“Almost my turn, Mommy!”
“It sure is.” Maggie pocketed her phone as the ride crawled to a stop and a teenage girl helped the children disembark. Moments later the line inched forward and Maggie handed over the ticket.
“That one!” Zoey pointed to an old-fashioned red sports car.
“I’ll bet it’s the fastest one.”
“Mommy.”The face she made as she clambered into the car was a preview of teenaged Zoey. “They all go the same speed.”
“Are you sure?” Maggie buckled the belt. “Yours looks so much faster.”
Zoey rolled her eyes.
Her daughter was growing up too fast. Too smart for her own good. “I’ll be right over there.”
“Okay.”
Maggie exited the area and moved outside the stanchions. She took her phone from her shorts pocket and snapped a couple of pictures before Zoey noticed and treated her to a cheesy smile.
A few minutes later the ride began its slow, circular journey. “Have fun!”
Zoey waved, smiling as the wind ruffled her flutter sleeves. Her daughter would enjoy the ride, but she wasn’t one to squeal or scream. She was so poised for her young age. So grown-up. A fun summer away from the daily routines back home would be good for her. Shecould use some time with her cousins and Uncle Josh, who could make her belly-laugh like no one else.
Maggie lifted the phone and stepped back to capture the entire ride. Camera in place, she waited for Zoey to glance over, but her daughter was busy working the car’s steering wheel. When the ride circled back around, Zoey glanced up and flashed a smile.
But a passerby blocked the shot. Maggie’s gaze homed in on the screen. On the man.
A tsunami slammed into her heart.
She gaped at his face even as he exited the frame.It couldn’t be.She lowered the phone and searched the crowd. There he was, disappearing into the fray.
She charged that way, her attention pinned to the spot where she’d last seen him.There.Just a car’s length away, striding in the other direction. She followed, her body surging with adrenaline, her eyes wide, afraid to blink. She laser focused on the white ball cap, bobbing in the sea of people.
She crashed into somebody, glanced down as a young boy caught his balance. “Sorry, honey.” Breathless words scraped from her throat, barely audible.
She glanced around, frantically seeking. In that brief moment she’d lost sight of him. Where was he?Where was he?She scrambled toward the spot where she’d last seen him, the juncture where the walkway split in three directions.
She turned in circles. No sign of him. The white hat was nowhere to be seen. Her breath hitched. Her heart shriveled. She had to return to Zoey before the ride ended.
Still she searched, growing dizzy with the motion, the spinning rides, the blaring music. With the soul-crushing realization that he was gone. The unbelievable realization of who she’d just seen.
Ethan.
Impossible. She gave her head a shake. Her mind was playing tricks on her again. It couldn’t be Ethan. It absolutely couldn’t be her high school sweetheart, the only man she’d ever loved, the man she’d married and conceived a child with.
Because he was killed five years ago at his military post in Pakistan.
Chapter 2
“Crew members, please prepare for mooring.” With the ease born from years on the river, Josh Reynolds maneuvered theCarolina Dreaminto its berth. Minutes later the sixty-five-foot riverboat crawled into place, and Josh turned on his headset. “All right, folks, we’re now safe to disembark. We hope you’ve enjoyed the beautiful Seabrook sunset. Thank you for choosing Island Tours.”
As the passengers filed out, he exited the pilothouse, descended the stairs, and stepped onto the dock to see them off. “Have a wonderful night, y’all... Thank you for touring with us... Hope to see you next time.”
“Bye, Cap’n Josh!”
“Bye, Caleb. Nice job steering the vessel. Come back when you’re ready to be my first mate.”
“Hey now!” Josh’s mate, Darius, complained with flair. “That’s not cool.”
