Dawning came over him. “Like when you guys lost your full-time home in the fire.”
“Yes. And my dad’s struggle with finding work.” She shrugged. “We had a good life growing up, but it seemed frenetic at times. So I know what you mean. We were lucky to have this place to come to in the summers. Not many kids get that.”
“And now?”
“And now … what?”
He turned and leaned his back on the rail so he could see her better. Man, how he loved looking at her. “What do you want your life to look like, Mags?”
She furrowed her brow, as if he had asked her a trick question, and the way she wrinkled her freckle-covered nose wasn’t lost on him. “I want it to be … simpler.”
It wasn’t what he had expected her to say, and yet what she wanted made so much sense. He, too, wanted a simpler life. To some, his might have looked like just that: quiet beachside community, a thriving business, a child to love.
Still, he craved more.
Luke pushed off the railing and captured Maggie’s hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over that soft place between her thumb and forefinger, reveling in her warmth. “I want that too, Mags.”
She snapped a look up at him, her eyes meeting his head on, a certain vulnerability in them.
“Stay here,” he said.
Her gaze turned questioning. “Here? You mean, in Colibri?”
“Yes.”
“Eva needs stability and I think once we, uh, reestablish ourselves in Arizona, she’ll have that.”
“You could do that here, Mags. I’ll help you.”
Instead of relief, she continued to watch him with trepidation, as if she didn’t trust him. He frowned. “Hey, look, Maggie, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for what I said about you and … Rafael.” Just saying the guy’s name put a bad taste in his mouth. “It was careless of me.”
Maggie sighed. She leaned into him, suddenly wrapping her arms around him, her mouth tantalizingly close to his neck. “I forgive you,” she said, the heat of her breath sending a shiver through him.
“Then stay.”
“I-I can’t.”
Luke closed his eyes, frustrated as much at his inability to tell her how he felt as he was with her steadfast plans to leave here soon. He leaned his forehead against hers. “Is it because of … Rafael?”
Maggie leaned back, searching his face. “Are you still on that subject?”
“Well, I mean, he’s sort of still in the picture. Right?”
She scrunched her forehead. “Rafael was never in the picture.”
“Is that because he doesn’t … know?”
“Know?”
Luke rubbed his lips together, aware of the dangerous territory he had entered. Maggie had seemed closed to the subject of Rafael every time he had mentioned him, but he moved forward, undeterred. If they were going to forge a relationship that could withstand storms, they had to be honest with each other.
“Does Rafael know that he’s Eva’s father?”
Maggie gasped.
“I know the truth, Mags.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I did the math. You were with him that night that I told you about CeCe being pregnant.”
“You mean I slept with him?”
He exhaled. “You know how this town is, Mags. Someone saw you guys and, well, they didn’t keep it to themselves.”
She dipped her chin and shook her head. “I don’t believe this.” She shot a look up at him. “This is why you hate Rafael so much?”
“I don’t hate people, but yeah, I don’t like that guy.”
“And yet, you’re suggesting I stay here to live a simple life. How exactly do you see that working, Luke? In Arizona, people aren’t talking about me behind my back. And certainly not about things that happened years ago. People move on.” She stared at him, her eyes ablaze. “Which is exactly what I plan to do.”
Luke reached for her. “Hold on a second …”
Maggie wrested herself away from him, her breathing pronounced. She zeroed in on him, her voice low. “You were my first, Luke. How dare you assume that I … that I would throw myself in the arms of someone I didn’t care about like—like you did.”
Luke’s jaw tightened.
Maggie’s eyes glistened, causing something in his gut to twist. “In case you’ve forgotten, I married Mick. He didn’t turn out to be the man I’d hoped for. Actually, none of the men I’ve met have, so that’s on me to learn to choose better.” She moved toward the back door, but stopped short. A tear dripped down her cheek. “But don’t try to make me out to be as tawdry as you.”
Luke exhaled harshly as he closed the space between them. He reached for her hand and took it in his, saying, “Maggie, are you really never going to forgive me?”
Her shoulders rose and fell with each jagged breath, her expression more drawn than when he had first come upon her in the master bath. “There’s nothing to forgive, Luke. We both made our choices”—she shrugged, resignation in her face—“and now we’ve got to find a way to live with them.”
She walked into the house and shut the back door behind her, leaving Luke alone on the deck.
Ten
Maggie took a last twirl around the beautiful kitchen her brother had designed for the old house. She was going to miss it.
“Knock, knock.” Daisy entered the house, a basket in her hands.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” She plunked the basket on the island. “My mother made you an apple pie and sliced it so you could eat it on the road.”
“You’re kidding.”
Daisy shook her head, her ponytail swishing behind her. “No, I am not. She worked all day on it yesterday.”
“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“No pun intended.”
Maggie smiled. “Ha. Don’t my hips know it. I really should go over and thank her.”
“She’s down for a long nap, so don’t worry about that. I’ll tell her that both you and your hips thank her.”
Maggie laughed outright now and pulled Daisy into a hug. “Gonna miss you, girl.”
“Same.”
Eva traipsed into the room wearing a dour expression. “Hi, Aunt Daisy. Momma, can I go to the beach one more time?”
