All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Emma
March 2009
“You’ve been looking forward to some female bonding time for weeks,” Makenzie said, flopping onto a wooden deck chair by the pool. “Why do you look so glum, chum?”
“I think her hangover made her turn British,” Allison laughed, adjusting her sunglasses on her nose with a groan. “God, could it get any brighter out here?”
“That’s kind of what happens when you go on spring break to Cancun, Allison.” Emma took a long drink of her fizzy soda and closed her eyes against the beating glare of the Mexican sun. “We’ve been partying all week; I highly doubt the hangover horror show happening all across this beach is any easier for anyone else.”
She shielded her eyes and looked out at a group of guys clumped together dragging their seemingly unconscious bro across the beach by his feet. All across the sands, college-aged kids were sprawled out on towels, deck chairs, and huddled under umbrellas. Aside from the crash of waves and the frenetic caw of seagulls, everything was hushed and quiet. No music blasted from the iPod and stereo set that someone had been bringing to the beach every single day since they had landed in delicious, no-holds-barred, Mexico.
“I can’t believe we have to go back to Professor Brock soon. Ugh, I can’t deal with any more of his ridiculous assignments.”
“You really should report him, Kenzie.” Allison rubbed her friend’s shoulder as Makenzie shrugged, clearly thinking about it through her hair-of-the-dog haze. “He really shouldn’t be assigning that much work for an intro Lit class and his grading scale is draconian.”
“If I have to miss another Kappa Kappa Phi mixer because of a surprise pop quiz, I’m going to scream. And I’ve had to cancel my last two dates with Devon—you guys know he’s the one who got away freshman year.”
Makenzie crumpled even further into her chair, her complexion turning brighter red, but not from sun exposure. She curled her arms around her knees, staring out at the ocean, and Emma bit her lip, holding back a small smile. Her friend was a poster child for a teen angst flick and it was utterly adorable. All she needed now was to be swept off her feet by a bad boy with a motorcycle, an extra helmet, and a crippling disease that was going to carry him off soon.
Emma knew when she agreed to go on this vacation that things would be a little off because her two best friends had decided to go to school out of state while she took a job as a secretary at a law firm in their hometown of Chicago. These days, while her besties were busy studying, chugging beers, and hanging out with hot men, she was working all hours of the day and night so she could avoid piling on inescapable college debt. Although, given Allison and Makenzie’s current issues, money seemed to be the last thing on their minds. But the unexpected gap between their life paths had all but consumed Emma this week as they partied, played, and baked in the sun.
“God, I feel terrible. I’m gonna get a beer.” Makenzie heaved herself up out of her chair, ready to weave her way to the bar, but Emma caught her wrist, gently guiding her back.
“You’ll only be delaying the inevitable, babe,” she said.
Makenzie huffed, sinking back into her chair, and Allison nodded.
“She’s right, Kenzie. It’s been a blast this past week, but we need to settle down before we go back to school, not amp it back up again to an eleven. Today’s our day to chill, space out, you know?”
Makenzie nodded and sighed, closing her eyes in the shade of the massive umbrella they had weaseled out of a helpless, sweet teenage towel boy at the resort.
“Even nursing my hangover, I can still tell you’re…” Makenzie hiccuped and sneezed. “Not yourself, Emma. Answer my question.”
“It’s nothing.” Emma smiled, sitting all the way up. “What are we even doing right now? We should be making the most of our last day here, not wallowing in the fact that we have to face reality tomorrow. Let’s do something fun, hmm? Something active and engaging that will get our minds off the sludge working its way out of our pores.”
“What do you have in mind?” Allison perked up and took a swig of her bottled water. “I’m game, whatever will get me out of just sitting here like a potato.”
“Let’s take out a canoe,” Emma suggested. “We keep passing the stand every time we come to the beach, but not many people have taken advantage of it. The guy running it is probably bored out of his mind.” She wiggled her toes deeper, enjoying the cool, gritty sand beneath her feet. “At least on the ocean we’ll have a chance to cool down a little bit. It’ll be relaxing.”
Well, for everyone else but Emma. No need for her friends to know she wasn’t a strong swimmer and had promised herself that she would push herself to go outside her box on this vacation. This certainly fit the bill. Rather than admit anything, since it was her brilliant idea, she sucked up the trembling that coursed through her and crossed her arms to hide the shaking from her best friends.
“I’m down.” Allison popped up out of her chair with a squint and a big grin. “Come on, Kenzie. If your stomach can take it, a little exercise might be good for us.”
Emma and Allison moved to either side of their friend and helped her ease out of the chair as they made their way along the beach, and Emma tried to ignore the tight, clenched sensation in her gut.
