by Lucy Kevin
“Thank you so much, Grams,” Rachel said as she threw her arms around her grandmother's shoulders. “You're the best! Now I need to go find Nicholas.”
“I'm very glad to hear it,” Grams said, looking as pleased as she ever had. “Although you might have to hurry. His film crew came to collect some of his things a little while ago, and I think they were heading down to the harbor.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Rachel sprinted out of the house. Her home was closer than the docks, meaning that her car was too, but was it close enough? But there was no time for her to calculate everything carefully. Not now.
Not where Nicholas was concerned.
She dashed toward her house, deciding that the car would be fastest. At least the way she was going to drive today, it would be. Running up the sidewalk, she narrowly avoided crashing into a couple of tourists taking in the sights, then took a shortcut down a small alleyway and hopped over a low wall. A dog barked at her, and Rachel ran faster, getting back out onto the street. She hadn’t done anything like this since she used to run home from school as a kid.
She skidded to a halt across the street from her house. For once, the street was busy, cars coming one after another. She tried to be patient, waiting at the curbside, but then she shook her head. “There isn’t any time.”
And there wasn’t. Every second she spent waiting for the perfectly safe time to cross, the film crew would be getting closer to the docks with Nicholas. She couldn't stand the thought of him leaving thinking that she didn't care—or that she wasn't ready to change her whole life for him.
All along, he'd opened up his heart, and his life, to her. Now that she was finally ready to do the same, she prayed she wasn't too late.
When was the next ferry due to leave? The big car ferries departed every hour, but the smaller passenger boats that tied up on the jetties often went more often than that. She needed to hurry!
Rachel checked her watch, took a breath and then stepped out into the traffic. “Sorry, sorry!” she called out as horns blared, but she kept moving. As she pulled open her garage door, she wished she owned a sports car that would get her there in half the time than the Kia could. Maybe a motorcycle. That would let her easily cut through the small town’s traffic, wouldn't it?
She pulled out into the street, then took her car up to the speed limit and past it as she pulled around a couple of cyclists on the narrow island road, cutting back in quickly to avoid oncoming traffic.
“Everything will be okay,” Rachel said to herself, trying to calm down, working to convince herself that she would get there before Nicholas left. Things would work out, the way he always said they did. She would make them work out!
Could she call Hanna and get her to persuade Joel to stop the ferry, given that he owned the company? It was worth a try—anything was at this point—so she used the voice-activated dialing on her cell phone. Unfortunately, she only got through to voice mail. “Hi, Hanna, it’s Rachel. Listen, if you get this in the next few minutes, I need Joel to delay the next ferry off the island for as long as possible. I’ll explain later, but it’s important. You know I wouldn’t ask otherwise. Love you, bye!”
Rachel hung up and concentrated on driving. The roads on Walker Island weren’t designed for high-speed driving. They were meant for meandering along while looking at the sights. Nicholas had reminded her of that when he’d walked with her earlier, making her slow down enough to notice the beauty all around her again.
Finally at the crowded harbor, she left the car in a no-parking zone and ran again, dodging a group of fishermen and the group of tourists photographing them. Several marine biologists were loading up a small boat, and not far from them a man and a woman were tuning up their Jet Skis.
Rachel hurdled a small stack of equipment and drew to a halt at the spot where the ferry normally tied up, but it wasn’t there.
Oh no, this couldn’t be right! It wasn’t the way things were supposed to happen now that she'd finally found a wonderful man who cared for both her and Charlotte.
She went over to the ticket booth and breathlessly asked, “The ferry to the mainland, has it gone yet?”
“One left a couple of minutes ago.”
Rachel couldn’t believe it. She’d tried so hard to get here quickly, but it looked like she was too late. Unless…
“Was there a film crew on the boat?” Maybe they’d missed the ferry just like she had or had decided to stop in a cafe for a meal first before leaving the island.
“Yes, I remember them. They had loads of boxes and cameras and a surfboard, too.”
Oh no, that meant Nicholas was on the ferry. Gone, just like that. But she wouldn't give up this time, couldn't stand to let Nicholas leave without knowing just how much she loved him.
Because she did. She loved him. With her entire heart and soul.
And she would prove it to him, even if it was the scariest thing she'd ever done.
Rachel ran up to the marine biologists. “I really need to catch up to the ferry that just left. Can I borrow your boat? I grew up on the island, so I promise I know how to operate a speedboat.”
“Borrow our boat? Are you nuts?”
“No, I promise you, I'm not. But I really need to catch up to the ferry.”
“And we need to get on with our research,” the scientist countered.
“I can pay you.” It was desperate, but then, so was Rachel.
The biologist only shook his head. “I'm afraid this isn’t a pleasure cruiser. You'll have to find someone else or wait for the next ferry.”
But she couldn’t wait, so she immediately headed toward the jet-skiing couple just a few yards away. They were both in their late teens. The young man was dressed in board shorts, while the young woman was wearing cutoffs and a bikini top. They both had the tanned, athletic frames of people who spent most of their time out on the water having fun, and they reminded her of herself at that age.
Only, it wasn’t a painful memory anymore. Because the past wasn’t the point. The future was.
