Kit leaned over the side of the boat and ran her fingers through the cool water of the bay. She’d spent the morning on the Sweetwater with Maris, Jay, and Rennie, teaching Rennie to ski. Rennie was good; she lasted four minutes on her first try and looked great out on the water, with her hair flying behind her and her body in the early golden stage of a tan. It was fun watching her confidence grow. But Kit would be glad to get back to solid ground. Every time they bounced across the wake of another boat, she worried that the jostling might be too much for her baby.
Jay turned the Sweetwater toward shore, and Kit spotted two figures on the distant pier. Probably Cole and Cynthia, back from the church breakfast. Cynthia’s idea, of course. Cole had looked embarrassed when he told Kit about it. He had to be hooked to put up with that sort of thing.
She knew he was intrigued by Cynthia. He’d told her so. He told her everything, much as he had with Estelle. She knew the details of their dates, what Cynthia said, what he said in return. And she knew they were not yet lovers. Cynthia was holding him off.
Each time he came home, she was afraid he’d tell her they’d crossed that line. She didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t want to think of him making love to Cynthia, imagining how it would compare to the quick, uncaring way he’d made love to her the night he fought with Estelle.
The figures on the pier came more clearly into view. They were both men, and they had a boat, sleeker and more powerful than the Sweetwater. One of them was getting ready to board.
“Who’s that?” Maris asked.
Jay shook his head. “I don’t know.” Only a few other people shared their pier and none of them had their boat in the water yet this season.
Rennie looked toward the pier and caught her breath. She jumped to her feet, nearly knocking herself off balance, and grabbed the wheel out of Jay’s hands. She turned it sharply to the left.
Jay caught her arm. “Rennie, what the hell are you doing?”
“It’s them!” she screamed. She broke free of his hand and scrambled to the side of the boat. She had one foot in the water before Kit and Maris caught her. She fought like a caged animal, and Kit held her at arm’s length, frightened of taking a blow to her stomach.
“Rennie, calm down,” Jay said. “We’re back out in the bay. You’re safe.”
“They’re the ones who raped you?” Kit felt some of Rennie’s terror.
Rennie went limp in Kit’s arms. “Why are they here?” she cried. “I thought they’d gone away.”
“I’ll drop you off a few blocks down, Rennie.” Jay turned the boat south.
The Sweetwater pulled alongside a pier behind a white shingled house. Kit followed Rennie’s eyes back to their own pier. The men were still there, one of them in the boat.
“They can see me get off here,” Rennie said.
“I’ll go with you.” Kit climbed onto the pier.
Jay turned off the engine. “We’d all better get out here,” he said. “We’ll call the police from the house.”