The Parking Space (15 page)

SUNLIGHT CASCADED THROUGH the archway of the bedroom as I readied for the day. Tiredness brought on a yawn as I slipped into my purple bikini and covered it up with a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, checking my reflection in the mirror on the wall.

It’s as good as it’s going to get after only five hours of sleep.

A long dinner followed by relaxing in the hot tub led Rick and me into hours and hours of talking about nothing and everything all at the same time.

His childhood had been quite different from mine. His parents were still married, while mine divorced before I turned five years old. Unlike me, he was a native of San Francisco and had only left when he moved to Texas to study veterinary medicine, while I’d only lived there since college.

A knock rapped at the front door.

“Just a second,” I called out as I trotted to open it.

“Morning,” Rick greeted me with a smile and a white paper bag in his hand. “Bora Bora’s finest cherry and cream cheese Danishes.”

“Yum.”

He reached around my waist and kissed me. “So, I’ve got a surprise for us today. Are you ready to leave?”

“I just need my shoes.”

I scurried off to the bathroom before he could utter another word, slipping my feet into my flip-flops before shuffling back into the room.

“So where are we going?”

He smiled and playfully tapped my nose with his finger. “It’s a surprise, remember?”

Only a few boats remained in the harbor, one of which looked like the barge we arrived on and had several flags blowing from a sign that read:
Find your Adventure at the Discovery Park.

“I think this is it.”

“Um, I don’t think this is a good idea, Rick.”

“Oh, come on, it will be fun.” He jumped down into the boat and held out his hands to help me. “I’ve already spoken to the concierge and he assured me that under no uncertain terms would you or any of your limbs come in any contact with a jellyfish at the park.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” He flashed me a smile.

I jumped down next to him and he wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my forehead.

“There are only turtles, stingrays, and sharks.”

“Sharks?”

“People swim with them and feed them every day, babe. I’m sure it’s safe.” After he helped me to my seat, he sauntered over toward the captain of the boat who sat in the driver’s seat. “Excuse me, sir?”

The man looked up from his clipboard, conversing with Rick in a conversation I couldn’t hear. Off to the right of us, several voices echoed from the beach. Couples either played in the water, splashing each other as they laughed, or sunbathed and relaxed in lounge chairs, either sipping fruity drinks or reading books.

Everyone was dressed in swimwear with the exception of one man standing in the middle of them all, spinning in circles as though he was looking for someone. Horribly out of place in long jeans, he searched and searched, walking up and down the beach.

Closer and closer, he neared the line of palm trees toward the resort and an odd familiar feeling began to churn in my stomach. It was as though I knew this stranger. Knew him for the way he walked and the way his arms swung with his gate, from the color of his hair and the paleness of the skin of his arms underneath his t-shirt.

Tom?

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

It can’t be him. It just can’t.

“Helen?” a voice asked behind me.

As I opened my eyes, I spun around, meeting the face of Lisa’s mom. Her husband trailed behind her, followed by Ben’s parents, and lastly, Lisa and Ben.

“Helen?” Lisa gushed.

As she rushed toward the boat, I glanced over my shoulder, searching for the stranger once more. He had vanished, though, just as the man in the hotel lobby the two days before, disappearing before I could blink as though the whole situation was in my head.

Why do I keep imagining Tom?

A hand grabbed my shoulder. “Helen?” Lisa’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry.”

Her eyes narrowed for a moment. “What’s the matter?” she whispered.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“It’s just that I keep seeing Tom. But I don’t think he’s real, if that makes any sense. It’s like I’m just seeing him in my head.” I waved off my own words. “I think I’m just going crazy, that’s all. I know he’s not here.”

“How many times have you seen him?”

“Just twice. But I think . . . yeah, it’s just all in my head.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. It just didn’t seem important.”

“Did you ever call him back when he called last week?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but hesitated as Rick’s arm slid over my shoulder.

“Are you guys going to the park today, too?” he asked.

“Yes, just one last fun thing to do before the wedding.” She gave me a slightly concerned, feeble smile then motioned toward her parents. “Dr. Stark, I’d like for you to meet my parents, Nancy and Allen, and these two are Ben’s parents, Jean and Bob.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you.” He shook everyone’s hands. “Please, call me Rick.”

“Rick is Cassie’s vet back home.” The one inquisitive sparkle in Lisa’s eyes faded into her usual excitement when introducing a man who was in my company. “And he just happened to be here on vacation the same week as us.”

“Actually, he’s here for a job interview.” I corrected her. “As a veterinarian on the island.”

“Oh.” Nancy’s eyes danced from me to her daughter and then back to me. “Well, that’s nice. It’s nice to meet you, Rick. It’s fortunate that you were here for an interview when Helen was here for the wedding.”

“Yes, it seems to have turned out that way.” He gave me a sideways glance and winked, causing my stomach to flutter.

We took our seats as the captain welcomed us aboard and informed us of the rules for the boat. Lisa glanced at me several times, her different facial expressions gave hints to the thoughts and questions I knew were on her mind. Undoubtedly, they were the same questions on mine as well. And ones I didn’t know if I could answer.

“How long is the boat ride?” Jean asked. She took the seat next to Bob, clutching her purse so tight her knuckles turned white. While everyone else leaned against the leather cushions, she sat forward and wrapped her arms around her chest.

