Page 62 of The Fragile Truth

Sadie got a little worried when Callie turned to Ian and asked, “Did you tell her yet?”

“Tell me what?” Sadie asked as Ian’s face turned ten shades of red. He threw Callie an annoyed look and then hem-hawed around, promising Sadie that he’d let her in on the secret tomorrow … after he worked out a few of the details.

“It’s a good secret,” Callie assured Sadie.

Sadie had pestered Ian to try to get information from him, but he remained tight-lipped. This morning, he called her bright and early, saying that he was taking the day off and that it was time to tell her “the secret.” As she was getting ready for him to pick her up, Sadie got a call from Madeline, asking her to come to the hotel to meet with her and Banks. The phone call freaked Sadie out, as she’d had no contact with Madeline since that night in Banks’s study. And the last time she’d seen Banks was traumatic. Her nerves eased a fraction when Madeline told her it was about her future as a personal chef. Madeline called Ian, who agreed to shuffle their schedule around. He still picked her up at the appointed time and accompanied her to the island, but he decided to mill around the grounds of the hotel while she went into her meeting.

As Sadie made her way over to Ian, a lock of blond hair fell over one eye, giving him a boyish, adventurous vibe. A crooked grin tugged at his lips as he straightened to his full height. He slid an arm around her waist as his lips brushed against hers, tingling her senses. “Hey, beautiful. How did it go?”

“Have you ever seen the movie,My Big Fat Greek Wedding?”

“Yeah,” he answered, curiosity flickering in his liquid blue eyes.

“It was kind of like that.” She put on her best Greek accent as she quoted, “‘The man is the head, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head any way she wants.’”

A deep chuckle rumbled in Ian’s throat as he released her waist. “That good, huh?” He caught hold of her hand, threading his fingers through hers as they walked to the golf cart.

“Basically, Banks went into a tirade about how trust is something that has to be earned, and while he understood why I broke into his desk, he didn’t think he could ever trust me again to work in his home.”

Ian made a face. “They asked you to come all the way out here just to tell you that?”

A smile curled her lips. “Not exactly. Madeline let Banks bluster on for what seemed like forever. Then, he got a call. He stepped out of the office, and Madeline told me that I was rehired. This time, for good.”

Ian’s eyes rounded. “Is Banks gonna be okay with that?”

“That’s what I asked. Madeline winked, saying that he would come around. She talked about how grueling it had been for Banks to not only learn about Carter’s villainous activities but then to lose him so tragically. Madeline didn’t say anything about Lizette, but I could tell that she’s devastated about what happened.”

“I can understand that,” Ian said morosely.

Sadie could hardly contain her smile as she told him the rest, “Then Madeline leaned in and whispered that Banks had been going on about my spinach manicotti for days and how he would love to have more of it. We then talked money.” She shook her head. “I never dreamt that I’d make more as a personal chef than I did as a detective.”

His brows creased. “Just how much are they paying you?”

“Enough to make even you jealous,” she teased.

He stopped and turned to her. “Hmm,” he mused, crossing his arms over his chest. He raised a hand to his chin and stroked it. “In that case, maybe I should let Lady Big Bucks buy dinner.”

She gave him a playful shove. “Not on your life, buster.”

They both laughed.

Curiosity percolated inside her. “So, do I get to see my surprise now?”

“You do.”

She was taken back by the shadows that crossed his countenance. “Is everything okay?”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Yeah.”

Seeing the worry in his eyes, she wasn’t so sure.

He helped her into the golf cart, and they got onto the road. All the while, Sadie was trying to figure out what was happening. Callie assured her the surprise was good, but Ian had grown so uptight, almost in the snap of a finger.

Her apprehension deepened when Ian pulled up to Pembrooke Lighthouse. It was an impressive structure. No doubt a focal point on the island. Sadie could only hope that with the passage of time, she could look at it and not think of Brent dying here. That day wasn’t today. Her stomach knotted as she turned to Ian. “Why are we here?”

He stopped the motor and turned to her, gathering both her hands in his.

A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “You’re scaring me. What’s going on?”