Avery shot her a grateful smile, suddenly feeling a teeny bit better. It was really sweet of Jack to sympathy-eat with her, even though Avery hadn’t told her what was going on.
“And Danish!” Avery called after the waiter. Why not? She might as well feed her sorrows. She pulled off her own green-and-orange Lilly Pulitzer dress and readjusted the straps of her gold Eres bikini. There. She had her best friend, the sun, and someone catering to her every whim. Forget Rhys. She’d be fine.
“Okay, so details!” Jack pressed after she had settled onto her back. “Your mom’s getting married.”
“Yeah,” Avery said, nodding. Right. The engagement. That was why Jack thought she was upset. Which was good, because she really didn’t feel like talking about Rhys, now that she knew he’d never even liked her in the first place. “You know, Remington’s kind of weird, but my mom loves him. And he loves her.” And he doesn’t flirt with half-naked pool sluts, she thought mutinously.
Jack blinked her green eyes toward Avery, nodding in understanding. “Well, it’s better than my mom. She’s having an affair with a fucking nineteen-year-old French dude named Guillaume. I mean, really, what the fuck?” Jack began, even though she didn’t really want to talk about her mom and Guillaume. Or about Avery’s mom and her weird fiancé. Ever since she saw Owen’s white-blond hair and broad shoulders from across the pool, all she wanted to talk about was Owen. She couldn’t believe she had just left him with those sluts. Jack knew she was being ridiculous—it wasn’t like Owen could have known she was coming. But seeing him with someone else had hurt, in a way that seeing J.P. with Baby Carlyle never had.
“Boys are all asses.” Avery sighed as the waiter appeared with a carafe of mimosas, along with a tray of French toast and a basket with mixed Danish and muffins.
“Including your brother?” Jack asked, she hoped subtly. She flipped over to her stomach and undid her straps so she wouldn’t get any weird tan lines.
“Well, he’s always been a player,” Avery said as she grabbed a Danish. She bit into it, but it was stale and hard. “At least in Nantucket he was. But since we got to New York, it was pretty much just him and Kelsey. You know, until he pretended to date you.” Avery shook her head, remembering when Owen and Jack had pretended to be a couple. Avery put the Danish down and plucked a blueberry muffin from the basket. While it had been a bitchy and devious move on Jack’s part, it was almost flattering that Jack had gone to such great lengths to get under her skin. “But back in Nantucket, he hooked up with everyone.”
“Really?” Jack wrinkled her nose. She sounded a little upset, but Avery couldn’t tell behind her enormous D&G sunglasses.
“Why do you want to know?” Avery asked, suddenly suspicious. Did Jack have a crush on Owen or something? But what about her boyfriend?
“Is everything okay with J.P.?” Avery asked point-blank.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jack said, suddenly very focused on rubbing sunscreen into her tan arms. “The stepbrats’ nanny has off until Monday and it’s brutal. I needed to get out of the house. And, of course, I wanted to see you!” Jack added.
“Okay,” Avery said uncertainly. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the feeling of the sun baking her skin. But she couldn’t relax. The excitement of the morning had dissipated, and in its place she felt only disappointment and exhaustion.
“You know, I’m actually really tired,” Avery said, standing up. She felt bad ditching Jack, but right now, she wasn’t going to be much fun anyway. “I was up late last night and I think I just need a quick catnap. I’ll call the desk to have a key card made for you,” Avery said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. “Bye!”
She didn’t wait for Jack’s response as she walked the long way up the beach, so she wouldn’t have to cross the pool. All along the sand were couples of all ages. Everyone looked so happy. What was her problem?
Avery hurried toward the villa. Maybe she could just take a nap, and when she woke up this entire morning would be like a dream.
In fairy tales, only Prince Charming can wake you….
the sea is not calm for b
Baby sat hugging her knees to her chest on the teak chair outside the guys’ villa. It had been almost an hour since she left Avery and Jack, and she’d intended to knock on the door, grab Riley, and go riding. But as soon as she’d gotten here, she’d hesitated. Layla wasn’t in the room when she woke up. What if she was with Riley, like, doing it or something?
