Chapter 14
Calista
“When the past comes knocking, answer with grace, but never forget to lock the door behind it.”
—Eloisa Hobby
Their crazed laughter faded, leaving behind a charged silence. Calista studied Athena, noting her red-rimmed eyes and the quiver in her usually steady hands. The crowd’s expectant gazes prickled Calista’s skin and reminded her of the public setting.
“Excuse me,” Athena mumbled and headed toward the outdoor restrooms. Calista had a feeling her sister’s exit was just an excuse for breathing room.
Calista scanned the crowd, gauging the audience, and spied Reid, leaning against a palm tree, a wicker picnic basket resting on the ground beside him. He had one foot planted flat against the trunk with his knee bent up. His eyes met hers, beckoning her.
Calista sucked in a hot breath. She pressed her lips into a grim line and shook her head despite the rush of excitement scurrying down her spine.
In one smooth move, he pushed off from the tree, bent down, scooped up the picnic basket, and headed toward her.
Calista’s stomach somersaulted.
Reid’s confident stride belied the way he clutched the picnic basket like a shield. He flashed a grin that was two parts charm, one part nerves. “I convinced Eloisa to let me borrow one of her sailboats for the day. Wanna come?”
Calista hesitated, glancing in the direction Athena had disappeared. Should she go after her sister or leave her to sort herself out? “My ankle’s better, but it’s still wobbly.”
“I’ll handle everything. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy.”
“Not sure going off with you is such a great idea.”
His grin softened into something more genuine. “Come on, Cal. Where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, I promise to be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Boy Scout.”
“No, but I did learn how to tie a mean bowline knot in sailing class. Could come in handy if you decide to throw me overboard.”
“Hmm . . .” She canted her head, sizing him up. “That last part sounds tempting.”
“Sailing is where all the cool kids air out their emotional baggage. Up for a little maritime therapy session?”
Calista arched an eyebrow. “Maritime therapy? Is that what we’re calling it these days?”
“Well, I considered ‘Picnic of Past Mistakes’ but thought that might be a bit too on the proboscis.” Reid held up the picnic basket and looked at her as if she were something special, and dang it, she fell for his charm.
“Oh, like maritime therapy is subtle?” Okay, she liked him. Probably not wise, but he was extra handsome when he groveled.
Reid laughed and shrugged, a casual gesture that didn’t quite hide the tension in his shoulders. “Subtlety’s overrated. Besides, I’ve got sandwiches and approximately thirteen years to atone for. Wouldn’t want to undersell it.”
Calista’s thoughts pinballed between absolutely not to well, maybe. On the one hand, alone time with Reid promised all the comfort of a cactus massage. On the other, the promise of getting answers to long-ago questions dangled—tempting, probably ill-advised, but oh-so-alluring.
“Please,” he coaxed.
“All right, fine. One sailing trip. But if you get squirrelly, I will throw you overboard.”
Reid’s face lit up. “Deal!”
Calista found Eloisa and asked her to tell Athena where they went, and they took off in Reid’s golf cart.
But on the drive to the docks, she couldn’t help wondering if she was making a mistake.
They’d be all alone in the ocean. She didn’t fear him, far from it.
Rather, she didn’t trust herself. Too many old, unresolved feelings reared their heads.
She glanced over to find Reid studying her intently, his hair tousled by the sea breeze, looking for all the world like he just stepped out of a J.Crew catalog. “I never knew you could sail.”
“I’ve been taking lessons. Turns out, you can teach an aged dog new tricks.”
“You’re hardly old. We’re practically the same age.”
“Why, Calista Grace Dempsey, was that a compliment?” Mischief twinkled in his eyes.
“An observation, and don’t full-name me. You lost that right a long time ago.”
The playfulness in his eyes vanished, replaced by something more earnest. “I know, and I’m sorry about that.”
He guided her toward the small catamaran bobbing at the dock and helped her into the boat with a light hand, his touch sending a bittersweet jolt up her arm. She tried to ignore it, focusing instead on settling herself onto the seat.
“So, Captain Thornton, where are you taking us on this grand adventure?” she asked, keeping it light.
“Paul mentioned something about Mermaid Cove. He said few tourists know about it and it’s a great picnic spot.”
Mermaid Cove. The place where, as children, she and Athena built sandcastles and chased baby sea turtles under their mother’s watchful eye.
“Cal?” Reid’s voice was soft, concerned. “Is something wrong?”
