Daphne laughed and shook her head. “After that revelation? Definitely not. Can we go home now? I miss my slippers.”
“You sure you don’t want to give it one more shot?”
“Give what one more shot? You heard Scott, he’s with someone else.”
“So? That doesn’t mean anything.”
Daphne sighed. “Okay, let’s walk out the back way. If we see him, we see him. If we don’t, at least I tried. Does that work for you?”
KC grinned. “That’s the spirit. Harry would be proud.”
They made their way back outside, and while KC scanned the crowd, Daphne countered her unease by replaying the conversation she’d had earlier with Clay in her head. He likes you. He’ll be glad to see you, regardless. Don’t overanalyze it.
“There’s my bestie!” KC suddenly yelled. “He’s on the dance floor macking on some girl. I’m so proud of him!”
“Do you see Clay?” Her eyes followed KC’s.
KC peered through the crowd. “Affirmative. He’s with a girl too, but they’re not swapping spit.”
Daphne laughed and looked at KC sideways. “I can’t remember the last time I heard the terms macking and swapping spit.”
KC caught her breath and reached for Daphne’s hand. “He sees us. I think he’s coming over here.”
Daphne scanned the dance floor, then gave KC’s hand a squeeze as she spotted Clay emerging from the crowd, a bit disheveled, but not overtly intoxicated like Scott.
“Hey, Daphne, KC. I’m surprised to see you here.”
Daphne let go of KC’s hand and quickly peered around him to see if a pretty young thing trailed behind him, but he appeared to be alone. “Surprised in a good way, I hope,” she said, thrilled to hear the words come out somewhat flirtatiously.
“Of course,” he said with a grin. “Always.”
“I see my bestie’s having a little fun out there.” KC pointed over Clay’s shoulder.
“He is indeed,” Clay said. “And it’s about time, if you ask me.”
“Good for him. Who shouldn’t have a little fun on vacation, right?” Daphne said. This time she made—and held—eye contact with Clay. Another small victory!
Just then an attractive brunette appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Clay’s arm. “There you are. You disappeared on me.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a sloppy kiss. “I’m going to the little girls’ room. Wait for me here?” Without acknowledging Daphne and KC, she wobbled away on her stiletto heels, leaving the two of them standing there with Clay.
Daphne hesitated for a moment. Don’t give up so easily. You can do this. She took a deep breath and focused her eyes on Clay. “I see we have a little problem,” she said with just the hint of a smile on her lips.
Clay kept the eye contact but didn’t speak, and Daphne held her breath. After a pause that was just long enough to be noticeable, his lips slowly curled upward. “Not one we can’t take care of.”
Daphne felt the squeeze of KC’s hand on her torso in a subtle gesture of celebration. Then KC yawned and slowly took a step backward. “My pals, it’s been fun, but I think I’m going to get a head start on that walk home. Give Doug a hug good-bye for me, will you, Clay? I assume you’ll make sure my girl Daphne gets home safely?”
“You know I will,” he said. “Sleep tight.”
She gave him the thumbs-up sign, then turned and trotted toward the back exit.
Best wingman ever, Daphne thought as she watched her disappear down the steps.
“So . . .” Clay said after KC was gone.
“So . . .” Daphne said with a bat of her eyelashes.
They stood there smiling at each other for a moment, then Daphne nodded her head toward the restroom. “About your friend there . . .”
“She’ll be fine.” Taking a step forward, he slipped a hand around the small of Daphne’s back, and her insides did a little flip-flop. “Besides, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to,” he added.
Daphne looked up at him, a suggestive expression on her face. “Is that so?”
He nodded. “It is so. Especially after you ditched me like that.”
“You mean last night?”
“Last night and yesterday morning too. Three times in a row would be a little tough on the old ego, even though I’m not that old.”
She furrowed her brow. “How did I ditch you yesterday morning?”
He smiled and scratched the back of his head. “You’re joking, right?”
“Are you messing with me?”
“Not messing with you.”
“Are you drunk?” she asked.
“Have I been drinking? Yes. Am I drunk? No.”
“Daphne!” Doug emerged from the crowd and enveloped Daphne in a bear hug. “Is KC here?”
Daphne pointed toward the water. “You just missed her. She said to give you a hug good-bye.”
“Coolest girl ever,” Doug said wistfully.
Clay elbowed him. “It was never gonna happen, dude. Where’s your dance partner?”
“She’s getting us some more drinks. I need to drain the weasel.” He gestured toward the men’s room.
Daphne laughed. “Nice euphemism.”
As Doug sauntered away, Clay took Daphne’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.” He quickly pulled her through the crowd toward the back exit, then down the steps to the beach. He didn’t let go of her hand until they were nearly at the shore.
Daphne glanced back at the Castaway. “What about that girl?”
“What about her?”
“Shouldn’t you at least say good-bye? You can’t just ditch her.”
He smiled. “Why, because ditching isn’t nice?”
“I told you, I didn’t ditch you. At least in the morning, I mean.” What was he talking about? She’d told him about their trip to the emergency room.
He raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and took a few steps back from her. “I beg to differ. If I recall, when I woke up in your bed, you were standing like this as far away from me as possible, without actually leaving the room, which made it pretty clear you weren’t about to get back into bed until I vacated the premises.”
She felt her cheeks blush. That was partially true.
“But . . .”
He kept smiling. “But what?”
“I did that because . . . because I thought you had coyote arm,” she said softly.
He laughed. “Did you just say coyote arm?”
She swallowed. “You know, when a guy wakes up after a night out and realizes a girl is sleeping on top of his arm? He feels like a trapped coyote and would rather chew off his own limb than—”
He held up his hand. “I’m familiar with the term. But how do you know it?”
She shrugged. “I was in college once. I heard stuff.”
He took a step closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “Daphne, I did not have coyote arm. I had an incredible time with you, for real.”
She stared at the sand without replying.
He chuckled. “And I thought you did too, until you started acting like I have the plague. You should have seen the look of terror in your eyes when you came out of the bathroom.”
She gave him a sheepish look. “That bad?”
“Worse, like you’d never been afraid of anything more than the idea of being anywhere near me again. You should have heard the heckling I got from the guys on the catamaran. It was pretty clear where I’d just spent the night, but it was also pretty clear you were no longer interested.”
She looked down again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. When I saw you in my bed, I was . . . pensive.”
“I assume that’s a fancy word for . . .”
“I’m sorry. I mean I was kind of thinking.”
“About what?”
�
�To be honest, I was thinking how you weren’t my ex-husband.”
He laughed. “I’m not sure how to take that.”
“I mean I was thinking that I was glad it was you there and not him. I mean that it was good for me to have gotten over that hump, so to speak.”
“Hmm. Interesting word choice.”
She smiled. “You know what I mean. Plus, I guess I was . . . nervous.”
He reached for her chin and lifted her head. “I make you nervous?”
She nodded. “A little. I know I’m older than you, but I’m kind of a late bloomer in a lot of ways.”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You’re sexy when you’re nervous. Has anyone ever told you that?”
She gave him a tiny smile. “I’m learning a lot about myself on this trip.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
She sighed. “You’ll think I’m silly.”
He cocked his head toward the Castaway. “The scene in there is silly. Having a conversation with you on this beautiful beach? Not silly.”
She took a deep breath before speaking. “Before I came here, I thought I’d screwed up my chance to be happy in life, but now I’m learning that you don’t get just one chance, that in a way life is always just beginning, that no matter how old we are it’s still in front of us, every day until the end, so it’s important to look forward and not backward all the time.”
“That sounds like a lesson everyone could learn.”
“I’m also realizing that regardless of where I am, or how I got here, if I don’t do what I can to enjoy my life now, one day I may wake up and wonder where it all went.”
Clay didn’t respond right away, and she looked up at the sky, which was quickly becoming covered in dark clouds. It’s so magical here. I’m so glad I came.
A cracking sound broke the silence. Then the rain came pouring down. Hard.
Clay laughed and glanced around. “How’s that for dramatic timing? Think a director’s going to appear out of nowhere and yell cut?”
Daphne smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised. I love the rain here. It makes everything feel brand-new. Sometimes we all need a fresh start, right?”
“Indeed.” He glanced up into the downpour, then back at her. “So . . . speaking of fresh starts, I feel like I got off on the wrong foot with Fred. Would you mind if I came over and tried again? I’d hate to leave St. Mirika knowing I didn’t do everything in my power to make a good impression.”
She wiped a few raindrops from her eyes, then smiled up at him. “I think . . . I think that could be arranged.”
He slipped his hands around her lower back and pulled her close. “Good.”
Chapter Thirteen
Daphne strolled into the kitchen the next morning, her step a bit lighter from her encounter with Clay. Again she’d been the one to wake up first, but this time around she didn’t fret about how to act once they were both awake or about how the elusive hookup guide said she should behave. She’d simply leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then snuggled up next to him and promptly fallen back asleep for another hour until they’d both woken up for good. Now he was probably on his way to the airport, and tomorrow she would be on her way back to Ohio. Back to a future that didn’t look so bleak anymore. One that looked quite sunny, in fact. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. Thank you, Clay Handsome. Thank you, St. Mirika.
She didn’t see KC or Skylar and wondered if they were still asleep. She knew she’d agreed to another beach workout before they left the island, but she secretly hoped KC was already out on a long run so that she’d be off the hook this morning. Her body had finally stopped hurting from the first boot camp, and she wasn’t looking forward to the soreness returning anytime soon. Then again, she was looking forward to getting in better shape.
She set an empty mug under the coffeemaker, pressed the button, and watched the black liquid drip into the cup. Soon she’d be standing in her own kitchen, back to sipping coffee from her favorite pink mug. Chipped or not, she was never letting that precious cup go. She smiled at the thought of seeing her daughter.
“Morning, sweets.” Skylar walked down the hall wearing her silk bathrobe, her hair wrapped in a towel. “Are you the only one up?”
