AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I parked the golf cart in an empty spot at the curb with a little white sign designating it as two-hour parking. We got out of the cart, and I grabbed my hat, putting it back on my head. It wouldn’t do much to hide my identity if anyone was actually paying attention, but I had found over the years that most people didn’t look too closely at others unless they had to. Would I have even noticed Marlee if she hadn’t literally run right into me?
I wasn’t sure, which made the fact that we literally bumped into each other feel like it was meant to happen. A meet-cute right out of the movies.
There was no line, so we were able to get our tacos quickly. We each got two, and I was glad to see that Marlee was actually going to eat. I had dated way too many women in the past that didn’t eat much of anything. No sugar, no carbs, no fat. When I dated Stephanie, the only thing I ever saw her eat was undressed salad.
The boardwalk ran from the sand to the ocean, with stores and restaurants full of people. We found a bench over the water and sat, looking out at the waves as we ate. It was peaceful here with the briny smell of the ocean in my nose and the sound of the water lapping at the wooden stilts holding up the boardwalk. The tacos really were delicious—white fish with a slightly spicy seasoning and fresh pico de gallo on a soft tortilla shell.
“So, are you going to tell me what last night was about?” I asked as I finished my food.
“What about it?” she asked, keeping her eyes on her food.
She knew exactly what I was referring to. “Why did you run off the way you did? You acted like you were afraid to get your picture taken.”
“I’m notafraid,” she replied, a stubborn set to her jaw. “I just didn’t feel like being photographed by strangers.”
“I hear that,” I muttered beneath my breath. “But are yousurethere was nothing bothering you?”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, and glanced away again. “I just don’t like so much attention.”
I had a feeling there was more to that story than she was telling, but I didn’t push the issue. So, instead, I redirected our conversation, wanting to know everything else I could discover about her. We spent an hour on that bench, talking about books, movies—not mine—and hobbies. She was shocked to learn that I was a fencer, having studied it to prepare for a movie role that fell through before we could start filming. It was a great form of exercise and required a lot of grace and focus.
Marlee’s favorite hobby was a little less eccentric. She played the guitar, teaching herself just by listening to her favorite songs and figuring out the part that was being played. I was impressed by the dedication that must have taken, and I couldn’t help wondering if I’d ever get to hear her play.
I was probably getting ahead of myself, but it was rare that I met someone I had such an instantaneous connection with and wanted to get to know better. Maybe it was the magic of the island, but I didn’t care. I didn’t do anything halfway.
Marlee had captured my interest, and I wasn’t going to let her go any time soon.
CHAPTER5
Marlee
Faith was making sure to include me in as many of the events she’d planned for the week as possible. When I got back from my impromptu lunch with Bowen, I discovered that the women in the wedding party were going on a tour of wineries on the island to help Faith pick what would be served at the wedding. She invited me to come, and I happily accepted. The best man even agreed to be our designated driver, so we were all going to be able to fully indulge in “tasting” the wine without worrying about getting back to the hotel safely.
“Wow. This place is stunning,” I said as we walked through the vineyard of the first winery. There were rows of arbors supporting the grapevines. Everything was varying shades of green and there were fat purple grapes hanging above us.
“Yeah, just when I think I’ve seen the best of this island, I discover something new,” Faith replied from beside me. We were leading the group, and everyone was chattering amongst themselves.
“I hear that. You couldn’t have picked a better destination.”
“Actually, Michael found this place. He knew that I always wanted to get married somewhere beautiful, and he did so much research...it was amazingly sweet.”
“He seems like a good guy,” I said, proud of myself as I managed to keep the jealousy out of my voice. I’d noticed the look in his eyes when he glanced at Faith last night. It was utter love and devotion. What womanwouldn’tbe jealous of Faith for having a love like that?
“He’s the best,” she agreed. “I can’t believe that I’m about to marry my best friend.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if I was ever going to find that kind of happiness for myself. I’d always wanted it, of course. In fact, I used to be so sure that I had a Prince Charming out there somewhere that I couldn’t imagine being single even in my late twenties. Yet, here I was, twenty-eight years old with a disastrous love life.
As we reached the end of the vineyard tour and entered the winery, I couldn’t help thinking about Brian. God, I had terrible taste in men. Of course, that line of thought brought the naked pictures to the forefront of my mind again. Forgetting about my troubles for the week was proving to be much harder than I hoped.
One of the winery employees handed me a glass of wine, and I drank it in three big gulps. Everyone else was sipping theirs, and I felt a twinge of embarrassment, but I also hoped to drink enough to finally forget about the mess that my life had turned into.
“So, who was that you with in the golf cart today?” Faith suddenly asked.
“What?” I asked, even though I heard her perfectly fine.
“I saw you getting into a golf cart as I was leaving the hotel this afternoon. I didn’t get a good look at the man behind the wheel, but there was something familiar about him.”
I bit my lip and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. I knew that Bowen wanted to lay low, but I trusted Faith to keep his presence between us. I leaned closer so that I could speak in a low voice.
