Nita felt Deo shudder but resisted the urge to put her arm around Deo’s shoulders. She was afraid if she pulled Deo too far from her reverie she’d stop talking. “What did he say?”

“Nothing. Well, he cursed me out, and then he stormed out.” Deo laughed brittlely. “Of course he was drunk, and he never could drink much. I caught up to him down at the harbor just as he was un-mooring the skiff we kept docked there. It was the middle of the night and a big storm was coming in. The waves were already too high for that size boat, but he wouldn’t listen. I barely managed to jump in before he pulled away from the dock.”

Deo stretched her arm along the window casement and rested her forehead against it. Nita couldn’t see her face, but she didn’t need to. She could hear the anguish. She gently rubbed small circles in the center of Deo’s rigid back.

“He had always been a crappy pilot and loaded…forget it. He couldn’t take the waves and we were foundering. I tried to make him give me the wheel, but I could hardly keep my feet under me. Then we went over and…” Deo choked and her shoulders heaved.

“Just take your time,” Nita murmured.

“At fi rst I couldn’t fi nd him, but somehow I grabbed onto his shirt.

He didn’t answer me when I yelled his name, and I couldn’t see his face.” Deo rubbed her eyes with one hand. “It took me so long to get him to shore. And then it was too late.”

Nita was no stranger to pain. She consoled those who had lost loved ones all the time, aching for every one of them while she offered pitifully inadequate words of comfort. She held herself back then because she had to, because the distance allowed her to do what she was best at. But she couldn’t bear to stand by helplessly while Deo suffered.

Ignoring the alarm bells clanging wildly in her head, she threaded both arms around Deo’s waist and pressed a kiss to the center of her back.

“I’m so terribly sorry.”

With a muffl ed groan, Deo spun around and pulled Nita into an embrace. But instead of kissing her, which is what Nita expected, Deo buried her face against Nita’s neck. Holding her, Nita stroked the back

• 161 •

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of her head and rocked her gently, as she would a child.

“It’s all right. It’s all right,” she whispered, even though she knew it wasn’t. Words would not heal this wound.

After a few moments, Deo backed away. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“I don’t know why I told you that.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Why?” Deo demanded. Anger warred with gratitude. She didn’t want to talk about Gabriel, she didn’t want to think about him. She didn’t want to admit how good it felt to be held, and not blamed.

“Because I know how hard that was for you and I’m…I’m honored that you told me.” Nita reached out to touch Deo’s face, then stopped at the last second. They’d already gone too far.

“He wouldn’t have been in that boat if it hadn’t been for me. And if I hadn’t let him pilot it, we wouldn’t have capsized. He drowned because I fucked up.”

“It was a horrible accident.” Nita knew her words wouldn’t change Deo’s mind or assuage her guilt. “I’m so very sorry.”

“Yeah.” Deo let out a long breath. “Look, do you mind if we do this tomorrow?”

“No, of course not.”

“I’ll call you.”

“All right.” Nita followed as Deo strode rapidly ahead of her down the hall toward the front of the house. Deo held the heavy wood door open so Nita could step out onto the porch.

“I’d appreciate it if you would forget this happened,” Deo said.

“I won’t mention it to anyone.” Nita already knew there was no way she could forget it. She could still feel Deo in her arms.

“Thanks.” Deo closed and locked the door, then circled Nita without touching her. As she hurried down the front steps, she murmured, “Good night.”

“Good night, Deo.”

Nita watched Deo slip through the iron gate and disappear into the crowds. She wondered if there was a woman Deo would go to for comfort or just to help her forget her pain for a few hours. Slowly, Nita made her way down the walk, too weary and too raw to even pretend she didn’t want to be that woman.

• 162 •

Winds of Fortune

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Bri,” Allie said, rolling down the window to get a better look at the fi gure hunched over on the edge of the pier, “pull over there.”

“What have you got?” Bri eased the patrol car to a stop and squinted to see through the light rain that had begun falling just after midnight.

“There’s someone leaning against the piling and it looks like they’re about an inch from falling into the bay.”

“Better check it out.”

Allie stepped out of the car and fl icked on her fl ashlight, then waited until Bri did the same before cautiously approaching the person, whose face was turned away. “You there, on the pier. Sheriff’s department.

You want to slide back from the edge?”

When the person gave no indication of moving, Allie played her light over the fi gure, looking for anything that suggested a weapon or other sign of danger. Closer now, she recognized the broad shoulders beneath the soaked T-shirt and the familiar line of her jaw. “Deo?”

