I don my helmet as I make my way to my motorcycle. I straddle my bike and glance back one more time at my family. No, not my family. The baby I’m currently caring for and the nanny.
I rev the engine and away I go. I don’t look back again.
I arrive at the airfield forty-five minutes later. Unfortunately, there isn’t an airfield on Smuggler’s Hideaway. The island is too small.
Between the three towns of Smuggler’s Rest, Rogue’s Landing, and Pirate’s Perch, as well as theMermaid Mystical Gardensamusement park,Sirens & Stableshorse stables,Barnacles & Barnyardspetting zoo, and all the other tourist stops, there isn’t any room for an airfield on the small island.
“Hey, man,” I’m greeted with back slaps and handshakes by my three buddies – Mac, Layne, and Conner.
“I thought you were motorcycling around South America and wouldn’t make it,” Mac says.
“Change of plans.”
Layne laughs. “There’s always a change of plans with you.”
I shrug since he isn’t wrong. I’m a free spirit. I come and go as I please. Except those days are over now since I’m a dad.
Are they? I don’t have to fight Daisy for custody. I can return Adele to her.
Except Eli’s private investigator hasn’t been able to find Daisy. What kind of mother abandons her baby to a stranger she met for one brief night?
“Come on, straggler.” Conner motions me toward the hangar.
I push thoughts of Daisy and Adele out of my head – today is my day to have fun and forget about my worries – and hurry to follow.
The hangar isn’t very busy. In the summer, it’s packed with tourists making tandem jumps, but it’s December now, and only the diehard skydivers – me and my buddies – are here.
I get my parachute out of my storage bin and find a spot. I haven’t jumped in a while and want to repack it. I open it up and condoms fly everywhere.
Conner, Layne, and Mac burst into laughter.
“We thought you might need some protection considering recent events,” Layne manages to say in between bouts of laughter.
I give him the finger. “You knew why my plans changed all along.”
“Dude.” Conner shakes his head. “The news traveled across Smuggler’s Hideaway faster than a sighting of Sammy.”
Sammy’s a seal that lives on the island. He was captured by the sea life sanctuary north of the island when he was injured as a pup. After he recuperated, they set him free in the ocean. He didn’t make it far before he decided he preferred to stay on land where people feed him.
“You don’t live on Smuggler’s Hideaway.” None of them do.
Conner waggles his eyebrows. “But Serena does.”
“Who’s Serena?”
“His latest sidepiece,” Layne explains.
Sidepiece? Conner’s married. Happily married as far as I know.
“What happened to Jenny?” His wife.
“Nothing.” Conner shrugs. “She works all the time and doesn’t have time for me.”
My brow wrinkles. It’s Sunday. If he doesn’t see his wife enough, he should be home with her and not fooling around with his friends.
Mac groans. “If I have to hear Conner whine one more time about his wife, I’m going to hurl.”
“I don’t whine,” Conner claims.
