Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NATALIE
S and raked between my toes as I stretched. Instantly I was hot and parched, like I’d never had a drink in my life.
Cracking open one eye, the beach spread out all around, and the sun inched its way over the mountains. A sticky pool of drool had attached to my cheek, and I did my best to rub it off as Joel stirred next to me.
“What time is it?” I asked, looking at my phone. The battery had died sometime in the night.
Joel rubbed his eyes and glanced at his watch, his voice muddled. “It’s still early, only seven o’clock, but I’ll never make it back to my place to shower and change and get to Ben’s in time for the shark diving.” He rubbed the front of his neck. “I need to shave before the wedding. And iron my shirt for tonight. Do you know how to tie a bow tie? Ben is into them, and we’re all supposed to be wearing them. I really meant to go home last night and get all my things together before spending the day up here . . .” The way he was half-coherent in his rambles was adorable. “How’d we fall asleep?”
“We closed our eyes. Look, you can shower at my place, and I’ll go get you what you need for today from the shop at the resort. Leave me your apartment key, and give me a list. I’ll run down to your place and grab everything else.” I rattled off my plan the way I’d problem solve with Jill or Kate.
Joel rolled to look at me and put his thumb under my chin, holding my face still as he leaned in for a kiss. No sooner had he started than I immediately retreated.
“Need water. Stranded on a deserted beach all night. So, very, dry.” I stated dramatically, and he mocked hurt at his failed advance.
“Rain check?”
“Definitely,” I promised. “Let’s go, Casanova. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
I plugged my phone in when we got in the car, powered it up, swiping away the ‘missed call’ notification from my mom and opening up the notes app. On the short ride to the resort, Joel dictated the list of things from his apartment that he would need after the groomsman outing to get him through the rest of the night. I typed the list into my phone, as he gave explicit directions on where I could find each item, and it took everything in me to bite my tongue and not point out his living quarters wouldn’t allow for hiding much.
When we walked into my bungalow, I ran into my room to zip up the garment bag holding my dress for the wedding, wanting to keep it a surprise. In the bathroom, I quickly changed into yoga pants and a black T-shirt. I washed my face and brushed my hair into a high ponytail before letting Joel in. After I made sure he had fresh towels and knew how to use the high-tech shower, I placed a room service order and headed to the shops.
When I returned twenty minutes later, I was welcomed by the sight on the lanai. Joel was out enjoying the morning wrapped in nothing but the bath towel I had left him with. I all but assumed he would at least put on his clothes from yesterday while he waited for me to return with something new.
He hadn’t heard me enter, and I took a moment to appreciate the view. His tanned skin was !rm, freckles sprinkled across his back and shoulders. I would never tire of seeing those toned arms. I bit my lip. How was I ever going to leave any of this in a few days? I blew out a deep breath and then offered a cough to let him know I was there.
He turned around and his lips turned up until he saw the large bag in my hands. “What’s the damage, Red?”
“Calm down. This is on me. I got you what you need to go safely view sharks from a metal cage that has been lowered into the ocean.” I opened the bags and handed him swim trunks, a t-shirt with the resort logo printed largely across the chest, a towel, a pair of flip flops, sunscreen, and a toothbrush.
He accepted my purchases and went back into the bathroom to change as room service dropped off a pair of omelets and two large bowls of fruit. Like the night I made him dinner at his apartment, this daily routine stuff felt natural; almost as if it were something we had been doing together for years. I liked how he made my space feel. It felt complete. At the same time, a part of me didn’t even want to let myself enjoy it—this wasn’t something that could be permanent.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Joel asked, coming out of the bedroom, hands tousling his hair, helping it to air dry.
I paused before responding, picked up the bowl of fruit, and took a bite of pineapple. It was sweet and juicy. I couldn’t help but wonder about Joel’s local contact. Could it be better than this?
“Are you sure you’ve had tastier pineapple?”
“I promise you I have. But you’re deflecting. What were you thinking about before that?”
“Nothing—just zoning. I don’t think I slept very well last night.” It wasn’t completely a lie. My hip was sore where I’d burrowed it into the sand. I just didn’t know what could be said right now in regards to the situation between Joel and me. This relationship, or whatever it was, was totally unexpected, and he was better than anything I could’ve asked for. But a nagging feeling telling me I wasn’t good enough to get this lucky and keep his attention reared its ugly head.
That last thought stopped me in my tracks. I’d never worried before in my few relationships, but Dane’s rejection had left a scar. Now I was always going to have a doubt that the next guy would grow bored and leave me. That wasn’t fair to the next guy or to me.
I shook my head. I could fixate on that later.
Joel eyed me across the table skeptically. “How about a nickel for your thoughts?”
“I really think I’ll have to try your grower sometime and forge my own opinion.” I gave him a weak smile, and he dropped it.
We finished breakfast, running through our plans for the day one more time. While we chatted, Joel checked his work emails, and I emailed all the donors again to verify no more last-minute surprises. I hated that the caterer made me second-guess everything and everyone we had curated partnerships with over the years, but I needed everything to go off without a hitch. I emailed Kate to see if Luca had a final headcount on the food cart situation and felt Joel kiss the top of my head as he put his dishes on the trolley for room service to gather later.
I typed my last thought and pushed send, watching Joel gather his few things and ask, “Are you sure you don’t mind going to my place? I honestly think I could make it work to get everything from a shop here.”
I closed my laptop and met him by the front door. “It’s not a big deal, I promise. I’ll be back with plenty of time to relax before I have to get ready for tonight.”
