Bruce said, “I already told you. Chip wanted to start a place for people in the tech world—a getaway—a place to unwind. And women come here all the time, just maybe not right now at this moment. And, yes, they’re mostly rich women. That’s the purpose of this place. People in demanding positions who need to shed some of their worries and anxiety.”
“It’s not working. Not for me.”
Bruce reached out a hand. “Hey, honey. Honey, relax.”
“That’s not helping, either.”
“So, tell me what will help, okay? I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I want to leave here. There can’t be just one plane service. I mean, if there was a medical emergency then you’d get someone here, right?”
“Well, if there was a medical emergency then the Coast Guard or someone would come, but that’s not the case. It’s less than twenty-four hours. That’s nothing.”
“I don’t want to spend another night here.”
“It’s just one night,” Bruce said. “I’ll be here with you. You don’t even have to leave this bunk if you don’t want to. We can have our dinner here, then go to sleep, and in the morning the plane will come and get us. I don’t know what the big deal is.”
“The big deal is that I saw a terrified woman—the only other woman on this island, by the way—who was bleeding and ran away from me, and now you’re telling me that I have to spend another night here. It just doesn’t make sense. All I’ve been told since I’ve gotten here is that anything I want they can get for me.
Now I want to leave, and suddenly it’s a whole day’s wait.”
Bruce didn’t immediately say anything. He was breathing through his nose and bouncing almost imperceptibly on his toes.
“What?” Abigail said.
“I think you’re being a spoiled bitch.” He said it in a low voice, but she heard every word, and immediately tensed. It wasn’t just the words but the hushed tone. He sounded very different.
“Excuse me?” she said.
“You heard me.” He was looking at her, but his eyes were resting just a little bit off to the side, not quite making eye contact.
Words raced through Abigail’s head, but she was still shocked at seeing this side of her new husband. Part of her was scared as well.
“Fine,” she said at last, her voice a little shaky. “You do what you want to do, but I’m going to leave today. There’s got to be another flight service.”
“Be my guest,” he said, now definitely not looking at her.
“What’s going on with you?” she said, taking a step forward, even though she didn’t want to.
“I could ask you the same question. I bring you to this amazing place, and you don’t appreciate it. It’s all about you, all the time, isn’t it?”
“I did appreciate it,” Abigail said, spacing the words. “But because of what I saw last night I would like to leave. If you don’t understand that, I don’t know what else to say.”
“Fine,” Bruce said, and walked toward the kitchen.
CHAPTER 20
Abigail left the bunk and began walking up toward the lodge. The men were still at their archery, and every time she heard the sound of an arrow hitting its target her body tensed. As she climbed the stone steps that led to the entrance to the lodge, the doors swung open and Chip Ramsay was exiting. “Abigail,” he said. Then, after really looking at her, he added, “Everything all right?”
“Bruce said there’s no way to get off the island today,” she said, stopping in front of the doors.
“I’m so sorry about that. He told me how much you wanted to leave, and I get it, but I’ve been talking with Sean all morning at Casco Air and there’s just no way. They’re down two planes, and they’re totally booked. Bruce told you they’d be here first thing tomorrow morning, right?”
“He did. The thing is that I would really like to leave today.
There must be another plane service.”
“There isn’t really, not for this area.”
“But what would you do if there was an emergency? If someone needed medical help?”
“Do you need medical help?” Chip asked, genuine concern in his eyes.
“No, I’m just wondering.”
“We’d notify emergency services, of course, and I suspect they’d send a helicopter. It’s actually never happened before, knock on wood.” Chip reached back and knocked on the door to the lodge.