“You’re pulling my leg.” Ava sat back. Fee’s narrative had gone entirely off the rails, and Ava wondered how much of it was pure fabrication. Were these women having her on?

  “Not at all,” Fee assured her. “All of this really happened. We have no idea where Scott Kane went, or who James’s mother is. A DNA test was done when he showed up. He’s definitely his father’s son, but no match was found for a mother. Of course, that was thirty years ago. If we checked today, a database might bring up all kinds of information. Unfortunately, James isn’t interested in tracking her down.”

  Ava wondered why that was. Did he think his mother had deserted him?

  “Anyway, I figured it was only a matter of time before James came looking for his inheritance when Bethany passed away, but he never has.”

  “Can you imagine walking away from something like that?” Chantelle asked. “You could fit four of our farms on the Castle grounds.”

  “You said you were keeping the place up for him, though,” Ava said to Fee. “If Lenore wanted you to be the heir, what changed? Why are you only the caretaker?”

  “When Mom and Aunt Lenore died together in an accident, Bethany took it hard.” Fee sighed. “There’d been too much loss. Too much sorrow in her life. She began to talk about a judgment against her. That she’d lost everything because she’d inherited the Castle instead of it going to a man. She began to lose her health. Got obsessed with the idea that everything was her fault. In the end she called for her lawyer and changed her will, in the hopes that I wouldn’t be cursed, too. I get an allowance to take care of the place until James claims his inheritance, but technically once he meets a few requirements, it’s all his.”

  “Which is just wrong,” Chantelle said to her. “Accidents happen. It has nothing to do with who owned the Castle. You are Bethany’s granddaughter, adoption certificate or no.”

  So the Castle had a curse, Ava mused. “What about your father? Is he still alive?” she asked Fee.

  “I never knew him,” Fee said. “I don’t even know his last name. He was someone Mom knew for a single night.”

  “Wow.” Fee had dealt with a lot during her short life.

  “That’s why I don’t tell this story,” Fee said to Chantelle, pointing at Ava’s expression. “I hate that look of pity. I’m fine,” she said to Ava. “I miss Mom, Lenore and Bethany, but I’ve had time to grieve and I’ve found peace. I live in a castle, and I have a yearly stipend that pays all my bills. Keeping it up takes a lot of work, but I have help. I have friends. I have a life.”

  “But you’re just like Bethany,” Chantelle said. “You keep far, far away from men.”

  “I haven’t met the right guy!” Fee exclaimed.

  “You’re too picky.”

  “Sweetie,” Julia said to her daughter. “It might possibly be that you’re not picky enough.” She gave Chantelle’s slightly swollen belly a pointed look.

  “Oh yeah? Like mother, like daughter, right?” Chantelle retorted. Julia rolled her eyes.

  “Like I said, we Rainers have lousy taste in men,” she told Ava, “which is why we aren’t the best ones to come to for advice on relationships.”

  “All I’m saying is Fee might try having a relationship or two,” Chantelle said.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Fee stood up, twisted her hair into another knot and stabbed the pencil through it again. “I have to run. Do you have those plants for me?”

  “That I do.” Chantelle stood up, too.

  “Nice to meet you, Ava. Good to see you again, Julia and Colette.”

  The other women said their goodbyes, and Fee left before Ava realized she’d squandered her chance to ask for a tour of the Castle.

  At least she’d met Fee. Surely she’d see her again around town and then she’d take a chance. She knew Noah was dying to see inside it. Emma and Penelope, too.

  “Are men really not allowed into the Castle even now?” she asked Julia.

  “That’s right,” Julia said. “It’s been over fifty years. James Kane has to meet Bethany’s stipulations before there’ll be an end to all that.”

  So Noah couldn’t come, but the rest of them could.

  “I hate this. Why are we hiking this stupid trail again?” Elena hissed to her husband, Carter, as Sam passed them on the dirt path.

  “I have no idea,” Carter said. “Never thought Chloe was into nature.”

  She wasn’t, Sam knew. He had a feeling she’d added this hike in direct response to Ava’s criticism of her San Francisco itinerary. He wasn’t sure what the point was, however, since Ava wasn’t here to participate in it.

  “What about surfing? What’s the point of coming all the way to California if we’re never going to go to the beach?” Elena asked.

  Sam hurried on before they turned to him for an explanation. Let Chloe dig her own grave. It was to his benefit if she lost ground with her coworkers, and they saw her as fallible.

  He wondered if Chloe had expected the hike to be this long. When she mentioned it, he figured she’d pick a trail like the redwood loop he’d walked with Ava a few days ago. Something short and flat. This path seemed to stretch through the woods forever. Not that he minded a good hike, but some members of their group were unprepared. One of the women was wearing sandals. Some of the others had grumbled about having to carry water, then had drunk it so quickly they wouldn’t have any for the way back.

  “We’re going to follow the trail to the end,” he heard Chloe saying ahead of him in response to someone’s question. She was at the front of the line, of course, holding a folded map she consulted from time to time. “There wouldn’t be a trail if it wasn’t worth hiking.”

