Chapter FIFTEEN

After lunch, Ariel stood on the porch and stared out at the gray, cold sea, lost in thought as the biting ocean breeze whipped her hair. Miles had managed to interest a reluctant—but present—Carl in a game of chess, and everyone else was back out in the snow, Katie and Ethan sledding and Jessica roping Bradford into taking photos for her Snapwire account. Vivienne had insisted that Hugo not go out, and so the pair of them had settled to read in the downstairs library.

Ariel, her eyes fixed on the frigid waves, jumped when Randall appeared beside her, intruding on her solitude.

"Quite a view," he said casually, though his eyes were calculating. "Reminds me of that seaside café we all used to go to back in college. You, me, Bradford..."

Ariel"s pulse quickened at the mention of their shared past, but she kept her expression neutral. "Hmm, yes," she murmured.

"Funny how Bradford just happened to choose this place, of all the inns on the East Coast," Randall continued lightly. Though his tone was friendly, there was an edge to it that put Ariel on guard.

She turned to face him fully, meeting his gaze. "I had nothing to do with his decision, if that"s what you"re implying," she said evenly. Inside, her thoughts raced. Why was Randall so interested in Bradford's choice of accommodations?

Randall looked unconvinced, but simply smiled. "No matter. I won"t pry into your affairs."

He leaned against the railing, glancing sidelong at her. "I just wonder...are you really as content in your life as you seem?" His voice dropped. "I mean, Miles is all windswept and handsome, but are you a one-guy gal? We both know Bradford never could fully satisfy you. I used to catch you looking at me."

Ariel bristled, outrage and unease swirling within her. She fought to maintain her composure. This was dangerous territory, and she needed to divert Randall"s attention elsewhere, quickly.

"Oh look, I think it's time to serve tea and dessert now!" she said brightly. "Shall we head in?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked briskly back inside, feeling Randall"s eyes following her every move.

Ariel hurried into the warmth of the inn, making her way to the kitchen. Her pulse still raced from the encounter with Randall.

Though she tried to appear relaxed, inside, her thoughts churned. Why had he brought up Bradford like that? And what was all that about her not being satisfied? Eww. He was as slimy now as he had been in college. Suddenly, she was lightheaded, and she gripped the counter to steady herself.

The coolness of the fridge washed over her face as she took out a tray of lemon mousse cups. Ariel took one absently and placed it aside for herself as she arranged the rest on a platter, but her appetite had vanished. The kitchen door opened and Katie, Ethan, Jessica, and Bradford tumbled in. She noticed Randall lingering in the doorway, watching her, but she quickly looked away, focusing on the people mingling around the room instead.

Randall"s presence loomed at the edge of her awareness, making her feel exposed. What did he know? How was he still connected to Bradford now, after all these years? Unease coiled within her.

"Ariel, dear! Your husband is quite the crack chess player."

She turned with relief to see Miles and Carl coming in the kitchen door from the hallway. Glad for the distraction, Ariel gestured to the dessert. "Something to console you in your loss," she teased.

"Lemon? Delightful," Carl said warmly. "You"ve outdone yourself with the food and this place."

Ariel managed a smile. "I"m so glad you"re enjoying it."

As Connie rejoined them, and then Vivienne, Ariel felt herself relax slightly. But Randall still lurked at the periphery, a shadow she couldn"t seem to escape. She had to figure out what he wanted from her - and why he seemed intent on dredging up her complicated history with Bradford. She noticed Randall mingling on the other side of the room, making small talk, yet his gaze drifted to her again and again.

What was his agenda? Did he want money or recognition from Bradford, and thought exposing Ariel"s past connection might give him leverage? But no, Randall had always been ambitious, even ruthless - he wouldn"t need to resort to manipulation for that. This was personal.

After dessert, the kitchen emptied once more, and alone again, Ariel felt exposed, Randall"s presence bearing down on her. She busied herself tidying up empty desert cups and rearranging things in the fridge. She checked the bread and preheated the oven, anything to look occupied.

But when she glanced up, Randall was suddenly there in front of her. Ariel jumped.

"Sorry, didn"t mean to startle you," Randall said lightly. But his eyes were sharp, assessing.

Ariel lifted her chin. "What do you want, Randall?"

His mouth quirked. "Straight to the point then. I always appreciated that about you." He leaned in. "I know you and Bradford have history. And now here you both are, at this little inn in the middle of nowhere?" He tsked. "Come on Ariel, you must have pulled some strings. What do you want—to get back together? You must have heard that his third album is getting a lot of buzz."

Ariel bristled, anger rising to replace her unease. "I don"t know what delusion you"re operating under, but I had nothing to do with Bradford choosing this inn. I"m as surprised as anyone else."

Randall raised a brow, skepticism etched on his face. Ariel felt her cheeks burn, but she held his gaze, refusing to show weakness.

After a tense moment, Randall leaned back, the hint of a smile playing about his lips. "If you say so." His tone implied he didn"t believe her for a second. "Tell me why Jessica has no idea that you and Bradford are ex's, then?"

Ariel resisted the urge to slap that smug look off his face. She merely inclined her head coldly. "I have no idea. Now, if you"ll excuse me, I have to check the towels in everyone"s rooms."

She moved to turn away, but Randall stepped closer. "You know, I almost didn"t recognize you at first arrival. You"ve changed quite a bit from the shy, mousy girl I remember." His voice lowered. "I wonder what else about you has changed." He reached out with a finger and flicked the bow on her apron.

Ariel bristled, outrage rising. How dare he speak to her this way? She opened her mouth to retort, but caught herself. That was exactly what he wanted - to get a reaction out of her.

With effort, Ariel smoothed her features and met his gaze evenly. "People change, Randall. Though it appears you haven't. Now if you"ll please step aside, I really must be going."

Randall searched her face, then slowly moved aside. But as Ariel walked past, his parting words sent a chill down her spine.

"This isn"t over between us. I"d tread carefully if I were you."

Ariel hurried out of the kitchen, barely staying upright. As she walked away on trembling legs, she could feel Randall"s gaze following her every step. Randall"s insinuations rattled her more than she cared to admit.

What was he after? Some petty attempt at revenge for the past? He had always been a hanger-on, never gotten as much attention as the suave, talented Bradford. But she had worked too hard to get where she was today, and she refused to let him threaten that. What if he implied something to Miles—Miles had said he trusted her, but what if that trust was tested? She had to be smart about this. Confronting Randall directly would only make things worse. Better to avoid him as much as possible for the remainder of the retreat.

And he needed to stay away from her. Or else…

Ariel shut down that train of thought. She would handle it, whatever came. For now, she just had to remain calm and not let Randall get to her. Ariel shook her head, irritation rising. She had done nothing wrong back then. Bradford was the one who had broken things off, leaving her heartbroken. If anyone should be wary, it was him.

She headed to the downstairs parlor, where she kept backup towels in the large coat closet. With the majority of the house out playing in the snow, it would help to stock extra linens.

Still, unease coiled in her stomach. Randall knew too much, more than she had ever told anyone here. If he decided to expose her history with Bradford...