"I came as fast as I could. Didn't even stop to change clothes."
Holly's heart stopped beating at the sound of the man's voice. She would have known that voice anywhere. And when he walked closer, she could finally make out his face. Jake Holton. Of all the danged people to run into at the party, she had never expected to see him.
They had dated in high school, and for a while, Holly thought he was her one true love. But when she had told him about her plans to leave the Keys and work in Miami, that had been the end of their relationship. Holly had suggested he come with her, but he had declined, wanting to stay in their home town.
The idea of long-distance wasn't even considered. Back then, Holly had no intention of ever returning to the Keys for more than a quick visit, and Jake had no intention of ever leaving. So they had cut it off, and though it had broken Holly's heart, she had never really looked back, especially after she had met Will.
But now Will was out of the picture, and Holly was back in the Keys. And there was Jake Holton, looking as good as he had in high school, standing only a few feet away from her. A man who was no doubt married, Holly reminded herself, but that didn't stop her from ogling just how well that uniform fit him.
He was staring at her, too. She could feel his eyes roaming up and down her body. In her thin sundress, she suddenly felt exposed as if his gaze could see right through everything she wore. His lips curved up into a smile, though, and Holly figured he must have liked what he saw. That had to be a good thing, right?
"Well, well, look whose back in town," Jake said with a teasing lilt to his voice. "And here I thought you would never come back to this little town. What was it that dragged you back this time?"
Just as Holly began to explain, Melissa interrupted. Her speech was slurred slightly, the drinks hitting her harder than they'd hit Holly, which was why the next words had even come out of her mouth.
"Let's go swimming!" Melissa announced. She waved an arm in the direction of the wide-open water. "It's a gorgeous night for it!"
Holly stared at her in surprise. She waited for everyone to dismiss the idea, but to her shock, they all agreed, leaving Holly wondering how much everyone had had to drink.
Chapter Eleven
Holly stared in horror as everyone agreed swimming was a great idea. Before she could so much as force out an argument, everyone headed up to the cabana to change into swim clothes.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit!" Holly said to Melissa in a harsh whisper.
Truth be told, she didn't own a bathing suit. At least, she didn't think she did. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't actually remember the last time she had gone swimming—years ago, at the very least. It just wasn't something that came up very often, especially not with how much time she had spent working.
She probably hadn't gone swimming since the kids were little.
Jake laughed from her other side. Holly hadn't realized he had been standing so close to her still. When she glanced over at him, she saw sparks dancing behind his eyes. "I never pegged you for one to shy away from a little adventure!" he said.
Heat flooded to her cheeks as a memory came to the front of her mind. It was their senior year of high school. They had snuck out to the docks and on one of the yachts anchored there. They had spent the night pretending to be a pair of rich tourists who always flocked to the islands in the summer.
They had gotten up to quite a bit of mischief that night, and even though Holly hadn't thought about it in decades, she could still remember it clearly. And Jake was right; back then, she would have never backed down from a challenge.
And as if her old friends were conspiring against her, Melissa piped up next. "Don't worry. I've got an extra bathing suit you can borrow. Come on, Holly, you can't pass this up. When's the last time you went swimming in the ocean under the moon and stars?"
Holly sighed, knowing she was basically beaten. But she still wasn't ready to give up just yet. Holly smirked at Jake, trying one last Hail Mary. "Fine, I'll go swimming, but only if Jake does too."
For a brief moment, Holly thought she might've won and gotten herself out of it. But Jake just returned her grin and nodded, then shrugged his muscular shoulders. "Sure, it sounds like fun to me!"
Holly blinked at him in surprise, which made him laugh. His eyes shimmered, and Holly knew he was taking far too much enjoyment out of this whole situation.
"I've got a set of trunks in the back of my cruiser."
"Have lots of opportunities to swim while you're on duty?" Holly asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. She didn't want him to know he'd beaten her, even if he had.
Jake just shrugged, looking as carefree as ever. "This is the Keys, remember. You never know when you might need them!"
Holly didn't have a chance to think of how to respond before Melissa dragged her toward the bathrooms to change. Of course, Melissa just so happened to have an extra suit on hand, and one that fit Holly as well. The smirk Melissa and Chantal gave her when she stepped out actually made her blush.
But again, she didn't have much time to dwell on it before she was dragged back toward the water. Before she knew it, there were at least twenty or thirty people out running into the water. The water was warm and soothing as Holly swam out until she was chest-deep.
Everyone around her was laughing and joking around, splashing each other and having the time of their lives. When Jake swam over and splashed her, Holly splashed him right back, and the war was on.
It didn't take long before all thoughts of her crappy year fled from her mind. In a way, it was like she had been transported right back to high school, a time when she hadn't had a single care in the world.
Chantal swam over, bumping her shoulder against Holly's. When Holly looked over at her friend, the mischievous smirk was visible even in the low light. She leaned in close and then whispered her plan in Holly's ear.
Holly's eyes went wide, but she nodded. Jake's comment from earlier had stuck in the back of her mind, and she wasn't about to pass up a chance for a bit of fun. Maybe once the alcohol and adrenaline wore off, she would regret it. She was going to have a bit of fun in the meantime, though.
