Wait for the Rain (26 page)

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 called 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 mea
n . . .
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.”

“I can’t imagine having to worry about that all the time,” Skylar said. “I’m not averse to dating a man who has kids, but I don’t know how well I’d handle being a stepmother.”

“I think you’d make a fantastic stepmother,” KC said. “Especially to girls. You’d be such a great role model, outside of the driving thing, of course. Do you see how tightly I’m gripping this door handle right now? That’s the fear of death, my friend.”

“Zip it,” Skylar said.

Daphne turned around and grimaced at KC in the backseat. “For the record, I’m holding on just as tight.”

“You zip it too,” Skylar said. “Anyhow, I think any woman who is doing whatever it is that makes
her
happy is a great role model. Whether it’s having a corporate job or being a stay-at-home mom, the important thing is to show kids that it’s up to them to choose the life
they
want. Take Daphne here. We all know she could have crushed it professionally, but she chose to dedicate herself to raising Emma, which I think is commendable.”

Daphne gave Skylar a grateful look, then cleared her throat. “Actually, I think I’m going to look into some new adventures when I get home.”

“Adventures? I like the sound of that. What did you have in mind?” KC asked.

“For starters, I was thinking about signing up for a dance class, just so I could have a hobby of my own, something outside of Emma’s world. Plus, being around
you
all week has inspired me to get in better shape.”

“I love that idea,” KC said. “I love inspiring people!”

Daphne smiled at her. “I also think it’s time to dip my toe back into journalism so I can use the part of my brain that I’ve neglected for too long. I know the industry has changed dramatically since I learned the ropes in school, but I’m kind of excited about learning something new.”

“Ready to pop that suburban bubble, are we?” Skylar said.

“
Pop
might be an overstatement, but while I love being a mom, part of me has known for a long time that I need more than that in my life. It took this trip for me to come to terms with it, and to realize that it’s okay to want more for
myself
while still loving my daughter to pieces.”

“Of course it’s okay,” KC said. “You have to love yourself too.”

“Maybe you should try one of my business ideas,” Skylar said.

Daphne looked at her. “You think I should start my own company? What do I know about starting a business?”

Skylar shrugged. “What does anyone know about anything before they try it? You’re smart, you could totally do it.
Plus
,
I could use some stock options in a hot new venture. I still want to hire my traveling stylist someday.”

Daphne laughed. “I think I’ll start with submitting an article to a magazine, but I’ll keep that in mind. So is anyone up for a walk on the beach before dinner?”

Early that evening, the three friends were taking a stroll along the shore when the skies erupted for the second time that day. The first downpour had been while they were at the monkey forest after the spa, much to the delight of KC. The rain had briefly cleared the park of the fair-weathered, leaving her free to attract the monkeys with the enormous batch of bananas she’d purchased at the entrance. She’d already set the wallpaper on her phone to a picture Daphne had taken of her, featuring a plump monkey perched on one shoulder, the trademark KC grin on her face.

“I love this rain.” Daphne tilted her head back and held her arms open wide. “It’s so refreshing.”

“Not as refreshing as a rum punch would be right now. Anyone up for cocktails on the beach after dinner?” Skylar said.

“I wonder if Clay and the guys will be at the Castaway tonight,” Daphne said. “I ran into him earlier today.”

Skylar raised her eyebrows. “Is that so? Interesting that you chose to keep that little nugget of information to yourself.”

“We didn’t talk for that long.” Daphne looked at KC and pointed to her leg. “I told him about your little voyage to the emergency room.”

“Did you two talk about getting together again?” Skylar asked.

Daphne glanced back in the direction of the house where Clay was staying. “I decided not to go there. I think I just want to spend as much time with you two as I can before we have to return to reality.”

Skylar held up a hand. “I fail to see how you can’t do both. It’s not like peg leg here or I have plans to sleep in your bed tonight.” She gestured to KC, then to herself.

Daphne laughed. “You know what I mean.”

“We could always drop by the Castaway later to see if he’s there,” KC said. “There’s no harm in that.”

“If I were you, I’d listen to peg leg,” Skylar said. “I say you knock it out of the park or go down swinging.” She pointed to KC’s thigh. “How’s the peg feeling, by the way?”

“Okay, not great. I think it will feel better after a couple cocktails.”

Skylar rubbed her hands together. “
Now
we’re talking. Maybe we should head back to the house for a predinner drink?”

“Sounds good to me,” KC said.

The three of them turned around and began walking toward the beach house. After a few minutes KC squinted at two figures in the distance. “Is that Harry and Eleanor? I can’t see that far.”

Daphne nodded. “I think so.”

As they approached the couple, Daphne and KC waved hello. Harry and Eleanor both returned the greeting, but Daphne immediately sensed a difference in their energy—and Harry’s appearance. His skin was notably pale, almost ashen, and he was moving quite slowly. But he met them with a warm smile. “There they are. The prettiest ladies on the island, after my wife, of course.”

“Ahoy mates,” KC said. “This is our friend Skylar, also known as the third Musketeer.”