A man in uniform approached Sammie, introduced himself as John, and led her across the helipad. As soon as Sammie had walked inside, Jenny rushed up and threw her arms around her, obviously emotional.
“I called your name from the window. I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“I thought that sounded like you. And yeah, I’m okay.” Sammie pulled Jenny into a tighter hug. She’d known her best friend would be worried but had had no idea she’d be so upset.
Jenny pulled back but gripped Sammie by the shoulders. Her teary eyes searched Sammie’s face. “I’m so sorry about the things I said. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Owen added. “I know we didn’t discuss anything, but it wasn’t okay for us to make assumptions.”
Assumptions about what? Confused, Sammie just tried to keep a smile in place.
Jenny gripped her hands. “I’m so thankful you’re okay. Will you please forgive me? I promise to never let you down again.”
“Hold on, you two,” Sammie said, pulling her hands out of Jenny’s. “I’m the one who owes you both an apology.”
Jenny started to speak, and Sammie held up a hand to cut her off. Owen stepped up next to Jenny and wrapped an arm around her.
“Let me just say something,” Sammie said, hoping to keep Jenny from becoming even more emotional. “I’m the one who was an idiot and went off alone. Because of my stupidity, I made you worry. I’m sure you had to jump through hoops to get me helicoptered in.”
“Actually, the only hard part of that was finding a pilot. I had Patty make the calls,” Owen said. “But we were certainly worried about you. I’m glad you’re okay. Nothing bad happened to you? The Port Authority said you were safe and had a place to stay.”
“No, I’m good. Other than my pride being bruised, I’m perfectly fine.”
Jenny sniffled. “I treated you badly that morning. Practically shook a finger at you like you were a child.”
“So what?” Sammie said. “I deserved it. You know me better than anyone, and you knew I’d gone too far. I’m even surprised I got that drunk. I never meant to embarrass you and Owen, but I’m so glad you two came along when you did. I was so out of it, I couldn’t remember anything. I still can’t, but I haven’t thought much about it, to be honest. Not with everything else that was happening.”
“That’s the point,” Jenny said.
“I get it. I promise to do better.” Sammie wished Jenny would let it go already.
Tears flooded Jenny’s eyes again.
Sammie pulled Jenny from Owen and into her own arms. “There was no way you could have known. And thanks to you and Owen, nothing happened to me that night.” Sammie looked up at Owen and mouthed Thank you. “And look at me. I’m still in one piece, looking better than ever.”
“You’re all tanned and beautiful,” Jenny said. Her words were muffled.
“Only because of some good sunburn gel.” Sammie silently thanked Dominic and then turned to Jenny. “So, we’re good?”
Jenny nodded. “We’re good.” She looked at Owen, and then back at Sammie. “Tomorrow is the wedding. I couldn’t have gotten married without my best friend and maid of honor.”
“You know,” Owen said, “I have some things to attend to for tomorrow, and I think Jeff and Molly are spending the day together. Why don’t you two spend the day doing whatever it is girls do, and we’ll all meet up for dinner?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jenny said, looking at Sammie. “You game?”
“Of course,” Sammie said. “But did you mean to start now? It’s late.”
Owen and Jenny both laughed, and Owen said, “I think I’d personally like to catch a few more Z’s.”
Sammie yawned, and Jenny and Owen followed suit. They all laughed.
“I think we’re all in agreement,” Jenny said. “Let’s walk you to your cabin, and if I don’t hear from you by lunchtime, I’ll come knocking.” Jenny wrapped her arm around Sammie’s waist as they made the long trek to her cabin.
Before parting ways, Sammie asked Owen for yet another favor: to send Dominic a payment for his assistance.
“I’ll be happy to, but please don’t try to repay me. It’s unnecessary.”
“Thank you.”
Sammie felt grateful for her friends. Jenny had found a gem in Owen, and Sammie would never fault her bestie for jumping into the relationship with both feet. They were made for each other. Fifty years from now, they’d be the little eighty-year-olds still looking after each other.
