a hand. “Maybe you’re right. My adventure isn’t over. It’s just starting.”