Nicholas was.
“I know this is going to sound weird, but I need to catch up with the ferry that just left here. Please, could you take me out to it?”
“Hey,” the girl said, “aren’t you one of the Walkers?”
“Yes, I’m Rachel Walker.”
“Cool. I’m Iona Bledsoe. Your dad taught my English classes in high school, and I used to go for dance classes down at your grandmother’s studio. Why do you want to catch up to the ferry?”
“Because the man I love is on it, and if I don’t tell him today, he’s probably going to go away forever. Please, can you help me?”
“For true love, absolutely! Hey, Jake, throw her your life vest, would you?” Thankfully, the girl's boyfriend immediately complied, at which point Iona said, “Climb on behind me.”
Rachel clung tightly to Iona as they shot away from the jetty. The fact that the speed they were going ended up dousing the marine biologists in their precious boat was just a happy bonus.
The water in the harbor was quite still today, but with so many boats around, it was still a hair-raising experience as the Jet Ski zipped and darted around obstacles, heading for the open sea.
“There it is!” Rachel yelled above the sound of the motor.
They went faster then, skimming the tops of rolling waves that were probably too big to be safe for such a small vessel. Yet, right then, she didn’t care as the wind whipped through her hair, along with the cold sea spray. All that mattered was catching up with Nicholas before he disappeared completely.
Thankfully, the ferry wasn’t moving that fast. Certainly not as fast as the Jet Ski could go at full throttle. And, thankfully, Iona didn’t mind giving the chase everything she could.
“So, what’s the plan when we get there?” Iona yelled back to her.
“Just get alongside and try to match the boat’s speed so that I can call out to the people on board to get Nicholas' attention.”
&n
bsp; Soon, Iona was bringing the Jet Ski alongside the ferry, holding it steady. Even so, on the open sea “steady” was a relative term. Several tourists and islanders looked over the side of the ferry, obviously wondering if Rachel had lost her mind as she yelled, “Is Nicholas Quinn on board? I need to talk to him.”
After a few seconds, Candice, the production assistant, ran out to the ferry's deck and yelled, “What are you doing here, Rachel?”
“I need to talk to Nicholas.”
The woman looked shocked. “You sped all the way out here on a Jet Ski just to talk to him?”
“Please,” Rachel yelled, “can you tell him I'm here?”
“I would, but he isn’t on board. He said he couldn't leave the island yet. He told us he had something really important that he needed to do, something about ‘proving it can work,’ though he wouldn't tell us anything more than that. I'm really sorry, Rachel.”
But Rachel wasn't sorry at all. Not anymore, not when it sounded like Nicholas was still utterly intent on a life with her and Charlotte. Just as much as they wanted a life with him.
“How fast do you think you can get us back to the docks?” Rachel asked Iona.
Instead of replying, the other woman was already gunning the motor, speeding them back across the ocean again as fast as the Jet Ski could go.
All in the name of true love.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Nicholas stepped inside the island's high school, and kids quickly began pointing at him as they realized who he was. But he wasn't going to be able to stop to chat or sign autographs for any of them today, because he needed to speak with Emily Walker right away.
Was he doing the right thing?
Not about Rachel. That part couldn’t be more clear. He loved her. He wanted to be with her, whatever that took. The question was whether he was doing the right thing by coming to see her sister without discussing it with Rachel first.
But he knew Rachel needed facts, figures and the kind of certainty about homeschooling Charlotte that Nicholas could only give her if he talked to her school counselor sister first. This wasn’t about presenting Rachel with a fait accompli. It was about showing her that the choice he was asking her to make to change her and her daughter's lives could work.
Emily’s office door was open when he got there, thankfully. Noting that she was looking out over the school’s football field where practice was taking place, he asked, “Are you a football fan?”
When she turned toward him, it occurred to him yet again that while each of the Walker sisters was beautiful, only Rachel made him feel that fierce spark of love and desire.
“You can't live on Walker Island and not be a football fan. But today I’m thinking more about how nice it would be to be outside rather than in my office.”
“I'm sorry about keeping you late. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“I would have been here late anyway.” Emily easily waved off his apology as she shut the door behind them and then gestured for him to sit down. “The real question is, what are you still doing here?”
“Was everyone in your family expecting me to take the first ferry off the island as soon as I could?” He'd sent his gear on ahead with the film crew, but he couldn't leave. Not when everything he'd ever wanted, everything he longed for, was still here.
She raised an eyebrow at his question as she sat behind her desk. “We're all just looking out for my sister.”
“It's great the way you take care of each other,” he said, before gently adding, “but you know Rachel can look out for herself, don't you?”
“Of course I do,” Emily replied, “but knowing that doesn’t stop you from being protective when you care about someone.”
“It doesn’t,” he agreed. He already felt incredibly protective toward both Rachel and Charlotte and knew he always would, because he loved them both.
She gave him a small smile. “Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Nicholas? I've got as long as you need.”
It was easy to see what a great guidance counselor she must be—Emily was ready to listen and help. She also clearly wanted the best for her sister, just as the rest of their family did. Which meant that it wouldn't be a good idea to do anything to hurt Rachel or Charlotte. Not unless he wanted the whole Walker clan coming after him.