Once she was back in her cabin, Sammie tried to lie down and rest, but the events from the last two days kept running through her mind. Everything had happened so quickly that she hadn’t been able to process one event before the next one unfolded.
The logical part of her mind told her it was best for her to leave things as they were. She could always find the address to Dominic’s bar online and send him a thank you note and apologize for her part of how things had ended. But that didn’t seem like enough. Something deep inside kept telling her she’d made a mistake. Each time she thought of his smiling face, a pang of regret haunted her.
Sammie sat up. If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well get something done.
She needed a phone. The Port Authority had taken her report and would be able to fax it to her. What’s today? It took her a minute to figure it out since the last two days had been a blur, but she did. It was Friday. She’d make the necessary calls now. If she didn’t, she’d have to wait until Monday.
Pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she decided she didn’t feel like doing the whole glam routine. Instead, she generously applied moisturizer to her face, lip balm to her lips, and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. When she stepped out of her cabin with her laptop tucked under her arm, she spotted a cabin attendant right away. The woman’s nametag read Cassie.
“Good morning,” Sammie said. “Would there be a phone somewhere I could use? Mine was stolen.”
“Yes, I heard about that. I believe Mr. Kaine left one of his phones in your cabin.”
“Thanks.” Sammie stepped back into her cabin and caught sight of the view outside the sliding doors that led to the balcony. The water looked beautiful, as had so many sites she’d seen during the trip, but she felt deflated.
Moving around the cabin, she found the phone. Owen had left it on a stand beside the full-length mirror, probably figuring she’d never miss it there. Normally, he would have been right, but her thoughts weren’t on her own appearance now.
Sammie sat at the desk, which was located to allow a pleasant view of the water. She opened her laptop and crossed her fingers that she’d be able to connect to Wi-Fi. She breathed a sigh of relief when it worked, then looked up the Port Authority’s number and contacted them first. She recognized the voice of the clerk she’d spoken to before.
While she was on the phone, she ran to the hall, hoping Cassie would still be out there. She was, and Sammie asked for the ship’s fax number.
“Will you fax the report to me?”
“Already done, ma’am,” the clerk said.
“But I haven’t given you the number yet.”
He sighed into her ear. “I already have it.”
Sammie thanked him and ended the call. His personality obviously had not improved.
Over the next several hours, she made multiple calls. Fortunately, her bank had flagged her account when someone attempted to make a three-thousand-dollar purchase. But instead of the purchase originating in St. Lucia, it read as Los Angeles.
She had to laugh at the amount. She didn’t have anything close to that amount in her bank account. Natasha’s people would have had better luck if they’d tried for a much smaller sum.
“Greedy bastards,” she muttered. On top of it all, her bank would need to order a new debit card for her. She would have to go to the bother of changing all the accounts she paid online once the new number had been assigned.
Her credit cards were another problem. She w
ouldn’t have to pay for any of the purchases Natasha’s people had made, since they were fraudulent. But all three cards had been used, so she’d have to dispute all those erroneous charges. In addition to that hassle, she hated the fact that the thieves had so much of her personal information. It made her feel exposed and vulnerable, right down to every photo in her phone. At least the police had recovered her driver’s license from the stowaway.
Suddenly, another thought struck her. What about her email? Quickly, she logged into her email account. A message in red flashed—You have entered an invalid user name or password. Sammie roared in frustration. She clicked to answer her security questions, but the questions that came up weren’t ones she’d set up. She felt like throwing her computer off the balcony into the ocean. Again, she felt vulnerable, just as she had almost constantly over the last few days.
A tap sounded at her door. A glance at the clock told her it was noon on the dot. She went and opened it.
Jenny stood there, picture-perfect in a blue and white zigzag shift dress. She looked adorable. “Good... NOON,” she said, and laughed.
