Page 5 of Always Another Sunset

“Do I only sit here?” Bella asked doubt in her voice. “Or do I jump out when we are on the beach?”

“All you need to do is relax and wait for Blake or me to help you stand and step off the kayak,” JC said, steering with the oncoming wave. Then they were running up on the sand where Blake grabbed hold of the kayak with the rope tied on the front.

Blake grinned as he pulled them further up on shore. “Perfect landing,” he said. As JC instructed, Bella didn’t move to get out until Blake offered his hand to help. While Bella struggled to her feet, JC dismounted too. Even though they were off the water, the three stood on an incline, and when Bella took a step, she stumbled backward—heading straight for the water.

“Oh God,” she said, waving her arms to try to get her balance back. In a flash, JC grabbed her around the waist and held her steady. The body-to-body contact was enough to take JC’s breath away. The woman felt perfect in her arms.I could hold her like this all day, she thought but felt Bella rest a hand on her forearm.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “Thank you.” JC immediately let go, causing Bella to sway, but before anyone could react, she took a step and righted herself. Clearly flustered, Bella looked around. “Do I need my bag?”

Blake pulled her drybag from the tiedown to hand it to her. “Head on over to join the others,” he said. “And then we can get set for our hike.” Without a word, Bella started across the sand, and JC couldn’t shake the thought something was off.Did I say something wrong out on the water?she wondered. With a frustrated shake of her head, she forced herself to refocus on the more pressing issue at hand.

JC helped Blake pull the kayak higher onto the beach. “What do you think?” she said, nodding toward the ocean. “Rougher than normal.”

Blake furrowed his brow. “Yeah,” he said. “I did notice things are picking up. The couple is no problem. Naturals.”

“I’m not worried about them,” JC said, thinking of Bella’s overall unease being on the kayak. “Let’s keep an eye on the waves. I want us to enjoy our morning and not have to cancel midstream, but if the wind picks up, we might have to call it a day.”

Using allher effort to walk across the beach without tripping over her own feet, Bella felt heat on her cheeks from what happened. After getting out of the kayak, she had stumbled, headed straight for the water, and then JC was there.With her strong, sure arms around me,she thought.How long has it been since someone had their arms around me? Even by accident?She shook her head.Way too long considering my reaction.The contact brought a wave of emotions of its own—a little embarrassment and a lot of desire.I need to get a grip on this. It was an accident, for crying out loud.

“Was that fabulous or what?” the bride of the newlywed couple said the minute Bella joined them. “I love the water. And the ocean! So majestic and magical. Doesn’t it all just make you feel more alive?”

Bella blinked under the onslaught of enthusiasm. “Um,” she said. “Yes?” She wasn’t so sure the ocean made her feel more alive or if being on the beach made her simply feel glad she survived. Either way, she decided the woman deserved a smile at the least. Being so upbeat had to take a lot of energy. Before the conversation could continue, Blake and JC walked to them.

“Okay, everybody,” Blake said, clapping his hands together with almost as much enthusiasm as the bride.Am I the only one who isn’t thrilled here?she wondered, glancing at JC. The woman watched her, looking away when their eyes met. There was so much to be confused about there. Bella kept feeling that JC was attracted to her, but then she remembered there was a girlfriend to consider. JC wasn’t available. Period. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach, Bella refocused on Blake’s spiel. “We’re going to make a quick hike up and around the north end of the island until we get to one of the scenic overlooks. Is everybody ready?” The married couple nodded with their usual fervor, but Bella was stuck on the word ‘up’ in Blake’s speech. When she signed on for the trip, there wasn’t any mention of hiking anywhere, particularly not ‘up.’ As an author who sat at a desk all day, her cardio was crap, and she knew it.Well, this will only continue to get embarrassing.“Do you want to take the lead?” It took a beat for Bella to realize Blake had asked her the question.

She barked out a laugh. “Oh no,” she said. “I might stay here and sit on that rock over there.” Waving a hand in the direction of a smooth boulder in the sun, the idea grew on her by the second.

Blake laughed. “That wouldn’t be any fun,” he said, clearly not realizing Bella was entirely serious. Before she could explain her utter lack of interest in going anywhere, JC stepped right beside her. Their bodies were so close Bella swore she felt heat radiating off the woman’s skin. It was extremely distracting, but in the best possible way.

The woman gave Blake a big smile. “I’ll hang back with Bella,” JC said. “And we will meet you three at the other side.”

Blake gave her a little salute along with a smile in return. “You got it,” he said before looking at the newlyweds. “Ready to go to the top?”

Before starting, the bride turned to Bella. “Are you sure you don’t want to lead?” she asked, a considerate tone in her voice. “We aren’t in a hurry, and I plan to take a lot of pictures along the way.”

Although she appreciated the woman’s thoughtful offer, Bella shook her head. “Really. It’s fine,” she said. “Go on without me and if it works out, I will meet you there.”

“Okay,” the bride said, back to her bubbly self as she looked at Blake. “Then let’s do this.”

Without another word, the three left at a pace aggressive enough to make Bella wince.No way would I be able to do that,she thought.Nor do I want to.“We can go at whatever pace you want,” JC said as if reading her mind. “Or we can stay right here. It’s up to you, but I promise some of the views along the trail are stellar.”

“Are they?” Bella asked, focusing on JC’s face, tempted for a moment to tell her the view was pretty stellar right there, but then she stifled a laugh. She would never in a million years say something so bold. Instead, she decided to be a good sport and not make JC wait with her on the beach. Besides, if she stayed there, she would simply wallow in the disappointment that JC had found someone else. Looking at the trail that wound away from the beach where they stood, she tried not to wince at the idea of climbing it and plastered a smile on her face. “Well, then I guess we better go see them.”

7

JC held back as the other three in their tour group started on the dirt trail leading to the northern end of the island. There was no need to rush as few paths were available, and she knew where they would go if she took Bella that way. The routes were generally the same for every tour. Because the property was considered a national park, visitors were required to follow certain protocols. Staying on the marked routes was foremost among the rules to follow. “Bella, are you sure? I promise there is no pressure to make the hike,” JC said when everyone else was well out of earshot. “Hanging out on the beach this morning is fine.”

Bella looked JC up and down as if appraising how sincere her offer was under the circumstances. “Honestly? I just wasn’t expecting to do much,” she explained. “Other than surviving the kayaking, I mean. I’m not averse to hiking, don’t think that I am not—”

JC held up her hands to slow the woman’s rush of information. “It’s really okay,” JC said, unable to keep from smiling at the defensive rambling. “You’re on vacation, and I get it.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Bella said with a frown. “I’m not on vacation.”

JC’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Wait. If you’re not here on vacation, why are you in Hawaii?”

Throwing up her hands, Bella shook her head. “I keep asking myself that too. I thought coming here would be the glorious change I needed. To help me get my head on straight.”

“And?” JC asked, more perplexed than ever. Their eyes met and held. “Nothing glorious so far?”

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