“I’d hate for you to waste a vacation day like that.” He searched my face to see if I was at all upset or put out, but unwilling to admit it.
“You’ll just owe me big time.” I said.
“Sounds perfect.”
Joel left, and I followed right behind him in my jeep. I plugged his address into my GPS and made my way toward town by taking Kalaniana’ole Highway, hugging the western coastline. Eventually, it would dump me right by Diamond Head and Joel’s apartment. Before I even had a chance to pull up her number, my mom called again.
“Hi, Mom!” I cheerfully answered.
“I called and you didn’t answer and I’ve been worried sick!”
I braced myself for how this conversation was going to go. “I’m fine, promise. I’m so sorry, my phone died, and I was just about to call you back . . .”
She proffered a resounded sigh. “I guess if you’re all right, then that’s all that matters. What have you been up to?”
“Um, just enjoying my honeymoon and doing some work,” I tell her.
“Talk to your sister at all?” She volleyed, knowing full well I’d put together they had already talked about me. Reddington women loved to chat about each other with each other. We didn’t call it gossip, we called it being lovingly informed.
I smiled, hoping my aloofness carried through. “I have a couple of times, yeah. Not very long though. Why? Is she okay?”
My mom let out a little chuckle like we were swapping funny anecdotes. “She alluded to you meeting somebody.”
“Oh.” I let it hang in the air.
“Is that not right? I knew it! I told her she must be mistaken. You’d never meet somebody on vacation. Especially not this soon after, you know.” Her smugness was loud and clear. When Dane called off the wedding, she was the first one to say she wasn’t surprised he’d changed his mind. In my mom’s eyes, Carlie had been the pretty one, and I was destined for career greatness but a life alone.
“You know Carlie, always the romantic,” I replied, hitting the steering wheel hard a few times to let out aggression.
“Anything fun planned for your last few days?” she politely asked, wrapping up our conversation now that she had learned what she wanted.
I smiled, thinking about my dress for the wedding and the promise of another fun night. “Heading to Waikiki right now, actually. Then later, probably lounging by the pool and getting some more fish tacos from this local place called Bob’s.” That should appease her—just enough to make it sound like I did have plans, but nothing too vague like I was withholding information from her.
“That sounds lovely, sweetheart. Your place looks nice. The few photos you’ve posted online make it look really extravagant.” She was running out of things to say. Quickly.
I smirked. I wasn’t hugely into social media but knew she’d check, so I posted a few times a couple photos of the views from kayaking, hiking, my pool. Little did she know, Joel was present during each and every photo. “It has been really pretty, Mom. You should take a trip here sometime.”
“My heart will always be with the mountains.” She loved the Rockies and couldn’t imagine leaving them, even for a vacation. “Oh! I have another call. It’s your aunt—I’ll let her know you aren’t wallowing too hard alone in paradise.” She didn’t even wait for me to tell her goodbye before the line went dead.
Turning up the satellite radio, I marveled how anybody could ever get bored of the drive. Winding along the coast with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other, the island bragged its beauty. Smaller towns that popped up along the route were full of life. Tourists flocked to the shops, grabbing souvenirs and supplies before another beautiful day on the white sandy beaches that made this side of the island famous for sunbathing and surfing. Cars packed the lots of many local restaurants. I found myself wondering if any of them were among Joel’s favorite places and wished we could be leisurely enjoying one of them together this morning.
Slowing as I made my way to one of the bigger beaches before hitting the outskirts of Waikiki, I watched lines of surfers dotting the water, bobbing up and down waiting for their turn to ride the break. The sun was shining brightly and the cloudless sky took on a bright blue hue. It was a perfect postcard moment.
It felt like the whole day was going to be magical. I could feel it in my bones.
I hit traffic once I got into the city, but easily made my way to Joel’s apartment. As I hopped out of the jeep, my phone chimed.
Joel.
Just about to go out in the boat and wanted to say hi. Hope your drive went well—I can’t wait to see you later.
I sent a quick reply, wanting him to get it before he got preoccupied.
Just made it to your place. Remember: in a showdown between you and a shark, the shark always wins.
I made my way into the building and was riding up the elevator when he replied.
Filed that away.
You’re the best.
For so many reasons.
Got to go.
In a moment of total cheesiness, I clutched the phone to my chest and did a little dance, complete with an excessively huge plastered smile on my face. The security footage of me had to have been really dorky.
Joel’s apartment was as tidy as the first time I saw it; almost like nobody truly lived there. The only thing out of place was the raised toilet seat. As suspected, it took me no time to gather the things he had asked for.
Standing at the foot of his bed, I glanced up at the wedding photo, taking my time to really study it. Joel looked so alive, so happy. He and Charlotte exuded love in a way I had only ever hoped would be possible in my life. I shook away the momentary feeling of jealousy that it wasn’t me standing next to him. Never would be me. It would only be a matter of time before he found somebody better, or realized one of my little quirks he thought he appreciated now wasn’t so cute in the long run, or realized I was married to my job. Plus, the clock was counting down, and I couldn’t help but mentally track the hours we had left.
My eyes wandered over to the thriller on his bedside table, and I read the back cover blurb. After setting it down, I grabbed a notepad and pen next to the book. Lowering myself onto the edge of his bed, I wrote a brief note and tucked it into the last page of the book. Something for him to find whenever he finished.
Finally, I gathered everything I needed, watered the dying sill snake plant on the table, locked up, and left.