“There. See?” Horatio pointed to the dock where Tranquila Inn had their own private dinghy boat tied. Past the boat lay calm blue water and a little sand dune area. “I want to go to the sand bar. It’s not far and the energy flows better there.”
“Yeah, Paige. The energy is better on the sand bar.” Nadia put her hand on her hip.
“I mean, don’t you think it’s best to trust Jack? He certainly knows the waters around here better than I do. If he says not to go, I’d listen.”
“Do we have to listen to everything he says?” Nadia asked.
Paige reminded herself of Jack’s own words to her – these were adults she was dealing with.
“I don’t think you have to listen to everything he says, no. However, if it’s a safety issue, I’d strongly advise you to listen to what Jack says here. He’s in the business of making sure you are all happy and safe. I’d trust his judgement call on this one.”
“So, she’s not saying no then. Okay, everyone, let’s head out.”
“But…” Paige looked at Horatio in surprise. “I really don’t think it’s wise for you to do this, Horatio.”
“What could possibly be the problem? Look how calm the water is. You’re overreacting, Paige. Just like you always do.”
Stung, Paige closed her mouth while Lily and Nadia snickered. A few of the group dropped back, clearly heeding her words, while a small group followed Horatio to where the SUPs were stacked on the beach. She should probably stop him, Paige thought, but a part of her hoped he’d float off to sea and she’d never have to deal with him again. Maybe that was one of those angry chakras Horatio had lectured her about…
Sighing, Paige retreated to the reception hall to grab her sunglasses and to locate Jack, as she was certain he had a good reason for not wanting Horatio to use the paddle boards.
“What’s got you down, mama?” Luis asked from where he was trimming a bush.
“Horatio’s an idiot and likely going to get himself killed.”
“So let him.” Luis shrugged one shoulder.
“I don’t think that will be good for our hotel image. Guest dies while paddle boarding unsupervised.”
“Maybe not. But still his choice.”
“Have you seen Jack?” Paige asked, working to tamp down on her exasperation.
“I think he was with CeCe last I saw him.”
“And that would be where?”
“Where else?” Luis laughed.
“Right. At the bar. See ya.” Paige took off in the direction of the bar and even from a distance she could see that CeCe and Jack were arguing. Mariposa was nowhere to be seen. Jack broke off as Paige drew close, spotting her over CeCe’s shoulder. The older woman turned at his look, and for a moment, her expression took Paige’s breath away.
A deep-rooted sadness etched the fine lines of her face, and her eyes were haunted by what ghosts Paige did not know. It was like looking at an entirely different person than the animated CeCe she knew. Upon seeing Paige, CeCe’s expression cleared and was replaced with her usual jovial smile.
“Hello, gorgeous! Just delighted to see you. Join us, will you?” CeCe gestured to the bar where her martini sat and a can of Coca-Cola was out for Jack.
“I can’t right now. I need Jack, if you can spare him?”
“Of course. We weren’t discussing anything important, were we?” CeCe’s tone was steady as she turned back to Jack.
“That’s one interpretation,” Jack bit out before turning to Paige. His expression was mutinous, and Paige debated adding fuel to that particular fire.
“Um, Horatio’s gone ahead with taking the paddleboards out. I advised him against it, but…” Paige trailed off as Jack slammed his fist down on the bar.
“That fucking idiot! How many times do I have to tell him no? He’s like a damn child. I thought I sent you out there to handle him.” Jack strode off without another word and Paige gritted her teeth, staring after him.
“Don’t mind his temper, darling. He’s like all men – they never know how to appropriately deal with their feelings.” With that, CeCe turned back to her preferred numbing mechanism – a martini.
“I’m just going to go make sure Jack doesn’t murder Horatio.”
“It wouldn’t be much of a loss for the world, would it, darling?” CeCe threw her head back and laughed and Paige beelined back to the beach to stop a potential murder in progress. There she found Jack, standing on the dock, all but vibrating with anger. The rest of the retreat had caught wind of the drama and the guests now peppered the beach, looking to where Horatio had managed to get his little group to the sand bar.
They’d piled their paddles together on one side of the sandbar and then haphazardly pulled their boards on top of each other. This left the group in the middle, dutifully following whatever Horatio was expounding on as he waved his arms in the air and turned in a wide circle. Paige sighed as they began a series of Sun Salutations, and knew that they would be there as long as Horatio demanded they be or until Jack went out in the boat and ordered them to come back.
“Jack.” Paige kept her tone soft as she approached, not wanting him to explode on her again. “Is everything okay? They look like they are safe.”
“For now. The tide comes in fast here.”
“Then they’ll get on their boards and come home. I’m sure it will be fine.”
It was not fine.
Twenty minutes later, the tide had taken their paddles away and everyone was clutching their boards as the waterline crept up to their knees. Horatio was waving his arms in the air and facing the beach.
“Help! Help! Our paddles are gone!”