“Howdy, partner,” Riley said, emerging from the villa. His hair was spiky, as if he’d put product in it, and he was wearing a red flannel shirt cut off at the sleeves, along with jeans. “Have you been waiting out here? Why didn’t you just come inside?”
Baby shrugged. “Looks like it’s just the two of us. I think Layla and her dad are getting breakfast together,” Riley explained. “Ready to ride?”
“If you are.” Baby smiled. She and Riley started walking toward the golf carts, and easily fell into step. At only five feet tall, Baby was used to practically having to run to keep up with the strides of guys she dated. But Riley was good about walking in step with her, almost as if he were doing it on purpose.
“Hop in.” Riley nodded to the passenger side of the golf cart.
“I’m driving today.” Baby arched an eyebrow and slid into the driver’s seat.
“You’re on. I like a woman who can giddy up and go.” Riley smirked as he walked over to the passenger side of the cart.
“So, are you going to tell horse jokes all morning?” Baby asked sarcastically.
“Probably.” Riley smiled as Baby turned on the ignition and began driving down the bumpy dirt road that wound around the other private villa compounds. It was pretty here, but almost too perfect. With the bright blue sky, the lush palm trees, and the incessant birdcalls, it felt like she’d stumbled into some dream world.
“So, your mom’s getting married. That’s pretty wild,” Riley said. He drummed his slender fingers against his knees as if accompanying the beat of some song only known to him.
“Remington’s a good guy. I just want them to be happy, you know? I mean, we’re all going to be out of the house in two years…. I just don’t want her to be lonely.” Baby tore her eyes away from Riley’s fingers and concentrated on the road. Why was she spilling to Riley? Next thing she knew, she’d tell him she had a huge crush on him.
“He is a good guy. And it’s a little fast, but I guess you know when you know,” Riley mused, looking at Baby in that secretive way again. “Like, when—wait, stop here!”
Baby abruptly slammed on the brake.
“We’re here.” Riley smiled and shook his head. “You love the gas pedal, don’t you? I’m going to call you Trigger,” he teased as he slid out of the golf cart.
They walked up the grassy hill to the stables. For Baby, it felt natural to be with Riley. But what about Layla? she wondered.
“You’ve got a cool family,” Riley said.
“Thanks. What about yours? Are they sad you weren’t home for Thanksgiving?”
“Right.” Riley gave a short laugh that sounded like a bark. “I’m from Texas. It’s big hats, big hair—my dad thinks I’m gay because I like music. He’s on his fifth wife. Second runner-up for Miss Texas.” Riley shook his head. “It’s easier to forget about them and just do what I want.”
“I can understand that.” Baby nodded. Riley quickened his pace and walked into the door to the stable. “I’ll get the horses ready,” he called.
Baby settled on a wooden glider swing set up outside the stable and slowly pushed herself back and forth with her foot. She loved Riley’s lilting Texas accent and the way he stared in her eyes, as if he really wanted to know what she was thinking. His flirty jokes were actually funny, and it seemed he was telling them as much for his own amusement as hers. He seemed honest. He wasn’t trying to make his past seem perfect.
“Here you go,” Riley said, carrying a plastic step stool under one arm and leading a lar
ge bay with the other. He tenderly patted her nose. “I brought you Boots. She and I’ve got a history.”
“Should I—I mean, Layla, be jealous?” Baby asked as she slid off the glider and walked toward the horse. Oops. She’d almost made it sound like they were a couple.
“Nah,” Riley said. Something flickered over Riley’s face at the mention of Layla’s name, but he didn’t seem to want to go into it. He put the step stool down on the sandy grass. “Step up.”
Baby swung her leg up and over the horse’s broad back.
“Whoa!” Baby involuntarily exclaimed. This horse seemed even bigger than the one from a couple of days ago. “You sure she’s nice?”
“You can handle her.” Riley grinned and picked up the step stool. “I’ll be right back.”
Quickly, he emerged on his own horse, the same one he’d ridden before Wednesday. He cantered past Baby, and Boots followed his lead.
