Chapter 3

The rented cabin was small, barely more than one room, smelling of damp wood and old fish.

It was all Ethan could afford on his meager Coast Guard disability pension.

He dumped his bags on the narrow cot that served as a bed.

The isolation was a relief after the tension at the house.

He spent the afternoon making the cabin habitable, cleaning, unpacking his few essentials.

His leg throbbed, a dull, persistent ache. He took the medication Dr. Thorne had prescribed. It took the edge off, but the memory of how much worse it could get was a constant shadow.

He had a physical therapy appointment in Soldotna, an hour's drive away, the day after tomorrow.

He thought about Sarah. He knew she was hurting, confused. Part of him, a small, foolish part, felt a pang of guilt.

But then he remembered her face, cold and dismissive, as she' d told him Ben was better off at that harsh boarding school.

He remembered her turning away from his pain, his pleas for help.

The guilt vanished, replaced by a grim determination.

He would not be that man again. Broken. Desperate.

He ate a can of cold beans for dinner, staring out the grimy window at the churning grey waters of the inlet.

Port Grace was a small town. News of his sudden departure and the divorce filing would spread like wildfire.

Sarah was a local politician, a rising star. This would be a scandal for her.

He wondered how Liam would spin it. How he would use it to his advantage, to further entrench himself in Sarah' s life.

The next day, Ethan kept his appointment with Dr. Thorne.

She listened to his update about moving out, her expression neutral.

"Stress is a major factor in both chronic pain and PTSD, Mr. Walker," she said. "Removing yourself from a high-stress environment is a positive step."

She examined his leg again, checking his range of motion.

"The initial injury was severe," she said. "Torn ligaments, some nerve damage. The surgeon did a good job, but you'll always have limitations. The key is consistent physical therapy, proper pain management, and not overdoing it."

"I understand," Ethan said.

"Do you?" Dr. Thorne looked at him sharply. "Men like you, former rescue swimmers, military types... you're used to pushing through pain. Sometimes, that's the worst thing you can do."

Ethan nodded. He knew she was right. In his first life, he' d tried to push through, to pretend he was fine, until he' d shattered.

"I'm learning," he said.

He left her office feeling a sliver of hope. Dr. Thorne was an ally. A pragmatic, unsentimental ally, but an ally nonetheless.

When he returned to his cabin, he saw Sarah' s car parked outside.

His stomach tightened.

She was sitting on the rickety porch steps, waiting for him.

She stood up as he approached, her face pale, her eyes shadowed.

"Ethan, we need to talk about Ben," she said, her voice strained.

"Okay," he said, unlocking the cabin door. He didn't invite her in.

"He called last night," Sarah said. "He wants to know why you weren't home. Why your things are gone."

Ethan' s heart clenched. Ben was only eight. This was confusing and scary for him.

"What did you tell him?" Ethan asked.

"I... I said you were on a short work trip. For the Coast Guard Auxiliary." A lie. Sarah, the politician, already spinning.

"He' s not stupid, Sarah. He' ll figure it out."

"I know!" she snapped, her composure cracking. "That's why we need to decide what to tell him. How to handle this. We need to present a united front."

Ethan leaned against the doorframe. "There is no united front, Sarah. We're getting divorced."

"But for Ben's sake..."

He saw Liam then, emerging from Sarah' s car. He' d been waiting inside, out of sight.

Liam strolled towards them, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Sarah, you okay?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Rough conversation?"

He looked at Ethan. "Hey, Ethan. Hope you don't mind me tagging along. Sarah was pretty upset. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

His concern was so perfectly feigned, it made Ethan' s skin crawl.

"She seems to be handling it," Ethan said, his voice flat.

"Look, I know this is awkward," Liam said, his tone all reasonableness. "But Sarah' s right. You guys need to think about the kid. Divorces are messy. Kids get caught in the middle."

"I'm well aware of that," Ethan said.

"Good," Liam said. "Because Ben' s a great kid. It would be a shame if..." He let the sentence hang.

Sarah looked at Liam with gratitude. "Thank you, Liam. You understand."

Ethan felt a surge of anger. Liam, the architect of so much of his past misery, now positioning himself as the reasonable mediator, the protector of Ben' s well-being.

"What I understand," Ethan said, his gaze fixed on Liam, "is that this is between me and Sarah. It doesn't concern you."

Liam' s smile didn't falter, but his eyes hardened. "When it affects Sarah, and by extension Ben, it concerns me. I' m family."

"You just got here," Ethan pointed out.

"Family is family," Liam said smoothly. "And Sarah needs support right now. Her father would have wanted me to look out for her."

The invocation of Captain Hayes. The guilt card, played expertly.

Sarah' s eyes welled up. "Dad did want that. He made me promise."

Ethan looked at Sarah, at her tear-streaked face, her reliance on this manipulative newcomer.

He remembered a conversation from his first life, shortly after Liam had moved in.

Liam had been "helping" Sarah with her finances. He' d convinced her to liquidate a joint investment account Ethan and Sarah had, money earmarked for Ben' s college fund.

"It' s for a business opportunity, Sarah," Liam had said, his voice earnest. "A sure thing. I' ll double it in six months. It' ll secure your future, Ben' s future."

Ethan had protested, vehemently. But Sarah, already under Liam' s spell, had gone along with it.

The money, of course, had vanished. The "business opportunity" was a scam.

That money, Ethan now realized, was what he' d been planning to use to buy a local fishing quota in this new life. A small boat, a license. A way to make a living, to find some peace on the water.

Without that capital, his options were severely limited.

Liam was already starting his financial manipulations, preying on Sarah' s guilt and ambition.

"I have to go," Ethan said abruptly. "I have things to do."

He stepped inside the cabin and closed the door, leaving Sarah and Liam standing on his porch.

He heard Sarah' s muffled voice, then Liam' s soothing tones.

He leaned against the door, his heart heavy.

This was going to be harder than he thought. Liam was a more formidable opponent this early in the game, and Sarah was already leaning on him.

He had to find another way to secure his independence, to provide for himself and ensure he could fight for Ben.

The fishing quota was likely out of reach now. He needed a new plan.