“An absolute dipshit.” Jack swore as he strode to the dinghy and jumped in. The rest of the retreat had all gathered close together on the beach to watch the drama unfold. Horatio, knowing he had an audience, started ordering his little group of yogis around. Soon, all four of them were crouched, kneeling on their paddleboards, trying to paddle forward with their hands. Jack had been right. The tide had come in fast and now the sand bar had disappeared completely. Not to mention, the waves had picked up, careening into the paddleboards and causing each person to clutch the side of the board to keep from falling into the ocean.
“Throw me the line.” Jack gestured to a pile of rope wrapped around a bracket on the dock. Paige raced forward and unwound it, tossing it into the boat.
“Do you need my help?”
“I’ve got it.” Jack started the engine and reversed from the dock, turning the soft dinghy around so that it was facing where the sand bar had been.
Worry raced through her as another set of waves pummeled the paddleboarders. They were outside the protected cove area. If someone got knocked off, would they be contending with currents? Paige watched as Jack reached the group quickly, cutting the engine as he drifted closer. She saw him gesturing with his hands and wondered how he planned to handle this. The boat wasn’t big enough to fit the people and the paddleboards, but if Jack only rescued the people then the paddleboards would be a loss. Having studied the expense of ordering goods to the island, Paige was well aware what a costly decision that would be.
“Why’s he always gotta be showing off like that?” Stan, one of the men who regularly showed off for Mariposa each night, griped to her.
“The universe only knows,” Paige said.
“He should’ve listened to Jack.”
“And to me. I also advised him against going out there,” Paige pointed out.
“Yeah, but Horatio never listens to you.”
Stung, Paige turned away and was surprised to feel the prick of tears at her eyes. She knew it was just an offhand comment, but that’s what made it worse. It was a reality that everyone around her had accepted long ago and something that had taken being slapped upside the head with her bed full of yoga beauties to finally see. Why had she allowed someone to treat her like that for so long? It wasn’t particularly gratifying to find that others viewed her as a doormat as well.
“Maybe if he had listened, he wouldn’t be stuck up shit creek without a paddle.” Paige found herself saying to the guest. Never had there been a time when that particular saying was more appropriate, Paige thought, as she scanned the horizon for the missing paddles.
“That’s true. The studio’s not running so smoothly since you left. Even if Horatio treated you like crap, you still did a good job managing everything,” Stan said. Paige was surprised but pleased with the compliment.
“Thanks, Stan. I really liked working there. I thought I did a good job.”
“You did. The business lost a good asset in you. But I’d say you landed on your feet just fine.” With that, Stan walked to the end of the dock to get a better view of the debacle. Paige hadn’t expected to find an epiphany coming from the mouth of one middle-aged half-hearted yogi, but nevertheless, here she was. Because Stan was right. She could beat herself up for her relationship with Horatio, but she couldn’t fault her work ethic or what she’d accomplished at her job. While she’d certainly had to accept some personal lessons when it came to her choices, she’d also learned a lot and grown in her business acumen. For that, she could be grateful. A sense of peace washed through her, easing the tension from her shoulders, and she walked slowly forward to see how Jack was handling this situation.
He’d thrown a rope to the group and had each person pass it back to the next. Paige realized he was going to tow the group slowly in so that they could stay on their boards. Paige held her breath as he started the engine and began the tedious and awkward trek back to the dock. The group looked grateful for the help, keeping their eyes focused on the task at hand. But when they drew near to the dock, Horatio, perched on the last board in the group, looked up and saw everybody watching. Never one to miss an audience, he propped himself up on his knees, and then wobbled himself to a standing position as Jack drew in line with the dock.
“You see, my followers? You can do yoga anywhere. Yoga isn’t just about the movements. It’s about the mindset and clearing the blockages to your energy.” With that, Horatio bent forward to attempt a warrior three pose. He overcalculated, misbalanced, and in an unfortunate or fortunate timing of events, depending on who was watching, tipped over and hit the side of his face into the dock before disappearing underwater.
“Horatio!” Nadia screamed.
“Damn it.” Jack swore and looked up at the dock. Spying Paige, he cut the engine, tossed her the line, and dove into the water in one seamless motion. Paige caught the line and tied the boat, her heart hammering in her chest as she waited for Jack to surface.
She hadn’t actually wanted Horatio to die when she’d wished he’d float off to sea. Paige had just hoped he’d not…be around here anymore. But still alive. Just somewhere else. When Jack broke the surface with a flailing Horatio in his arms, everyone cheered.
Jack swam awkwardly to the ladder and handed Horatio off. The dripping yoga instructor pulled himself up the ladder and deposited himself on the dock.
“Oh, Jack. You’re a hero!” Nadia crowed and soon they were all cheering for Jack.
Paige didn’t miss the sullen look that clouded Horatio’s face and moved forward to crouch next to him.
“Let me check you for injuries.”
“I’m fine. It was nothing,” Horatio bit out, pushing her hand away and trying to stand.