“Okay. Help me be good, okay, girl?” Baby whispered into the horse’s velvety ear. It whinnied, as if to say, Yeah, right!
“No fair! You can’t tell secrets to the horses. That’s one of the rules!” Riley called in front of her as the horses picked their way down the sandy grass and toward the beach. “For that, we’re gonna run!” He kicked his horse in the flanks. Boots quickly followed suit, galloping onto the white sand.
“Hey!” Baby yelled, gripping the reins and feeling the wind whip through her hair. She wasn’t scared, though. For some strange reason, she trusted Riley. He reminded her of her old self, the free-spirited girl she’d been growing up on Nantucket.
“There’s a cove I want you to see. Follow me!”
“Cool,” Baby said. The sun had already risen high in the sky and Baby felt sweat begin to bead on her forehead. She’d never thought horseback riding was such a workout, but it really was. She rode in silence for a little while, following Riley’s strong, confident form up ahead.
“Here we are!” Riley called as they reached a small inlet, tucked away from the shore. There were no hotels or villas that Baby could see, just an endless expanse of white sand and blue water. It was beautiful.
Boots seemed to think so too. The horse curiously plodded its way toward the water.
“Is she allowed to do that?” Baby called nervously. She didn’t want her horse to drown.
Back on shore, Riley swung his cowboy-booted foot off his own horse and led her to a worn wooden post stuck at the point where the beach met grass. He took off his boots, pulled off his jeans, and waded into the ocean in his green plaid boxer shorts. He reached down into the water and flicked some drops up onto Baby, who looked down on him from her horse.
“Hey!” Baby cried as he splashed her.
“What? Boots was giving herself a bath, just thought I’d help out.” Riley shrugged mock innocently, his eyes crinkling adorably at the corners. “But I think she’s had enough. What do you say we give her a break and cool off ourselves?” Riley grabbed Boots’s bridle and walked her up to the hitching post.
As he hitched Boots to the post, Baby looked down at his muscular arms and surprisingly chiseled torso and imagined what it’d be like to have them wrapped around her waist. She realized she was staring and quickly drew her eyes away.
“I just love horses. They’re so simple, you know?” Riley said, almost to himself, as he gently stroked Boots’s shiny coat.
Baby nodded, thinking of the myriad of animals her family had left behind in Nantucket. She missed her dog Chance, not to mention their cats, fishes, and turtles. Baby had always felt more comfortable with animals. She’d been convinced she could communicate with Chance through blinking, and would sometimes sit with him for hours, staring into his soulful brown eyes. In some ways, she felt like she’d left some of her best friends behind in Nantucket, and she missed them so fiercely right now she felt like she might cry.
“Here, I’ll help you get down.” Riley put his hands on Baby’s waist and Baby felt a shiver of anticipation as he gently lowered her to the ground.
“So, you want to swim?” Not waiting for an answer, Riley ran into the water, goofily diving under the waves. “Come on in!” he called, in between dives.
“Wait for me! I need to get you back for the splash-fest!” Baby yelled, yanking off her T-shirt and jeans and sprinting into the ocean. She was thankful she had on her bikini. She ran in up to her chest, then splashed him hard on his back.
“Unfair. You don’t hit your enemy from behind!” Riley protested, splashing her right back.
“Who says you’re the enemy?” Baby teased. She felt like her lungs would explode from laughing so hard.
“Okay. So we’re friends! Truce?” Riley called, holding up his hands. “To prove there’s no hard feelings…” He gently pulled Baby into him and softly pressed his lips against hers. His mouth was cold and tasted like spearmint toothpaste.
“No hard feelings,” Baby murmured, kissing him back. Her heart thudded crazily against her chest. She was hooking up with her future sister’s boyfriend. This was wrong. This was cheating. This felt so good.
Forbidden love is the hottest….
“Wait.” Baby pulled away urgently. She knew that she should have done it much sooner. “What about Layla?”
