Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

Judith’s. “For you too. How are you doing?”
    Judith shrugged. There was nothing else to do but smile and say “fine.” Whatever that meant. Her brother was dead and there was no bringing him back. Paul had been murdered, plain and simple, because of her. Because of her stupidity. Her carelessness. Her actions. Blythe blamed herself for her mother’s death, but she wasn’t the direct cause, no matter what she thought, whereas Judith knew she absolutely was.
    “I guess I’d better call Inez back and set up the meeting with the potential buyer for the art gallery. I hope this one’s for real. Inez can’t afford to keep funding both businesses.”
    “There was a rumor going around for a while that Jackson bought part ownership in the grocery store,” Airiana said. “Do you think that’s true?”
    “If it is, then Inez is in worse financial shape than I thought she was,” Blythe replied. “She loves that store and it’s always made money for her. If she had to do that, it means she poured way too much into keeping Frank’s gallery alive.”
    Both women looked at Judith. As manager of the gallery, she knew better than anyone else just how much the place was making. She shrugged, unwilling to talk about Inez’s business even to her sisters. She glanced out her window to the garden below, needing to see the riot of color, great splashes of it, to soothe her wounded spirit. The wind blew across the flowers, setting up waves of color in every shade.
    Even as she watched, a shadow slid across the flowers, dampening the effect for just a moment. She glanced upward, toward the sky, expecting to see a seagull or vulture flying overhead, but there was only blue sky. She felt, rather than saw, Airiana stand behind her.
    “What is it?” Blythe asked.
    “I don’t know,” Airiana said. “But that shadow passed directly over this house, and that’s worrisome.”
    The three women exchanged a long look. Sea Haven was a place of power, there was no doubt about that. The location had energy of its own and it attracted people with psychic energy as well.
    “You’re the air element,” Blythe said. “All of us know it, so don’t look at me all wide-eyed. What does that shadow mean?”
    “I have no idea,” Airiana admitted, “but I don’t like it. I think trouble may be coming our way.”
    “Ilya? Joley and Ilya are doing a huge benefit concert, but she is pregnant. Maybe she needs to come home and rest,” Blythe guessed.
    “I doubt if Ilya would throw his own brother out of Sea Haven, not even for Joley. Nor would she ask him to do something like that.”
    “I don’t think Ilya really knew any of his brothers,” Blythe pointed out. “He’s closer to Jonas and the Drakes than he is to his family. He wasn’t raised with them, nor did he have any contact with them.”
    “Great,” Airiana said, “I don’t know about either of you, but just this once I’d like to say damn it. Just damn it. This is our home and I hate the thought of leaving. I will, if we have to, but I really hate doing it.”
    Judith forced a smile. “We’ll be all right. Right now we don’t know how the Drakes are going to react to Levi’s presence. We know we’re all willing to relocate if we have to—well, all but Lexi.” She glanced at her sister. “Blythe, you’ll be talking to her today, right?”
    Blythe nodded. “I don’t feel we can just pretend leaving isn’t a real possibility. Finding another place like this—with the ocean for Rikki, enough land for Lexi to farm, enough for us all to live together—that’s going to take time. And we’d have to sell this place.”
    “Lexi will be upset,” Airiana said.
    “She’s put her heart and soul into this land,” Judith acknowledged. “It will be harder for her than for any of us.”
    “Maybe we can just not say anything until we know one way or the other,” Airiana said. “All we’re really doing is speculating.”
    “We promised each other we’d always tell the truth no matter how difficult. This is a joint decision we have to make together. When we’re all on board, then we’ll talk to Rikki,” Blythe said. “Rikki has to see us all together and know we’re more than willing to move with her and Levi.”
    There was a small silence. No one wanted to leave after they’d spent five years working to build their dream homes. Lexi had worked hard to get the farm producing enough to make money. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d all pitched in