Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
"I still can't picture him as a father."
"I'm sure that is what he was. A father but not a dad."
I pick up one of the pictures. It's the twins together. A boy and a girl.
“Holy shit,” I mutter. “She looks identical to our mother.” I only had a couple of pictures of my mom. I’d taken them with me when I’d left. I hadn’t taken much else. The last thing I wanted were memories of my father or brother. They can rot in hell for all I care.
Mom did give my father one last fuck you before she left this world. She’d made sure I was taken care of. That I had enough money to start a life for myself, and that is exactly what I did. I hate to admit that a part of my drive was proving to my father and brother that I didn’t need them or any of their dirty money. They’d both been convinced I’d burn through the inheritance I’d been given when I’d turned eighteen. Money that hadn’t been known about. It wasn't until a lawyer knocked on my door that I became aware of what my mom had done for me.
It was smart on my mom's part. My father would have spent all the time he had until I came of age to find a way to get that money from me. He wanted everyone dependent on him. His control knew no bounds.
Jack takes the picture from me to look for himself. “She’s a lovely girl. Looks very innocent.” I know he added that last word to dig at me. I’d already had the thought. “What if he’s like them?” Jack knows some about my past. We have worked together for years, and he can be a nosy bastard. That had been my other thought. My brother and I stood in stark contrast. What if I could save her? The striking resemblance to my mother gnaws at me.
“Find out how we can get to Lighthouse Landing. We might need a helicopter.” I hate that I’m in this fucking position, but now that I am, I know I won’t be able to stop thinking about this. I also know Jack somehow knew that I would be uneasy once I saw that picture. Bastard.
“There is a small airport there now.” Of course he’s already looked into it. “We can be wheels up when you’re ready, sir.”
“Stop with the sir bullshit.”
“Got it.” Jack smirks. “I already packed my bags and got most of your things together for you to check over.” I round my desk to leave my office but stop at the door.
“How were you so confident I’d go back?” I find myself asking.
“Because unlike your father and brother, you only pretend to be an asshole.”
I shake my head, not so sure that I believe him.
Chapter Two
TEDDY
Willa must have lost her mind if she didn’t think I was coming home. I found out last night that her father had died. She hasn’t even called me! She learned about it yesterday morning. I should have known something was going on. We are always texting back and forth when we’re not together. This is especially true now that I've been out of town.
I was set to spend the last two weeks of summer break visiting my cousin. I try to go out and see her a few times a year. We remained close until she left for college at the age of fifteen. My aunt and uncle moved to be closer to the university she was going to. After they'd left, there hadn’t been much keeping us in Seattle any longer.
When my mom found a job on Lighthouse Landing, we thought, What the hell? and took the opportunity. Thinking it would be a fun adventure, and I must admit that I have enjoyed it. The high school is okay, but it’s Willa and her twin brother Emmerich, who everyone calls Rich, who have made me love the island of Lighthouse Landing. I can’t even imagine how my life would be without them in it.
“Is this ferry going slower than normal?” I complain to my mom. It was my mom who ended up calling me to ask if I’d heard about Karl Haven’s death. My heart didn't ache for Karl when my mom told me. Actually, I didn’t feel one iota of sympathy for him. It ached for Willa, though. Karl was never a good father, but it's still her dad.
I mean, if I’m being completely honest, from what I’ve been told, Karl wasn’t a very good anything. A pretty shitty human overall. Lighthouse Landing is not very big, and word travels fast. Still, Willa’s silence is speaking volumes. It has me worrying like crazy.
“We can get out and go get a hot chocolate,” Mom offers. That’s what we normally do on the ferry.