At that moment, shouts erupt through the phone. “We spotted the bird! Sorry sweetheart, gotta go.”
The line goes quiet. What do I do now? Someone, possibly Leo, who Aunt Val did not elaborate on how she knows, is swimming in her pool.
I guess I’ll just have to stay hidden in this hammock until he’s done with his swim because there’s no way to leave without making this completely awkward. Besides, I still don’t know if it’s Leo the serial killer or Leo the neighbor.
I try to settle my racing heart by closing my eyes.
Why can’t anything ever be easy? I just wanted a quiet escape to a sleepy beach town, and here I am in hammock purgatory. I guess there’s worse places to be. Taking a deep breath, I remember what I read about mindfulness. Being mindful means being fully present in the moment. I smell the salty air and feel the cool breeze on my face. I could take a lovely nap right here.
As my tension eases, something begins tickling my arm. I’m about to brush away the sensation when I open my eyes and find a small creature perched. “Lizard!” A shriek escapes my mouth as I try to extract myself from the hammock that suddenly seems more like a straight jacket.
After an intense wrestling match, I tumble onto the ground. It feels like there are a million creepy crawlies all over me. Swatting at my hair and my legs and my arms, I book it toward the house. As I take my third step, I feel water glide across the bottom of my foot. The next thing I know, I’m lying on the hard cement and my lungs are screaming for air. After a few moments of panic, I feel the sweet relief of oxygen filling my chest.
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh,” is all I can manage. My backside is throbbing and my head is spinning.
The sun is bright as I open my eyes. A figure appears in my line of sight, and my brain immediately jumps to Bronson.
“Can you sit up?”
A giggle comes out of my mouth. It’s an out of body experience, like I’m seeing everything happen from above. Hologram Bronson reaches down and props me up so I’m sitting. It feels impossible to stay upright, and the man reaches down to keep me from falling backward.
“Here, let’s get you into a chair.” I feel strong arms guide me. I always thought Bronson looked like he had muscles under those perfectly fitted suits, but this Bronson is even more strapping than I had imagined—which is impressive. I squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten, willing my brain to wake up.
When I open my eyes, I see a male figure walking toward me with a glass of water. As he slides open the glass door, I blink repeatedly. The guy comes into focus. He’s tall like Bronson, but his hair is darker and much longer. He’s calling me by myactualname, not Carly. A choir might as well be breaking out in the “Hallelujah Chorus” because those lips saying Chloe sound angelic.
Chapter 6
Leo
“Here’ssomewater.”Ihand the woman a glass and try to assess her condition. “You must be Val’s niece. Chloe, right? I’m Leo.” I’m sincerely worried she might have a concussion because her eyes look glazed over. “How are you feeling? I think you got the wind knocked out of you. Did you hit your head too?” I pull out a chair and turn it to face her square on.
She touches a hand to her hair, and after a moment, shakes her head no.
“I’m sorry if I scared you. I had no idea anyone else was out here.”
She pulls her gaze away from some distant place in front of her and looks me in the eye for the first time.
“Maybe we should get you to the hospital.”
“No,” she whisper-shouts. Relief washes over me at the sound of her first word. She made a strange squawk after she slipped, but it seemed more like an involuntary response to hitting the ground.
She’s narrowing her eyes on me, and suddenly, I feel nervous. Val told me she’s a sweetheart, but I’m not getting sweet vibes right now. It’s more like a robot bride of Chucky.
“Chloe,” she says slowly and points a finger to her own chest.
Now I’m seriously concerned. I mean, I guess it’s good she knows her name, but wait—didn’t I just say it? Shoot, she might have amnesia. “Yes, I think you’re Chloe, and I’m Leo.” I lean in to check if her pupils are dilated.
Sitting up straighter, she cocks her head to the right. “How do you know my name?”
“I work for your aunt, maintaining the Airbnbs. Landscaping, cleaning the pool and any other projects that need to be done.”
“So why were you swimming?” She folds her arms across her chest.
“I got hot.”
Her lips form a thin line, and her eyebrows scrunch together. All of a sudden, her mouth turns up, and she throws her head back. The most contagious giggles erupt. I’m incredibly confused, but I can’t help but chuckle with her.