“Mamá took us there when we were little. Or at least that’s what Athena says. I only remember the turtles, not the location.”
“We don’t have to go there if you don’t want to.”
She shook her head, blinking back the memories. “No, it’s fine. I’d like to see it again.”
With expert skill, Reid maneuvered the boat away from the dock, adjusting the sails with practiced ease. Thick, puffy clouds floated above them.
“I should warn you,” she said, “I don’t know the first thing about sailing. I’ll be pretty useless if you need help.”
“No worries. I got you.”
I got you.
Yeah, she’d heard that from him before and it hadn’t been true. The boat rocked gently on the waves, and seeking to hide her feelings in case they showed on her face, Calista stretched out, closed her eyes, and savored the feel of the wind flowing over her skin.
Several long minutes passed with nothing but the clang of sailing gear and the cries of seagulls.
“Cal?”
She opened her eyes to find Reid watching her with a curious expression. His soulful eyes were tinged with regret.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for agreeing to spend time with me.”
His words stirred weird feelings inside her. Feelings she liked too much. “Hey, I just wanted to catch some rays, and you were the one with a boat.”
He chuckled and lapsed into fresh silence. Calista’s eyes drifted closed again, and she almost dozed off.
“Mermaid Cove up ahead,” Reid murmured a few minutes later.
Blinking, she sat up and watched their destination come into view. The secluded beach boasted pristine white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water.
“It’s magical.” An unexpected tear slipped down her cheek.
“Beautiful,” he said, looking at her and not the cove.
She wiped away the tear and met his steady gaze. He once meant so very much to her, back when they were young, before he cavalierly broke her heart.
“Nice place for our picnic,” he said.
“It’s perfect.”
He dropped anchor in the calm cove waters, scooped up the picnic basket, got out, and offered his arm to help her from the catamaran.
A sweet warmth bloomed in her chest as she took his arm and stepped off onto the soft sand. She helped him spread out a blanket on the shore, and Reid unpacked the picnic basket. “You know, I used to dream about this place without even realizing it was Hobby Island I was dreaming of,” she murmured.
Reid looked up, surprise flickering across his face. “Yeah?”
Calista nodded. “After Chevron . . . I’d close my eyes and see this view. It was like some part of me remembered the time my mother brought us here, even though I didn’t consciously recall we’d ever visited.”
“That’s interesting. Something about this place called to your soul.”
She eyed him. “You’re much more poetic than you used to be.”
“Older and hopefully wiser.” He chuckled.
Calista leaned back on her elbows and lifted her face to the sky. The clouds clumped thicker, the breeze cooler. “Tell me about your life. I know you’re a globe-trotting sports vlogger, but that’s it. What else have you been up to?”
“Not much,” he said. “Running a YouTube channel is an eighty-hours-a-week job.”
“And yet, you’ve come to Hobby Island for a full month. Why?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t taken a vacation since I started the vlog, and I worked overtime prerecording interviews and Q&As for my team to upload while I’m gone. And I can film on location too.”
“You’ll be covering the charity tournament?”
He nodded, his gaze hooked on her face. “Would that bother you?”
She shrugged, trying to shake off her distaste for the idea. “I don’t get why your viewers would care.”
“Human interest. The reuniting of two sisters who are the best golfers ever to play in the LPGA. There will be plenty of interest.”
“I haven’t agreed to play in the tournament. I don’t even own golf clubs.”
“Hey, you saw what I brought. I don’t golf anymore either. I got those from Gavin’s storage shed. But you? I can’t imagine you giving up your clubs.”
She shrugged. “I sold them when I quit the circuit. Honestly, I sold everything.”
“Wow, hardcore. You torched those bridges, huh?”
“I didn’t want any temptations to return lying around the house.
” She moved her achy ankle back and forth, stimulating blood flow.
“But this morning, Luna Chance brought my first set of golf clubs to me. My mother apparently saved both mine and Athena’s first set and asked for us to use them during the tournament, so I guess I’m committed. ”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Weird. Conflicted.” She made a face, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
“How’d you end up in Denver?” he asked, picking up on her vibes and abandoning that line of conversation.
“A love interest,” she said, keeping it simple. The man didn’t need to know the details of her sex life.
Reid lowered his eyelids and an odd expression plucked at his lips. “Hmm, how’s that relationship going?”
“It didn’t work out, but I fell in love with Colorado, and I stayed.”
“What happened with the love interest, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Calista winced. “He turned out to be too much like my father.”
“Ouch. How about now? Anyone else in your life?”