Page 56 of Starlight Bay

My heart sank, my mind reeling.How had he heard us? I thought we were quiet.I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat.

“I’m sorry you heard that, bud. Lana and I are still friends, though. It’s okay.” I brushed his damp hair out of his face.

“But I want her to be my mommy.” He sniffled, a fat tear rolling down his cheek.

“Huddy,” I said in a strangled voice, barely catching enough air to breathe. “You have a mommy. She’s not here, but she still loves you.”

“No she doesn’t, Daddy,” he said, shaking his head. “But Lana does. And she loves you. We could be a real family.”

His words twisted in my gut like a sharp knife.

“Buddy, sometimes even though things feel right, they’re not right for everybody. Lana needs to be free to do what she wants.”

“But she said she wants to be with you. Why didn’t you listen to her?”

I froze, a hard realization slowly sinking into my thick skull. Lana had said thatandshowed that, and still I listened to her mother.

“Huddy, I think I messed up.”

Hudson sat up, his eyes wide. “Are you going to call Lana?”

“No, I’m going to call Taylor. To watch you. I need to talk to Lana.”

I laid Hudson back down, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead, then raced out of the room.

I hoped Lana would hear me out and maybe—just maybe—take me back.

Taylor came over and I drove to Lana’s, cutting the lights and parking on the street. The last thing I wanted was Violet getting more involved in this. I skulked around the edge of the yard, towards the right side of the house. If memory served me, that was the side Lana’s bedroom was on.

Creeping across the dewy grass, I glanced around, praying the neighbors weren’t watching. I didn’t need 911 being called on me; wouldn’t look too good for the new divorce attorney in town.

“Lana!” I called, my voice a loud whisper. I flicked a pebble at her window and it made a lightplinkingsound as it bounced off the glass. “Lana!” Another pebble, anotherplink.I tossed two more pebbles, then a shadow moved across the room.

God, I really hoped this was her room.

“Grant?” Bethany slid the window open, peering at me through the screen.

Shit. Wrong room.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, I’m looking for Lana. I thought this was her room.”

“It is. Violet’s in my bed, though, so I’m sleeping in Lana’s room. She’s not here.”

“Oh,” I said, my heart sinking. “Do you know where she is?”

“She wasn’t here when we got home. I thought she was with you.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. A cold slither of anxiety writhed through my gut.Where was she? And was she okay?

“I’m sure she’s fine, Grant,” Bethany said, as if reading my mind. “We’re in Starlight Bay, not Boston. She doesn’t have the car, so she can’t have gone too far. Check the beach.”

“Right. Should you call her?” I asked, frowning.

“Her phone’s here, I checked. If you don’t find her on the beach, come back and I’ll worry then.” With that, Bethany slid the window back down and waved me off.

Well, okay then.I turned on my heel and jogged towards the beach.

Five minutes later I stood on the wooden boardwalk, peering down the deserted beach. Moonlight lit up the white sand, creating an eerie glow. Cool under other circumstances, but not so much in my current state. I scanned the water for a lone swimmer, but saw no one. I did a slow one-eighty and caught sight of a small figure off in the distance.

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