Turning around, I lean down and grin at him, “I’ll get your coffee next time we’re out.”
“Doesn’t count if you use Mr. Money Bag’s card,” he teases, and the reminder sends azingright through me.
I still have Dane’s card, practically burning a hole in my wallet, but I haven’t used it aside from the shopping spree he demanded I go on. Even after Amsterdam, when he specifically told me to use it, I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it.
I turn and trot to the private security entrance leading to the jet.
The man waiting outside is anxious to take my bag, and when I climb aboard, flustered and sweating, I turn to find three sets of eyes landing directly on me.
Dane’s serious, brown eyes so dark they make him look almost demon-like.
Nico’s slightly amused, sparkling hazel eyes.
And Cole, glancing quickly, just two seconds of eye contact that’s enough to feel like a physical touch. He quickly looks back at his tablet, but the other two continue looking at me.
“Lucy,” Dane says with a quick nod, while Nico pats the seat next to him with a smile.
“Have a seat,” Nico says.
Tentatively, I cross over the plush carpet and sink down into the seat next to Nico, across from Cole and Dane.
Dane presses the button on his armrest, paging the pilot. “We’re ready to go.”
“Okay. Wheels up in five, boss.”
The microphone clicks off, Dane sits back in his seat, and the air between us all is thick with—what? Tension? Possibility?
Whatever it is, it floats in my body like a cloud, nebulous and sparking, not quite sure whether to rain or strike down with lightning, hot and fast.
I have no idea what’s about to happen, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be intense.
Chapter 24
Lucy
If my phone worked right now, I would use it to send a million pictures of this place to Julian and Mary. I have a feeling Aunt Ruby wouldn’t actually be that impressed with it, but I’d probably still send them to her, too.
My cottage isn’t a big place, and it’s clearly designed for a single person to stay in—but it’sgorgeous. Somehow modern and classic at once, combining comfort with sleek, light wood.
When you walk through the front door, which is tucked away in foliage and bright, luscious island flowers, the first thing you see is the far wall, made entirely of glass and offering a view of cascading nature, short fat palm trees, tall sprouts with vibrant red fruit, and scrubby bushes, giving way to a smear of sapphire blue.
The ocean, right here in front of me.
Maybe for some people like Nico, who grew up near the shore, the sight of it isn’t miraculous. But for me, living in landlocked Missouri, looking out at the ocean feels like a major event. I always feel it in my heart—the kind of joyous weightlessness you feel at a concert, or running track, breaking ahead of the pack and crossing the finish line first.
“Wow,” I actually whisper out loud, dropping my bag and crossing through the living room as the door shuts behind me.
I pass tasteful, plush couches, a low birch coffee table carved with rounded edges, and a tall fireplace on the far wall, with shiny glass pebbles glimmering at its base. Beautiful water-themed art hangs on the walls.
Touching my hand to the window as I stare out at the view, I’m reminded, once again, of how different this life looks from the one I was living just a few months ago. Lost in my grief, I spent most of my time in bed or at work, going through the motions.
Now I’m staring at the ocean, wearing designer clothes, standing beside a painting of this island that was probably commissioned, and most likely cost more than my parents’ entire home.
And I know that Frankie would be proud of the changes I’ve gone through. Spending all my time grieving her didn’t make me miss her any less. If anything, I feel closer to her now than I did while fixating on her absence.
Pulling back from the windows, I turn and take in the rest of the space.
Essentially, my little cottage is just a square, the living room across from the front door, the kitchen beside it. The countertops are a cool, creamy marble, with shining appliances and a large, curved brass faucet that glints in the light.
