Mia’s mat looked like it belonged under a dinner plate at a fancy island resort. Cami’s mat looked like...well, not a mat. Maybe a basket? Or...a hammock for a family of Central Park squirrels?
Her sorry attempt at weaving reminded her of the time Carlotta had tried to teach her to French braid. They’d ended up having to cut three inches off Carlotta’s hair because Cami had so thoroughly tied it in knots. And then Cami had let Carlotta cut three inches offherhair out of solidarity.
Their mother had been furious to find their raven locks lying in a pile on the bathroom floor. But they’d thought their new bangs looked kind of cute. And who cared if the left side of Cami’s hair was shorter than the right, or that there was a huge hunk missing from the back of Carlotta’s head?
The memory of that day, all the whispers and giggles while she and her sister took turns wielding the scissors, renewed the ache that lived in the center of her chest. She sent a silent sentiment into the abyss.Oh, how I miss you, my sweet sister.
Letting her head fall back, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the warmth of the wind as it slid over her skin. On the sound it made when it rattled through the palm trees overhead. On the smells it brought with it...salt water, hot sand, and sun.
“What did you give him anyway?” Mia’s voice interrupted her momentary mediation.
Cami dropped her chin. “Give who what?”
“Doc.” Mia pointed over her shoulder toward the life raft. Its garish, orange hue stood out in stark contrast to the creamy color of the sand and the caramel color of the tree trunks.
The only way to know Doc inhabited the watercraft was to see the twohugebare feet propped on the round rubber side, or to hear the deep, resonate snores that wafted up from within.
Cami giggled. “I gave him one of my period pills.” When Mia lifted an eyebrow, Cami raised a hand. “Hey, he looked on the bottle and said he’d be fine to take it. And who was I to second-guess him?”
“Should we”—Mia wrinkled her nose—“go see if he’s okay?”
“He sounds fine to me.” Cami smirked. “In fact, he sounds better than fine. He sounds like he’ll be out for the next couple of hours. And if those pills affect him like they affect me, he’ll wake up with a serious craving for red wine and potato chips dipped in chocolate syrup.”
Mia laughed. “Is that a thing?”
“It is at my house,” Cami assured with all due seriousness.
Mia pressed a hand to her stomach when it let out a loud growl. “Oh, god. We must stop talking about food. I’m starving. Have you seen Romeo catch anything? He’s been at it for a while now.”
Cami’s own stomach balled into a fist at the thought of food. Or rather, at the thought ofnofood. “No.” She grimaced. “Not so much as a minnow.”
“I’m suddenly understanding how the Donner Party felt,” Mia muttered.
Cami scooted a few inches away. “If talking about food has you turning all Hannibal Lecter, then by all means, let’s change the subject. Between me, Doc, or Romeo, no doubt I’m the tenderest and the tastiest.” She tapped her lips in thought. “What sort of chitchat are you up for? We could list the weirdest places we’ve ever done it. Or we could rate the worst dates we’ve ever been on. Or we could admit the three most embarrassing moments of our lives so far. Any of those topics strike your fancy?”
Carlotta had loved to play this game on dateless Friday nights while wearing comfy pajamas and stuffing their faces full of junk food and wine.
Mia slid her a sly glance. “How about we go back to you and Doc? You never did answer my question.”
“What question was that?” Cami tried acting nonchalant.
Doc was... Hmm. She wasn’t surewhathe was. All she knew was that one minute she wanted to punch him in the nuts, and the next minute she wanted to pounce on him and kiss him all over his insanely appealing face.
“I guess it wasn’t so much a question as it was an observation,” Mia admitted. “You two can’t seem to make up your minds whether to like each other or loathe each other.”
“Why do those things have to be mutually exclusive?” Cami knew her smile was wry. “It’s true. He irks me, and it’s hard for me not to answer every question he asks with a middle finger when he starts in on the lawyer stuff. But he’s also smart-alecky and a little bit brooding. And I swear that combination is like honey to a bee for me. I keep coming back for—”
She stopped talking and frowned over at Mia. It was obvious by the marine archeologist’s posture and the direction of her gaze, she’d stopped listening. Cami quickly turned her attention to the vast, rolling ocean, but whatever had caught Mia’s attention alluded her own eyes.
“What do you see?” She felt the hairs on her arms lift with a sense of expectation.
Mia’s voice was even quieter than usual. Cami had to strain to hear her over Doc’s snores. “I...I’m not sure. I thought maybe...there for a second it looked like...a boat?”
When Mia pointed, Cami followed the direction of her finger. At first she saw nothing but blue on blue on blue. But then...
“Holy shit!” She was on her feet in an instant.
“Do you see it?” Mia stood beside her.
