“What about meeting up with Clay?”
“That wasn’t set in stone, was it? I think a night in with friends is just what the doctor ordered for both of us. And to be honest, I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday.”
Chapter Eleven
After a quiet evening at the beach house, Daphne awoke early the next morning feeling rested, refreshed . . . and happy. She looked up at the ceiling and smiled. I’m happy. For a few moments she stared at the wooden fan spinning above her, marveling at how silent it was. Fred the gecko was perched on the ceiling again, but not in his usual spot. This time he was closer to the sliding glass doors leading to the deck.
“Hi, little guy. You mixing things up today? It’s good to mix things up once in a while.” Just not every night. While it would have been fun to see Clay again, she’d enjoyed the uneventful time in with her friends.
She tossed back the duvet cover and wiggled her feet into a pair of slippers, then walked over to the dresser to check her phone for a message from Emma. Not expecting one, she was delighted to see her daughter’s name on the display.
Hi Mom, reception is really bad here so just got your last text. I’m having a great time! Hope your birthday was fun. See you in a couple days.
She typed a quick reply, then set the phone down and smiled, joyful that her daughter was having so much fun. Joyful that she was having so much fun. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was, but something about today felt . . . new. She felt new. Was it because she was forty now? Or because she was no longer so afraid of being forty . . . and unattached . . . and without a litany of bylines to her name, much less a Pulitzer?
Maybe turning the page to a new decade, a new phase of her life, a new outlook on her life, was exactly what she needed? A blank slate? A fresh start? Or maybe it was a soothing, healing mixture of all of that, like the rain. She couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but she didn’t need to. St. Mirika really is a magical place, she thought.
When Daphne ambled into the kitchen a few minutes later, Skylar was sitting at the desk in the living room, quietly sipping coffee and staring at her laptop screen, her headset resting around her shoulders.
“Hey, sweets, how’d you sleep?” She pushed her reading glasses on top of her head.
Daphne yawned. “Like a corpse. I haven’t slept that well in years.”
Skylar chuckled. “I’m not surprised. You had quite a night to recover from.”
Daphne reached for a ceramic mug and set it under the coffeemaker. “An accurate statement. So how’s your morning going so far? Any new fires to put out?”
“How did you know? I wouldn’t be surprised if I have to head straight back to the airport the morning after I get home.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Maybe vent a little?”
Skylar gave her a weary smile. “You’re a dear to ask, but trust me, right now I want to do anything but talk about my job. I just want to try and enjoy the time we have left here.”
“Remind me again why we made the trip so short?” Daphne asked.
Skylar gave Daphne a gentle tap on the shoulder on her way to brew a fresh cup of coffee. “How quickly they forget.”
Daphne nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll take that.” She’d been the one reluctant to leave home for longer than a few days—and only if it coincided with Emma’s spring break. At the time it had seemed so important, so pressing, but now it just seemed . . . foolish.
“It would have been harder for me to get away for much longer anyway, so don’t feel bad,” Skylar said. “Hopefully the next trip can be longer.”
I hope so too, Daphne thought.
Skylar gestured outside. “Should we go sit on the deck?”
Daphne glanced down the hall. “Is KC still sleeping? Or is she out running a marathon?”
“I haven’t seen her, and I’ve been up for about an hour. I bet she’s still down for the count, especially with that sting in her leg. Even the Energizer Bunny needs to take it easy once in a while.”
“Want to walk to Bananarama and get a smoothie after we finish our coffee? We can bring one back for her,” Daphne said.
Skylar held up her mug. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
It wasn’t even eight o’clock, but the air was already warm and sticky when Daphne and Skylar reached the smoothie hut. And they weren’t the only early birds there. As they waited on a nearby bench for the pleasant owner to slide open the window, Daphne found herself surveying the surrounding tables in search of other familiar faces. After just a few days on St. Mirika, she already felt like a member of a community, however small, however ephemeral.
She also felt a little twinge of sadness at the realization that it would be ending very soon.
“I love how calm it is here at this time of day.” She watched the clear green waves gently roll up against the empty beach. “Going to the bars and stuff has been fun, but I prefer this so much more. It’s just so . . . peaceful.”
Skylar glanced up at the cloudy sky. “It’s going to pour buckets soon, can you feel it?”
Daphne held out her arms and tilted her head back, eyes closed. “I can’t wait. The rain here is so purifying, don’t you think?”
Skylar patted her cheeks. “That reminds me, I think I’m getting a purifying facial at the spa today.”
Daphne opened her eyes. “I know this might sound a little New Agey, but there’s something about the rain on this island, about everything on this island, actually, that’s helped me learn to embrace life again. Then again, it could just be that I’ve been hanging around you and KC.”
Skylar laughed. “Whatever works, right? I’m all for anything that gets your juices going. Some of the people at my company are so dead inside, it’s sad.”
“Dead inside how?”
