At Hidden Falls (Angel's Bay Novel) (21 page)

“My grandmother said that Leticia killed herself. Do you know how she died?”

“Her car went off the road around Big Sur. There were no other vehicles involved, but it could have been an accident.”

A tingle ran down Isabella’s spine. Leticia had died in the same kind of accident that she’d had a few days ago. And she’d been rescued by Nick—the grandson of the man Leticia had loved. There were far too many coincidences to ignore.

“You don’t think it was an accident?” she queried.

Fiona shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Leticia seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.”

Isabella knew that feeling all too well. “Thanks for your time,” she said, getting to her feet.

“Are you all right?” Fiona asked quietly, concern in her eyes as she stood up. “All of this happened a very long time ago.”

“Yes, but I’m afraid that something else is coming,” she said, the words slipping past her lips before she could stop them.

“Because you’ve taken Leticia’s place in the costume shop? Erin told me that you’re a designer.”

“Just like Leticia. And you might have guessed that sometimes I see things in my head, the way she did. The way Beatriz apparently did, as well. But it doesn’t appear that any of us has been very good at stopping the bad from happening.”

“Beatriz saved her family.”

“And Leticia? What did she do?”

“I don’t think we know her whole story. Maybe that’s why you’re here now.”

Isabella thought about Fiona’s words as she drove to the theater. Knowing now that both Beatriz and Leticia had shared her eye color and her gift made it seem that coming here had been inevitable. But what was she supposed to do? Her vague dreams about Nick being in danger weren’t like seeing a ship go down or a theater go up in flames. She had no specific enemy to fight, no warnings to give—not yet, anyway. And even if she did have details, who would believe her? What was the point in seeing the future if she couldn’t do anything about it?

Frustrated, she stopped at a red light and pounded her hands against the steering wheel. She’d tried to give up her gift more than once, after her high school boyfriend had died and after she’d lost her best girlfriend. She’d deliberately chosen to lead a life without the intense emotions that always seemed to trigger the visions, and it had worked for a while—until a damn necklace had changed everything.

Reaching back under her hair, she tried to open the clasp. She wanted the pendant off—but like the other two times she’d tried to release the catch, it wouldn’t open. She yanked on the chain, but it didn’t break. Jeez, did she need wire cutters to get it off ?

The car behind her honked impatiently. The light was green, with a line of cars behind her. She hit the gas.

She was tempted to leave Angel’s Bay. Maybe the dreams would go away if she wasn’t so close to the connections of the past.

But could she live with herself if she left and something bad happened to Nick or to Joe? At least if she stayed in town, she’d know she’d done everything she could. And she’d be there to pick up the pieces, to try to fix things . . . which was all she ever did.

Nick was in the courtyard talking to his father and another man when Isabella arrived at the theater. He spoke in animated tones, enthusiastically waving his hands as he discussed options for renovating the face of the theater. Despite his reservations about getting involved in the job, it seemed to be perfectly suited to him. Like Nick, the building was a study in contrasts, the solid foundation and the strong pillars versus the creative and imaginative whimsy of the architectural details. Maybe he could use both sides of his brain on this job.

As the conversation ended, Nick’s gaze swung to hers. He said something to the men about catching up with them inside and then walked over to her.

Her nerves tingled at his approach. She’d been thinking about what she wanted to say to him when she saw him again, but she hadn’t come up with anything.

“Isabella.”

There was a hint of wariness in his tone, as if he wasn’t sure of his reception. She felt a bit the same way. Their last encounter hadn’t ended well.

“Nick. How’s it going?”

“Fine. Just discussing some initial plans with my father and one of the local contractors.”

“You’re going to do a great job, Nick.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes. “I haven’t fully committed.”

“You will.” She fidgeted, then said, “Well, I should get inside. There are a lot of fittings scheduled today.”

He put a hand on her arm. “Wait.” His fingers tightened as he gazed down at her. “I didn’t like the way things ended last night.”

“How did you want the night to end?”

“I don’t know, but not like that. I like you, Isabella.”

“I know,” she said softly. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“It’s a bad time.”

