Page 13 of Passions & Peonies

“He yanked me into a corner and kissed me. Soft at first, but within seconds,bam, we devoured each other, knowing that it was our one and only kiss.”

“And?” Her hand waves me on to continue.

I deflate in my chair. “He disappeared.”

She throws her napkin on the empty hummus dish. “Well, now I’m even more pissed off. You just let a hot lip-devourer get away like that? You didn’t give him your number? Oh, butyouhavehisnumber. The ball’s in your court. Are you going to send him the picture?”

I sigh and fiddle with my nails. “I don’t know. I’ve been fighting with myself since I left the airport. What if I send it and he doesn’t respond? What if I do send it and he responds, but he turns out to be a deadbeat? I want to look back at this experience and say, ‘wow,’ not ‘shit, what the hell was I thinking?’”

“I can’t believe you. This isn’t high school anymore. How many times have I seen you tell someone to take a risk for their relationship? To jump in headfirst and see where it takes them? But what are you doing? The complete opposite! There’s nothing wrong with lust on vacation. Live a little.”

“Maybe that’s not what I’m looking for with him. It was more than that. Let me think about it until tomorrow. I have to follow my gut and right now, it’s saying don’t send it.”

“Hey, lovely ladies.” We turn our heads toward a deep flirty voice. Two wet pretty-boys are propped on the edge of the pool. One’s holding a ball in his hand and shining his pearly whites at us. The other guy looks over the edge of his sunglasses at Sky. “Want to play water volleyball?”

“Come on.” I slap her knee playfully. “Let’s go kick their asses.”

“But my boobs are going to fly out of my top,” she mumbles.

“Even better. They’ll be staring at them while the ball flies right past them. Easy win.”

Chapter 7

Will

The sound of waves slapping against the dock is one of my favorite things. I’ve missed it since we were gone. Every morning I come to the office earlier than the others and have my coffee outside to enjoy the peace and quiet before the long days begin. This morning, I only had ten minutes alone.

It wasn’t my goal to end up in St. Thomas, but through all the twists and turns of life, it has become a blessing. I’d be happy with this forever.

Ever since Josh and I were little, the water has been our second home. We vacationed at the Hamptons every summer and went there as much as possible during the other months. My parents loved sailing, and that love turned into a passion for us. Not for our sister, Chloe, though. She prefers city life. My dad’s best friend, Joe, owns a marina in the Hamptons, and Josh and I worked there every summer during high school and college. That’s how we learned the ins and outs of running one.

After we’d gotten our degrees, Joe asked us if we’d be interested in buying the marina or becoming partners. Running the marina was becoming too much for him since he was getting older. He wanted the business to stay in the family, but his son didn’t want to take it over. We were the next best option. After a lot of tough discussions and planning, we said yes. Then a couple years later, Uncle Leo approached us about St. Thomas.

Long story short, we now live half the year in St. Thomas and the other half in the Hamptons. We get the best of both worlds—Joe runs the marina in the Hamptons during the winter, and we take over during the summer high season. That also gives us a chance to visit with family while we’re in the north. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made it work.

My shirt is already soaked from sweat. It’s going to be a bitch today. I’m exhausted because I was on the phone with Sawyer until late. All he keeps saying is how love sucks and I should never fall in love. I can understand why he says this because I saw the torment Dad went through when Mom died.

I feel like shit that I’m down here. His parents don’t live in the city, and he has no siblings. Josh and I are the closest to brothers he has. I wish I could be there for him, but life goes on and I have to work. I’ll be closer to him in July, when Josh and I move back to the Hamptons.

The first group of the day shows up for the motorboat they’ve rented. I get the paperwork all signed, walk them out to the boat and give them some instructions, then send them off on their adventure. It’s a newlywed couple extending their honeymoon with some friends. They stayed at the hotel alone for a few days before their friends came down. They’re headed out to the British Virgin Islands for a week now. One of my favorite places in the world.

Buzz.“Will,” Josh calls over the walkie-talkie.

Buzz.“I’m here. What’s up?”

Buzz.“Can you watch the front desk for a few minutes? Mike’s busy with one of the boats, and Molly doesn’t come in for another hour. I need to check on something for the tour that starts in thirty minutes. Oh, and that chick I told you about from yesterday is roaming the marina with her friend. I’m not in the mood.”

Buzz.“So that’s the real reason you want to escape.” I laugh.

Buzz.“Yeah. It’s too early, and I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

Buzz.“Why would it make a difference if she sees me instead of you? I’m your twin. She’ll still think I’m you.”

Buzz.“So pretend you’re not.”

Buzz.“What?” My voice squeaks. “That doesn’t even make sense. I’m getting too old for this shit. I don’t know why you even care.”

Buzz.“Just cover for me if they come to the desk.”

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