Hidden Agenda

He caught her staring as he hung up and walked back her way. His shoulders didn’t seem quite so heavy. Still, she realized there was something he wasn’t telling her. The mystery around him continued to grow deeper.

Just then, her cell phone buzzed. She glanced down at the text on her screen.

Don’t work too hard and forget your task.

The blood drained from her face and she glanced around. The man who’d threatened her was watching her now. But where? Was there anywhere she was away from his listening ears or watchful eye?

“That was my father’s lawyer,” Ed announced. “The will is being read on Friday in Richmond. He was making sure I could be there.”

Bailey flinched as Ed’s voice brought her back to the present. She quickly slipped her phone back into her pocket. “What?”

He stared at her, curiosity in his gaze. “I said, my father’s will is being read on Friday.”

Bailey couldn’t help but wonder if that inheritance was the only reason Ed had come back.

“He wants you there, too.”

Surprise flashed through her. “Me?”

“That’s right.”

“I couldn’t possibly take anything from your father.”

Ed shrugged, still distant, cool. “He obviously felt different.”

An idea hit her. This might be the answer she was looking for. “Okay. Well, then, I might as well stick around until then rather than go down to Florida to be with my sister, only to come back up.”

Ed opened his mouth to say something when someone walking up the lane caught both their eyes. Relief washed through Bailey when she spotted a familiar blonde.

“Samantha!” Bailey abandoned the leaves and went to join her friend.

“I wanted to come check on you,” Samantha said, pulling her into a hug. “That was a rough storm. How’s it going?”

“We survived. The yard barely did, though. It’s still a mess.”

Samantha glanced behind her, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “We?”

“Of course.” Bailey felt her cheeks flush as she turned toward Ed. “Samantha, this is Ed Carter, Bill’s son.”

Samantha smiled and extended her hand. “So nice to meet you.”

Ed smiled politely. Maybe he had manners around everyone except Bailey. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Samantha lives on the other side of the island,” Bailey continued. “Her fiancé just restored some old fishing cabins there.”

“Bailey and I both showed up here in Smuggler’s Cove about the same time and instantly bonded,” Samantha added. “So besides coming to see how you fared after last night, I was wondering if you wanted to come by for a cookout tonight. We have a freezer full of fish at our place and if we don’t get our electricity back, all of those fillets are going to go bad.” She glanced at Ed. “You, too.”

“That would be great,” Bailey said. She would love to spend more time with Samantha. Maybe getting away from this house for an hour or two would do her good. She hadn’t found anything in the library. She’d quickly searched Mr. Carter’s bedroom as well, but there was nothing. Those were the two rooms he’d used most. She hardly knew where to look next.