Vineyard Winds (The Vineyard Sunset Series Book 18) by Katie Winters

Author:Katie Winters [Winters, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-08T18:30:00+00:00

Claire’s heartbeat intensified. Russel had said he was coming home today, but she’d half believed he wouldn’t make it, that he’d find a reason to stay in New York City.

“Your father’s back,” Claire said to Abby.

Abby’s cheeks were pale. She sipped her coffee and said, “You aren’t going to tell him what I told you. Are you?”

“No,” Claire assured her. Not yet.

Charlotte and Rachel had decided to stay with Trevor and Kerry while Russel was at the house. “You need your space,” Charlotte said. “And Mom has been texting me nonstop since we got back, demanding we come over. You’d think I wasn’t just here for the holidays.”

Claire and Abby hugged Charlotte and Rachel close and abandoned their uneaten slices of cake, tumbling back into the frigid air. Claire drove Abby back home wordlessly. The car filled with the sense of dread. But when the garage door lifted, Russel opened the adjoining door immediately and smiled warmly at them. He wore his house clothes, sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and his hair was ruffled and wild without his normal mousse. More than anything, he looked worried, his eyes bloodshot.

Claire removed her boots and stepped into his arms. He smelled the same as he always had.

“I don’t know what I thought,” Russel breathed into her ear. “When you weren’t here. I was worried I’d lost all of you.”

Claire felt his heartbeat through his sweatshirt. Tears sprung to her eyes.

“There’s my girl,” Russel said, extending an arm toward Abby. Abby hurried to join their group hug, and Russel held them there, sturdy as a rock, as the winter winds rocketed against the house.

Claire was suddenly ravenous. In the kitchen, she scraped butter over slices of rye bread and made everyone toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches with cheddar melting out the sides. Russel and Abby sat on the stools of the kitchen island, Russel with a beer and Abby with a green juice. There was a heaviness in the space where Gail should have been.

Was this their new normal?

After they ate, Abby excused herself upstairs to attend an online class. Rina scrubbed the skillet as Russel cracked another beer. He was often riled up after the city; the stress from all those meetings and important people sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.

“Steve’s in California,” Claire heard herself say. “He told me Rina reached out to some of her contacts. People who might be able to figure out what Gail was up to before she left.”

Russel’s face turned a soft shade of green. “That’s great.”

Claire dried her hands on a kitchen towel and gazed at Russel. Her heart thudded with love for him. She prayed he wouldn’t sense she’d been in his office, snooping. She prayed everything was in precisely the same place.

“Steve said we should try to think of everything Gail might have mentioned to us.” Claire continued. “Rina says every detail could be important. Even the ones we don’t think are anything special.”

Russel scratched his beard, his eyes toward the window. Another few inches of snow had already fallen just that afternoon.

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