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Back Lying Next to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. CHAPTER TEN
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  17. CHAPTER TWELVE
  18. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  65. CHAPTER SIXTY
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  74. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  75. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  76. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  77. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  78. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  79. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  80. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  81. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  83. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  84. CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
  85. CHAPTER EIGHTY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Katrina says Aubrey went to sleep without a hitch,” I say.

“That’s good,” Lee says. “I thought you didn’t get great cell service here.”

“I texted you, didn’t I? But yeah, it’s far from great. So spotty that I don’t think anyone out here can truly be connected without Wi-Fi.”

When she’s finished with her beer, I ask if she wants to check out the sauna.

She hesitates a little. “I don’t have a suit.”

“I don’t, either,” I say, “but the owner has some really big towels. Come on. It’ll be good for you. Get out those nasty toxins.”

“Do I look like I’m full of nasty toxins?” she asks with a smile.

I shake my head. “No. You look great.”

Inside, I turn on the sauna to let it heat up. I give Lee a towel and show her a little room off the kitchen where she can change. I go to the bedroom and do the same. A few minutes later we’re sitting on the cedar benches, feeling the heat pouring from the firebox.

I tell her about rumrunners on Hood Canal during Prohibition. How the cabin had even been a speakeasy.

She notices the small panel on the wall near the firebox.

“What’s that for?” she asks.

“Nothing,” I tell her. “Lots of passageways in old places like this.”

She gives the panel a little kick and smiles. For only a second, the moment does seem a little strange. It isn’t like I thought things would go this way, but I can see the way that she’s regarding me.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

LEE

It’s the darkest of nights. An unfamiliar clock ticks from another room. For a second I forget where I am, and I reach for the warmth of Millicent. She’s not there.

Adam Warner is in the next room.

I’m naked, covered by a white eiderdown.

He’s sleeping.

I’m awake.

My muscles tighten, and my heart begins to race. I’m in the cabin at Hood Canal. I came to offer support to Adam. At least, I think that was the reason. I play back the day. The ashes. The oysters. The beer. I don’t remember anything after the sauna.

I don’t remember how I ended up naked on the sofa. Adam is snoring softly in the other room. I drank too much, but not so much that I would have blacked out. I felt woozy at Hama Hama and then a little more so after dinner. Maybe it was the heat? Maybe I passed out there, and he carried me here?

As quietly as I can, I find my clothes, get dressed, and slip out the back door. This isn’t happening right now. I start my car, and as silently as possible I pull away from the inky waters of the canal.