set down her phone and moved her head slightly to the right. She’d come out here to catch up on the news before breakfast but she hadn’t been able to focus because she could feel eyes on her. She couldn’t quite see her neighbor, the angle and light made it difficult, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there. Daphne still didn’t know why she recognized the woman and it was starting to bug her. But maybe she was just on edge. This was supposed to be a relaxing break. A getaway, an escape, and here she was fretting over everything. Was she being overly sensitive? Paranoid, even? Maybe it was more about Gina than anything else, but Daphne felt as if she’d been under constant surveillance for the past two days and it was not a pleasant experience.
She padded back inside and to the shower. As beads of water pummeled her head, pleasantly releasing some tension, Daphne wondered whether she could find out her neighbor’s name and get a jump on the situation? Could she take a photo of her and do a reverse image search? Or maybe she was making too much of this. Maybe she didn’t need to do anything at all. They only had another week left here. What could happen in a week?
When she entered the kitchen, Nate bowed theatrically. “Can I interest my lady in some eggs?”
Such a dork, Daphne thought, smiling. But one of the reasons she’d chosen him. He was so different to the other men she’d known.
“Lovely,” she said, getting a cup to pour herself coffee.
“There’s some sort of street party in town this afternoon,” Nate said as he brought plates to the dining table. The kids were already eating breakfast: Ryan and Annalise on their phones and Gina clutching her dolls. “The kids are all in.” He added, raising his eyebrows.
“I thought I might paint,” she replied. “I’ve noticed the light catches the water in a remarkable way at around four o’clock. And you know how I don’t like crowds. Would you mind if I skipped the party?”
Nate’s face fell.
“But we could all go out on the lake together this morning?” Daphne added brightly, offering a compromise Nate would find hard to pass up.
Annalise, still sitting at the dining table, slumped at the far end, rolled her eyes.
“We could take the canoes out,” Nate said excitedly.
“Yeah.” Ryan jumped up and down, echoing his father’s enthusiasm.
Gina lifted one of her dolls and bobbed it up and down in Daphne’s general direction.
Daphne eyed her warily.
“Do I have to go?” Annalise said.
“Ab—” Nate said.
“With four of you it’s an even number. Two canoes. You and Ryan and Daphne and Gina,” Annalise continued.
Great, Daphne thought. The idea of being strapped into a boat with Gina sent a pulse of dread through her body. Ridiculous, because Gina was eight years old and less than half her size.
“Sure, I guess,” Nate said. “I know you don’t like the water. But you’ll come to the party on Silver Street later today?”
“Okay,” Annalise said, visibly brightening.
Daphne had a suspicion as to why this particular family activity was acceptable to Annalise. There’d been a cute girl about Annalise’s age working at the ice-cream stand in town. While Nate and Ryan were distracted by some motorboat cutting up the lake, the girl and Annalise had flirted a little—in a clumsy cringey teenage way— and even exchanged social media information. Daphne hadn’t mentioned this to Nate either, but surely it wouldn’t be an issue. She wasn’t supposed to go racing to tell him the moment Annalise did any little thing, was she?
Oh god, did Nate even know his daughter liked girls?
“Great!” Nate beamed as he stood and returned to the kitchen.
Daphne dropped her eyes to Gina. She’d also been there, watching Annalise flirt. But surely she was too young to understand. Or was Daphne underestimating her? Would Gina somehow later use it against her?
Gina turned to blink her large eyes at Daphne. She lifted one of the dolls and bobbed it at her again. “She’s waiting,” she said.
“Oh, she is?” Daphne said brightly, pushing away the nervous laughter bubbling at her throat. “Waiting for what?”
“The right time.”
Daphne nodded, forcing her smile even wider.