After Makenzie awkwardly hit on the guy manning the canoe booth, the three friends dragged the boat down to the water. The midday sun beat on Emma’s back as she stepped into the shallows, but her blood ran cold.
“It’ll be fine. Everything will be great,” she muttered under her breath, even as the canoe got tossed in the beginning of the waves as they walked it out toward deep water.
“Get in, Kenzie,” Allison said.
She did, letting out a small scream as the boat rocked from side to side before she giggled and laid back in the canoe.
“Make room, babe! We’ve got to get in there too, you know.” Emma grunted and continued pushing the boat into deeper water.
“Sure, it’s pretty relaxing though. You should try it,” Makenzie’s giggles echoed over the water.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Allison muttered, giving Emma a look. Emma bit her lip to hold back her laughter.
By the time they were up to their hips in the soothing cool water, it was time to up and at ’em. There was no delaying it.
“All right, kid. We’re coming in whether you’re ready or not.” Allison heaved her tall, athletic frame into the canoe.
There was some scrambling as Emma kept the boat steady while her best friends got comfortable and Allison grabbed the oars.
“Your turn, sweetie,” Allison said, patting the empty seat behind her at the back. “Easiest way is to go through the middle, so we keep the weight balanced.”
Of course Allison would know the mechanics of a canoe and weight distribution. The women went on triathlons—voluntarily—on her days off from schoolwork. She had always been the thrill-seeker out of all of them.
“Come on, stop thinking so hard and join the fun!” Makenzie shouted.
Emma rolled her eyes. At least Makenzie was off the topic of why she had been so quiet over the last few days of their vacation. She would much rather get a workout under the gorgeous sun than answer pointed questions like that—even if that meant waving a palm frond in front of her friend’s face while she and Allison did all the work.
Emma took a quick breath, then, with her heart in her throat, she launched herself into the boat.
Jeez, she thought. Maybe I should have signed up for that Pilates class last month.
With her arm muscles screaming, she plopped into the middle of the boat, letting out a little screech as it rocked precariously beneath them.
“All right, girlies. We did it!” Allison cried.
&nb
sp; “Does that mean we get out and celebrate with a beer?” Makenzie asked far too hopefully before she let her head fall back into Allison’s lap.
“Nope, that means we get our asses moving forward. It’s time for an adventure.” Allison put her paddle in the water and Emma mimicked the movement. “Follow my rhythm.”
“Happily,” Emma grinned and let her best friend take the metaphorical wheel.
The creaky old canoe gave a groan as they paddled deeper into the ocean and Emma braced herself for the understanding that she’d made a mammoth mistake. But the second they eased into deeper water, all the choppiness from the tide calmed into smooth sailing. After a good ten minutes of peaceful rowing, the sunshine glistening across the waves, Emma eased into the fun. She and Allison had managed a good rhythm and Makenzie was giggling, one hand in the water skimming the waves, her head still in Allison’s lap.
“This was an insanely good idea,” Allison huffed, tipping her face to the sun. “Nothing helps a hangover more than getting a little sweaty.”
“You know what else would be a great way to sweat it out?” Makenzie waggled her eyebrows and licked her lips.
“Subtle, Kenzie. Super-duper subtle.” Emma laughed at her outrageous friend, even as her heartbeat soared and her arms burned from the workout.
Thankfully the sea air blew through her brunette ponytail, cooling the nape of her neck and making her feel much better as they navigated into deeper water. There was almost no one out there. Only the odd boat off in the distance and far-off noises of people screaming and playing in the water. It was as if the canoe were their own little island. A nice, soothing, moving piece of land far away from the chaotic headache that had been the rest of the week.
Emma could completely pretend that this past week hadn’t been a trial of her patience, listening to her two best friends recount one rousing college story after another. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for them—in truth, she was thrilled that her friends had found new and exciting lives independent of their hometown. But she also hated the fact that she wasn’t a part of that picture anymore. That while they partied all night and worried about barely passing finals, she was laboring away in a law office from dusk until dawn.
But now? All of that faded into nothing. For once, it was like they were on an even playing field and the past few months apart were a blip on the radar. Emma’s concerns about the future of her friendships melted off her shoulders. As if a two-ton weight had been replaced with the carefree, sunny outlook she had been dreaming of since she had disembarked from her plane.
“Emma, there’s my girl! Now you look like you’re having a—”
Makenzie stopped mid-sentence, her grin wobbling as she abruptly bent over the side of the canoe and heaved, letting the junk they had shoved down their gullets for lunch become fish food.
Yup, it was the perfect day.
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