“Hang on a sec.” Skylar stood up. Bananarama was officially open, and she was about to become the first customer of the day. She ordered three smoothies, then turned to Daphne. “Depends on the person, but a lot of them are in bad marriages, yet another reason why I’m not sure I’ll ever go down that route. Some of them are clearly in the wrong profession, but they feel trapped because they have financial obligations and can’t afford to start over. I guess the common thread is that somewhere along the way they got on the wrong path and don’t know how to get off it, and as a result they dry up inside.”
The smiling owner handed Skylar two smoothies, plus one in a bag for KC, and she and Daphne began the walk home. After a few minutes of silence, Daphne took a deep breath and looked at Skylar. “I became one of those people,” she said quietly.
“Was it really that bad with Brian?”
Daphne nodded. “Toward the end, yes. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just . . . became numb inside. I think it was some sort of coping mechanism.”
Skylar sipped her smoothie. “Coping mechanism for your marriage? Or for what you gave up for it?”
“For all of it, probably. It helped me, I don’t know . . . manage. It sounds so cliché, but it was easier to focus on fixing physical things, like remodeling the kitchen or getting the house painted, than to address what really needed fixing . . . our relationship.” That evasion seemed glaringly obvious to Daphne now, but for years she just hadn’t seen it. Or hadn’t wanted to see it.
Skylar stopped walking and put a hand on Daphne’s shoulder. “You know what I think?”
Daphne waited for her to continue.
“I think you still have a ways to go, but you’ve started to become Daphne again on this trip,”
Daphne felt a tear form in the corner of her eye. “Really?” I think so too.
Skylar squeezed her shoulder. “Without a doubt, and it makes me really happy. You had a one-night stand with a hot guy in his twenties, for God’s sake! If that isn’t living, I’m not sure what is.”
Daphne hugged h
er tight. “Thank you, Skylar,” she whispered.
Skylar hugged her back. “You’ll get there, don’t worry.”
They began walking along the beach in a comfortable silence, both of them staring out at the water. All of a sudden Skylar grabbed Daphne’s arm and cocked her head toward the sand dune.
“Speak of the devil.” They were approaching Clay and Doug’s place. The back deck was empty, a handful of empty beer bottles strewn about. “I wonder how late those guys were out last night?” Daphne said.
“A lot later than we were, that’s for sure.”
“You think they met other women?”
Skylar shrugged as they passed by. “Scott, probably. Clay, possibly. Doug, unlikely. Hey, speaking of women, there’s our favorite one.” She pointed ahead to their own beach house. KC was sitting on the deck, a steaming mug of coffee in one hand.
“Hey, Wonder Woman, how are you feeling today?” Skylar asked as they climbed the steps.
KC grinned. “Way better than yesterday, that’s for sure. Leg is still pretty sore, though. I didn’t sleep that well once whatever they gave me at the hospital wore off.”
“You should have taken more painkillers before you went to bed,” Skylar said.
KC held her hands up as if to protect her face. “Those things scare me. I’ve seen too many horror stories about regular people falling under the spell of addiction after a routine injury.”
Skylar rolled her eyes and handed KC the paper bag with the smoothie inside. “Falling under the spell of addiction? Who talks like that? Methinks someone’s been watching a little too much TV.”
“Maybe,” KC said as she opened the bag. “But I don’t want to take any chances. Thanks for this, by the way. Yummy.”
Daphne eyed her with suspicion. “Are you taking it easy like the doctor told you to, or did you just run like fifteen miles?”
KC sipped her coffee and smiled. “I promise you both, the only exercise I’ve gotten today is lifting this tasty beverage to my lips. I figured a day or two off won’t kill me.”
Skylar coughed and sat down next to her. “A day or two. I have no trouble going a month or two without exercise. Then again, that’s probably why you can still shop in the juniors’ department and I cannot.”
KC pinched Skylar’s side. “I bet you’d have trouble going a month or two without working. You can’t even go an hour or two. There are all kinds of addictions, my friend.”
Skylar shrugged. “I tried taking the day off yesterday, and I almost got myself fired.”
“Was it really that bad?” Daphne asked.
Skylar took a drink of her smoothie. “I might be exaggerating just slightly. Okay, more than slightly. I wasn’t in danger of losing my job at that exact moment. However, our company was in danger of losing a major account, which for someone in my position is usually the first step on the road to unemployment. So it was pretty serious.”
“But it’s okay now?” KC asked.
Skylar finished her smoothie and gestured inside. “Yes. However, unfortunately I do need to make a couple calls before we head to the spa. Can you two be ready to leave by ten?”
“What about the monkey forest?” KC said.
“If we want to see the monkeys, it will have to be on the way back. We’re lucky they could accommodate us at all after we canceled at the last minute yesterday. So does ten o’clock work?”
KC stood up. “It’s perfect. I’m going to call Max and fill him in on my little . . . incident.”
Daphne pointed to the beach. “I think I’m going to read on the beach for a while.”
“Sounds good to me,” KC said. “I’m kind of liking this quiet evening, early morning thing. I had fun the other night, but my liver can’t take that kind of abuse too often. Hey, what about those cliffs on the other side of the island? Doug said the views are amazing. Maybe we can do that tomorrow?”
