Page 65 of Secrets in Calusa Cove

The day had ticked by like a slow-motion movie. After Dawson had left, satisfied there were no more snakes in her car—or in the cabin—to finish his work for the day, Audrea had looked through the images on her camera.

She’d taken some great shots.

But she’d been hoping to see something that would shed some light on what her father had seen out there that night sixteen years ago. Or maybe something that would tell her who was trying to kill her.

But nothing jumped out at her except a few images that showed a flat-bottom boat in the background and a man driving it. It could have been the same one used by the guy who’d boarded her boat that first day. But it was off in the distance, and she couldn’t make out anything. However, she sent it off to Dawson. Maybe he could have the CSI team enhance it.

He thanked her for texting it and then sent her an inappropriate sexual message, asking for a picture of her gator tattoo that showed more than the ink—something to get him through the rest of his day.

Dawson was quite the unexpected surprise, and she found herself diving into the deep end. As much as she’d always dreamed about making Calusa Cove her home again, it was a fantasy. She’d always be a Stigini in most people's minds, and she was too old to keep playing the part.

She needed to put him out of her thoughts and, especially, out of her heart. But when she did that, everything else came crashing into her soul like a runaway freight train. It barreled into her body, and she got tangled up in all the pieces of her past and present.

She’d tried reading and watching television, but nothing had held her attention.

So, she’d taken a bath.

All that had done was unleash the waterworks.

She hated crying. It was the worst thing in the world. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to stop the tears until she’d cried them all out. Thankfully, that had been a few hours earlier, and she’d managed to pull herself together before Baily and Trinity had shown up.

She smiled at the girls, glad for the company. “Honestly, there’s not much you could do for me unless you can make the town suddenly see me as a human.” Audra sighed. “I have half a mind to do what I did sixteen years ago and leave.”

“Trust me. That’s not going to accomplish anything.” Baily glared. “Except maybe piss me off.”

“I know.” Audra nodded. “It’s just so hard. No one wants me here.”

Trinity leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “I want you to stay.”

“I do, too.” Baily nodded. “And what about Dawson? He’s basically moved you into his cabin.”

“And you're all he talks about,” Trinity added.

“Yeah, because he’s knee-deep in strangeness and a murder case,” Audra muttered, waving her finger over her head. “All because of me.”

“We don’t know that for a fact,” Baily said, but her lackluster tone wasn’t all that convincing.

“Even if I did commit to following through with the Python Challenge, I’d only be here for another week. Regardless of what’s happening between me and Dawson, I'd still be leaving.”

“You don’t have to,” Baily said. “This is your home.”

“Yeah.” Trinity downed the rest of her beverage. “Take it from a girl who’s struggled to fit in my entire life. All you need is a couple of good girlfriends to get you through. You’ve got that in us.” She stood. “I hate to do this, but I have to go. Mallary has been texting.”

“How is that poor girl?” Baily asked.

“Not well.” Trinity ran her fingers through her hair. “The entire town has turned on her family, and her stepmother blames her for everything. Her father’s business is failing, and Mallary’s desperate to get her deep dive scuba certification so she can come out with me.” She sucked in a deep breath and huffed it out. “She’s making me crazy. I go out as often as I can, but I can’t find that boat.”

“Are you talking about the one everyone believes went down a year ago with the Jewels fromFlying Victoria?” Audra asked.

“Jared—Mallary’s little brother—was the captain of that small vessel. It was a crazy night. I was out there. Two storms collided right on top of me. A few miles out, I could see a small fishing boat heading right into the storm. I couldn’t leave them out there in good faith, so I tried to find them. To help them. But they were lost at sea,” Trinity said with tears welling in her eyes. “But then, there’s Keaton. If he sees me loadingPrincess Afloatwith scuba equipment, he’s lecturing me on safety. He’s been doing that ever since that night. Heck, his lectures started before then, but that’s when it got real bad.”

“I heard he can be worse than Dawson, and trust me, that man can be uptight.” Audra’s laugh quickly caught in her throat. “I hope your friend finds the answers she’s looking for.”

“Thanks.” Trinity nodded.

“I’ll walk with you to the parking lot,” Baily said as she rose and embraced Audra. “Do not engage with anyone.”

“I hear you.” Audra eased back into the chair and watched her friends stroll across the gravel to their vehicles. She waved one last time. Having those two in her corner made all the difference in the world.

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