  “I’ve been on plenty of trails that weren’t worth hiking,” someone said behind him in a tone too low for Chloe to catch. Despite the grumbling, everyone kept walking, even though Sam had a feeling Elena was close to tears.

  He looked up and down the line. Was anyone having fun? It didn’t look like it. He could do this hike in his sleep, but some of the others tended more toward a sedentary lifestyle. When he met Hailey’s gaze, she looked away. She’d done her best to avoid him since the incident in the nightclub. Gabe, her boyfriend, had been decidedly unfriendly. Sam didn’t know how he could have handled the situation differently, but he hated how awkward things had become. He was going to have to work with these people for years.

  “Remember our climb up Creststone Needle?” Ben said, coming up behind him. He’d been walking at the back of the line, ostensibly to keep the stragglers from falling too far behind, but Sam had a feeling he’d also wanted some space apart from Chloe. Something had happened during the morning that he hadn’t witnessed, and ever since Chloe had been pretending not to see Ben. Usually when the two were arguing, Ben stuck close to Chloe, trying to get back on her good side, but not today. The whole thing was giving Sam the creeps.

  “That was a great trip,” Sam said. He and Ben had flown to Colorado and spent several days camping and bagging peaks over 14,000 feet, but Creststone Needle was the best. The climb itself was invigorating, and at the top they were rewarded with a jaw-dropping view.

  “Wish we could go for it on a trail like that again. These days I always feel like I’m slowing down to match someone else’s pace.”

  “If it was just the two of us on this hike, we’d already have reached the end and come back,” Sam said. He wasn’t going to touch the rest of what Ben had said. If his friend was slowing down to match anyone’s pace, it was Chloe’s.

  Ben sighed. “Sucks not to be able to talk to you when things aren’t going right.”

  Sam shrugged. He wasn’t the one who’d stolen another man’s fiancé, but he knew what Ben meant. They’d shared so much for years, and now it was like they were strangers.

  “It’s never going back to how it was between us, is it?”

  Sam swallowed down the pain that filled his chest. He didn’t know how to answer that. How could it go back to how it was? But what were they going to do if it didn’t? They were business partners. They spent most of their days together.

  The last year had taken a toll on him he rarely admitted even to himself. He used to wake up excited to head to Scholar Central’s modest offices and get to work. Every day there was a new problem to solve, new ideas to come up with. Ben had been his partner in crime.

  Now when he woke up there came that moment when he remembered everything had changed. When he got to the office, Chloe would always be between him and Ben. There was no more laughter, no friendly competition to find the latest bug in the software, no brainstorming sessions.

  “You wish you were still with her?” Ben jutted his chin at Chloe at the front of the line of hikers.

  “No,” Sam blurted. “I really don’t. That doesn’t change the fact you were in bed with my ex-fiancée days after she and I split up.”

  “I know,” Ben said doggedly. “I don’t have any excuse for that, except I saw my chance and took it. I always wanted her—right from the start. It killed me to see the two of you together. You weren’t right for each other.”

  “You think you are?” Sam knew he was pushing it, but he couldn’t stop himself. Now that he knew who Chloe really was, it pained him to have wasted two years with her, but it was even worse seeing Ben make the same mistake.

  “Yeah, I do.” Ben made a face. “Most of the time,” he added. Sam could tell he was thinking about whatever he and Chloe had fought about earlier. “Look, I know you think she’s being ridiculous on this trip,” he added, “but she’s dreamed of a vacation like this with all her friends. What’s the harm in it?”

  Was Ben really so blind? “You don’t think she has an ulterior motive?”

  Ben didn’t answer for a moment. When he did, there was an edge to his voice. “Fine. She’s having fun ordering everyone around. Playing tour guide. Whatever.”

  “It’s more than that.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Ben wouldn’t meet his eyes. “She wants to be in charge for once in her life. Can you blame her for that?”

  Sam walked a few paces, wondering if Ben was repeating something Chloe had said to him. She was obviously after a lot more than a chance to boss around her friends on vacation. He didn’t want to have it out with Ben on a hiking trail surrounded by their coworkers, though. This was a conversation the two of them needed to have alone.

  “I’m glad you’re happy,” he said stiffly to Ben.

  “But you and I aren’t going to go back to being friends.”

  “We’re friends,” Sam said, but he sounded unconvincing even to his own ears.

  CHAPTER 8

  On the way home from Heaven on Earth farm, Ava pulled into a parking area overlooking the ocean and called her brother. The Rainers’ close family bond had made her a little homesick, and she hadn’t talked to Oliver in ages. Of course, he ought to be the one calling her, since he’d been so eager to eject her from the family and adopt Todd instead. She’d decided she’d be the bigger person and overlook that. Maybe Oliver had come to his senses.

  Oliver didn’t answer. When she got his voice mail, she left a message and ended the call. Next she dialed her mom. She’d been putting off this call because she could guess how it would go. Ellen Ingerson was always cranky on her birthday.

  “Ava? Something wrong?” her mother answered.

  “No. Everything’s fine. Why do you ask?”

  “I’m short of time and thought I’d get to the heart of the matter if something was.” Ava could tell her mother was moving as she talked. “Hold on.” There was a moment of muffled noise. “Okay. Got my earbuds in.”