“Let’s do it,” Skylar said.
Daphne flinched at the thought of how high the cliffs would be.
“I can’t believe we leave the day after tomorrow,” KC said. “On our next trip let’s stay a little longer, okay?”
“Okay.” Daphne smiled, then exchanged a knowing look with Skylar. Next trip would be longer, and it wouldn’t take ten years to happen. Both of them would make sure of that.
An hour or so later Daphne checked her watch and realized it was time to head back to the house. She closed her book and tossed it into her tote bag, then stood up and began shaking out her beach towel.
“Hey there, stranger.”
She turned around, a bit startled by the sound of a man’s voice. His voice.
“Clay, hi.”
He was wearing navy-blue board shorts and running shoes, no shirt. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and chest.
“You look tired,” she said as she folded the beach towel. “Long run? Or long night?”
He laughed. “Both, I guess.”
She smiled and adjusted her bag over her shoulder. “That’s the way to do it, right?”
“I guess so.” He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. “How was the birthday night out? Did you get into trouble?”
“KC did. She got into a tussle with a jellyfish and lost. That’s why we didn’t make it to the Castaway.”
“A jellyfish? Are you serious?”
Daphne pointed down the beach. “Right when we got off the catamaran.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s sore, but she’ll be fine. We were a little scared when she started having an allergic reaction, but not as scared as when Skylar drove us to the hospital.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
Daphne tucked the towel into her bag. “Just be glad you’ll never have to ride in a car with Skylar.”
“So noted. When are you headed back to the States?”
“The day after tomorrow. What about you?”
“Tomorrow. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.” He wiped the sweat from his brow. “I’ll be daydreaming about this place from my office, that’s for sure.”
She sighed and gazed up at the sky. “I hear you. I wish I could stay here forever.”
“What do you have planned before you go?”
She regained eye contact with him, the anxiety she’d felt when they’d first met now a distant memory. “We’re finally doing the spa thing today, and maybe the monkey forest. KC wants to check out those cliffs you and Doug were talking about, so we’ll probably do that tomorrow.”
“And tonight?”
“Just dinner.” She considered asking him what his plans were but decided not to. This is the perfect way to say good-bye.
Before he could speak again, she looked up at the house. “I should probably get going so I’m not too late. I’m already pushing it as it is, and you know how Skylar can be.”
She knew she was being a bit abrupt given their history, but drawing out their farewell seemed pointless, and verbalizing what she was really thinking just didn’t seem appropriate. She wanted him to know that she appreciated what he’d done for her, how grateful she was for their encounter—however fleeting—for jolting her out of the emotional trance she’d been in for much too long. For making her feel young again. Attractive again. Alive again. But she had no idea how to convey any of that without sounding like she’d overanalyzed what to him was probably nothing more than a holiday fling. So instead she said nothing.
After a noticeable silence, Clay spoke. “Well, if I don’t see you again, enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“You too. It was really nice meeting you.” She gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek, then turned and started walking toward the house. As she made footprints in the sand, she wondered if one day, far down the road perhaps, he’d realize the impact their night together had on her.
“Hey, Daphne?” Clay call
ed after her.
She stopped and turned around. “Yes?”
He saluted. “Give my regards to Fred, will you?”
She laughed and returned the salute. “Will do.”
“I’m officially a new person. I may even have to change my name.” KC wiggled her arms as they left the spa a few hours later. She turned around and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the sign on the front door. “Well done, Paradise Spa at the Four Seasons. My grateful muscles and I will miss you.”
Skylar poked KC in the shoulder. “See? Lying around for a few hours isn’t the worst thing in the world.”
“I just hope my arms aren’t too wobbly to cuddle a monkey,” KC said.
Skylar rolled her eyes as she opened the car door. “Trust me, you won’t be cuddling any monkeys.”
“A girl can dream, right?” KC said as she climbed inside.
Daphne pressed her palms against her cheeks. “My massage was good, but the cucumber revitalizing facial was amazing. My skin feels so soft right now.” She looked at Skylar. “I could get used to your lifestyle. I mean, the nonwork side of it. The other side would eat me alive.”
“You’ve been the head of the PTA how many times? Trust me, you could handle it,” Skylar said.
“I bet you ran a tight ship at that PTA,” KC said to Daphne. “You were crazy organized in college, and we’ve all seen your tote bag.”
Daphne blushed. “Maybe.”
“Hey, speaking of your mom persona, have you been in touch with Emma?” KC asked.
“Not much, the reception is terrible there.”
“You doing okay with that?” KC asked.
Daphne smiled. “Actually, yes. Once I realized it was out of my hands, it sort of freed me up to focus on other things this week.”
“You mean . . . like yourself?” Skylar said as she pulled onto the road. “God forbid any mother should do that.”
Daphne smiled. “You know what I mean. It’s hard to separate the two sometimes.”
“I hear ya,” KC said. “No matter where I am, Josh and Jared are always in the back of my head.”
Wait for the Rain Page 22
