Page 13 of Escape to the Sun

“Sherri.” He looked at her pointedly, and waited.

“I think she has quite a story.” She looked straight ahead into the dark night beyond. “I don’t know what it is. But I’m sure she has one.”

He let out a long sigh and shook his head with a bit of a smile. He wasn’t going to get a thing out of Sherri if she wasn’t ready to talk. “Why do you think Heather has a story?” he asked instead. Besides, he had a feeling that talking about Heather might be one of his new favorite pastimes. There was no denying that something about the woman captivated him in a way that was unlike anything he’d felt in years. And it wasn’t just the sexiness that all but radiated off her. Although that didn’t hurt.

Next to him, Sherri clucked her tongue. “Honey, all women have a story. Some are longer than others, most have many twists and turns, and sadly, not enough of them have happy endings. But everyone has one.”

“That’s a sad thought.” Ash thought about it for a moment before he drained his drink. “Men have stories, too.” He sat up and winked at Sherri, making her laugh.

“True enough, honey. True enough. And your story will have a happy ending.”

He tipped his head, but didn’t ask for her to elaborate. He never did. Not because he didn’t want a happy ending, but more because he didn’t believe her. Instead, he answered the way he always did when she tried to get serious with him. “Fairy tales aren’t real, Sherri. But I’m all about a happy ending.” He jumped up from his chair and wiggled his eyebrows, narrowly dodging her hand as it shot out to give him a smack.

He took the empty glass she held out instead and headed to the bar to freshen up their drinks. “Where is everyone, anyway? You don’t have any guests tonight?”

“One couple. They’re very…romantic.” She made a kissy face and laughed again. It was one of Ash’s favorite sounds. Before coming to Casa del Sol, he’d never met someone who laughed with such authenticity before. It was a true testament of the joy in her heart. She really was a one-of-a-kind woman. “They wanted to be left alone tonight to swim under the stars and revel in their love. I packed them snacks but I’m sure they’ll be here first thing in the morning, having worked up quite an appetite.”

Ash laughed and ignored the twinge of jealousy in his chest. He’d had that once. A love so on fire they didn’t believe the flames would ever be doused.

They had.

“And where’s Heather? Don’t tell me you left her out in the jungle, all alone?”

He teased, but there was a note of concern, too. Sherri’s place had bungalows both set over the water and set back a bit in the trees. It was secluded enough to discourage thieves, but it wasn’t humans that were the cause for the concern. It was the jungle and the creatures that could potentially be lurking in the darkness.

“You worry too much.” Sherri waved her hand, dismissing his concern. “Casa del Sol is perfectly safe. Besides, I left Thor with her. She’s getting settled in. She promised to join us when she was unpacked.”

“What cabin did you put her in?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Casa de esperanza. She’s fine, Ash.”

There was no doubt that she was fine. There were various snakes and critters back in the jungle, but they hadn’t actually had one at Casa del Sol in years. Thor and the handful of other dogs that were usually hanging around took good care of that. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be a gentleman and go see whether she needed a hand finding her way back to grande casa in the dark. After all, that would be the considerate thing to do. The fact that she might be grateful enough to show her appreciation in any variety of ways didn’t have anything to do with his decision-making process.

Not totally.

“I should go see if she needs any help.”

“She’s fine, Ash.”

“It can be tricky to navigate down the garden path if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“She’s fine, Ash.”

“It’s pretty dark out there tonight. I wouldn’t want her getting lost.”

“Take a flashlight.”

He dropped a kiss on the top of Sherri’s head and grabbed a lantern from behind the bar before he headed out the back door. Sherri’s rich laughter followed him out into the darkness.

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