She shook her head. “That’s okay. I usually go to either a Christmas Eve service or one on Christmas Day and my friend was checking in on me.”
“It’s good to have someone to do that,” he said and looked at the coffee can. “So, that’s where you hid the coffee. I tried to find it this morning before my walk but didn’t think to look in the fridge.”
She replaced the can and held up a carton of eggs. At his nod she took them out along with butter and bread. “My mom stored it there, so I guess I picked up the habit. I’d left it out the other day.”
“Does it last longer or taste better or something?” he took the bread from her and opened it.
“Don’t know, like I said, it’s a habit.” She looked at him then turned from the stove to study him more closely. “You have better coloring today, not pale anymore.”
He nodded. “I feel better. No headache. I might even go for a run later.”
“Don’t push it. You still have a healing gash on your head,” she said and put the eggs in the sizzling butter.
And he’d be leaving her alone, he remembered. They finished preparing breakfast and sat at the counter. Soon, the eggs and toast were gone, and they were on a second cup of coffee each. “What’s your plans for the day?” Ephraim asked.
Sophie shrugged. “No plans. Maybe clean the house and read. I probably need to go to the grocery store too. I don’t keep a lot of food on hand so we may need to eat.”
He laughed, “It’s one of my favorite activities.” He sobered. “I need to pick up some stuff I ordered, if it’s okay.” When she nodded, he continued. “I’ve scoped out the property for placement of the security lights and cameras and found where they’ll be most effective, so I can get that done today.”
Sophie frowned at him then nodded. “All right.” His surprise showed in his expression, and she stood to gather the dishes. “I don’t like living with the knowledge that someone might creep up on me, but with the past few days and the island and all, I guess it’s necessary. Are the lights motion detected?” He nodded. She smiled at him. “Did you think I’d be ticked off?”
“Well, yeah, I did. And speaking of the island, I’d like to go back out there, see if I can find anything.”
She shook her head. “After the storm, there won’t be anything to find. The rain and wind, along with any increase in surf, would wash away almost any debris.”
He huffed a breath, “Probably, but I still need to go out there. Do you think you could wrangle us a visit?”
She nodded and put the dishes in the sink then picked up her cell phone. “I’ll check and see if it’s okay with the Piersons.”
He washed the dishes while she talked with the island’s owners. A few minutes of discussion later and she disconnected. “They’re okay with it as long as we don’t disturb them.”
He quelled the resentment he had for her. She cleaned their house, took care to make everything pristine and they didn’t want disturbed. What century was it? He didn’t say anything but wondered how many property owners treated Sophie like the Piersons did.
They decided to visit the island first, as it would take the most time out of the day. Sophie drove them to the small docking area and her boat, and they soon were on the water between the bay and the small island. “How long have you been taking care of the Piersons’ property?” he asked.
“Around four years,” Sophie replied, her eyes on the small dot ahead of them.
“And they’re okay bosses?”
“Clients. And yes. They give me a bonus at the end of the year, don’t press if I have to rearrange some dates when my schedule gets busy. They rent the house to people they know or lend it to friends, so it’s not used as much as most of the other rentals on my list.”
“Have they owned the island long?” Ephraim was getting a picture of a couple in his head, and it wasn’t a very complimentary one.
“No, I think they bought it a year or two before I started working for them. He made a lot of money in tech or something and she’s a trophy wife.” She grimaced, “Sorry, shouldn’t have said that. She’s just a couple of decades younger than he is and very up on the latest cosmetic procedures.”
Ephraim laughed, “Very nice way to put it. Do they always want you to stay away from the family when you come to the island?”
Sophie looked at him in surprise then turned her head to maneuver around some shallow waters. “I never come to the island when they’re here. This is the first time I’ll be on it with them in house. The only way I know what they even look like is that we met to sign the contract for my work.”
He kept silent as she docked the boat in the small inlet dock. He’d been dizzy and confused when they’d left the island and now could see what a good sailor Sophie was. She’d maneuvered the boat into the dock with no difficulty at all. He glanced around for another boat. “Where do the Piersons’ dock?”
She nodded across to the house. “There’s a much larger and deeper dock on the other side of the property. I don’t use it because it takes another thirty minutes to travel around the island.”
They tied up the boat and headed toward the sight she’d found him, wading through scrub and sandy grass. Ephraim surveyed the land around them. The island was small, around a couple miles long and less than that wide. It would be a nice place to get away from it all, if you could afford it.
The house, oddly out of place with the attached garage, paved driveway, and manicured lawn, jutted up and out of the land. “Not an original house?” he said as he took in the structure that could be from any high-end neighborhood from Nantucket to Georgia.
Sophie shook her head and kept walking. “There was originally an old lighthouse that got inundated by water and collapsed. There was a small cottage for the keeper, but it was dilapidated when the Piersons bought the property.”
