“You’re not going to die.”
“Sadly, everyone does, sooner or later. Unless you’re a Highlander, then you can live forever.”
Gavin’s expression didn’t lighten at her sense of humor.
“Did Freddy know how he was going to die?”
“I don’t know. Silas believes he did.”
“What do you believe?”
“I don’t believe Freddy knew.”
“Because, if he did, then your dad knew that when Leah got on the four-wheeler with him, she was going to die.”
“Yes, and he knew when I switched places with Leah, his real daughter was going to die instead of me.”
“You were a real daughter to him as much as Leah,” he assured her.
“Would you be able to make that distinction, Gavin, if the shoe was on the other foot? If he did, it had to be a heartbreaking decision to make.”
“I think your father had to make difficult decisions his whole life because of his gift. Your father was a good man. I regret I never got to meet him.”
“I do, too. He would have liked you.”
Gavin gave her an I’m-not-sure look before he glanced down at his watch. “You sure you don’t want to ride into town with me to fill the grocery order?”
Ginny made a face at him. “No, thanks. I’m the one who made the list. You’re going to have to go to two stores to get everything. Besides, Trudy would be mad if I blew her off to go grocery shopping when I promised to go shopping with her for an outfit for Myles’ baptism. We’ll probably get back to the club at the same time. If I knew you were the one whose turn it was to shop, I would have taken it easy on you.”
“Which is why they probably didn’t tell you.”
Ginny saw him glancing at his watch again.
“Go ahead and go. All my brothers are around and Trudy will be coming any minute.”
“You have your phone on you?”
Ginny patted her jean pocket.
Gavin still hesitated to leave, and it was only when Silas showed up to drop off a package that he left.
“What have you been up to today?” Ginny asked, closing the windows, preparing to leave.
“Dealing with Greer. His generator is broken. It’s like the one I used to have. I made the mistake of telling him that I’d broken mine down for the spare parts, and now he wants the parts to see if he can use them to fix his. The problem is I can’t find the parts.”
“Could the box be in the barn on the shelf where Freddy used to keep his junk?”
“Yes. Would you happen to know where it is now?”
“I threw it away.”
“Why’d you throw it away?”
“Put it this way; it involved me trying to help Fynn with his science project and a dead rat.”
“Enough said.” Silas smiled. “The boys want to get a bite at the diner, so I might as well make a stop at the depot store on the way home. That way, they can help me load Greer’s new generator in the truck for me.”
“You’re going to buy Greer a new generator?”
“I’d rather buy him a new generator than go to the landfill.”
Ginny laughed.
Double-checking the back door, Silas and Ginny walked through her house before going outside. It was situated at the side end of the property, which had a different driveway than Silas’s.
Ginny saw the gleaming metal of the car coming up the driveway. “There she is. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, locking the door.
“See you tomorrow.” Silas said as he stepped off the porch and headed through the line of trees to reach his house.
Fear lanced through her when the car came to a stop and Ginny got a clear view of who was in the front seat. She slid her hand into her pocket to take out her phone to call Gavin, as she opened her mouth to yell for Silas before he was of earshot.
Soleil got out of the car. “Don’t, Evangeline, I just want to talk,” she said, seeing what she was doing.
“Go away. You have nothing to say that I want to hear.”
“Are you sure about that? Don’t you want to know what you took? Why so many people had to die because you were nothing but a little brat?” she spat.
Ginny hesitated. She wanted to hear what her mother had to say. Once she called out for Silas, and contacted Gavin, however, Soleil might refuse to tell her the information she wanted. Could she convince her to reveal what had happened to the islanders? Ginny wasn’t willing to take the chance she would never find out. Soleil was no threat to her; Allerton was in prison.
“Why are you here? You’re not here for my benefit—you just made that obvious.”
Soleil stepped away from her car to walk toward the porch. “You made a deal with the FBI to keep your fake husband out of prison; I want you to do the same for me.”