Sammie giggled. “You look gorgeous in that dress.”
“Me? What about you, Sammie? You should go au naturel more often! You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” Sammie said. She smiled, but then tears filled her eyes, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be sorry,” Jenny said, enveloping her in a hug. She squeezed Sammie so hard, it hurt.
Sammie laughed. “Ow. Love really is painful.”
“Sorry!” Jenny giggled. “It is, at times. I know so much has happened, but tell me what’s going on with you.”
Sammie grabbed a tissue from the box by the bed and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m just feeling emotional. We’re not going to talk about my woes on the eve of your wedding. Today is all about you.”
“Uh, no.” Jenny grabbed Sammie’s hand. “Most of this trip has been about me, and tomorrow will be too. Today is about us. And more about you. I want to know everything that happened.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Sammie said.
“Did something else happen?” Jenny asked.
“What do you mean?” Sammie laughed. “I got myself stranded on a beautiful island, a cab driver and his fake wife stole my belongings, I missed the ship’s departure, and I had to be rescued in a helicopter! Isn’t that enough?”
Jenny smiled, but then a tear streamed down her cheek. “I hate that you went through all of that alone. If I hadn’t acted the way I did—”
“Stop it,” Sammie said. “We both know that I can have too much fun sometimes, and you were frustrated. Honestly, I felt like a fifth wheel for most of this trip, so I’m not sure the same thing wouldn’t have happened anyway. I might have taken off on my own even if we hadn’t fought. Besides, I wasn’t alone the whole time...”
She let her voice trail off.
“I didn’t even consider that you might have felt that way.” Jenny’s chin drooped toward her chest. “But of course you would, hanging out with two couples. I’ve been so self-absorbed, I didn’t even think about that.”
“Oh, Jenny. You’re killing me with the self-loathing thing you’re doing. I’m your maid of honor. Your best friend. It’s your damn wedding cruise. The whole point is to be self-absorbed. I had no business throwing myself a pity party. Let’s put all that behind us and do something fun.”
“Deal. Hey, wait. You said you weren’t alone the whole time. Exactly what does that mean?”
“Oh, we don’t want to talk about that.” Sammie waved a hand through the air as if it wasn’t important.
“Oh, yes we do,” Jenny insisted. Spill it!”
Chapter 15
Dominic cursed a string of Creole expletives as he realized he’d stocked all the varieties of whiskey in the wrong spots on the shelf. What is wrong with me? He pulled the bottles back down one by one. He set one down too hard, and it hit another bottle, which then fell to the concrete floor of the basement storage room. The glass cracked, and the liquid spread quickly.
“Charles!” he shouted.
A few seconds later, he heard footsteps on the stairs, and Charles appeared.
“Yes, Dom?” Charles’ eyes widened when he saw the ever-spreading liquid.
“Will you get me a bag, please? Grab the mop for me, too.”
“I’m done with tables. I’ll clean this up,” Charles said. “You need to go relax.”
“Relax, eh?” Dominic eyed the boy. It was an odd thing for Charles to say.
“Yes,” Charles said. “Ever since you came back from taking the girl away, you have been cranky.”
“I am just tired. Will you get me what I asked for, please?”
Charles darted back up the stairs.
Dominic just shook his head. Cranky was right. He’d barely managed three hours of sleep. He’d tried to lie back down in the morning, but it was useless. Out of all the places on the island, why did Sammie have to come to him for help? It was Charles’ fault for bringing her in.
He sighed. It wasn’t the kid’s fault. And it was for the best that she was gone now. If she had upset him this much in just two short days, he couldn’t imagine what frustration a lifetime with her would bring.
On top of it all, he’d impulsively slipped a note into her bag when she wasn’t looking. He wished he could take it back now. At the time, all he’d thought was, At least she’ll know how I feel. But now, he didn’t know what to feel.
