Sea Haven 01 - Water Bound

on her back. “I’m sorry, Rikki. I had no idea you were going to come into town or I would have stopped you. This place has been crazy ever since the yacht went down. Unfortunately, a couple of bodies have been found, so the frenzy started all over again.”
    “You all talked about a yacht sinking.” Rikki straightened and kept her gaze glued on the distant sea. “But I wasn’t really listening past the fact that it went down. What happened?”
    “It was some freak accident that has all the scientists in the world out there. Apparently methane gas from the continental shelf was released in a huge bubble, and it was the yacht’s bad luck to be there at the precise time the bubble hit the surface. Shades of the Bermuda triangle. The gas changed the density of the water and the ship just dropped down. The owner was a businessman, well-known, in fact rather famous. He, his bodyguard and the entire crew were lost at sea. There are reporters and television crews from all over the world here. Along with that, every curious person in the world has arrived as well. Good for business, but difficult all the same.”
    “I couldn’t get out there diving even if the day was perfect,” Rikki grumbled. “There are ships everywhere.”
    “What are you doing in town?”
    “I needed to see the ocean,” she admitted. “I got stopped by that moron sheriff, Jonas Harrington, and he asked me to give you a package.”
    Judith’s mouth tightened. “Was he mean to you?”
    “No, actually, he was very nice. He didn’t even give me a ticket, but he asked me to deliver this package to you and he knew what it was like in town.”
    Judith smiled. “That’s true, but he doesn’t know you, Rikki. He probably assumed you’d be coming into the shop anyway.”
    Rikki shrugged, sending Judith her first small grin. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re right, but it gave me a good reason to be mad.”
    Judith laughed. “Do you need anything from the store?” She glanced down the street to the coffee shop. “Coffee maybe?”
    97

    Rikki frowned. “Soup. Broth. Blythe bought me a bunch of cans and I’ve used them up. I don’t know what’s good. So anything. And Inez’s coffee is fine if you can manage to brave the mob to get me a cup. If not, don’t worry about it. Your store was overrun and poor Airiana looked a little overwhelmed.”
    “You wouldn’t believe it, Rikki, but the reporters are so desperate for information, they’re filming everything in town and doing interviews. I’m hoping it’s good for business. Three different crews have filmed my shop.”
    She indicated a film crew across the street. “Those people are everywhere with their cameras.”
    Judith was striking with her tall, slim body and waterfall of hair, as well as her sparkling personality. She saw people in colors and tended to shine the moment she walked into the room. Rikki could understand why a reporter might want to talk with her on camera. She would draw the eye of the audience with her animation and personality.
    “That’s insane,” Rikki murmured in agreement anyway. “What can any of you tell them about a freak accident? A few years back I read about the theory of methane leaks causing ships to go down in the Bermuda Triangle, but seriously, who would ever believe it would happen, especially here? I’m out there all the time.” Rikki pointed out, glaring at the news crew, silently wishing they’d all go home so she could have her tidy little world back.
    “They say it really did happen and that yacht definitely sank.”
    “How long is all this going to go on?” She meant before she could have her ocean back.
    Judith smiled at her sulky face. “I don’t know, babe, but just think about all the business we’re getting.”
    “Think about all the business I’m losing,” Rikki muttered, and then was instantly ashamed. In a rare gesture of affection, she flung her arms around Judith. The hug was brief but fierce. “I hope they film the inside of your shop and see what a genius you are. I could never have enough of your kaleidoscopes or painting.”
    Judith looked out toward the sea and for a horrified moment, Rikki thought there were tears in her sister’s eyes, but when she looked back, she was beaming. “You just made my day, little sister. Wait here and I’ll get the soup for you. It will only take a minute.”
    “Airiana is going to kill both of us if it takes more than that,” Rikki pointed out, but made no move to