A Vineyard Spring (The Vineyard Sunset Series Book 15) by Katie Winters

Author:Katie Winters [Winters, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-13T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Tuesday at lunchtime, Isabella left the auto shop with a promise to bring her father back a burrito. Steve was hard at work under a Chevy Sunfire and hollered out, “Remember! Extra cheese! And no jalapeños.” Isabella laughed, her voice high pitch as she said, “Roger that.” In a moment, she was out in the gleaming sun of mid-March, and when she turned the corner, she broke into a run.

Yesterday, after Rhett had called her from the station, she’d wandered the house with her heart in her throat. It had been difficult to remember to eat or drink water, and midway through the afternoon, she’d been so exhausted she’d taken a spontaneous nap on the porch. When her father had called her in the evening to tell her he couldn’t come home for dinner, she hadn’t had the energy to feel anything about it. She certainly hadn’t been to the grocery store like she’d promised.

Now, Isabella stalled her run in front of the police station. According to the woman she’d called this morning who worked at the front desk, Rhett Barley was allowed two visitors per day. As far as Isabella knew, Rhett knew only one person on the island— and that was Isabella.

At the front desk, Isabella’s hand shook as she filled out the paperwork that proved who she was and why she was there. She wrote she was a friend of the accused, but that they’d only met a few weeks ago. As she sat in the waiting room, her stomach spasmed with hunger and nerves.

A few minutes later, a cop led her down a back hallway to a long room divided in two with a glass wall. There was a chair on her side and a chair on the opposite side, along with a phone that allowed contact between the two. The cop told Isabella the rules of visitation, and she nodded along until he left. At all times, she was conscious that video cameras watched her every move.

Incredibly, the man who came through the side door and sat on the other side of the glass was the same man who’d bought her dinner and drinks last weekend. His black hair was wild and untamed, and he wore a baggy navy-blue onesie. He also had a cut on his cheek.

Isabella pressed the phone against her ear and watched as Rhett did the same. She thought, I never imagined I’d do anything like this in my life. But what she said was, “Rhett, are you okay?”

Rhett’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, as though he struggled not to reveal his true emotions. “Thank you so much for coming to see me.”

Isabella’s heart cracked. He sounded so genuine.

“When I was in prison, nobody ever came,” he went on. “I never imagined anyone would.”

Isabella couldn’t look at his eyes through the glass. It was too intense.

“I have a defense attorney now,” Rhett continued. “But it’s different than last time. This one is a good one, the kind you have to pay for.

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