Skye knew part of the story, so she winced, but Amy just waited. Kayla wondered how much Mack would say, but she shouldn’t have worried. Mack had taken her perceived cowardice from their youth hard and had vowed never to hold back again.
Mack said, “It didn’t go well at home. Long story short, I showed up at LaLa’s front door one night with a duffel bag and a black eye. Her parents took me in.”
Every time she thought about that night, it was like Kayla was right back there. Her stomach churned the same way it had when she opened the door to see Mack’s bruised face. She wanted to throw her arms around Mack’s neck and tell her everything would be okay. As much as she fought it, Mack would in some ways always be that broken kid to Kayla, even though itwas more common these days for Kayla to be the broken one in need of saving.
Amy reached across and took Mack’s hand. “Oh, Mack. I’m so sorry you went through that. What a terrible experience for a kid.”
To see Mack’s face, you would think she was describing someone else’s pain. Her smile was laced with bitterness, but it was genuine. That was one of the many things Kayla loved about her best friend. She always found the silver lining.
Mack said, “Thank you, but it was for the best. I ended up with the best mom in the world when LaLa’s family took me in.”
Amy bounced excitedly in her chair. “Oh, that’s so wonderful. And in a couple days, she really will be your mom!”
Mack’s face fell, and even her shoulders slumped. She looked at the ground, but Kayla knew there would be obvious pain in her eyes if she could see them. They hadn’t talked about it since the phone call in the airport, but Kayla knew it was killing Mack to lie to their mom. The only person on the planet that Mack would choose over Kayla was her mom, and here she was, pretending to marry her daughter. Once the dust settled from this, her mom would be hurt and furious, and it wouldn’t all be directed at Kayla. Mack would feel it more than anyone else. Underneath the cover of the table, Kayla reached out and took her hand, hoping she could communicate through touch how deeply sorry she was.
Amy said, “Not that she wasn’t before. I’m so sorry. That came out wrong. I just meant she’d be so excited you two are getting married. I’m so sorry I implied anything less.”
“It’s okay. I know what you meant.” Mack turned to Kayla and squeezed her hand. “It will be nice to officially join the family, though. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
As Mack’s gaze settled on hers, everything else seemed to melt away. Sounds of the surf and the other patrons dulled to buzzingin the background. Colors that had been vibrant a moment before paled so that only the green of Mack’s eyes shone. The whole world just stopped. They had known each other so well for so long; why did it all feel so different now? Why did this tender declaration from Mack shift the ground beneath them?
The moment shattered as quickly as it built. Skye reached over and took Amy’s hand, loudly declaring, “No, I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
The interruption was so abrupt that it made Kayla jump in her chair. As they’d talked and laughed and as Kayla had gotten lost in Mack’s eyes, she’d completely forgotten about Skye. Even now that she had been brought back to reality, she had a hard time caring that the woman she had come here to win back was sitting right across the table from her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sky was avibrant cornflower blue and absolutely cloudless as Kayla lounged underneath an umbrella on the secluded pool deck. She wavered between pretending to read her book and sipping her excellent cocktail as the sun warmed her skin and her soul. She tried to remember the last time she’d lounged beside a pool without thinking about the dogs or the company or the thousand mundane things that filled everyday life. Why had she given Mack such a hard time about not relaxing when she rarely did herself? She should make more of an effort in the future.
As she pondered where she would take her next vacation and whether she could convince Mack to join her wherever it was, Skye pushed up from her lounger and trotted over to the pool. Amy glanced up at her but then went quickly back to her book. It was another sapphic romance, this one with a palm tree wrapped in Christmas lights on the cover. She knew the author well and enjoyed her work, though she hadn’t read thisparticular title. She should pick it up when she got back. Or maybe Amy would finish this one, too, and she could snag it for the flight back. Of course, since she was planning on flying home with Amy’s fiancée, it might be an awkward hand-off. Too bad, she clearly had excellent taste in reading material.
Beside her, Mack made a little grunt in her sleep. She had nodded off almost an hour ago. Her borrowed romance novel was open across her very distracting chest, and her straw fedora had tilted down to cover her eyes. Her mouth was just slightly ajar, allowing for the little sleepy sighs and grunts. It was absolutely adorable, and Kayla would gladly have sat there all afternoon and watched her nap, but the slight splash as Skye slid into the water was like a siren’s call. With Mack asleep and Amy engrossed, it was now or never. She had to step up the Plan of Seduction.
Kayla slipped out of her wrap and padded across the pool deck as silently as possible. She had chosen an extremely skimpy bikini today, and it would be a shame to waste the way it barely covered her breasts and sat low on her hips. Skye’s head would spin with a single glance, but she’d have to wait to get into the water to show it off. If Skye ogled her and caught a glimpse of Amy over her shoulder, she would crawl back into her shell as she had at breakfast.
The stairs into the pool were the wide, shallow type that allowed for a long, sensual strut into the water. She made her way across to them and leaned for a moment on the railing until Skye looked over. She purposefully looked away, keeping her eyes on the tops of the plumeria trees visible at the far end of the pool, and took her time walking into the water. Skye watched her every move. Kayla could feel her eyes like a heated brand on her skin. A shiver of anticipation rippled through her. She knew what she was doing. She knew how to grab Skye’s attention and hold it. Nine years together taught her what her assets were andhow to use them to get what she wanted. The way Skye’s gaze followed her, she was sure Skye wanted the same thing she did. Her skin thrummed in anticipation. It was time for a big swing.
She descended the final step into the shallow side of the pool. The water didn’t quite come up to her waist, so it still showed off the perfect cut of her bikini. To her right was the edge of the pool, a low retaining wall that dropped off to pristine lawn and then beach two stories below. As she made her way to the wall, she noted that the higher ring of tiled wall lifting out of the center of the pool would block Amy’s view of her. She waded over to the wall, putting an extra sway in her hips, and leaned against it, staring out across the open ocean.
“One…two…three,” Kayla mumbled, only loud enough so she could hear. As soon as she got to ‘three,’ she heard the gentle splash of Skye making her way over. She turned her face to the sun to hide her wide smile. How well she knew this woman. Skye always loved the chase, and Kayla was her favorite prey. If this wasn’t proof that they were meant to be, she didn’t know what was.
“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” Skye asked as she settled against the wall next to Kayla.
“Perfect. That’s why we picked this place after all.”
Kayla slid down into the water, the chill of it raising goosebumps on her skin. She let her legs float out behind her, resting her arms on the wall. After a beat, Skye slid down, too, though she knelt rather than floated. By getting lower in the water, they were even better hidden from any potential watchers. Kayla couldn’t help noticing that Skye pitched her voice low, just like she had. She didn’t want to be overheard any more than Kayla did. Interesting.
Skye said, “I don’t know how much choice I had in the matter. You did all the planning.”
“You proposed by buying this honeymoon package at that fundraiser. I’m pretty sure it was all your idea.”
“Very little was ever my idea.”
Skye laughed, but the memory of that grand gesture—proposing in front of old friends and strangers at a black-tie event—still made Kayla’s stomach churn. She’d had to tell all those people a few months later that Skye had broken her heart. Now looking back, that night was the skidding tires that preceded the impact of the car accident that was her life.
Kayla forced herself out of the thought, slipping easily back into the seductive tones she had perfected. “Next time you propose to me, I’ll let you make all the plans.”
The smile melted off Skye’s face, and she stood up. “What are you doing?”
