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Chapters (73)
  1. Goodbye to the Dead
  2. Also By Brian Freeman
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. CONTENTS
  8. PROLOGUE
  9. THEN
  10. 1
  11. 2
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. 24
  34. 25
  35. 26
  36. 27
  37. 28
  38. 29
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. NOW
  46. 36
  47. 37
  48. 38
  49. 39
  50. 40
  51. 41
  52. 42
  53. 43
  54. 44
  55. 45
  56. 46
  57. 47
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. 53
  64. 54
  65. 55
  66. 56
  67. 57
  68. 58
  69. 59
  70. 60
  71. 61
  72. FROM THE AUTHOR
  73. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

He shrugged. ‘Sometimes I do stupid shit that I really regret. I’m not worthy of big plans.’

‘Join the club,’ Cat told him.

‘You? Come on.’

‘It’s true. God doesn’t have any plans for me. I’m just a screw-up.’

‘Don’t talk like that,’ he chided her. ‘You’re special. Way more special than me. Why would you say that?’

‘It’s just hormones. I go up. I go down. I’m pregnant, so it comes with the territory.’

‘Oh.’

‘Hey, can I ask you something?’ she said.

‘Sure.’

‘Do you love me? Because I kinda think I love you.’

His eyes widened. ‘Cat, I—’

‘Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’m sorry. Wow, that was a really dumb thing to say. I’m pressing the delete button.’

Except you couldn’t delete things like that after you said them.

Al looked unhappy with her, and Cat didn’t blame him. She thought to herself: There I go again, screwing everything up. She stood up awkwardly and brushed sand from her skin. Al stood up, too. He looked as if she’d punched him in the gut.

‘We should go,’ she said.

‘Cat, listen, it’s not that I—’

‘No, don’t say anything. Please. Forget it, I was being stupid. I just want to get out of here. You have to work, and I’m sure Stride is waiting to read me the Riot Act.’

‘I’ll come with you. I’ll explain it to him.’

‘That would just make it worse.’

‘Well, let’s go back to my car,’ he said. ‘I’ll drive you home.’

‘No, you go ahead. I’ll walk.’

‘Alone? Not a chance.’

‘It’s two houses, Al. I could shout, and Stride would hear me.’

He looked reluctant, but he allowed her to persuade him. He kissed her goodbye, which was normally magic, but she’d spoiled the moment for them. Stupid stupid stupid. He left her, his shoulders slumped, and disappeared southward along the beach. She watched him until he turned and headed for the street. She wondered if he’d call her tomorrow, or if she’d driven him away for good.

It wasn’t just talking about love before he was ready to hear it. That was a big mistake, but she was keeping other secrets, too.

She needed to tell him what she’d done.

38

38

Stride shook Troy Grange’s hand.

He didn’t see Troy often, but there was a bond connecting them. They’d both known personal losses that had upended their lives. Stride had lost Cindy to cancer almost eight years ago. Last summer, Troy’s wife Trisha had been murdered, leaving him to raise two young girls alone.