The two of them swam as quietly as they could. But in the loud roughhousing, their target was none the wiser of their approach—at least, not until Holly and Chan jumped at the same time, both landing on Jake's muscular back. Even as strong as he was, he couldn't hold up the two of them without warning, and he sunk beneath the water.
When he came back up for air, he was sputtering and glaring in their direction. Holly and Chan took a moment to grin and high five each other; then they took off swimming. Jake was right on them, though, trying desperately to catch them and exact his revenge.
They split apart, going in different directions. But, of course, Jake chose to chase after Holly. And, of course, Holly wasn't in nearly as good of shape as Jake was, and he caught her before long. She squealed as he plucked her up out of the water like she weighed nothing at all.
Then, before she could react to how it felt to have his hands on her, he tossed her into the air. Holly yelled again, her limbs flailing before gravity pulled her down into the water with a splash. She sputtered, trying not to inhale the water, as she sunk into the darkness.
When she finally surfaced again, Jake was a few feet away, grinning like a mad man. Holly glared at him, annoyed that it had taken her and Chantal to dunk him, and yet he'd been able to send her flying like a rag doll with ease.
Because, of course, her high school love had to turn out to be built like a bodybuilder.
Couldn't he have gotten fat? She thought jokingly as she swam toward him for the next round.
Chapter Twelve
By the time the party died down and everyone headed back to the shore to change into dry clothes, Holly was completely exhausted. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had that much physical exertion all at once. But, even though she was sore and tired, she felt good. Better than she had in a while, at least.
Seeing her friends again, letting loose and forgetting about all of her problems— it all eased the suffocating stress. That stress wasn't gone, not by a long shot, but at least for now, she could breathe a little again.
When she hugged Chan and Mel on her way out, she squeezed them extra tight. She had been really nervous about coming to the little shindig, but now she was glad she had bitten the bullet and joined in on the fun. Not only had she gotten the chance to catch up with friends and family she hadn't spoken to in far too long, but it also helped her rediscover a part of herself she had long ago buried.
Now she just had to try to hang onto that part of her this time.
Walking out to her car, she noticed something amiss almost immediately. Her car wasn't sitting right, and when she reached it and looked at the tires, she wanted to burst into tears. She hadn't gotten a chance to get to the body shop and have the new tire put on her car yet.
And now, sitting right where she left it, was her precious Jag with the spare having gone flat. Why was it, when she thought things were going so well, the universe had to throw something else at her, just to screw things up again?
One step forward, two steps back. That appeared to be her motto for the year.
Laughter caught her attention. Her head jerked up to see Jake walking out of the cabana, dressed in his police blues again. He was talking with another guy, but after a moment, they went their separate ways. Jake got halfway to his cruiser when he glanced over and spotted Holly, the two of them locking eyes.
He must've seen something in her frantic gaze. He stopped mid-stride, then pivoted to head in her direction. Jake caught sight of the problem almost instantly and let out a short laugh as he shook his head.
"If it's not one problem, it's something else, right?" Jake asked. His tone wasn't mocking, though, just trying to keep up her spirits a bit. "As if you don't have enough going on with getting the inn all sorted out."
Holly let out a snort of her own. It was like he had read her mind. However, he didn't know about the other problems she had been having. Still, she couldn't believe she had never made it over to the body shop to get the new tire on. It was ready. They had called her and told her so. She had to drive over, pay them, and get it put on.
But of course, that problem had ended up at the bottom of her list.
"Want a ride home?" Jake offered.
Holly chewed on her bottom lip as she considered it. She wasn't so sure she wanted to spend much more time in proximity to Jake, but what other option did she have? Her mother was no doubt asleep by now. And her cousins had left ages ago.
Sure, she could ask Mel or Chan to take her home, but she didn't really want to impose on them either.
So, finally, Holly nodded. "I don't have to ride in the back, do I?"
This time, when Jake laughed, it was a full-bodied one that echoed around them. He grinned at her, and his eyes shone much brighter. "No, you can sit up front. But if you're a bad girl, I might get out the handcuffs!"
Holly's cheeks flushed at the implication. Quickly, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind and let Jake lead her toward his cruiser. Holly had never ridden in a police car before, and she marveled at the layout.
"So, how's life in Miami?" Jake asked as they cruised down the highway. He glanced over at her; his curiosity was more than evident in his eyes.
Holly shrugged, fighting to keep her expression neutral. She still hadn't gotten the courage to tell anyone about her life falling to pieces, and this still didn't seem to be the right time to do it. "Wonderful. Will and I are very happy. The kids are doing better than ever."
"I'm sure they miss you terribly. How old are they now?"
"Gabby just turned twenty-six. Sean is twenty-five now, with a three-year-old daughter of his own."
Jake nodded. His attention was firmly on the road ahead of him, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Somehow, the relaxed demeanor from this evening had slipped away. "They grow up so quickly, don't they? Mine are eleven and thirteen now, and I swear it was just a few weeks ago they were still crawling around in diapers."
