She looks pointedly over my shoulder, and I turn around to follow her gaze. Seb is striding across the pool deck, looking like he just stepped off the cover of a surf magazine in board shorts and a pale blue polo tee that hugs his biceps and shows off his tan. I’m the only one who knows the truth: that he’s a shit surfer—always jumping up too soon and wiping out before the wave’s even crested.
When he makes it over to us, he grabs both my shoulders and places a kiss on the side of my head.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.” He reaches a hand across to Dani. “Sebastian Wallace-Conway, pleasure to meet you.”
“Dani Russo. And likewise.” Then she turns to me and raises a studded eyebrow. “Well, I have to go. You enjoy yourself today, Sybil. Looks like you have twodeliciousoptions to choose from.”
I choke a little on my iced coffee, but luckily, Seb is oblivious to Dani’s double meaning. He just nods down earnestly at my two drinks and says, “Oh yeah, that green juice looks fire. Can I try some?”
I wordlessly hand him the glass as Dani heads out, throwing me a wink behind Seb’s back as she goes.
14
IT’S A SHORT WALK TO THE STABLES, OVER A SMALL STREAM, AND DOWN Atree-lined path. When I told Seb during brunch that I was going riding today, he quickly signed himself up as well, grabbing the last open spot for this morning’s excursion.After all, he said with a grin,it’s the perfect opportunity to rehearse our fake relationship—to which I rolled my eyes.
We reach the clearing where the rest of our horseback riding crew is gathered and introduce ourselves. There are two retired science teachers, Hank and Elliot, as well as an elaborately made-up woman named Harriet who is sporting not only glitter eyeshadow at eleven thirty in the morning but also a flowing caftan that looks like an accident waiting to happen. And there, in the back, petting a gray dappled mare with a lush black mane, is Genevieve. She waves hello, and I wave back—grateful that, for once, Jamie does not seem to be with her.
“Go ahead and pick a horse,” Kaia, our leader for the morning’s ride, tells the group. I walk toward a roan mare with abright white star in the center of her forehead. The horse nuzzles my hand when I reach her, and I wish I’d thought to grab an apple or some sugar cubes from the breakfast buffet for her. After a few more sniffs, she gives up looking for food, and I’m able to stroke the soft white splash of color on her nose. One large brown eye looks at me, and I feel some of the nervous tension leak away. The mare’s presence is calming. Her deep, glossy eyes stare at me knowingly, and I feel my breath slow down just a little.
Kaia comes up beside me and pats the horse on the neck. “This is Lo, she’s a sweetheart.” I scratch beneath her chin, and Lo snuffles into my hand.
Kaia gives her a couple firm pats on the neck and moves down the line of horses, double-checking all the tack and introducing the riders to their mounts.
“If you feel comfortable mounting the horse on your own, please do so,” Kaia calls from the far end of the corral. “Otherwise, I’ll come along to help you up.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Seb says casually from where he’s standing beside his horse. “Sybil knows how to mount. Right, babe?”
Dear lord.
Sebastian takes a small hop to get up on the horse, and almost falls backward, but manages it. To his point, Iamactually able to mount my horse without much incident.
“Everyone good?” Kaia asks. Then she mounts the horse next to Sebastian’s and leads us out of the corral.
It’s only a few minutes before the trail opens up, and we’re out of the shady glade near the stable and onto the beach. Lo’s steps are slow and sure, and I relax into the saddle, lettingmy body sway slightly with each step, listening to the horses splashing delicately through the surf. Kaia leads us to the trail that Jamie and I walked on Tuesday after we abandoned the snorkel boat, but where Jamie and I had kept closer to the beach, Kaia guides us away from the water and up the side of the mountain. The path narrows, and leaves brush against my calves.
We wind up a switchback, and Lo and I are forced into a single-file line behind the older woman, Harriet, and ahead of Seb. There’s a dull roar ahead of us, and when the trail opens up into a clearing, it’s obvious where the noise is coming from: at the far end of the clearing is a crystal pond fed by a fifty-foot waterfall.
“How gorgeous,” I say softly, letting Lo come to a stop.
Kaia sees the expression on my face, too, and smiles. She brings her horse next to me and points up above the waterfall. There’s another small clearing, but it doesn’t look like we could get there on horseback. “This is my grandfather’s favorite spot on the island. He always hikes up here when he has some problem to figure out.” Kaia pats the neck of her horse. “He says if he hasn’t solved it by the time he’s reached the top of the waterfall, it’s because he needs to get right with God. And if he hasn’t solved it after a night under the stars, it’s because he needs to get right with my grandmother.”
“He sounds like a smart man.” I laugh.
Kaia laughs, too, and steers her horse away. “Not as smart as my Tutu.”
I spend a moment there, just listening to the roar of the waterfall, capturing a few videos standing almost underneath the spray, where you can see the rainbows the water droplets form.
But then there’s another sound. A thundering growing louder and louder. I turn toward the noise, and in the distance, something catches my eye. It’s a horse and rider, emerging from the dense foliage like a mirage. The wind picks up, tugging at my hair and carrying with it the pounding of hooves and a man’s shout. Dust explodes around them for a moment, obscuring their details. But when it settles, I see him clearly—a grin splitting his face, hair whipping wildly in the breeze. This isn’t the kind of controlled, follow-the-guide riding we’ve been doing; this is raw, untamed freedom. Him and his horse, one with the landscape, a picture straight out of an old Western movie.
When he reaches the clearing, Jamie pulls his horse to a stop, a cloud of dirt billowing behind him.
“Whoa there, Maverick,” he calls out, his voice ragged from the exertion. He glances over at our group apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t realize there was a lesson out right now. I hope I didn’t startle anyone.”
So much for not startling anyone—my heart is pounding at the sight of him. Though less from being startled and more from being completely overwhelmed. Did I really think I could just relax with Sebastian and clear my head without having to face the conundrum of being on a beautiful island with not one buttwoex-fiancés?
“That was quite an entrance, Mr. Kauffman,” Kaia says with a smile. “Care to join us for lunch? We’re just about to break.”
Jamie hesitates for a moment, his gaze finally darting to mine but then quickly away again. “Yeah, sure. Thanks,” he says to Kaia, dismounting with practiced ease.