How could Sammie not have been able to see through Natasha’s stupid games? And why hadn’t she so much as called to let him know she’d arrived safely on the ship? The only call he’d received was from a woman who’d said she worked for Kaine Industries. She wanted his banking information in order to send him payment for his services. He’d laughed. Not even a billionaire could afford to pay for what he’d endured, and he’d told her thanks but no thanks.
A scuffling noise above his head grabbed his attention. Where was Charles, anyway?
Dominic walked over to the stairs and was ready to call out when he heard Charles yell, “We are closed!”
As he ran up the stairs, Dominic couldn’t imagine what had made Charles call out. The boy always spoke so softly that Dominic often found himself asking him to speak up.
As he rushed into the bar area, he found the cause of the disturbance: Natasha. She was standing there in pants so tight, they looked as if they’d been painted on. A billowy white blouse was tucked into the waistband. Most of the buttons were left undone, exposing her cleavage.
Although she clearly would have liked it to, her bare skin evoked no reaction from him.
Charles’ breath was coming in angry pants. “I told her she could not come in until I went for you, but she pushed her way in and put a dent in the door with her ugly shoes.”
Natasha looked appalled. “My shoes are not ugly.”
“They are terrible,” Dominic said, eyeing her typically gaudy footwear. He turned to Charles. “Where is the dent?”
Charles rushed over to the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, there was a heel-sized dent in the corner of the wood.
Dominic’s brows furrowed, and he looked at Natasha over his shoulder. “I should call the police. You have no respect for my property.”
“It is you who have no respect, Dominic.” She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight. “Out of all the women on the island, including me, you run around with that American girl on your arm as if none of us are good enough.”
Dominic had heard enough of Natasha’s irrational babble. “Please do not lump yourself in with the other women on the island. You are an insult to them.” He walked toward her slowly, his anger building every second. “You stole from her. Where are her t’ings?”
“Long gone,” Natasha said flippantly, not even bothering to deny the accusation. “Anyway, she was barely worth it. The girl has no money. I don’t know how she afforded to pay for a cruise. M
aybe she saved for the last ten years or somet’ing.”
“What about her phone and ID?” Dominic asked, keeping his temper in check so he might get an answer.
“The ID was given to Yanes. Too bad for her, they found her on the ship.” Natasha shrugged. “I told her once she was on the ship to dispose of the wristband and not use it for purchases, but she did not listen, apparently. No matter to me. She paid me for the service, and she knew the risk.”
“And the phone?” Dominic pushed.
“I sold it, of course.” Natasha sashayed up to him. “We could have made a fortune playing our cards correctly. You have access to the Americans who come here. Don’t you understand how good we would be for each other?”
Dominic crossed his arms over his chest. “Why did you let her think you were pregnant with my baby?”
“Oh, Dominic. I couldn’t let you end up with that white girl. You are one of the sexiest men on this side of the island. I was doing you a favor. Actually,” she said, running a nail down the buttons on his shirt, “I was doing St. Lucia a favor.”
“Yes, that is why you bed so many tourists before you rob them.”
“That is different. I don’t care about them. Like your friend, Ethan. After I finished with him, he packed and left the next day. One more roach gone from the island.” Natasha tipped her cheek toward her shoulder and fluttered her lashes. “But you, Dominic. I could care about you.”
“What did you do to Ethan?” Dominic drew his eyebrows together.
“Not too much. I almost couldn’t get him. Not until he learned we were friends. He said you’re a good guy. But then, we had fun. I left him with his clothes.”
“Charles, did you get all that?” Dominic asked.
“I did,” Charles said. “From the beginning, when she first hit the door.”
“Good. Call the police.” Dominic walked past Natasha and headed toward the bar. “You are welcome to stay or go, Natasha. It doesn’t matter. You are not hard to find.”
Natasha laughed, but her eyes clouded. “And tell them what? I will deny anyt’ing you say, and you have no proof.”
The Conflicted Maid of Honor (The Conflicted Love Series Book 2) Page 8