“I don’t think it’s about time. It’s about fear. I get it, Nick, because I’m afraid, too. You and me together—we’re intense. It’s too much. So you were smart to call a halt. But if you want to keep some space between us, you’re going to have to let go of my arm.”

He pulled his hand away.

“It’s all good,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’m only going to be in town a short while. No sense in starting something we can’t finish.”

“Yeah,” he said. “No sense in doing that.”

“I’ll see you around.” She felt his gaze on her as she made her way into the theater, but he didn’t call her back, because she’d just given him exactly what he wanted—or at least, what he thought he wanted.

*   *   *

The costume shop was crowded when Isabella arrived, and Mariah introduced her to the women who had volunteered to do fittings and make alterations. Everyone welcomed her with open arms. No one was an outsider in Angel’s Bay. Once you crossed the town line, you were in. That was true of theater life, too, where everyone shared the same passion, the same quest for perfection. It didn’t matter where you came from or who you were, as long as you did your job. That’s all anyone cared about. And Isabella was happy with the chaos. She didn’t want time to think about Nick or Leticia or anyone else; she just wanted to work.

Just after noon, Kara Lynch came in for her costume fitting. “My grandmother said she spoke to you this morning,” Kara said as Isabella helped her into her costume.

“Yes, I found out quite a bit about Beatriz. I didn’t realize she was so closely tied to your family.”

“The quilt was really Beatriz’s idea, although Rosalyn Murray usually gets credit for it.” Kara gave Isabella a smile. “I guess this means you’re one of us.”

She smiled back. “I guess it does.” She got down on her knees to check the length on Kara’s dress. “This needs to come up about an inch.” She put in a pin to mark the spot, then stood up to take a look at the fit.

“Last night was fun,” Kara said. “I can’t believe my brother is finally getting married. He’s been in love with Lauren since he was seventeen years old, and I’m so happy they finally found their way back to each other. He was always the roamer in the family, the one who couldn’t settle anywhere. But now he’s putting down roots here in Angel’s Bay, the one place he never wanted to stay. It’s funny how things work out.”

“What do you think about the bust?” Isabella asked. “Shall I let it out a bit?”

“Probably. Breastfeeding has made me much bigger than I used to be. Colin is ecstatic,” she added with a laugh. “I don’t know what he’ll do when I finally put Faith on a bottle full-time.”

Isabella liked Kara’s warm humor and her lack of pretense. With Kara, what you saw was what you got. She wished she could be that transparent.

“By the way, I’m going to have an engagement party for Shane and Lauren next Saturday night,” Kara added. “You have to come. I’m hoping Nick will come, too. He and Shane were good friends at one time.” Kara gave Isabella a speculative look. “You and Nick seemed to be getting along well last night.”

She cleared her throat. “Well, he did save my life.”

“Is that all that’s going on? Because I picked up on a definite vibe between you two. I almost got the feeling that Nick was playing just for you.”

She’d had that feeling, too, but had chalked it up to her mad attraction to him.

“Nick could use someone like you,” Kara said.

Her words were in direct contrast to what Nick had said the night before. “Why do you think that?” Isabella asked curiously.

“Because you’re creative and passionate about what you do, and despite Nick’s transformation into a suited-up businessman, he’s got a soul. All you have to do is listen to his music to know that.”

“He’s not looking to get into a relationship right now. He’s busy with his daughter and his business.”

“That’s usually when love happens,” Kara said with a grin.

“Well, I’m not looking for love.”

“Why not? Is there someone in L.A.?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?” Kara prodded.

She shrugged. “Love usually leads to pain, and I’m not interested in heartbreak. I want to have fun. That’s it.”

“I imagine Nick is pretty fun. He certainly had that reputation in high school.”

Isabella laughed. “Stop trying to matchmake.”

“I can’t help it. I want all of my single friends to get married and be as happy as I am.”

Isabella was touched that Kara already felt they were friends; the woman clearly had a big heart. She finished taking measurements and then said, “That’s it. I’ll have it ready for your final fitting next week.”

“Great.”

