“I love Paul,” I say, and my voice goes squeaky on his name. “I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if I thought he was capable of hurting me. Of hurting another person that way. And I know it makes me sound ignorant and gullible, but even after what Wade told you, I still don’t think it. There are a lot of things I don’t know about Paul, but he’s not a killer. No way.”

Chet picks at a thread on the hem of his shirt. “So I guess that means you’re staying.”

“Of course I’m staying. Leaving now would be doing the very thing I got so pissed at Sam for—making assumptions about a man’s guilt instead of assuming his innocence. People drown all the time, even strong swimmers. Look it up. The only reason they suspected Paul at all is because of the money, which he doesn’t need. He’d be doing just fine without it.”

“What if he wanted it, though?”

“Is that what you think, that Paul killed her for the money?”

Chet shrugs, rolling his head on the lounger to face me. “I heard all those things people said about him after his first wife died, and maybe I believed some of it at first, but it doesn’t match up with the Paul I know. He’s a nice guy. It’s complicated.”

See? I’m not crazy.

But there’s another reason I can’t just up and leave, one I haven’t told Chet yet. I hold his gaze, count to three. Three heartbeats, three breaths. I’m suddenly as nervous as when I peed on the stick.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Shut up.” He pops onto both elbows, a grin tugging on his lips. “Are you kidding me? You better not be kidding me. You’re really pregnant?”

“I’m not kidding you. I really am.”

I remember the thrill I felt on the boat, the way Paul picked me up and swung me around the tiny space between the seats, and I try to hold on to that flash of happiness. Without him here, it’s fading fast.

“Aw, hell.” Chet swings his feet to the floor. I’m two seconds away from waterworks, and Chet hates it when I cry. He says it makes him twitchy. His gaze stays steady on mine. “You’re gonna be a great mom. Look at how you did with me. You took care of me, and I’m not even your kid. A baby is a good thing.”

“How? How is this baby a good thing? It’s going to live at the edge of a lake that’s sucking down women left and right, raised by what everybody says are gold-digging and maybe murdering parents. This baby is not exactly coming in on a winning streak.”