Bri approached from the opposite side, and she and Allie reached Deo at the same time. Allie made a motion for Bri to wait and then squatted down next to Deo. “Hey, baby. What are you doing out here?”

Slowly, Deo turned her head. “Chasing ghosts.”

“With what? Tequila?”

“Not for a few hours.”

“Did you drive?”

Deo shook her head. “Walked.”

“If you fall asleep you’re going to end up in the harbor,” Allie teased, studying Deo’s face carefully. She seemed dazed, almost disoriented. “Take my hand so I can help you up.”

“I’m okay.” Deo braced one hand against the huge wooden piling

• 163 •

RADCLY fFE

and tried to get her feet under her. She swayed dangerously out over the water ten feet below them, the surface nothing more than a shiny black slick in the moonlight.

“Whoa,” Allie said, yanking Deo’s T-shirt and nearly toppling forward herself. “Steady.”

Bri grabbed Deo from behind, hooked both hands under Deo’s armpits, and dragged her back from the edge. “Jesus, Camara, you want to take Allie into the water with you? What the fuck are you doing?”

“Easy, Bri,” Allie murmured, climbing to her feet.

“Sorry.” Deo blinked rapidly. “Sorry.”

“Get up.” Bri lifted and Deo pushed herself to her feet. She wavered for a few seconds, then got her balance.

“I’m not drunk,” Deo said, although her voice was thick, almost slurred.

“How much did you have to drink earlier?” Bri’s expression was stony.

“A few shots. Just tired.”

“Where’s your truck?”

“Home.”

“Come on, Deo,” Allie said gently. “Get in the cruiser. We’ll take you home.”

“I’ll walk. Clear my head.”

Allie glanced at Bri who shook her head. “It’s an ugly night and that’s a long walk. Besides, this will give us something to do.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Bri gripped Deo’s arm. “Get in the cruiser, Camara. We’re driving you.”

Deo hesitated, then followed along as Bri escorted her to the patrol car. Once in the back seat, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

“Deo,” Allie said softly fi ve minutes later. “We’re here.”

“Thanks,” Deo said after Allie got out and opened the door for her.

“You okay, baby?” Allie said softly.

“Yeah.”

“You want me to come by later?” Allie ran her fi ngertips over Deo’s chest. “Maybe just to talk?”

• 164 •

Winds of Fortune

Deo covered Allie’s hand with hers and squeezed gently. “Thanks.

I’m just gonna crash.”

“Sure. Just remember, you can always call.”

Allie stepped back and then waited outside the cruiser until Deo unlocked the door and disappeared inside.

“We can swing by again,” Bri said when Allie settled back into the front seat, “if you’re worried about her. Make sure she doesn’t take the truck out anywhere.”

“She’s probably in for the night, but if you don’t mind—”

“Hell, Allie, I don’t mind. She looks fucked up tonight. Is there some kind of trouble between you two?”

“No,” Allie sighed. “I haven’t seen her for a couple of weeks. I mean I’ve seen her, but not that way. We’re really not an item.”

“You want to be?” Bri asked as she headed back down Bradford to the center of town.

Allie was quiet for a minute. “I think if we were still fucking, I’d want to be, because I like her, you know?” She shifted on the seat a little and grinned at Bri. “She’s like you. All dark and broody. I’m a sucker for that.”

Bri laughed and kept her eyes on the road. “Yeah, right. So why haven’t you gone after her?”

“She’s not all broody over me, and I think I’m gonna hold out for a girl who is.”

“I don’t get that,” Bri muttered.

Allie reached across the space between them and patted Bri’s thigh. “I know you don’t. But Caroline does.”

❖

When the sunlight hit Deo in the eyes at six a.m, she rolled over with a groan and buried her face in the pillow. Cautiously, she took stock. Headache. Queasy stomach. Scratchy eyes. Not enough sleep.

A little too much to drink. She hadn’t set out to get drunk and quit drinking when she realized she was on her way, but the whole night was something of a blur. She should not have talked to Nita about Gabe—

every time she thought about that night the guilt fucked her up.

She fl ipped onto her back and guardedly opened her eyes. Other

• 165 •

RADCLY fFE

than the fact that it felt like someone was sticking hot needles into her eyeballs, she fi gured she’d live. For a long time after Gabe had died, she hadn’t really wanted to, but some part of her wouldn’t give up.