“Just give it a second. You’ve had a shock and probably swallowed some sea water.”
“I said I’m fine, Paige. Why are you being so pushy?”
“Because you have a knot the size of a goose egg on your face, and it’s my job to make sure you don’t die on me, much to my chagrin.”
“Anger doesn’t become you. If you’d taken any of my classes this week, you could’ve cleared that energy,” Horatio had the gall to point out to Paige as she touched his face. He winced when she pressed a bit too hard on his wound.
“I didn’t ask for your advice, Horatio. Nor do I need it. We’ll need to get some ice on your face. If you think you can stand, we can get you to the reception hall.”
“I said I’m fine.” With that, Horatio stood and stormed down the dock, while the rest of the group looked after him in surprise. Jack shot him a glare from where he was busy stacking the paddleboards back on the beach.
“Do you need me to help with anything?” Paige asked, striding down the dock to Jack.
“Storm’s brewing with that one. I’d say get him an ice pack and a rum punch. I’m going back out after the paddles.”
“But…won’t it be impossible to find them?”
Paige looked back to where Horatio stormed across the beach, Nadia and Lily on his heels. He was her past, Paige realized, and, well, while she didn’t know what her future held yet, she did know one thing.
Jack always took care of everyone else. Maybe it was time to take care of him.
“I’m coming with you.” Paige hopped in the boat before he could protest.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Are you sure you don’t need to tend to the man-baby? He is likely to be kicking up quite a fuss right now.” Jack’s tone was harsh as he walked the dinghy back out into deeper water.
“You mean our primary guest who you’ve advised me to attend to with the utmost care?” Paige reminded Jack, keeping her tone light, but also refusing to let him be a jerk to her.
“Ah, fuck it. You’re right. You really should go to him. I’ve got this.”
“It’ll be easier with two people. Plus, Horatio has plenty of people to see to his needs.”
Jack hopped in the boat and took his position by the motor. She watched as he lowered the engine back into the water and started it, reversing them smoothly before turning the dinghy around. They motored slowly in silence for a moment, and Paige took a moment to calm her emotions while scanning the water for the paddles. Jack had annoyed her, but she could understand his frustration.
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s that?” Paige turned, unsure if she’d heard him correctly. Jack grimaced and then shrugged his tanned shoulders at her.
“I said I was sorry. I’m just frustrated and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. The idiot nearly got himself killed. And that’s on me.”
“No, Jack. That’s on him. We both warned him of the danger. Didn’t you tell me that this wasn’t a kid’s camp? They are adults, remember? He just makes shitty decisions. He does this all the time. Horatio likes to feel like he is in charge, and I think he’s threatened by you.”
“By me? Why? I’m the last person who is going to compete with him for yoga guru status,” Jack laughed. “I like to lift weights and swim. That’s the extent of my workouts.”
“Well, they do well by you,” Paige let her eyes trail over the muscles on his abdomen. She licked her lips. “Very well.”
“Thank you. Though, I can’t knock yoga. You are mighty fit, Miss Paige.”
“Thank you. I’m bendy, too,” Paige shot a grin over her shoulder and then turned to look back out at the waves before she did something stupid like clamber across the boat and jump him. “Tell me what to look for.”
“If
we’re lucky, they’ll still be tied in a bundle. Otherwise, it’s gonna be tough to spot them. The paddles were black with yellow at the ends. So, just look for any ripple in the surface, and we’ll see if we can collect them.”
“I’m sorry, I know this is annoying.” Paige dropped to her knees and pressed her stomach against the soft side of the dinghy so as to better see the surface of the water.
“It is. But I don’t want to order new paddles, and it’s more unnecessary waste in the ocean. If we’re lucky, we’ll only be out a little bit of time.”
“And, I can’t say I mind being out here with you rather than back there dealing with him,” Paige said.
“I don’t blame you for that.”
They fell into companionable silence as they searched, and Paige found herself enjoying the boat ride. The sun warmed her and the breeze rippled over the waves, cooling her skin.
“There they are!” Paige pointed excitedly to the paddles floating ahead of them. “I see them!”
“Nice spot. Keep an eye on them.” Jack increased their speed until they reached the paddles, circling the boat nicely so that Paige could lean over and grab the bundle. Heaving them into the boat, she laughed as she almost hit Jack in the head with them.
“Whoops.”
“I probably deserved that.”
“No you didn’t. You were frustrated. You take care of a lot of things around here. I am sure it gets exhausting. I guess…I want to be able to help you, is all.”
“That’s…” Jack blew out a breath. “That’s nice, Paige. That’s actually nice as hell. I don’t think anyone ever really offers to help me.”
“Well, do you ask for help?”
Jack slanted her a look before starting the engine again.
“Typical man.” Paige muttered this low enough that he wouldn’t hear, but he must have caught her meaning because a grin flashed across his face. This time, Jack turned up the speed and they bounced across the water, the salty spray of waves misting her face.
One Way Ticket Page 13