Maggie sighed. “Okay. Yes. But stay in sight. We’re leaving soon.”
When Eva had gone back down the hall, Daisy tilted her head in Maggie’s direction, a question in her eyes. “I know you’re not thrilled about leaving, but I have to ask—is there something wrong?”
“How can you tell?”
Daisy shrugged. “Not sure, really. You look sad, though. Can I help?”
“No, not really.” Maggie licked her lips, her eyes downcast. She needed a friend right now, but couldn’t fathom unlocking the secret that had been in a vault for all these years, though she had planned to do just that yesterday. Until Luke accused her of a relationship with … Rafael.
Maggie glanced again at Daisy. “The truth is, Luke and I had a fight.”
“Oh. Were you and he, I mean—?”
“No. We’re not together. But he said something that upset me and it’s been gnawing at me. He basically thought that I, uh, had been with Rafael.”
Daisy’s eyes popped open. “You mean, like, slept with him?”
“Yes.” She frowned. “Not now, but a long time ago. Not sure why I let it bother me so much, but it did. We weren’t here all the time as kids, but living here as an adult has been eye-opening. Lots of gossip, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Doesn’t help when the local realtor seems to like to spread it around.”
Maggie nodded.
Daisy was quiet a moment. “You know, your brother just about split his mind thinking I had something going on with Rafael.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“That’s … hilarious. Sort of.”
“What is? That I might have be
en having a fling with Rafael or that your brother wasn’t taking it well?”
“That second part.”
Daisy laughed. “Yes, well, he didn’t find it funny. At all.”
Maggie leaned forward. “Does Rafael still run around without a shirt on? I mean, I saw him once on the beach since I got here, but, you know, is it still a regular thing with him?”
Daisy giggled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Shew.”
“Yeah, girl. I was immune to his charms, though. He’s always been a friend, so that’s how I thought of him while he was walking around my mom’s place all glossy and wearing a tool belt.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t have an audience every day.”
“I did—Jake.”
Maggie smiled, genuinely. She could feel it to her toes, suddenly immensely thankful for Daisy’s visit.
“You gonna be okay?” Daisy asked.
Maggie nodded. “Definitely.”
With reluctance on her face, Daisy headed toward the front door. “Don’t be a stranger. If you want to come back, you can always stay with my mom and me.”
“Until the wedding, that is.”
“Right. After that, you can stay with my mom and her caregiver. Or come down to Los Angeles …”
Maggie laughed and hugged her sister-in-law’s neck. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you guys be newlyweds for a while. Here,” she said, opening the door. “I’ll walk out with you and then go find Eva at the beach.”
Together they walked between the two houses. Daisy continued on as Maggie stopped and scanned the beach. She frowned, unable to spot Eva.
“Want me to help you find her?” Daisy called out.
Maggie hesitated. Eva had probably just wandered out of sight.
Daisy didn’t wait for her answer. “C’mon. I’ll go with you. I want to give her a quick hug before you two take off anyway.”
Maggie slipped her shoes off and tossed them toward the house. Together she and Daisy began trudging through the sand, which was dotted with early beachgoers who had already staked their spot for the day. A few umbrellas had popped up too, reminding Maggie of what Luke had said about the tattered one she had used every summer.
The surf pounded, interrupted only by the buzz of a small plane overhead and the occasional burst of young voices. Maggie stopped, put her hand above her eyes, and searched the beach. Daisy looked north, as Maggie squinted toward the south.
“Could she have already gone in the house through the back porch?” Daisy asked.
“Maybe.” A commotion broke out near a group of people hovered around an umbrella. Maggie craned her neck, watching. A woman was waving her arms and two young boys had joined her, all three of them looking and pointing out to sea.
“Maggie? Is that Eva in the water?”
A small figure clung to a boogie board. Maggie squinted. A second figure was next to the first. Siena? “Oh no.” Maggie sprinted toward the shoreline. She pointed at a pile of clothing and shoes left on the sand. “Those are Eva’s.” She waved her arms in the air, barely able to hear the girls’ yells. Were they laughing? Or crying for help?
“Eva! Come back!”
Daisy caught up to her, her phone in her hand. “I’m calling 9-1-1 now.”
“Wait. I think they’re just horsing around.”
“Maggie, that’s a riptide they’re in!”
Maggie gasped. Something in her chest twisted, the effect of it like cutting off her oxygen. “No! Eva! Siena!” She swung her arm in an arc, waving them in. “Come in!”
Daisy hung up the phone and touched Maggie’s arm. She took her hands and faced her. “Listen to me. It’s better that they not fight the current. They’ll get too tired doing that. Remember that they have boogie boards to hang onto!”
Maggie shook her head, eyes wide, dread seriously disabling her ability to speak.
“Try not to worry, Maggie! The fire department is on their way. Let’s keep track of the girls, okay?”
“Can the fire department do water rescues?”
Daisy’s brows dipped. “They-they’re trying to get ahold of their rescue crew. They said they would call the lifeguard division …”
“Oh no.” Maggie sucked in a harsh breath. “I’ve got to call Luke.”
