Page 80 of Silent Heart

It seemed wrong, utterly and completely. This man was the brother of the man I’d been seeing. Treading on the familiar ground above was only asking to relive memories I wanted desperately to forget. Besides, there was no telling how much Lucas knew about me or my summer romance with Kole.

“Did you catch the registration number on that sparkly boat?” another man boomed, descending the stairs.

I knew this one too. This was Kash; he’d been here back in May with his wife, right before Kole and Lucas came. Kash brought in an abused and injured dog his wife Elle had found. I was still glad Old Dick Ford choked on his vomit and died before he could fight them over custody of the critter. Humans like him should never be allowed to be near animals, let alone have them.

Speaking of dogs, the farm mutt bounded across the dock, happily yapping at me. She was night and day different. Ribs covered in flesh, coat soft and shiny, dermatitis gone, this mutt was living the good life and my heart swelled with joy to see it.

“Oh, she looks amazing!” I gushed.

“Hey, I know you. The vet, right?” Kash said.

Lucas rumbled something that I couldn’t pick up. It might have been the low tone, but I could have sworn it wasn’t English.

“Oh,oh!” Kash murmured.

Okay, time to go.Feeling self-conscious, but not knowing why, I gave them a small wave and began to turn my boat around. “Nice to see you all, but I’ve got to scoot.”

“Sure you don’t want to come up for that drink? Meet everyone?” Lucas repeated his offer. He was grinning like a freaking kid about to spring a Home Alone style trap on me.

Kash shot him a calculating side glance.

“Can’t, but thanks,” I started to say.

“Don’t suppose you know who those assholes in the sparkly boat were, do you?” Kash turned his steely attention back to me.

“Local boys.” I dismissed them with a wave of my hand.

“Who?” Lucas pressed, body suddenly poised like a contained spring ready to be set off.

Dread slithered down my spine. “No point calling the authorities. Water patrol isn’t around right now, and the sheriff is their drinking buddy.”

“Just give us a name, sweetheart,” Lucas coaxed. “We want to know who to watch out for if we spend more time up here next summer.”

They’d be back. My hearttrembled.I couldn’t say why, because I would be studying and taking classes if I wanted to graduate and go to a prestigious clinic for the paycheck to buy the farm. Still, I couldn’t help it.

“Cameron Aitkin and Sam Thompson. The Aitkins live off the peninsula.” I pointed through the channel. “But they aren’t the only assholes. The summer brings them in droves.”

I didn’t add that Joeseph, the brother to the asshole driving the boat, disappeared after a summer night at the bar and what was left of his body was found mauled by animals during hunting season. While it was gruesome, I knew Joe well enough to realize he probably invited the wrath of whatever creature he fell victim to. He didn’t make clean kills during the hunting season but rather toyed with the animals. It seemed drunk Joe left the bar, messed with something bigger and meaner than him, and got his just desserts courtesy of nature.

“Good to know,” Kash drawled. “Good to see you again, Harley. Have a lovely evening.”

“You too,” I quipped.

“What is going on down here?” a female teased, tripping down the steps.

I was already pulling away and didn’t greet the group of women joining the guys on the dock. As the boat crawled out into open water, I thought I heard a familiar voice raised in protest. Maybe it was the sound, or maybe it was a sixth sense. But I turned for a final look.

In the soft blue twilight, a young face I knew all too well looked back at me. My jaw nearly hit the ground. Instead of slamming the throttle, I just stared.

It can’t be.

But there was no mistaking those dark eyes, nearly black in the thickening dusk. The rich chocolate hair was pulled high in a ponytail, but this was the most relaxed I’d ever seen my lab partner.

Cami Joe turned that moment and looked at me. The smile wiped off her face. Her eyes widened to saucers, and her rosebud mouth popped open into an O.

Chapter 32 – Harley

There were three unanswered calls when I came home last night. I ignored the teen who wanted to be my suitemate, instead taking a bottle of beer to my room and spending a late night with the science textbooks. When we came back to class on Tuesday, I wanted to be ahead on the material.

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