Daphne turned around. “I’m not sure. Maybe KC’s already out on a run?” She looked at the French doors, which were ajar.
Skylar tilted her head toward Daphne’s bedroom, then lowered her voice. “I wasn’t talking about KC.”
Daphne blushed as she doctored her coffee with cream and sugar. “Oh.”
Skylar reached for a mug. “Is he still here?”
Daphne gave her a teasing smile. “What makes you think he was here at all?”
Skylar laughed as she set her mug under the coffeemaker. “That would be the writing on your face, babe. It says I hooked up with a hot guy last night.”
Daphne giggled too. “He left a little while ago. Had to go home and pack.”
“Look at you, all grown up with your first vacation fling under your belt. Welcome to the fun side of being single, my friend.”
“Good morning.” Skylar and Daphne turned around as KC appeared from the hall, dressed in workout gear, but lacking her typical morning cheer.
Skylar narrowed her eyes. “Who are you, and what have you done with KC?”
KC frowned. “I spoke to Max before I went to bed last night . . .”
They stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, a pained look on her face. “Josh’s girlfriend is pregnant.”
“Oh sugar.” Skylar covered her mouth with her hand.
KC sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I can’t believe it.”
Daphne walked over to her. “That’s not a terrible thing, right? Didn’t you say they’re already living together?”
KC shook her head. “That’s Jared. Josh is still in college.”
Daphne caught her breath. “Oh.”
“He’s only nineteen. Oh man, what a mess.” KC pressed her hands against her cheeks and walked over to the couch.
“Is she going to keep it?” Skylar asked.
KC nodded and plopped onto the couch. “Looks like I’m going to be a forty-year-old grandmother.”
“You’ll be the hottest grandma in town, that’s for sure,” Skylar said.
“Are they going to drop out of school?” Daphne asked.
KC sighed. “Max said they’re not, but to make that possible, I think there’s a good chance they’ll end up moving in with us.”
“That’s crazy,” Daphne whispered.
KC nodded. “Now that, my articulate friend, is a major understatement.”
“So you may be raising a real baby soon?” Daphne said, remembering how at the airport KC had referred to her cats as babies. Was that really just a few days ago?
KC sat there for a moment, then pressed her hands against her thighs and stood up, now wearing a weary smile. “I think that’s a definite possibility. Either of you want to join me in a beach run to kick off our last full day here? There’s nothing I can do about this disaster right now, so I might as well try to enjoy the time we have left in paradise.”
Skylar pointed to the towel on her head. “Sorry, I just showered. I will watch you from the deck, however. Now that you’re nearly a grandmother, I want to make sure you don’t overexert yourself and get injured.”
“Don’t think you’re not coming to the baby shower.” KC stuck out her tongue at Skylar, then looked at Daphne. “What about you?”
“You really feel like exercising?” Daphne said. “If I got news like that, I think I’d head straight to bed with a bag of Oreos.”
“Now you’re talking,” Skylar said. “That’s a workout I can get on board with.”
“God knows I could use a good sweat right n
ow,” KC said. “I was also thinking that since it’s our last day . . . maybe we could finally check out those cliffs we keep hearing about? Seems more fitting than ever right now, don’t you think?”
Daphne paused for a moment, then picked up her coffee and smiled. “I do. Count me in for both the workout and the cliffs.”
“Oh my gosh, they’re gorgeous.” Skylar gazed up at the cliffs as she shut the car door.
Daphne’s eyes followed to the soaring rock structures, which were covered in bright green moss and even higher than she’d feared. A wide staircase snaked up the biggest one, which was then linked to an adjacent and equally tall yet narrower rock by a small suspension bridge.
“Are we supposed to climb that?” she asked, her voice a bit unsteady.
“Looks like it,” Skylar said
Daphne cleared her throat. “I was under the impression that we’d be looking over cliffs, not climbing to the top of them.”
KC pointed to the bridge. “Now that looks fun.”
Daphne was of a different opinion. As if climbing to the top of the main rock wasn’t going to be terrifying enough, to her the thought of also crossing a shaky wooden bridge was quite the opposite of fun.
“This doesn’t scare you two at all?” she asked her friends.
“I’m more scared by the idea of a bad haircut than climbing some rock,” Skylar said with a shrug.
KC pointed to the parking lot, then to Skylar. “I’m more scared by the thought of getting back inside that car with her behind the wheel.”
“You’re more than welcome to walk home, Grandma,” Skylar said.
Daphne swallowed and felt a few beads of sweat forming on her brow. She reached into her tote bag for a pack of tissues, then pressed one against her forehead. You can do this. Just don’t look down.
KC pointed to a small thatched hut at the edge of the dusty parking lot. “I think that’s where we buy the tickets.”
The three of them walked over to the booth and got in line behind a white-haired couple who made Daphne think of Harry and Eleanor. She wondered what they were doing right now, and how Harry was feeling. Skylar and KC kept chatting, but Daphne’s mind began to wander, so she didn’t partake in their conversation. As she stood a couple feet behind her friends, lost in her own thoughts, two men got in line.
Wait for the Rain Page 24