Page 1 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

1

ISABELLA

Inhaling a shaky breath, Isabella cupped some of the cool water from under the tap and splashed it on the back of her neck. The icy water grounded her. She would have put it on her cheeks, but she’d actually done her makeup and dressed up for the first time in a few years—except for Robert’s funeral. But that was six months ago.

Isabella dried her hands quickly and left the bathroom, her gaze sweeping over the tent that was bustling with wedding activity under the soft Edison bulb lighting.

“Whiskey, double,” a deep bass voice carried over the upbeat music playing through the venue. His shoulders hunched over as he sat at the bar to her right, so only one side was visible to her.

Tingles spiraled over her skull. Her lungs seized. Tufts of wild curls stuck out of the top of his hair like the wild break of a crashing wave. Sharp cheekbones slashed towards a wide, strong nose. Serious, thick eyebrows slanted together with a deep crease between them as if he perpetually frowned.

His wide shoulders flexed as he moved to accept the drink the bartender slid across to him. Two long, thick umber fingers wrapped around the glass before he tipped it to his full brown lips, his pink tongue darting out as if savoring every drop. The move shouldn’t have been sexy, but Isabella’s blood turned molten just the same.

Her gaze roamed over his veined, tattooed forearms to the white dress shirt rolled up at his elbows and farther to the material stretched taut across his broad shoulders, tapering in at his waist. Black dress pants wrapped around his thick thighs. The man looked as if Poseidon himself had crafted him from the depths of the sea in his image.

Isabella tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. Wow.

Someone bumped into her, drawing her out of her lust-induced daze.

“Sorry,” they apologized.

She shook her head, forcing herself towards the table with her waiting friends. She’d never been affected that way by someone—had her very breath stolen and held captive.

Isabella weaved around a few people, grabbing a fresh glass of champagne from a passing server, eyes zoned in on the table her close friend Tessa sat at.

“Did you get cake yet?” She flopped into the seat next to Tessa before taking a gulp of the bubbly beverage.

“Not yet.”

“Dios, there was a long line to use the restroom.”

Tessa chuckled. “Isn’t there always?”

“True.”

“So . . . how is it being back in your hometown?” Tessa asked, picking up her glass and taking a sip.

Isabella sighed. “Honestly, it’s good to be back. I feel like I’ve made the right decision. Eli is having a blast with his grandparents. I think it will be good for him—for us.”

Tessa’s eyes flashed with sympathy. “So you’re gonna go with one of the apartments we looked at this weekend?”

Isabella shook her head. “No, I’ll move back in with Mom and Dad and see what I can find later around here. I think they need more help at the marina than they’re letting on, and it’s not like I have much to occupy my time with right now anyways.”

Tessa gasped. “Now? I thought you weren’t leaving me in Colorado until the end of May. I’m supposed to get another month with you at the shop.”

Isabella pulled her into a hug, not sure how she’d be able to start over without her one constant—her best friend. “I don’t mean right now. I’m sticking around for a little while. Same plan. I still have to finish going through Robert’s things.” Her eyes stung with the reminder.

Tessa took Isabella’s hand in hers. “Do you need help?”

Isabella shook her head. “No. We had most of it done before things got too bad—as he insisted. But it’s the second to last thing on his list for me to do.”

“What’s the last item?”

Isabella’s cheeks flushed. “To move on with someone new . . . actually, he specifically said a one-night stand. It’s crazy that even in death, he was trying to take care of me.”

Tessa’s eyes widened. “Seriously? That sounds like Robert. He wanted you to be happy. It makes sense that despite his ALS, he made sure you had this last gift to give you a sort of compass while everything was so . . . hard.”

Isabella nodded, a soft smile turning her lips up as memories of the man who was once her best friend flitted through her mind.

---