CHAPTER 24
Marina
Marina changed out of her costume, wiping away the last traces of stage makeup before slipping back into the blue floral dress she had worn earlier that afternoon.
She brushed through her hair, gathered her belongings, and glanced at the clock. It was ten past ten—perfect.
She had asked her boss to let her leave a little earlier tonight because she wanted to spend more time with Ryan this week, while he was still in Cliff Harbor.
Her phone buzzed with a message: I'm here. No rush. A smile spread across her face. No rush. He was probably waiting in the parking lot for several minutes already.
She stepped out of the dressing room, locking the small cabinet where she kept her costume and makeup. As she crossed the quiet bar, she pulled out her phone and began typing.
Be right there.
Before she could press Send, a familiar voice behind her said,
"Rina?"
She froze, recognizing that voice. Slowly, she slipped her phone back into her purse and turned. Disbelief washing over her. Ethan Caldwell sat on a stool by the bar counter. "Ethan?"
He rose from his stool, wearing the same easy smile she remembered. "Hi."
For a moment, they simply looked at each other. It had been over two years—long enough that she felt almost nothing.
That realization surprised her more than seeing him. There had been a time when the sound of his voice made her heart race; now it merely reminded her of another chapter in her life.
Not a bad one, just a finished one.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.
She hesitated, knowing Ryan was outside waiting. She glanced toward the front windows.
"I'm sorry, but my ride's here."
"Come on. Just one drink," Ethan said, pulling out a stool beside him. "Tell them to wait a few minutes."
She hesitated. They hadn't ended well, but neither had they ended badly. Ethan could be self-centered, yet he'd never been unkind to her. Besides, Ryan probably wouldn't mind waiting a few more minutes.
"Okay," she said. "One drink."
“Sure, just one drink,” he said and ordered her a beer. “So, how have you been?”
Fantastic, she thought. But she wasn’t about to share with him of course. She shrugged. “Oh, same old. Bartending. Dancing.”
“Yeah. I just saw you dance,” he said. “Came in the second half. It was still great. In fact, better than ever.”
Marina felt uncomfortable. Customers complimented her dancing regularly. But when Ethan did that, she always felt embarrassed. It was as if Dad had seen her dance. Shit. She hoped she wasn’t blushing.
She changed the topic. “So what brings you here? On vacation?” she asked, although she knew Ethan doesn’t do vacations, at least not at Cliff Harbor anymore. Otherwise she would have seen him.
“I wish,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m here for work. Meeting with an employee. Staying for one night only. Thought I should drop by.”
Before she could ask anything else, the front door opened. She looked up to see Ryan. Relief washed over her before she could hide it. Their eyes met, and she smiled. "My ride's here." She slid off the stool. "It was good seeing you again."
Ethan stood as well, but then Ryan froze, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. Marina frowned. Ethan turned, and for one long, silent moment, both men simply stared at each other.
Then Ethan laughed. “Ryan,” he said. “There you are. I’ve looked all over town for you. Why didn’t you answer your goddamn phone?”
Marina watched Ryan’s face turn pink as he apologized, saying something about his phone being in his bag most of the day.
"You two know each other?" Marina asked, surprised.
Ryan nodded. "He's my boss."
She blinked. "What?"
Ryan nodded again. “Yeah. He’s my boss.”
She looked from one to the other, marveling at the impossible coincidence. Suddenly it all made sense. Ethan was the man who made Ryan work on his first day of vacation, and whose calls Ryan had been avoiding.
Ryan must have been staying in Ethan's vacation house. She'd been there a few times. Ridiculously modern, with a spectacular ocean view. A beautiful house that sat empty most of the year.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Well... that's unexpected."
Ethan smiled. "I'd say." He glanced at Ryan. "So Rina's the reason you want another week off."
Ryan gave a short chuckle and shook his head. "No, it's not that. I just like the town. It's beautiful here."
Marina caught the hesitation in his voice and stepped in before the silence could grow awkward.
"Ryan's been helping Katrina and me build websites for the surf school and the charter business. He's been a huge help."
"Is that right?" Ethan said easily. "Well, I'm sure we can work something out. Why don't you join us for a drink? We can talk about this vacation extension you're requesting."
Marina frowned slightly. Requesting.
Ethan had always spoken that way when work was involved, as though every problem already had a solution and he was the one who would decide what it was. Three years ago she'd admired that confidence. Tonight, it sounded different.
She glanced at Ryan. His smile was polite, but she could see the tension around his eyes.
She knew that feeling.
