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“Did you see me break away from him?”
“No, I had to turn away. I was jealous, even though we weren’t together. But I never want to see you with someone like him.”
“I don’t want to be with someone like him. I want to be with you.”
His eyes brimmed with tears. “I miss you so much, it hurts.”
How could I have been so stupid to think he didn’t care?
“You’re not the only one who made a mistake. I’ve been blind and selfish.” She clenched her eyes shut. “God, I’ve been so selfish. All I’ve ever wanted was a man who accepted me as I am. I’ve said that my whole life. And I knew that was you. I was just too proud to admit it to myself. I’m so sorry, Jack.”
Then they were kissing again. Jack held her so tightly she could hardly breathe. “I’m sorry too,” he whispered. “You can’t imagine how much. I can’t believe you’re in my arms right now.”
He yanked her head back to his mouth, kissing her fiercely, and Sara met him with equal passion. She ran her hands all over him, still in shock at everything. Goosebumps rose on his arms where she stroked her hand. Then Jack pulled away, cradling her face in both hands. “Why do you say he was using a spa to get back at Alex and Hope?”
She glanced at the water. “He wants to build it right where we’re standing. So it would compete directly with Half Moon Bay.”
He dropped his hands and stepped back, taking in the area. “Here? That would be a disaster! It would wreck the house reef.”
Tears spilled down Sara’s cheeks. “He had me so fooled. He told me it was time for me to step out of Hope’s shadow and stand on my own. That any damage to the environment would be minimal. He sold me—hook, line, and sinker. I’ve been such an idiot.”
Jack whipped his head to her. “No, you haven’t. You got conned by an expert—don’t blame yourself. Did you sign a contract?”
“No. I told him I needed more time to think about it. Deep down, I knew it was too good to be true, but he knew exactly which buttons to push.” She squeezed his upper arms. “We’ve got to stop him.”
Jack nodded. “Yeah, but how? I don’t exactly have a fortune lying around to buy this land out from under him. Do you?”
Sara’s worry turned into a small smile. Not enough of a fortune. “No. But I know someone who might. Who will want to help.” She grabbed his hand and started walking down the beach. “Let’s go find Hope and Alex.”
* * *
As they walked down the pier, Sara’s hand was soft inside his. Jack stroked his thumb over it, still shocked at the turn of events. He opened the door to the dive shop and Zach stood behind the counter.
“Did Hope go back to the office?” Sara asked.
Zach shook his head. “She said she was headed home.” Then he turned his expectant face to Jack, whose heart sank. He knew what Zach was going to ask before he even opened his mouth. “You want to dive the nursery and see how our fragments are comin’ along?”
“I’ve got something going on right now, but we’ll do it soon, I promise.” After leaving Zach somewhat mollified with his promise, Jack smiled as he led Sara up the pier. “That kid loves the coral project. He’s out there any time he can get someone to go with him.”
Sara hissed through her teeth as they marched down the beach toward the Monroes’ house. “We can’t let the house reef get ruined! We need to stop this spa.”
Jack wasn’t sure what Alex and Hope could do, but he didn’t mind asking for help, especially since Sara was once again by his side. She knocked on the sliding glass door and Cruz appeared on the other side, tongue lolling in a smile. Hope entered the great room through a doorway, followed by Alex, who was pulling on a shirt. Both had wet hair, and Sara snorted. “Good thing we weren’t here earlier. I think we would have been ignored.”
Hope opened the slider, bouncing her gaze between Sara and Jack. “You two are a surprise.”
“Can we come in?” Sara asked. “We need to talk to you.”
“Of course.” Hope ushered them in, indicating the two couches behind her. Jack had never been in their house before. The kitchen was large and modern, but the furniture in the great room was shabbier than he expected. They obviously prioritized the resort over their own furnishings. He sat next to Sara, their sides pressed together as Alex and Hope sat on the other couch.
Alex draped an arm casually around Hope’s shoulders. “What’s up?”
Sara sent Jack a nervous glance, and he took her hand, giving her support. “Jack and I just figured something out. Something you two need to know about.”
Hope raised her brows, a small smile appearing. “You two look a lot closer than the last time I saw you. Which was just a few hours ago. Are you back together?”
The rest of the world faded away as Jack stared into Sara’s rich brown eyes. At the same time, they answered, “Yes.”
He brushed a soft kiss over her lips, and Alex let out a long sigh. “I couldn’t be more overjoyed, but did you have something else to discuss? Or do you want us to leave so you can make out?”
