“Part Five,” he announced.“Okay, people, let’s talk about Part Five…” This was hard.He studied his face as if he were looking in a mirror.Still recording, he stepped out into the little garden.“Part Five,” he said again, trying to find the right words.“So… I…”
Dammit.Get it together, Jones.
He puffed out his cheeks.“All right, here’s the thing.No one really knows what their Part Five is going to be like.”He paced up and down and then headed out the little gate and along the path to the beach.Focused by the expanse of sky and sea, he angled his phone to capture the lagoon, the gold-white sand, and the turquoise water.“So, what does Part Five look like for me?”
A blast of heat engulfed him, energizing his soul.He took a deep breath, looked beyond the line of the reef and the waves breaking against it, and listed everything he saw on his personal horizon.
Chapter 31
Thesunwasalmostsetting by the time Libby reached the grocery store that sold milkshakes.Karim hadn’t napped.Their routine was shot to pieces today.Giving him a milkshake now would spoil his appetite for dinner, but she’d just have to feed him later, even though that would make his bedtime late too.Anxiety churned her stomach.She was questioning everything again, overthinking the simplest of things, and all because Daniel Freaking Jones had turned her world upside down.He’d gotten too much under her skin.The safe fantasy had become an unsettling reality, and it was time she took back control of her emotions and stopped her stupid pulse from racing every time she was near him.
All she had to do was treat him just like any other friend—someone like Rick—who she might work with.Very soon, they’d finish working together anyway.They only had Part Five left to record.Tomorrow, she’d call Dan and head over toAre Moanaand shoot whatever he had to say about his future and be done with it.
As she got her phone out to pay for the milkshakes, she saw a message from Dan.
Part 5 clipswas all it said, along with a link to the cloud drive they shared.
Wonderful.
He’d thought the same thing, that the quicker they got all five parts live, the quicker their special friendship would end.
Tears stung her eyes.
“Come on, sweet cheeks.”She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice.“Let’s head home.”
Slowly, they made their way back to the hut.
It was dark when they finally walked through Tia Rosa’s backyard.Guiding Karim up the path, she took solace from their chatter about the beautifully scented flowers, and…stopped dead.
The lights were on.
And there was Dan, in the kitchen, his back to her…chopping vegetables?
Not quite believing her eyes, Libby pulled open the door.Karim ran straight to him.
“Hey, kiddo!”Dan caught her baby as he crashed into his legs and scooped him up.“Your clothes are all wet still.Did you have a nice time at the beach?”He listened to Karim tell him about the seashells and then handed him a thin slice of bell pepper.Her baby took one bite and pulled a face so displeased that Libby couldn’t help but smile.“At least you weren’t afraid to try it, kid,” Dan said as he lowered him to the ground.He then slowly looked her way.For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.Two people trying to figure the other one out.
“Hi, Libby.”
“Hello, Dan.”Her stupid pulse.Her stupid heart.“What are you doing here?”
“Cooking dinner.We’ve got a deal, remember?”With his eyes still on hers, he slowly held out a slice of bell pepper to her, too.An olive branch?She took a bite, and he turned to the pan on the stovetop and slid the sliced vegetables into it.“We’ve also got to upload Part Four tonight.”
Was that why he was here?Was he throwing her words back in her face?About work being what they needed to concentrate on?
“All right.”Libby eyed him curiously as he continued to cook.“I got your Part Five thoughts.”
Dan looked at her for a few moments then turned back to the stove, leaving her words dangling in the air.
“But you haven’t watched them yet,” he said eventually.
“No.”
How did he know?
“I’ll watch them later,” she said.When she was alone and could cry like a love-sick teenager.“I’d better get Karim changed.”She picked her baby up and nuzzled his neck.The contact fortified her to ask, “Why else are you here, Dan?”
“We still didn’t get to talk about us earlier.”
