Chapter Thirty
Audrey
The sails on the boats in the harbor flutter like sun-whitened wings, and Catalina’s summer sky stretches wide and blue above us. The scent of grilled citrus, sea spray, and sunscreen clings to the breeze, mingling with the laughter of friends and family gathered on the island once again. This time, there’s no fire, no chaos, no dramatic escapes or emergency landings. This is just life and love and the Young brothers... mostly shirtless, extremely competitive, and incredibly invested in a sailing race that’s already ended.
“I won,” I say again, arms folded, standing with my bare feet in the sand and the kind of smug grin that can ruin a man.
Wolf is behind me in aviators, pretending to stretch his back. He scoffs. “Your boat crossed the line first because the wind shifted.”
“Or maybe because I’m better at sailing than you,” I sweetly say.
“You’ve only been sailing since last summer.”
“And I’ve been winning since last summer,” I point out.
Drake snorts from the cooler, where he’s trying to fish out a mango soda. “You two are the married version of reality TV,” he says with a laugh.
Chloe, with her sunhat askew and a drink in hand, calls out from a beach blanket. “Is this the part where they start a champagne-fueled slap fight?”
“I would win that too,” I call.
Wolf leans down to whisper in my ear. “You’re getting quite cocky, my beautiful bride.”
“Well, I’m pregnant so I’m allowed to be smug about everything right now.”
He immediately smiles. “Yep, that’s the trump card. You win.”
“That’s what I love to hear.” We kiss and hear moans about indecent public affection.
“Can you two at least pretend not to be filming a Hallmark movie?”
“Don’t be a spoilsport,” Chloe calls out. “You’re simply upset that you all lost to two girls.” She’s pretty pleased to be on the girl-power team.
Jayden laughs. “I wasn’t even trying. I was too afraid of hitting your boat and damaging my very pregnant sister-in-law.” I think Jayden’s excited about becoming an uncle. If that’s what it takes to win, I’ll use it. I rub my round belly and grin at him.
We all settle into easy conversation and a day of lazy sunbathing while Nick and Ace return from the dock with iced buckets full of drinks and an entire tray of seafood skewers. Joseph is resting nearby, setting up a speaker with his approved playlist as Sherman narrates everything happening like we’re on a travel show.
“I love this island,” I say as I watch the kids from all our friends splashing in the waves and building sandcastles, as they dart to and from the snack tables.
Wolf follows my gaze. “I never thought I’d be a family man, but, damn, do I love it.”
“We’re a village, and we’re all better off because of it,” I tell him.
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
We hang at the beach until the sun begins to set, that magical hour when the Catalina haze is sinking over the cliffs. Gathering back near the bluff for dinner, our tables are lined with fairy lights, rustic lanterns, and hand-painted signs made by Chloe after a day of surfing through Pinterest.
That’s when the tides shift... and she appears.
We’re all scattered near the cliffs, talking in small groups. Jayden’s standing apart from us, arms crossed, eyes on the horizon. A ferry has docked below, the last arrival of the day. The woman casually steps off like she isn’t walking into the middle of a story that’s about to be written.
Wearing a long dress and oversized sunglasses, she’s holding a camera bag slung over her shoulder and carrying a well-worn notebook tucked beneath one arm. She pauses at the top of the pier, takes in her surroundings, and smiles, a look full of mystery and secrets. Her eyes connect with Jayden, and he blinks as if he’s been hit by a wrecking ball.
As we feel the stillness in the air, all eyes turn toward the woman. Drake smiles and lets out a low whistle. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
I smile. “She’s interesting.”
Jayden doesn’t move, watching her like he isn’t sure if she’s real or not. The woman raises a hand and waves. Is it at Jayden? We don’t know, but Jayden begins moving toward the mystery woman, and the rest of us begin whispering.
“She looks familiar,” Drake says.
“I was thinking the same,” Wolf replies.
“Think, dang it, because it looks like Jayden’s been rocked right off his feet, and I want to know what’s happening,” I demand.
“I don’t know,” Wolf and Drake say in unison.
Tonight the island’s glowing. Dinner beneath the stars, candles, laughter, champagne, and always chaos reigns. We marvel at the wonders around us, at the fortune of love and life being lived.
Even with all of these blessings, I’m focused on Jayden and the mystery woman, who are now speaking at the edge of the party, out of earshot. I can’t tell what’s being discussed, but I feel there’s a story to be told... and I want to tell it. Jayden looks curious, engaged, like a man on the edge of something big.
“Joseph, I think we have a new project,” I hear Sherman say. I immediately laugh when I turn to see Joseph and Sherman gazing at the woman with Jayden.
“Oh, yes, we do indeed,” Joseph replies with delight.
“It won’t even be hard. Jayden looks halfway there already,” Sherman says.
Joseph laughs. “Trust me, my friend, he’ll screw it up and we’ll save the day.”
Sherman sighs. “That’s very true. Whatever would they do without us?”
“I don’t know,” Joseph says with a shake of his head. I laugh.
I sit back with my hand resting on my stomach. Some stories end in fireworks and vows. Some in sailboat races and seafood skewers. The best stories, though, keep on going. What about Catalina Island? Well, I think it has a few more chapters left to be written.