Let It Be Me (Triplets book 1)

Chapter 6

Ophelia was exhausted as she hit the city limits for Oak Island. She had been driving for four days to get from L.A to Georgia. The others had flown, but she had offered to drive Polly out so that she could be with them for the duration.

It also meant that she delayed her arrival to a place where she didn't want to arrive.

To get onto the island, she had to pay a toll. They called it a parking fee, but it was a toll. It was the town's way of collecting money for infrastructure, and it beat parking meters. Ophelia knew the older man working the booth, he had been a friend of her father, and she assumed he still was, even though more than nine years had passed.

She pulled to a stop with her money in hand, ready to go. She was hoping to keep the transaction short and go unrecognized.

"Ophelia Carter! Is that you! It's been what, nine or ten years?" he asked as he waved her money aside. "Are you here to see your father?" he coughed at the cold air he was breathing.

It wasn't freezing in early December, but it was chilly, especially for someone who was southern born and raised.

"No," Ophelia said, keeping it simple and changing the subject. "How is Mrs. Brown? She's well, I hope?"

"Oh, Bea's all right. Her arthritis acts up in the cold. You should try to see your father while you're here. I know he misses you." Mr. Brown tried again.

"I'm sure I will see him, Mr. Brown. It's not a big place, is it?" Ophelia gave a little smile and wave, then slowly drove away.

There was no way her father missed her. He couldn't wait to get rid of her since she was six years old and her mother had left. She had reminded him too much of her. She reminded the entire town of her mother, and they all expected Ophelia to turn out just like her.

"We're almost there now, girl," Ophelia said, reaching over her shoulder and giving Polly a scratch on her neck. Polly traveled well and hadn't caused her a bit of trouble.

The island was small, and it only took her about five minutes to arrive at her destination, which was the resort's hotel. She parked her small car and got out, taking her time stretching and looking at the sunset over the marsh. It was beautiful.

The water was high, and the reflection of the pinks and purples was dramatic. There was a shrimping boat coming up the river and returning to the dock, and the Spanish moss hung dreamily from the oak trees that were perched on the banks of the river.

Her childhood should have been ideal in a setting like this, but the small-town mentality had needed a scapegoat for her mother's scandal, and Ophelia had been it.

Ophelia watched the shrimp boat in the distance for a few minutes, wondering if it was her father's before she turned and tugged on Polly's leash. She gave Polly a few minutes to take care of her business; then, they walked towards the hotel's main entrance.

It hadn't changed either in the last ten years.

As she pushed through the door, she stopped mid-step when she saw who was standing behind the reception counter. It was Justin Cross. He had made her life a living hell in high school. It wasn't surprising that he had remained in town. He was too small-minded to think of a life outside of it.

When he spotted Ophelia, he stopped talking midsentence and stared at her, watching every step she took towards him. Ophelia felt her heart rate accelerate, and her hands start to shake. Polly gave a little whine, sensing that not all was right with her. Perhaps her trembling hands had been felt through the leash that she had a death grip on.

"What are you doing here?" Justin asked as he eyed her and the dog. "Dogs aren't allowed in here, you know that!" he crossed his arms as he looked down his nose at her.