“Will do.” I hit End on my screen and strode back towards Harper and Parker, who were deep in conversation. “Do you think we could go meet the Wilsons now? I want to make sure Zoe’s comfortable there.” I wouldn’t leave her if she wasn’t, but I needed to get to Kenna, too. This wasn’t exactly something I could tell her in a text. If Ben Hotchkiss was working with the Abbots, they weren’t going to pull any punches.

And Kenna’s worst fears just might become a reality.

21

Kenna

I adjusted my spandex shorts as I slipped my feet into flip-flops, grinning as I went. How was it that leaving work at five o’clock, the legitimate end of the workday, made me feel like such a rebel? Chris had given me a dirty look as I headed out with the majority of the staff, but thankfully, he’d kept his mouth shut.

I needed a hit of that peace I’d gotten with Crosby out on the water. I wasn’t going to ask him to go with me, that would be completely crazy. But he’d left my paddleboard in the boat shed with the kayaks. I was going out to find that damn peace for myself. Because Crosby wouldn’t stick around forever. The allure of whatever he thought was so intriguing about me would fade, and I’d have to be okay on my own. Just like always.

A knock sounded at my door, and I checked my watch, wondering if Caelyn was stopping by with the kiddos. Maybe we could all go out on the water. “Coming.” I headed for the door, pulling it open without even thinking of looking through the peephole first.

A man in his mid-fifties stood before me in slacks and a polo shirt. “Ms. Kenna Morgan?”

“Yes, can I help you?” I felt suddenly exposed. The Gables was set far away from any other houses. I’d gotten so used to having Harriet and her nurse close by, I hadn’t thought much about how isolated this property really was. If I screamed, no one would hear a sound.

The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “You’ve been served. You are required to appear in court at the date and time stated in these papers. If you do not appear, there may be a default judgment against you. Have a good day.”

I stood in my open doorway, unable to move. The paper, just run-of-the-mill white, seemed to burn my fingers. I had the sudden urge to run to the ocean with it, to submerge my hand in the water, and beg the tide to take it away. But that wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t change a thing about the reality in front of me.