“No, I think I’ll stay here for a while. You girls go ahead.”
The island was beautiful, lined with coconut and palm trees as far as the eye could see. A path led them to an incline, and they lowered their heads as they wound their way into the mini-jungle. Not far up the path, they spotted a couple making out, and Amy hurried Claire so she wouldn’t start moping again.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Claire said when they passed the pair. “It’s not like I care.”
“Do what?” Amy asked innocently.
Claire rolled her eyes at her. “I might be hurting, but it’s not like I begrudge anyone else their happiness.”
“I didn’t do anything. Okay fine, I’m sorry,” she said and laughed. “But look, we’re almost at the top.”
Claire followed closely behind Amy, appreciating the beauty around her along the trail. From the top, they could make out the expanse of the beach front, and to the north they noticed a stone pathway that led to one of the biggest houses they had ever seen.
“Now that’s a house,” Amy said and whistled. “A house and a half.”
“More like a mansion,” Claire said. She stared at the building that towered to the sky. It was white with a modern look about it. Its balcony faced the sea, and a wide and evenly manicured lawn surrounded it.
“I bet there is a pool or Jacuzzi or something up there,” Amy said dreamily. “Should we go find out?”
“We are not going up there,” Claire said as she tugged her friend’s arm. “We don’t even know who they are.”
“They can’t be too bad; they let us land on their island,” she said as she attempted to free herself.
“No,” Claire said and held her arm firmly. Her eyes involuntarily looked up, and she relaxed her hold on Amy.
“What?” She followed Claire’s line of sight.
On the balcony stood a man. He had golden hair and perfect skin that glistened in the sun. He gripped the railing with both hands, and she could make out his muscles against the black, tight shirt he wore. White shorts completed his outfit. He relaxed on the rails and looked around, and Claire found it utterly impossible to turn her eyes away. He caught sight of her, and she blushed as she grabbed Amy’s hand and hurried back to the beach.
CHAPTER 4
“What was that all about?” Amy asked as Claire tugged on her like a rag doll.
“Nothing. I just felt like I was intruding.” Her excuse didn’t even fool herself.
“Sure,” Amy said and folded her arms across her chest.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Claire said, blushing.
“I could see him just as easily as you,” Amy said, her eyes lighting up. “There is nothing to be ashamed of. He is hot!”
“Well, maybe you could go back and find out if he thinks the same about you, but I want nothing to do with men, no matter how hot they are,” Claire commented defensively.
“Oh, so you do admit he is hot, huh?” Amy said as she nudged her playfully on the shoulder.
“He is kinda cute, but that’s it,” Claire blushed and walked back to the plane. “Let’s go back and see if there have been any updates.”
The entire time it took them to get back to the plane, Amy messed with Claire, but she refused to entertain her.
“Why don’t you go after him? But then, that doesn’t make any sense. We are leaving by morning,” Claire said. She put her hands over her eyes as she squinted against the afternoon sun and looked further into the distance. “Do you see Mom?”
Amy also put a hand up to shield her eyes as they looked around, but there was no sign of Willow. “I thought she wanted to stay here.”
“That’s Mom for you. Changes her mind on a whim,” Claire responded. “Let’s look over there.”
Amy followed her to the other side of the aircraft, but Willow was nowhere to be found.
“Well, she couldn’t have gone far,” Amy commented. “It is a small island, after all.”
Claire was listening to her friend, but she had her eyes peeled for her mother. “I think that’s her,” she finally said. “But why is she that far away from…” Her words caught in her throat when she saw her mother was in the company of a man. She was laughing and blushing, and his hand was resting on her shoulder in a most comfortable way.
“Well, well, well,” Amy said. “Seems your mom has more nerve than you!”
“Shut up, Amy,” Claire said. “She didn’t just get jilted before her wedding. I’m out of here.”
“I’m sorry, Claire. That was insensitive of me. Wait for me.”
As Claire turned around to walk away from Amy, she noticed someone approaching them. The same man they had seen on the balcony.