“IT?” Clancy raised his eyebrows and laughed. “By any chance, is this the same friend who vaporized your booking information from the Sand Dollar computer today?”
Evelyn stopped walking. Her heart crashed in her chest. “How . . . ?”
“The motel owner says it disappeared, but no one believed him because he . . . well, his behavior has been erratic lately. Your friend is good, though. Tell her I said thanks for helping you.”
“It’s a he.”
“Oh?”
Evelyn laughed. “No—not that kind of ‘he.’ But you and Hal have a lot in common. You’re both putting your asses on the line to help me.”
“Who’s got the nicer ass?”
She linked her arm with his. “Let me put it this way—I’m not even sure Hal has an ass. I’ve never noticed.”
“Hmm.” Clancy bumped his hip against hers. “But you’ve noticed mine?”
“Maybe.”
Christina now squatted at the edge of a small tidal pool, perfectly content to be making sand pies and carrying on an animated play conversation with herself. Evie kept her eyes on Christina as they continued their conversation.
“Is your friend in Maine?”
“Vermont.”
“I’ll need to talk to him. I know someone up that way who does freelance investigation. Maybe together they can help me figure this out. You’ll give me Hal’s number?”
“Of course.”
“Evie?”
She looked up at him, knowing she was about to face more questions.
“There’s one thing I don’t think I understand.”
“Okay.”
“You could have complied with the order, let Richard have custody, and then fight the ruling in the courts. Is there a reason why you didn’t take the . . . well, the perfectly legal route?”
Evelyn bit her tongue. Of course Clancy couldn’t understand. He’d never had kids of his own, and she couldn’t fault him for that. “The reason is right there.” She pointed to Christina, slapping and patting sand and now singing to herself.
Clancy stopped walking and Evelyn leaned against his side.
“That little person lost her mother, and her whole world collapsed. I know how she feels. The only constants left in her life are me, my dad, and the farm. So imagine the day a wealthy and powerful politician decides to claim her, without even giving us a chance to state our case. Imagine that this is the same man who never wanted Christina to be born in the first place. Imagine he’s up for reelection. Wouldn’t you have a few questions about his motives?”
“I would.”
“But here’s the biggest question, and it’s the only one that really matters: what kind of aunt would I be if I let him take her, even temporarily, and further confuse her and break her heart? And what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t follow through on the only promise Amanda ever asked me to make?”
The dogs tore up the beach toward Clancy. Earl dropped the ball, and they both sat and waited as patiently as they could.
Clancy leaned in and kissed Evelyn sweetly. Then he threw the red ball down the beach in the opposite direction, into the wind. She couldn’t believe how high it went, how it sailed past the end of the beach and out into the water.