  “I just called to say happy birthday.”

  “Oh. That. Yes, all right.”

  “Did you get my gift certificate?” Ava repressed a smile. Good old Mom, always true to character.

  “Yes. That was very thoughtful. We’ll use it when we’re home again.”

  “Home?”

  “From West Sumatra?” Her mother’s impatience was clear. “I’m packing as we speak.”

  “That’s right.” Ava had forgotten about their trip. “Do you have a plan for your field work this season?”

  “Do I ever not have a plan?” Her mother sounded affronted at the idea.

  Ava smiled. “No. Not you.”

  “That’s how I get everything done. How are things in Seahaven?” Somehow her mother made the town’s name sound like a second-rate destination.

  “They’re terrific. I just toured a small urban farm run by three generations of women. They’re a fantastic family, and they’re using intensive practices to get the most out of their small plot of land.”

  “Sounds fascinating.” But her mother sounded more distracted than interested.

  “I’m setting up the curriculum I’ll be teaching this fall,” Ava tried again. “I’ll be doing a series of adventures with my students around town, teaching them scientific concepts as we go.”

  “I’m sure the children will love everything you organize for them,” her mother broke in. “Ava, I have to go. I’ve got a meeting with the department chair in less than an hour. You know how it is before a trip.”

  “Of course.” She did know since she’d accompanied her parents on many of their excursions. “Is Dad around?”

  “He’s at work, honey. He’s just as busy as I am.”

  “Okay. I’ll call again in a couple of days.”

  Her mother sighed. “Yes, I’m sure you will.” She hung up, leaving Ava to stare at her phone, a twist of pain and shame tightening her gut. Did her mother not want her to call?

  Did anyone want to hear from her?

  Without thinking, she called Marie.

  “Ava!” Marie answered before Ava could take a breath. “I’m so glad to hear from you. What’s new?” She laughed. “Do you realize this is the first time you’ve ever called me? I’ve been married to your brother for over a year.”

  “Oh. No, I didn’t realize that. I’m… sorry.” Had she really never called her sister-in-law? Could that possibly be true? Shame pierced her all over again.

  “Your family isn’t very chatty, are they? No one calls anyone as far as I can tell. But I’m glad you got in touch. I wanted to ask your opinion about something to do with Mom’s party tonight.”

  Not that again. Ava’s heart sank, but she kept her mouth shut and listened to Marie talk, managing to insert “yes” or “no” at appropriate intervals through the conversation. Her mind was spinning. Marie was right. Her family wasn’t chatty. They didn’t want to hear about her problems—or her successes. They’d never been all that interested with what she was up to, and when she hadn’t followed the family tradition and become a professor at a university, they’d simply lost interest in her.

  How ironic that Marie was already doing a better job at being a family member than her parents or brother.

  “You know what, Marie?” she said, interrupting her sister-in-law’s flow of words.

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t called before. I’ll make sure to do that more often from now on.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Now tell me more about your plans.”

  She sat looking at the ocean for a half an hour while Marie talked and she listened. She had to admit Marie had come up with some thoughtful ideas for Ava’s mother’s party, and Ava was able to make a few tactful suggestions about not going overboard. Her mother wouldn’t appreciate too much of a fuss.

  After they said goodbye, she drove the rest of the way home, changed into a bikini, packed a towel, a paperback and some sunscreen and spent a couple of hours at the beach. After all, it was summer vacation. She told herself she didn’t miss Sam at all. When she was bored of reading, she returned to the house, showered, changed and passed the remainder of the afternoon working on curriculum plans, the sliding glass doors to her balcony wide open.

  It was late at night by the time her guests came home. Ava was sitting on her balcony watching the stars. When she heard the sliding glass door open on the floor beneath her, she knew Sam must be out on his balcony, too.

  “Ava? You up there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can we talk a minute?”

  “Sure.” She didn’t get up and come to the railing, though. His treatment of her this morning had hurt.

  He waited a minute, as if expecting to see her, then sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I was out of sorts earlier. I… overheard you talking on the phone last night. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right about everything you said. I am in danger of losing my company. I’ve already lost my friend, even if neither Ben nor I want to admit it.”

  Ava drew in a breath. He’d heard her talking about him last night to Emma? She shut her eyes, shame coursing through her for the third time that day. Of course he had. She’d left the door open, hadn’t she?

  “I shouldn’t have been talking about you. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. The thing is, I miss Ben. We’ve known each other forever. Long before Chloe came around. I can’t believe we let her get in the middle of everything.”

  She got up and came to the railing. “Is there any way the two of you can patch things up?”

  “I don’t think so.” He leaned back against the railing of his balcony and looked up at her. “Not if he wants to stay with Chloe. She won’t stick around if he doesn’t put her first.”

  “It’s hard to lose a good friend.”

  He nodded. “It’s more than that; I miss everything about my life from before. The things we did. The way we ran our company. Everything’s different now, and I feel… stuck. I don’t know what to do next.”

  The defeat in his voice tugged at her heart. From what she’d seen of Sam, he was a man who liked to set goals and achieve them. Now he was faced with a problem he couldn’t solve.