"I didn't know you had kids," Holly said, her eyes wide. She hadn't noticed a ring on his finger, and he hadn't mentioned anything about being married or having kids earlier.
But then, neither had she. The conversations all night had stayed light and surface level. The only intimate things they talked about were things from their pasts, shenanigans, and hijinks they had gotten up to in their youth.
"Yep. A boy and a girl. They live with their mother in Naples." Holly didn't need to look at him to know how much that hurt. She could hear the pain in his voice. He missed his kids so much.
"How long have you been divorced?" Holly found herself asking. Then, she mentally chastised herself. It wasn't any of her business. And if she didn't want people prying too deeply into her personal life, didn't they deserve the same respect from her?
But Jake only shrugged. If the question bothered him, he didn't show it. "It's been a couple of years now. Three? Four? I don't know. It's been long enough."
Holly nodded. He didn't sound too broken up over his divorce. Maybe time really did heal all wounds? Maybe in a couple of years, she wouldn't feel a stabbing pain in her heart every time she thought about Will or the kids or the life she'd had back in Miami.
Before Holly knew it, they were pulling up in front of the Archer family house. She forgot about how close everything in town was. Unlike Miami, it didn't take an hour to go a couple of miles.
"How about you?" Jake asked as Holly opened her door and stepped outside. She bent down to be eye level and looked at him with a furrowed brow, confused with his question, and he clarified. "How long have you been divorced now?"
Her heart stopped beating. Wide-eyed, she stared at him. She hadn't told anyone, so how could he have possibly known? Besides, she had just told him things were going great, hadn't she? "I don't know what you mean. We're both happily married," she forced out, plastering a fake smile onto her face.
But Jake just chuckled. He looked at her, the two of them locking gazes. It really was like he could see right through her. Even after all these years, he still knew how to read her. "If that's the lie you're going with, you might wanna start wearing your wedding ring."
Holly stammered out a response as she quickly closed the door. Jake looked at her one last time and then slowly headed back down the driveway. Her cheeks were flushed with heat from the embarrassment of having been caught in her lie.
Jake probably thought she was pathetic, lying about her life still being perfect. But as she stood there under the moonlight, she could still see the look he had given her. Whatever he'd been thinking, that hadn't been it. But no matter how long Holly pondered, she couldn't quite decipher what he had actually been thinking.
She couldn't quite read him as well as he could read her.
Chapter Thirteen
Holly was sitting at the front desk, talking with Natalie, when the two trucks pulled up out front. The younger woman looked at her curiously as Holly grinned and jumped up from behind the desk to head outside. She crossed through the glass door when the passenger door of the truck opened; a woman slid effortlessly onto the pavement.
"Cara!" Holly beamed, rushing over to embrace her cousin. Cara was Jason and Paul's little sister. Even though she was thirty-eight now, she looked like she had barely aged a day. What was it with the people around here not seeming to age?
"Oh, my God, it's so good to see you again!" Cara hugged her back, but she didn't try to break her in half like everyone else was prone to do. "When the guys told me they were coming by to help spruce up the inn a bit, I figured I would come along and lend a hand. The inn may have been your father's pride and joy, but I'm still an Archer too."
"I will take all the help I can get! But first, you and I need to do some serious catching up while the guys look over the place and make out a plan for us." Holly left them with the notes she had taken, and they made arrangemen
ts to meet up at lunchtime to go over everything together.
Then, Holly hooked her arm in Cara's and guided her cousin down toward the water. It was another beautiful day, with the sun high above and barely a cloud in the sky. You could smell the saltwater in the air, and that alone was enough to ease the worst stress.
"So, how's life been treating you?" Holly asked. After so long of being cut off from everyone, she was almost as bad as her mother, needing to know what was going on and what she had missed.
Cara shrugged and then reached her arms high up in the air to stretch. "As good as I can hope for, I guess. Did you hear Greg and I got divorced?"
"No, I didn't. When?" Holly was starting to see a pattern. She was pretty sure she now knew more divorced people than married ones!
"About a year and a half ago. It just wasn't working out for us. We spent more time fighting than anything. Once we separated, we started getting along much better."
"Well, I guess that's good," Holly said, trying to be careful with her words. Just because Cara appeared relaxed about her divorce didn't mean Holly could be careless with what she said. "How's your daughter handling it? She's what, fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Sixteen," Cara confirmed. "And she's been doing good too. I think she's happier now that her father and I aren't fighting all the time anymore. The two of them are actually on a trip right now. They wanted some daddy-daughter bonding time before school started back up."
"Ah, so that's why you really tagged along with your brothers. You just wanted to use me to ease your loneliness," Holly said with a smirk. As they walked along the shore, carrying their shoes and letting their feet dig into the sand, Holly couldn't believe she had stayed away for so long. She had missed so much by never really coming back, and she wasn't sure she would ever really be able to repair those mistakes.
Cara laughed and nudged Holly with her shoulders. Cara's blue eyes were almost the same color as the ocean. The sun made them sparkle. "Well, you have to admit, walking along the beach with you is better than being holed up in my studio all day!"
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