Riley took a step back and stared down at the turquoise water. “We’ve been together since high school, and ever since we got to college, we’ve had this sort of understood ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule. We’re great friends. But things between us… aren’t right,” he began, dragging a hand over the water’s smooth surface. “Things a vacation can’t fix. I think we’re both ready to move on, but we don’t know quite how to say goodbye. Our days are numbered,” he finished, his words like a sigh. There was a sadness in his eyes, but as he raised them toward Baby, also a hint of hope.
Baby considered this. Over the last few days, all she’d seen Riley and Layla do was bicker or ignore each other. Layla had told her that they met in high school, at boarding school in New Hampshire, and had stayed together for the last two years while Layla went to Oberlin and Riley went to Ithaca. She knew that distance often took its toll, and that sometimes people did stay together for the wrong reasons, even when things weren’t right. But while she wanted to believe him, something was still nagging at her.
He stepped closer to Baby, his strong hands encircling her tiny waist. Baby could smell his wonderful mixture of sunblock, sweat, and horses. “It’s not right with her, the way I feel it is with you,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. He tilted his head to the side, and Baby instinctively knew what was coming next.
If she’d been thinking properly, she’d have told him that if he and Layla were about to break up, then they should wait. If she’d been thinking properly, she’d have ridden off into the sunset with Boots, knowing that her and Riley’s time would come—when it was right.
But instead, she nodded slowly. Because she also knew she wanted Riley. And his lips.
She eagerly kissed him back.
Here comes trouble….
the one time you want to get busy on vacation
Avery woke up facedown on the cool, crisp sheets of her bed at the villa. After seeing Rhys frolicking with the string bikini floozy in the pool, she’d lain in bed, sulking while listening to the lazy whir of the bamboo fan above her. She knew she was being immature and melodramatic, but she was just so tired of not having a boyfriend, of always being the girl people came to with their romantic problems. So excuse her for just being a teeny upset when, after honestly thinking she and Rhys had a connection, she saw him being such a player.
She turned on the TV, which was tuned to the hotel’s program about all the cool things to do at the resort. Everything was about the romance of the island, and that was the last thing she wanted to see. Wasn’t there some special package if you were single and disillusioned featuring a private cabana with a lot of chocolate, rum, and tissues?
She turned off the TV and wandered onto the wraparound deck, wishing there could b
e a rainstorm or a tornado or a monsoon—anything to match her foul mood. Instead, it was warm and sunny, and off in the distance, she could see dolphins diving into the water. She sighed and made her way back inside. Maybe she should just spend the weekend reading Jane Eyre, which she’d been assigned for AP English. Reading about someone whose life sucked even worse than hers did might be good for her.
Avery flung open the top of her suitcase. The book was one of the few things she hadn’t bothered to unpack. She figured she’d read it on the plane ride home, after her fabulous weekend of fun and sun.
She picked up the book and flopped down on the bed. Suddenly, she heard a knock. Great. It was probably the maid service, and even the maid would think Avery was a loser for hanging out by herself.
“One second!” she called, adjusting the strap of her dress as she slid open the door.
There, standing sunburned and sweaty in a pair of light green board shorts and a gray T-shirt, was Rhys. What the hell?
“Hi,” Avery said shortly, resisting every urge to close the door right back in his face. She couldn’t believe she’d ever liked him.
“Hey,” Rhys said warmly, totally oblivious to Avery’s foul mood. “I was hoping you’d be here. What are you up to?”
“I’m busy,” Avery said tightly, still holding on to the handle of the sliding door. “I’m reading,” she added, unnecessarily holding up her book.
“Oh.” Rhys’s face fell. Why was he acting so oblivious? Didn’t he have skanks to kiss?
“You seemed pretty busy, too, this morning,” Avery spat. “I mean, have fun with your friends, Rhys,” she amended. There. That was better. She tried to slide the door closed, but Rhys’s leather Reef sandal held it open.
“Avery, are you okay? Is this about the engagement thing?” His voice was warm and concerned, and his hand fluttered upward, as if he were going to push Avery’s hair back from her face. Then, abruptly, his hand fell so that it was dangling awkwardly by his belt loops.