“Perfect. Why?”
“You look upset.”
“I ran into Cynthia. That’s all.”
Sarah waited.
“She made a snide comment about us. Called me ‘the help getting awfully friendly with the boss.’”
“What did you say?”
“I told her if she didn’t stop, I’d tell everyone about her crying over iguanas and peeing herself on the island.”
Sarah tried not to smile. “She what?”
“On Carlson Island. Never mind. In any case, she did see us at the mansion. Going into the storage room.”
Sarah’s eyes grew wide. “Did she threaten to tell anyone?”
“Kinda. I told her if she did, I’d tell everyone about her peeing herself. Maybe I could have handled that better.”
“You handled it perfectly.” Sarah sat next to her. “Cynthia won’t say anything. She has too much to lose. And even if she does, we’ll deal with it.”
“You’re not worried?”
“I’m terrified. But I’m starting to get really tired of feeling like this. I’d like to have a relationship that doesn’t require looking like friends when out in public, having to swim further out just to kiss my girl in the water, or sitting on the far side of the beach. Don’t get of this, please.”
Lizzie kissed her. “I won’t. Don’t worry.”
They stayed like that for a long time and Lizzie knew that in due course, their secret would be revealed. But not right now. Right now, they had this.
And this was enough.
Chapter 21
Sarah
The following Saturday, the pool deck was chaos. Spring breakers everywhere, music blasting, the smell of sunscreen and chlorine mixing in the humid air. Sarah stood at her office window watching Lizzie coordinate the welcome party for the new arrivals. She had it all under control.
Sarah’s door opened. Esmeralda walked in with a stack of linen inventory reports.
“Your intern is doing well. In more ways than one.”
“She is.”
“You look happy. It’s nice to see.”
Sarah turned from the window. “I am happy. For the first time in a long time.”
Esmeralda set down the reports and pulled Sarah into a hug. “Billy would be glad. He always wanted you to find someone who made you smile like that.”
Before she could reply, Sarah’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and her mood soured immediately.
Mom. Again.
“You should answer it,” Esmeralda said, seeing her face.
“No. Things never change with her. It’s always the same. Money, guilt, manipulation.” Sarah silenced the call. “I’m not doing this today.”
