Sarah looked out at the water. It was a perfect day. Clear blue sky, sunshine glinting off the waves. Any other time she’d appreciate it. Today it just felt like the universe mocking her. She looked back at the pier. The second ferry was still docked. In the distance she could make out Lizzie. She’d come over with the second load a few minutes after them. They she’d be trapped on Carlson Island with her for two days.
Great.
“I hurt her.”
“Yeah, you did.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know.” Carlos was quiet for a moment. “Did you really leave her money like some john at the brothel? Esme told me and I could hardly believe my ears.”
“Don’t.” Sarah’s voice came out sharper than she intended. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was going to take the van and wanted to make sure she got back to her place alright without digging into her own money. I had that breakfast with the city commissioner.”
“Excuses, excuses. You do know what that must have felt like for her though, right?”
“I know.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “I know. I’d hate my guts too if I were in her shoes.”
“Trouble is, she doesn’t hate you,” Carlos replied, wrapping one of his hefty arms around her.
“The whole thing was a mistake.”
“Was it?” Carlos turned to look at her. “Or was it a chance to be happy and you ran like a pack of wild beasts were after you?”
Sarah didn’t answer. What could she say? That he was right? That waking up with Lizzie had felt more real than anything in years and she’d freaked out immediately when she woke up with her at her side?
“You need to stop hiding who you are.”
“I’m not hiding—”
“You are. And I get it, I do. The court case, the board, all of it. But maybe it would be better if you just told the truth. About everything.” He paused. “And I mean everything.”
The half-bagel she’d eaten for breakfast churned in her stomach as if it wanted to make another appearance. “The truth would be the worst thing that could happen to me.”
“Worse than losing her?”
“I barely know her. It’s a holiday crush.”
“That’s not what your face says when you look at her. Or she at you.”
Sarah stood up. The ferry was approaching the island now. She could see the white sand beaches, the palm trees swaying in the breeze. Several private cottages were scattered along the beach. The open-air pavilion where tonight’s party would happen stood near the center of the island.
The day was perfect. Perhaps deceptively so. A feeling at the pit of her stomach had been nagging on her all week, and even more so now. And for once, it wasn’t related to Lizzie.
She pulled out her phone again to look at the radar and immediately grimaced.
“What?” Carlos asked. “Weather?”
“Yeah. It says there’s still a chance that freak storm system could turn our way. Not till Sunday afternoon, but still. We might have to leave early. I wish Stavros had let me cancel the whole thing.”
Carlos got up and joined her side. “You talked to him?”
“Yeah, I think he was even considering it but then Derek and Peter got involved and said there’s a next to 0% chance that this thing will head this way and we’d be losing a lot of money on supplies. I said we could have the party on the resort grounds but no.”
“To be fair, there hasn’t been a really bad storm in March in ages.”
She turned to him. “It’s nearly April and April is only two months away from Hurricane Season. Besides, we do get storms.”
Carlos shrugged. “We’ll be ok. I bet you prepared anyway, didn’t you?”
