Page 88 of Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse
But it was all Rebecca knew.
Love meant giving oneself for another. Though no one had ever done that for her, she would do it for them.
35
SHEA
And so, all the nighttide, I lay down by the side...
Annabel Lee
ANNABEL’S LIGHTHOUSE
PRESENT DAY
IT WAS A LITERAL STARE-DOWN.Shea and Captain Gene refused to look away from each other, and it was only when the sound of feet on the metal stairs of the lighthouse alerted them that they shifted to see Pete poke his head into the room.
“What’d I miss?” Pete appeared to have no sense of danger, but the quick assessment he gave Shea announced to her he was far more aware than he portrayed. He shifted his attention to Holt. “You’re back.”
Holt had been silent to this point, and now he seemed to collect himself. He took a step toward Captain Gene, whose armwas still stretched in Holt’s direction as if to keep him at bay, stiffening his arm even more.
“Don’t say nothing.” It was a command that Captain Gene shot at Holt, and it was made with a familiar, patriarchal dominance that was easily recognizable.
“Well, somebody had better,” Shea stated.
Pete’s form blocked the way to the lighthouse.
Captain Gene lowered his arm a few inches.
Holt hefted a breath that could only be compared to a tightly wound sigh of anticipation.
Shea wouldn’t have been surprised if at this moment the ghost of Annabel had swept through the room and cut through the thick tension that was collecting like a pile of washed-up driftwood.
“Grandfather, I presume?” Shea offered the only explanation she could think of to qualify the familial similarity between Holt and Captain Gene.
“You could say that.” Holt grimaced but kept his attention focused on his grandfather.
“Penny’s yourmom?” Shea attempted to connect the dots in this messed-up version of a haunted lighthouse. The mother and son had never once let on or even acted that familiar with each other!
“Yes,” Holt snapped.
Captain Gene’s balance seemed to give out for a moment, and Pete shot out an arm, wincing against the pain from his injured ribs as he half caught the old man.
“Sit down,” Pete stated.
Captain Gene took the opportunity to sink onto the bed that Shea had slept on since she’d arrived at the lighthouse.
The convoluted state of the night, the facts, the story, and even the history of this place were a jumbled mess. The sense of danger had dissipated. Shea attempted to gain full control of the moment, though Pete’s quick look told her she should probably still proceed with caution.
“I’m so confused.” Shea directed her statement to Captain Gene, whose dark look was his only answer. “Holt?” She turned to her host with expectation.
Holt shook his head, sealing his mouth in a tight line of silence.
“What does it matter if we find out?” Shea laughed in disbelief. “Is this part of the rental fee?” she ventured, not fighting the sarcasm in her voice. “Rent a lighthouse, live out a ghost story, and enter a world of local lore and mystery?” She waited for a moment. “Because I’m sort of tired of it. And it’s costing us quite a bit of sleep and physical safety.”
A look at Pete summarized what she meant. Pete met her eyes, and there was a strange glint in his. What was that about now? Warning? Caution? He rarely tried to put her in her place, so the look was unfamiliar, yet it bit at Shea’s inner concern. She frowned.
“Let me take him home.” Holt’s request stilled the room. “I’ll get the old man out of your hair. I’ll refund your money. You can leave in the morning, and we’ll all agree to just call it over with.”