“About ten minutes or so. It’s not far,” the captain said.

“Oh, good.”

Bob patted her on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. “She’s not fond of the water.”

“And here my son decides to get married on an island,” she laughed. “Go figure.”

“Aww, we’re so sorry, Jean.” Lisa clutched Ben’s hand as she gave her future mother-in-law a sympathetic smile.

The boat’s motor began rumbling underneath us, and with slight pressure on the gas pedal, it pulled away from the dock, slowly meandering away from the pier.

I shifted in my seat. My shoulders were tense with an unease that clawed at me. The last time we’d been on a boat the day hadn’t gone all too well, and I wasn’t looking forward to any repeat events. Without saying a word, Rick wrapped one arm around my shoulders and drew me into his body. His lips kissed my head, giving me reassurance, or at least attempting to.

Lisa’s beaming smile caught my eye and I slightly shook my head at her, hoping she’d take my hinted warning.

As we hit open water, the once large palm trees and hut buildings of the resort became smaller and smaller, until I could barely make out the roofs and the palm leaves. With each bounce on the waves, Ben’s mother tightened her grip around her own shoulders. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she tucked her chin down to her chest. Her own insecurities were different from mine, and yet, fear was still fear.

Wind whipped through everyone’s hair, blowing the strands in all directions. Minutes passed into minutes, until finally, the boat engine died and we floated into another harbor. A couple of men rushed toward us, grabbing a few of the ropes the captain had thrown to them. They quickly tied each one around short posts, securing the boat so we could disembark.

“So did you sleep good last night?” Rick asked as he helped me out of the boat.

“Yes, once an annoying man decided he would
finally
leave my room.”

“I would say that I’m sorry for staying late, but unfortunately, I’m not.”

“Staying late?” Lisa bounced on her toes as she stared at us. “And, exactly, how late did you stay?”

“Um, I think I left at about three thirty?” He glanced at me.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“And, exactly what were you two doing until three thirty in the morning?”

“Just talking.” I enunciated each word with a slight growl to make a point.

She giggled and bit her lip, giving me a wink as she trotted off toward Ben and grabbed his hand. “Are you ready, honey?”

While they strolled off with their parents, Rick hesitated. “I just wanted to hang behind the group, give us a bit of distance.” He laced his fingers in mine and kissed the back of my hand.

“I’m sorry if she was too nosy.”

“Nah, she just wants her friend to be happy. You don’t have to apologize. I wanted to tell you that I had fun last night. The view from your hot tub is amazing at night.”

“It’s going to be one of the biggest things I miss about this place when I leave. I can’t believe I only have a few more days here and then I fly back to San Francisco.” My shoulders slumped. “And then it’s back to reality.”

His brow furrowed for a second and his eyes hardened with seriousness. “So listen, I know that we decided not to really go into our pasts too much, but after thinking about it, I think I should tell you what happened.”

“Oh. Um, okay. You know, you don’t have to if you don’t really want to.”

“No, I want to.”

He grabbed my hand in his and turned it over, gently tracing my palm with his fingers as he cleared his throat.

“I met Sandra while I attending college in Texas and after two and a half years of dating I asked her to marry me. A few months after we moved back to San Francisco she got sick, and when we finally took her to the doctor, we found out that she was pregnant. I wanted to move forward with the wedding plans, even told her we could just go down to the courthouse, but she dragged her feet and gave me excuse after excuse.”

His words punched all the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath on the inside.

Pregnant? He has a child with her?

“I had suspected something was going on with her, but I didn’t know what,” he continued. “Looking back, I suppose the questions were always in the back of my mind, but I just didn’t want to face it, so I ignored all the signs.”

“Signs of what?”

“She’d say she was working late, yet was never at her office when I called or she would tell me she had a business dinner, but wouldn’t get home until early in the morning.”

“So she cheated on you?”

“With my best friend . . . who was the father of the baby.”

“Ouch. How did you find out the truth?”

“He came over one night, ranting in a fit of rage that he didn’t want someone else—me—raising his child.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Eh, everything happens for a reason.” He stroked the palm of my hand a few more seconds before he turned it back over and laced his fingers in mine.

“I can understand your hesitation in another relationship.”

“Don’t you have the same fear?”

“Fear in what?”

“The fear that someone else could do the same or that you could live through the situation a second time.”

Every day.

“Well, Tom didn’t cheat on me that I know of. Although, he did have another girlfriend soon after, so maybe he could have. I don’t know. He did leave me standing in a wedding dress in a church full of people.”

The more the words came out of my mouth the more I giggled under my breath. Why, I didn’t know. Nothing about him leaving me at the altar proved funny. Nothing about spending my life savings, planning all the details, and going through the motions that day of getting my hair and makeup done proved funny, either.

There I stood in a five thousand dollar dress feeling worth five dollars.

“What he did wasn’t anything compared to cheating and lying about a baby.”

“Betrayal is still betrayal, no matter the form.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I know not all women are like Sandra. I know not all women would do something like that. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t live with the fear of it happening again.”

“Which is why you aren’t looking for a relationship.” My words were more of a statement than a question.

“Which is why I wasn’t.” He drew my body into his and kissed me, gently pulling away to whisper. “But now—”

“Rick? Helen? Aren’t you two coming?” Lisa called from the distance, interrupting him.