Daisy nodded quickly. “Yes. Hurry and call him. Tell him to bring his board.”
The minutes stretched after she phoned Luke. Maggie and Daisy kept their eyes focused on the girls, who had been dragged farther down the beach.
Finally, Luke showed up, sweat droplets on his forehead and a board under his arm. Another guy was with him. “What in the world, Maggie! Why did you let them go out there?”
“I didn’t know!”
Luke’s jaw was set. He flicked his chin toward the guy next to him. “Carlos and I are going out there.”
Maggie nodded, worry turning her veins to ice. Luke looked pale to her, and she knew that he, too, was feeling the strain of fear.
Quickly, Luke secured a leash to his ankle and picked up the board. He began to run toward the ocean but wavered. He stopped, put his hand on his knee, bent over, and vomited on the sand.
Ever since the day that Siena first jumped on a board the year before, Luke knew he would have to face his fears. If he’d had his wits about him, he would’ve closed up shop and moved inland at the first sign of Siena’s interest in surfing. He had done his best to warn her about the dangers of the water, especially at this curve of the beach. “This is why surf camp is held so far to the north,” he had told her.
Had he been as explicit with Maggie and Eva?
When he saw Maggie’s number on his cell phone, he had been relieved. Maybe she’d had a change of heart, he thought. He picked it up on one ring.
“Luke! The girls are in trouble! You have to come quickly!”
It was the last thing he had expected her to say. Luke’s heart tore at him as he jogged through the sand, his board under his arm. He found Maggie bent over, holding an arm to her stomach, as if in pain. In the distance the girls bobbed on the water, clinging to their boards, quickly being pulled farther out to sea.
He reached down and strapped the Velcro band to his ankle, securing the leash to himself and his own stomach roiled. Luke pressed on. Siena and Eva needed him. He took a couple of steps, but an indescribable wave overtook him and his gut wrenched just before his morning breakfast came up for another visit. He coughed it out, sputtering, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Maggie appeared next to him. “Luke!”
He turned to her, fighting the tide of unease.
“Oh my—Luke, are you still afraid of the water? That’s why you quit, isn’t it?”
His eyes bored into hers, his mouth dry and raw. She knew about his fear as a child, how it had landlocked him for years, while other kids took to the waves like dolphins.
Maggie turned her attention to the waves where Oscar had already plunged in. A small audience had gathered at the water’s edge. A small whimper came from her.
Luke hitched the board up under his arm and he began to run, his feet landing in cold, salty water. He tossed the board down, the sucking sound of it familiar. He jumped on and paddled out hard after Carlos, who had nearly reached Siena. The memory of the last time he’d surfed, of the day that had brought back home for him his longstanding fears, faded as he focused on the little girl holding onto her board like a champ.
Just beyond Carlos and Siena, he took in the determination on Eva’s face. Her brow furrowed, her hands wrapped tightly around the edges of her board, even as water washed over her. Something about the way she tucked her chin and focused on him made his heart swell and his arms paddle faster. He had to get to her before that board got away from her.
“Eva! Hold on! Almost there!”
Water lapped over the top of his board, obstructing his view of her. He spit out sea water, the saltiness of it tasting like his youth. “Hang on! Almost there!”
When he reached Eva, that deter
mined gaze she’d been wearing faltered. “Luke!”
“You’re going to have to let go of the board, Eva.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Trust me.” He reached his arm out and she eyed it, gritting her teeth. He was next to her now, and she grabbed onto his arm, letting her boogie board be taken away with the surf. With one strong move, he pulled her onto his board. “Just lay down flat on your stomach, Eva, and hold on tight. I’m going to get us home.”
She nodded and did what he said.
“That’s my girl.”
Quickly, he paddled parallel to the shoreline, with Carlos and Siena following closely behind. When they had all escaped the clutches of the rip current, they turned the noses of their boards toward the beach and paddled home.
When they landed on the shore, his adrenaline still pumping, he scooped up Eva who’d gone limp from exhaustion. Her long hair had become tangled into a mass, exposing the lower part of the neck. Luke squinted, spotting a heart-shaped birthmark below her ear.
His own heart thudded erratically, pounding in his ears. He had a similar birthmark on his neck. So did Siena.
Maggie appeared, breathless, tears flowing. Eva spun out of his arms and into Maggie’s mama bear embrace. Carlos brought Siena to Luke, and he lunged for her, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “What were you two thinking?” he whispered harshly into her hair.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”
Discipline would come later. Right now, he was beyond grateful that he and Carlos had gotten to the girls before tragedy could strike.
He exhaled, the adrenaline flowing out of him until fatigue, followed by realization, overcame him.
Eva broke free of her mother and ran toward Siena. “That was crazy!”
Siena turned and put out both hands until Eva grabbed hold of them. “Oh my gosh, I know!!”
Maggie took a step toward the girls, but Luke shot out his arm, stopping her. “I need to talk to you.”
She shook her head. “Not now.”
He put his hand on her arm. “Yes. Now.”
Maggie turned to him, startled.
Daisy looked from Maggie to Luke. She cut in. “How about I take the girls back to the house and get them started on a shower, hm?”
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