Ryan clearly believed he'd already made his decision. Ethan seemed to believe it was still his to make.
"Sure," Ryan said after a brief pause. "One drink."
He slid onto the stool beside her and ordered a whiskey.
For a few moments, none of them spoke. Robert, the part-time bartender, set down the drinks, and the quiet stretched just long enough to become noticeable.
Ethan broke it first.
"So," he said, leaning back on his stool, "what have you done with your vacation?"
Ryan took a sip of his whiskey. "Surfing, mostly. Taking lessons from Marina and her sister. We went sailing too, a few days ago."
"On the charter boat?" Ethan asked.
Ryan nodded.
Ethan smiled. "That sounds fun. I always wanted to go out on it, but Marina never took me."
Marina laughed. "You got seasick watching Jaws."
Ethan groaned. "That is wildly exaggerated."
"It isn't."
He chuckled and shook his head. "No wonder you never invited me."
"Exactly."
Ryan laughed politely, but she noticed the way he glanced between them. The smile reached his mouth, not quite his eyes.
Was he...? No. Surely not.
Ethan took another sip of his drink. "No wonder you don't want to leave," he said to Ryan. "Sounds like you've had a pretty good vacation."
"I have."
Ethan leaned comfortably against the bar. "I know the feeling. I fell in love with this place the first time I came to see the house. Felt too quiet at first, then I found this bar." A faint smile crossed his face. "That's where I met Marina."
"A long time ago," she said. She shifted slightly on her stool.
Why was he talking about this?
She didn't want Ryan imagining the two of them together, or wondering what they had meant to each other. Whatever she and Ethan had once shared had ended years ago. It wasn't something she wanted to relive, much less explain.
Thankfully, before anyone could say more, Joe wandered over from the other end of the bar.
"Great show tonight," he said. "You keep getting better every time I see you."
"Thanks, Joe. See you Saturday?"
"Wouldn't miss it." He tipped an imaginary hat toward Ryan and Ethan before heading out.
The moment he was gone, Ethan looked at Ryan. "You've seen her dance, right?"
Ryan nodded. "Yeah."
"She's incredible,” Ethan said.
Heat crept into Marina's cheeks. Oh no. Not this again.
Ryan's answer was quiet. "She is."
Marina glanced at him.
His expression remained composed, but she had begun to recognize the little tells. The slight tightening of his jaw. The way he finished his whiskey in one swallow. The way his fingers lingered around the empty glass.
It took her a moment to understand what she was seeing.
Was he... jealous?
The realization startled her. She should have found it possessive or irritating. Instead, a small warmth spread through her chest.
Ryan stood. "We should probably get going. It's getting late."
Ethan nodded. "Sure. I'll catch up with you tomorrow morning before I head back to San Jose."
"Tonight works too," Ryan said suddenly. "I can drop Marina off and swing by the house after."
Marina stared at him.
Was he serious?
She'd asked to finish work early because she wanted to spend the evening with him. Now he was volunteering to spend the rest of it talking business with Ethan.
The suggestion made no sense.
She searched Ryan's face for an explanation, but found none. His expression was polite, almost unreadable.
Thankfully, Ethan shook his head. "No rush. Tomorrow's fine."
Ryan gave a brief nod. "Okay."
Marina wasn't sure why, but she felt relieved.
She picked up her purse from beneath the bar. "Thanks for the drink," she said. "It was good seeing you."
"You too, Rina."
Marina stifled a groan.
For the first time that evening, the nickname rubbed her the wrong way. Ryan had only started calling her Rina a few days earlier. Katrina had used it all her life, and so had Mom and Dad.
She'd once loved hearing Ethan say it. Tonight, it sounded like an echo from a life she'd already left behind.
She forced a polite smile and replied, "Take care, Ethan."
The silence followed them out of the Beacon.
Marina felt it as soon as they stepped into the cool night air. Ryan walked beside her, close enough that their shoulders almost brushed, yet somehow farther away than he'd been all week.
He unlocked the RAV4 with a chirp from the key fob. Neither of them spoke as she climbed into the passenger seat.
The drive began in silence.
She watched the dark storefronts drift past the window, waiting for him to say something. Normally he would have reached for her hand before they'd even left the parking lot. Tonight both of his hands stayed firmly on the steering wheel.
She knew something had changed the moment Ethan walked into the conversation. She just didn't understand why.
Ryan had never struck her as the jealous type. So Ethan was her ex-boyfriend. Everyone had a past. Ryan had dated other women before her, and she'd never thought twice about it.