The Secret of Shutter Lake by Stevens Amanda

Author:Stevens, Amanda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Abby cast off the lines and hopped down into the boat as Wade started the engine and reversed from the dock. He turned the prow toward the lake, puttering along until they were out of the no-wake zone before he pushed the throttle forward and trimmed the prop for maximum acceleration. Abby had been sitting in the back, but she moved up beside him as they zoomed across the choppy water, putting her hand on top of the windshield to steady her balance.

He glanced over, taking note of her profile as she stared straight ahead, her expression hidden behind oversized sunglasses. Her hair had come loose from the bun and flew about her face like strands of bronze and gold silk. She wore no makeup, and she didn’t need any, though he doubted she would believe him if he told her so. It seemed to Wade that she’d always compared herself to her mother and came up lacking. Eva Dallas McRae had been a beautiful woman, but Abby was Abby. No comparison in his book.

She turned her head at that exact moment and caught him staring. Instead of glancing away, he met her gaze straight on, letting his attraction flare in his eyes and in a slow, easy smile. “Just like old times,” he said over the engine.

An answering smile flashed before she turned to face forward. In that brief interlude, something changed between them. She’d let down her guard if only for a moment, but Wade wasn’t so sure that was a good thing. Maybe his mother was right. Digging up the past did nothing but hurt the ones who had already been wounded.

He forced his attention back to the lake. With the setting sun, the weekend had officially come to a close. Most of the locals had already called it a day in order to rest up for Monday morning. The summer vacationers were still going strong on their Jet Skis and party boats, but the farther north they traveled, the lighter the traffic. The sun had dipped below the treetops as they approached the bridge ruins. Wade pulled back the throttle and put the boat in neutral as they rocked back and forth on the wake.

Unlike the last time he’d been there, the place looked deserted. No lake patrol, no dive boat, no police officers milling about on the bank. At the very least, a perimeter of ropes and buoys should have been set, but he knew only too well the limitations of a small-town police department. The current police chief probably thought it best not to call attention to the area until the car could be brought up.

After the wake settled, the boat sloshed gently in the water. Wade stood braced with feet slightly apart as he scanned the area with his binoculars. About five hundred yards upstream, something metallic sparked near the bank. His gaze had darted ahead, but he jerked his focus back to the spot, waiting another long moment before moving on again.

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