“Jeez, sorry mate, I didn’t realise I’d monopolised your entire day!” he remarked with a chuckle, making his way back down through the thick, green ferns. “Check out that view, though! What a sight!”
I turned, my breath catching at the spectrum of crimson, magenta, orange and pink colouring the water as the sun dipped closer to the horizon and the silhouettes of other Whitsundays Islands in the distance. Ri would love this. She would look so beautiful with that sunset glowing against her perfect skin, bejewelling her golden hair.
“You’ve got it bad, Henry,” River joked, nudging me in the ribs as he passed me on the way down to the ruin that was the old resort site. “I can tell by the look on your face that you’re thinking about your lovely wife … but you can see my vision, right? A trail up to an intimate lookout bar, cocktails, and the setting sun, nestled amidst nature.”
“Yes. It would be spectacular.”
River prattled on as he started down the hill, but my mind had already strayed back to Ri. She’d seemed preoccupied when I’d left that morning, mumbling something about using the spa and ‘tidying herroom’. She had very few belongings left in the guest bedroom, as far as I could tell from the volume of clothes and toiletries that had appeared in our bedroom.
Our bedroom. I loved the sound of that.
I loved her.
The sudden urge to tell her, to give her the word I hadn’t quite worked up the courage to say to her before now. I needed her to know that she was it for me.
When we got back, I wasn’t going to hold it in a second longer.
As we reached the bottom of the hill and picked our way through the mess of the old resort, heading in the direction of the jetty and theGirl on Fire, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
And then again. And again.
I tugged it out. Missed calls and messages from Lucian.
“Shit,” I muttered as text messages began flooding in. “I boosted the Wi-Fi on the yacht, I shouldn’t have been out of range today.” I opened the texts.
Lucian: Atlas still hasn’t checked in with the hotel. I’m filing a missing person report
Lucian: You need to contact your silent partner, maybe he knows something the SynAPPsee guys don’t
Lucian: I know it’s shit you have to explain to him that Atlas is missing, but he might have information we need
Lucian: Hello?
Lucian: You missed a call, but the caller didn’t leave a message.
Lucian: You missed a call, but the caller didn’t leave a message.
Lucian: Why is your phone going straight to voicemail?
Lucian: You missed a call, but the caller didn’t leave a message.
Lucian: Should I be worrying right now? Or have you turned your phone on DND so you and Irina can have special cuddles?
Lucian: Ri’s phone is ringing out. I’m officially worried
Lucian: Josie isn’t answering her phone either
Lucian: I’m getting on a plane to Airlie now. And I’m charging it to your credit card for the stress you’re putting me through
Lucian: You and Ri better be okay when I get there …
I blew out a breath, following River on unsteady feet. Why was Ri not answering her phone? And Josie?
“Everything okay?” River asked, slowing for me to catch up with him. I shook my head, anxiety playing havoc with my lungs.
“We need to get back to theGirl on Fire.” Maybe Ri was in the spa and her phone wasn’t nearby? There had to be a rational explanation.
But the tight feeling in my gut persisted. I dialled Lucian, but it went straight to voicemail. He must be in the air. I tried Ri as we picked our way through a garden of upended, broken pots and the creepy brown tendrils of the once-alive plants they had housed.