Of course, he would never want to hurt them. Not in a million years.
“I’m in love with Rachel.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Emily said with a wide grin. “After working in a high school for so long—and having four younger sisters—I can tell when two people are falling in love from a mile away.”
Nicholas thought about Michael. Did Emily have any idea that he'd been madly in love with her for years? But he had more sense than to say anything. Right now he needed Emily’s help, not to get her back up by interfering in her love life.
“So if you’re in love with my sister,” she said, “does that mean that you’re going to be staying on the island?”
“If I thought that was what Rachel really wanted, I’d do it.” And if, in the end, staying here truly was what Rachel and Charlotte needed him to do, he would reduce his surfing competitions and other travel commitments. For them, it would be worth it to change his entire life.
“You don’t think Rachel wants to stay on the island?”
He wasn't surprised by her slightly defensive tone. Not when he’d seen how much Emily loved Walker Island and how much she loved having her sisters close by.
“Of course she loves the island, but I think Rachel has only stayed here because it feels like the safer option,” he explained. “I saw the way she came alive every time we were out on the water or climbing during filming. She loves adventure, but has been smothering it because she believes that's the only way to do the right thing for Charlotte.”
“There are plenty of adventures to have here on the island,” Emily insisted.
“I agree. And I promise you I’m not attacking Walker Island. It’s a beautiful place to grow up, and to live, but there’s so much else out there. So much that I want to share with Rachel and Charlotte. So much that I know the two of them would love to discover with me. Do you really think that she’s happy here, working as an actuary? Because as far as I can see, the only things in her life that truly make her smile are her family and Charlotte.”
And him. He'd made Rachel happy. Just as happy as she'd made him.
For a few moments, Emily looked like she was about to argue with him. But then she suddenly said, “You’re right.” She sighed. “I know you’re right. Rachel hasn’t been truly happy since she moved back to the island. We’ve all tried to be there for her, but it’s like one version of her went out into the world, and another one came back. When she was a kid, she was so adventurous. We used to argue sometimes because I thought she was being irresponsible, setting a bad example for our younger sisters. But now I see that she was just having fun. Being who she needed to be. Maybe she overdid it a little sometimes, but all teenagers do at some point.” She paused for a moment, looking pensive, before she continued. “After our mom died, she became even more adventurous and wild. But then, when she got pregnant and came back to the island, she ended up swinging all the way to the other extreme, always so concerned with making sure everything was safe. Never wanting to take a risk at all. It was as if the adventurous woman inside of her was just...gone.”
“It’s not gone,” Nicholas assured her. “Trust me, if you’d seen her face when she was climbing the cliffs with me, you’d know that. From the very first moment I met her, I saw a smart, exciting, adventurous woman. Yes, she wants to know that she and Charlotte are going to be okay, but any mother would feel that way. Especially one as devoted to her daughter as she is.”
Emily looked closely at him. It was a look that reminded Nicholas of being in the principal’s office as a kid, about to receive a lecture on not surfing so long that he forgot to come to school on time. “Will my sister and niece come out of this o
kay?”
“I love both of them. Which is why I'm here to learn more about homeschooling so that I can show Rachel that Charlotte will not only be okay, but will thrive.”
Emily stared at him for a long moment, as if to fully take his measure. Finally, she smiled and reached into a large desk drawer, pulling out some brochures and some printed sheets she’d obviously put together herself.
“There are a lot of requirements and forms. Deciding to homeschool is a big commitment. It’s recommended that both you and Rachel take a parent qualifying course.”
Nicholas kept listening as he read through the top set of papers. It was indeed a complicated process, but honestly, was it any more complicated than the design development at his company when they were trying to come up with better safety equipment? There were always plenty of tests, forms and legal requirements to fulfill, and the well-being of Rachel’s daughter was far more important than anything else.
“Of course,” Emily said, “there are things like setting curricula, deciding what to teach and when. And you’d still have to meet with accredited teachers regularly to make sure things are on track. Which is where it helps that my father is a teacher.”
“Don't worry, we will come back here often,” he replied to her unspoken question. “And not just to check in with your father about our homeschooling progress. I promise that I'm not trying to take your sister or niece away forever. I’m just trying to give Rachel and Charlotte the kind of lives they would love.”
“I know,” Emily said with another smile, one that told him she was now as sure of him as she needed to be. “I've put together all the details you’re going to need to get started. Would you like me to help you draw up a plan?”
“Thank you, but I think Rachel and I should create Charlotte's homeschooling plan together.”
When it had just been him, he often went off to his next event without planning anything, knowing that he would find somewhere to stay and that the surfing competition would work out great, too. Now there would be all kinds of considerations to take into account, from declarations of intent to homeschool to more basic things, like how the three of them were going to get to his next competition or filming location together. They would need to find time to teach Charlotte, but again, that wasn’t a problem. If anything, Nicholas had a better lifestyle for that than someone trying to work a nine-to-five job. They would also have to sort out things like making sure Rachel and Charlotte had passports, planning an itinerary, and working out where to stay in each new part of the world.
