Page 63 of Fire and Ice Cruise

“And I confess,” I continue, totally committed to this conversation now, “I may have seen you in Isafjordur. Before we went whale watching. You were pretty upset with whoever you were on the phone with.”

Her eyes widen and her face goes pale.

“It was nothing,” she says, but her voice cracks as she says it.

“Nothing?” I lean in slightly. “Are you sure? Because I also happened to see you slip your phone into the water later that afternoon. It sure looked like something was going on to me.”

Marina gasps and inches back to get a better look at me. In fact, she’s staring at me as if I just announced I’m a sea monster.

“Trixie, are you spying on me?”

“What? No, I⁠—”

“Are you trying to investigate me or something?” Her voice rises, sharp enough that a couple at a nearby table glances over. “Because I have news for you, and your FBI husband, too. I don’t want to be watched. In fact, that’s exactly why I said yes to this trip to begin with. To get away from people watching me. Judging me. Following my every move and⁠—”

“Marina, I’m not⁠—”

“I thought you were different.” She stands abruptly and snaps up her purse. “I thought maybe I’d found someone who actually wanted to be my friend instead of just digging for dirt about my life. But apparently everyone on this ship has an agenda.”

“That’s not what this is⁠—”

“Well, it’s exactly what it looks like.” Marina laughs, but it’s far from a happy sound. “Because from where I’m sitting, it looks exactly like what I came here to escape.”

Ha! So, she admits she’s running from something.

“Ladies.” Wes appears beside us as though he’s been summoned by the scent of conflict. “What’s going on?”

He doesn’t look impressed. In fact, he looks downright angry, mostly at me.

Both Marina and I look at him. I offer a meager smile because I didn’t mean to start a fight. And Marina looks like she’s two seconds from either crying or throwing her coffee at me.

Wes glances between us, clearly trying to assess the damage. “Marina, would you like to join us at the Blue Lagoon this afternoon? It would be an honor to have you as my guest.”

It’s a peace offering dressed up as a day trip, and we both know it.

Wes is good, I’ll give him that.

Marina’s expression softens slightly as she looks at him, just slightly. But it’s enough to show that whatever anger she’s directing at me doesn’t extend to him.

“That’s very kind of you, Wes. Really.” She pushes her plate back even though she’s hardly touched her food. “But I think I might just go to the spa right here on the ship.”

She looks at me, and whatever is swimming behind those eyes refuses to be named. Hurt, fear, or maybe a good mix of both.

“I’m sorry, Trixie. But I need to be alone. I hope you all have a good time.”

She walks away with her spine straight and her head held high, leaving me sitting at the bar with a plate full of food and the distinct feeling I just made everything worse.

Wes settles onto the stool Marina just vacated. “Want to tell me what that was about?”

“I think I asked the wrong questions.”

“Or the right ones.” He watches Marina disappearing into the crowd and his expression grows heavy.

“I think she might be having money problems, and something more,” I tell him. “She made it sound as if she couldn’t even afford the cruise.”

“She couldn’t,” he says. “I comped it.”

My mouth falls open. First, I didn’t know that was an option. And second, Wes is in way deeper than I thought.