Page 64 of Betrayal In Calusa Cove
“Okay.” Julie narrowed her stare. “Baily, can we go somewhere?”
“No,” Baily said. “I’m good right here. Unless you plan on allowing me to visit with my nephews.”
“I told you I didn’t bring the boys. I thought this would be better, just the two of us. They’re having a great time with their grandparents. No idea I even came to see you. It’s just not the right time, you know?”
“Why now?” Fletcher asked, voice neutral. Guarded.
Julie shrugged. “Because I’ve been thinking about the past. The future. About everything. I saw the article about the drug bust with Paul Massey. Then there was the serial killer…” Her voice dropped to a hushed tone. “This place isn’t safe. Not for Baily. Not for children. Not for anyone. Not with what’s been happening.”
Baily’s fists clenched. “So, you’re here to what? Gloat? To remind me that you don’t want me to have a relationship with my brother’s children?”
“No,” Julie said, her voice soft. “I’m here to offer you a place in our lives. If you moved…to Delaware…we could have a real relationship again. The boys could have their aunt. You’d be near family. And you’d be safely away from all the wreckage of Calusa Cove. This place has never offered anything but destruction. Ken never wanted anything to do with this town. It’s why he left. It’s why he so desperately wanted you to sell. He was always so worried about you. About what this place might do to you.”
“That’s bullshit,” Baily said, disbelief thick in her tone. “You want me to abandon everything I love, know, and cherish. And for what?”
“It’s not like that. At least not in those terms. What I want is for you to have something more than what this place can offer. I want you to have a future. I want you to have a relationship with Ken’s boys. I want you alive,” Julie said sharply. “You being here… you won’t survive. My boys ask questions. Questions I can’t…won’t…answer. And your brother, well, he didn’t want them to be a part of this place.”
“They’re my nephews,” Baily’s voice cracked. “And you’ve kept them from me long enough and for no real good reason.”
Fletcher squeezed her arm. “Calusa Cove isn’t the problem, Julie. Ken never saw it that way. That was your influence.”
“No,” Julie said. “Ken walked away when he joined the Navy, and he never wanted to come back. Ever. He told me that time and time again.”
Baily blinked hard, breathing through the anger. “I’m not leaving, Julie. This is my home. I’m not scared of what’s coming. You are.”
Julie’s jaw tightened. “You’re making a mistake. A big one.”
“Is that a threat?” Baily asked.
Julie raised her hands. “God, no. I’m just saying that you’re drowning here, and that’s apparent. All I want is for you to be part of our lives. But that can’t happen if you’re going to stay in some crime-ridden world.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Baily said. “I made a mistake when I let you twist Ken’s memory and control who got to be in your sons’ lives. But I’m done playing by your rules.”
“The only rule I’m making is controlling the fact that my boys will not be part of this backward town.” Julie turned to Fletcher. “You’re okay with her staying? With the danger this place represents?”
Fletcher’s eyes stayed steady. “Baily’s stronger than anyone gives her credit for, and Calusa Cove is a small town with lots to offer. You’re the one making it ugly.”
Julie’s expression turned stony. “Well, I tried.” She took a breath and smoothed her dress. “I hope you don’t regret it, but I can’t let my boys be part of this legacy.”
And with that, she walked out.
Fletcher closed the door. The click of the latch felt final.
For a long beat, silence reigned.
Then Baily hurled her wine glass into the sink. It shattered with a satisfying crash. “Son of a bitch,” she yelled. “She just showed up here like she owns the place. Like she’s in control. Like we’re the criminals.”
Fletcher crossed to her, wrapped his arms around her. “Let it out, sweetheart.”
“I will never let her take this from me,” Baily said, voice raw. “I will fight. I will burn every last piece of their scheme to the ground.”
“I know you will,” he whispered against her hair. “And I’ll be right there with you.”
She closed her eyes, breathing him in. Re-grounding. Reclaiming her fight. Julie hadn’t broken her.
She’d lit the fuse. And Baily Mitchell was ready for war.
She lifted her gaze. “Let’s go through those boxes. Let’s find the smoking gun.”
