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“What’s the problem?”
“You’re comparing that beautiful, living, breathing woman to a collection of bank accounts, real estate holdings, and legal forms. There shouldn’t be a question.”
There shouldn’t be, but there is. “It’s my security,” I say gruffly. “What if I choose wrong and it all goes away?”
Kara considers my problem. “Well if that’s the case, then I’ll hire you to manage my strip club and we can be miserable together. Platonically. Deal?”
I have to laugh and then shake her offered hand. God, this girl is smarter than most of the people I know who are twice her age. I’m not worried about her. She’ll be fine. But then why can’t I feel the same way for myself?
“So what are you going to do about Dax?” I ask.
Kara shrugs. “I hope he doesn’t show his damn face again. If he doesn’t he’s going to get another earful about what a piece of shit he is. But,” and here she gives me a small smile, “I’m actually feeling a little better.”
“Glad to be of service,” I say.
Kara turns her appraising eye on me. “You’ve done better than I expected from the guy with the stick up his ass I met back in New York.”
“I think it got removed somewhere over the Atlantic.”
“And is it going to be reinserted on the way home?”
Hell if I know. I settle for a slight shake of my head. “I hope not.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to decide quick,” she says. “I’m letting you go.”
I turn in surprise. “What?”
“Fly free, little bird.” She laughs outright at the look on my face. “Giant eagle? Well, whatever. As much as I’ve enjoyed having you two here, there really isn’t any point in you hanging around. I’ve made my decision. And it sounds like you have some big decisions of your own to make.”
“That’s kind of you,” I say.
“Not really.” She gives me a cheeky smile. “I’m just hoping you figure out your bullshit before we’re working together.”
“Watch it,” I say. “I put up with yours.”
Kara just laughs and flips her hair over her shoulder.
We stand there together and watch the sun continue its descent until there’s just a sliver of golden light on the horizon, and then finally nothing at all.
Kara breaks the silence first. “So what are you going to do about Evie?” she asks.
I wish I knew. But for the first time the surge in my heart is closer to excitement than to fear.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NICK
Evie isn’t in the hotel room when I get back. Panic grips my chest, plays a beat on my heart. What if she’s gone? That couldn’t be, right?
But then, on the counter, I find a note written in a familiar slanted hand:
Nick,
I’ve gone down to the beach with LaToya and Dalton. We’re meeting some of the others by the fires. Join when you come back.
~Evie
I look hard at that little squiggly line preceding Evie’s name. It’s smudged at the beginning. Had she almost instinctively written “love”? Would she have meant it?