As Isabella helped Kara out of her costume, Tory entered the room, announcing that there were sandwiches and drinks in the rehearsal room for anyone who was hungry. A mass exodus followed her words.

“You certainly know how to clear out a room,” Kara said as she threw a sweater over her leggings and tank top.

“I guess,” Tory said vaguely.

“Are you all right?” Isabella asked, noting the tense lines around Tory’s eyes. “You don’t look like you got much sleep last night.”

“I didn’t.”

“What’s going on?” Kara asked, compassion in her eyes. “Were you worrying about Annie?”

“Not just that.” Tory drew in a big breath and then let it out. “I’m sure you’ll hear this soon if you haven’t already. I asked Steve to stay at his mother’s house last night.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “He’s hired a lawyer, and he won’t answer questions about his relationship with Annie. How can I assume anything but the worst?”

“Dan McCarthy got a lawyer, too,” Kara said. “Colin told me last night. Maybe they’re just trying to protect their reputations.”

“Or each other,” Tory said harshly. “They’ve been good friends for a long time. If only one of them got a lawyer, it would be obvious who was guilty. I never thought a time would come when I wouldn’t trust my husband.” She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “I can’t believe I said that out loud. What if I’m wrong? But what if I’m right? God, what if I’m
right?”

“Don’t go with the worst-case scenario,” Kara advised. “Wait until you have more facts.”

“Facts are exactly what Steve is trying to avoid,” Tory said bitterly. “And if he cheated on me, he should really tell me, because, lawyer or not, he’ll have to eventually give his DNA. If he won’t, I will. I have his toothbrush, his hairbrush. The truth is going to come out. I just don’t know if I’m ready for it.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I don’t have time to do this now. I’m sorry I dumped on you two.”

As Tory left, Kara turned to Isabella. “Well, that doesn’t sound good. I hope Joe can find Annie so we can put all these rumors to rest.”

“Me, too.”

After Kara left, Isabella took advantage of the quiet to get some sewing done. An hour later, she decided to take a break. She headed into the main theater, curious to see how far along the sets were and how the auditions were going.

She sat down in the last row, watching two women play a scene. Despite the construction going on around them, the women seemed fully invested in their characters. Nick’s parents sat at a nearby table, taking notes and offering an occasional suggestion to improve the delivery of the dialogue.

As a man slid into the seat next to Isabella, she looked up and was surprised to see Harrison Hartley.

“I was hoping you’d gone home,” he said.

“What are you afraid I’m going to find out?” she asked directly. “I already know you were in love with Leticia. But what I don’t know is why Leticia left town. Or why her car went off the road.” She looked into his eyes and saw no shock, just pain. “You told me she left—not that she died. And you asked me if I was her granddaughter. How could I be, if she died a week after she left here?”

“I wasn’t sure she really died,” he said quickly. “After her car went into the ocean, they never found her body. I told myself that a miracle had happened, that she’d survived and gone on to live her life the way she was meant to.”

Isabella stared at him, shaken by the reminder that if not for Nick, she might have ended up like Leticia, in a watery grave. But Nick had saved her. Harrison had let Leticia go.

“Why are you here?” Harrison asked again.

“The pendant,” she said simply. “My brother found it in my uncle’s house and sent it to me. That night I dreamed of Angel’s Bay.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Is that what you told Leticia when she shared her visions with you—that she was crazy?”

He didn’t answer for a long moment, his jaw tight with emotion. His gaze was fixed on the stage, but his mind was far, far away. “Leticia tried to warn me that trouble was coming. I thought her imagination was just a beautiful, quirky part of her personality. She wanted me to listen, to believe in her, but I didn’t. I’ll never forgive myself for that. If I had listened to Leticia, my sister Caitlyn would be alive today.”

“What did Leticia see?” Isabella asked.

“She said Caitlyn was in trouble. That she was dating a boy who would cause her harm. The night I gave her the pendant, Leticia was particularly agitated. She’d had a vision while she’d dressed Caitlyn for her performance. But I didn’t want to hear it. It was Leticia’s birthday, and I only had a short time to spend with her.”