“Isn’t that just the story of my life?” Alex’s eyes flashed. “Always being unfavorably compared to the good Blackwell brother.” He held up his hands. “Well, he’s not as innocent and angelic as the world thinks.” Bitterness laced his voice.
Brad’s attention returned to his friend. “Alex, that’s not fair.” He raised his eyebrows. “Ethan’s been through a lot, and no one expects you to be like him. That’s not what I meant. I simply need you to keep a low profile like Ethan does. Just while you’re here.”
“I said I would!” Alex snapped, startling Brad momentarily, as Alex had never done that and had hardly ever lost his temper. “I have to go finish organizing dinner.”
Alex turned and walked back to the concierge desk while Brad’s brow furrowed curiously.
Alex’s father must have really come down on him.Brad thought as he went to join Harriet and Dawn.
“Hello, Dawn,” Brad greeted her as she lifted her head and gave him a weak smile.
“Hello, Brad.” Dawn rubbed her temples.
“Why did you agree to sail here with the Blackwells?” Brad asked.
“My father, their father, and your father thought it would be good publicity for the new television show.” Dawn popped some of the ice chips into her mouth. Her eyes glanced behind Brad.
Brad followed her gaze to see the Dark Ocean, Alex Blackwell’s extravagant superyacht now gracing Plum Island’s shores and docking on the jetty built explicitly for it.
Brad pinched the bridge of his nose.The residents of Plum Island are never going to be the same!“Dawn, I can take you to see a doctor on the island. You don’t want to feel like this for the next few days.”
“Usually, I’d put up a fight about going to the doctor,” Dawn stated. “But I want to see the island as soon as possible, so I won’t say no.”
“Great.” Brad looked at Harriet, who nodded and helped Dawn up. “Can you organize a bag in case Dawn feels sick on the drive?”
“Sure,” Harriet said and rushed to the front desk, carefully avoiding another encounter with Alex.
“This project is going to be full of fun and games!” Brad said sarcastically.
“It’s quite the team your father has assembled,” Dawn agreed. “My father says that Travis Danes always has ulterior motives for everything he does.”
“I agree with your father on that point,” Brad told her as Harriet rejoined them with a bag. “My father always has some sort of plan going on in the background.”
“Here you go.” She gave it to Brad. “I’d go with you, but I must get to the police station. Clover’s brother’s in town, and he isn’t happy that Clover is being held for questioning.”
“Awesome.”Can this day get any worse?
“Clover insists that she’s innocent and hadn’t been to the lighthouse before she’d followed us, and she was bitten by a dog here in the hotel,” Harriet informed him.
“It’s easy enough to prove,” Alex joined the conversation. “Ask Clover if she can remember what type of dog it was and then compare the bite marks.”
“That’s amazing!” Harriet said.
“It’s a logical thing to do,” Dawn told her.
“Oh no, I meant it’s amazing that Alex has actually been useful for once!” Harriet gave Alex a tight smile. “But I didn’t think dogs were allowed in the hotel?”
Brad’s chance meeting with Vanessa flashed through his mind.
“There is a dog in the hotel,” Brad said. “Vanessa Turner—“
“Hey, she’s not a dog!” Alex defended the star of their show.
“He didn’t mean she was a dog!” Harriet growled. “Vanessa has that purse dog of hers she carries around.”
“Yes, that dog is horrid.” Dawn shuddered. “I love animals, but that’s a little terror with sharp teeth and a bad attitude.”
“I’ll go find out what dog bit Clover,” Harriet told Brad. “And sort out the Ashtons.” She smiled warmly at Dawn. “Brad, you take care of our head screenwriter.”
