Page 34 of Always Another Sunset

Tilting her head, Joanie narrowed her eyes at Bella. “A little?” she asked. “Seems like more than that to me.”

Bella groaned. “I know,” she said. “It’s all because I miss her. Not having her come with me, at least to the awards ceremony and celebration afterward, was a mistake.” She let out a deep breath. “Like everything else with our relationship, it’s so complicated.”

Joanie chewed her food before nodding. “You two have some difficult decisions to make,” she said. She set her fork down and reached for her glass of orange juice. “But if you love her as much as I think you do, it will all come together.”

Feeling a little more reassured by her friend’s words, Bella let herself focus on how exciting the night before had been. “It was amazing to hear my name called,” she said. “I hoped for it but never expected to win.”

“I told you it was likely,” Joanie said, after taking a sip of her drink. “Your book is a knockout, which is why everyone is chomping at the bit for the next one.” She kept her eyes on Bella. “So, we need to come up with a release date.”

A trickle of anxiety made Bella even less hungry, and she pushed her plate away. “You have to read it first,” she said. “And see if it’s worth publishing.”

Joanie leaned back in her chair. “Bella,” she said. “I already know, without reading it, that it’s worth publishing. You’re a very talented writer.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, unable to keep from blushing a little, even if she only heard the praise from her editor. “I am actually really proud of this story. I put a lot of myself into it.”

“And JC?” Joanie said with a sly smile.

Bella laughed, her blush growing deeper. “Maybe a little bit,” she said. “It does all start with a kayaking trip in Hawaii.”

Her eyes twinkling, Joanie grabbed Bella’s arm. “I knew it,” she said. “Another bestseller for sure.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Bella said, not daring to jinx herself by saying such a thing out loud. “Let’s find out what you think of it first.”

Digging back into her breakfast, Joanie smiled. “It’s all queued up and ready for me to read on the plane headed home. That three-hour layover in Denver will be the perfect time to read it. Then I can tell you what I think.”

Biting her lip, Bella picked up her coffee, unsure how ready she was for anyone to read the book. “I can hardly wait,” she said, knowing it was a little bit of a lie. “Just be gentle.”

“You know I will,” Joanie said. “Always.”

Followingthe hostess onto the open terrace of the Waikiki restaurant, JC scanned to see where Chris and her fiancée waited. As she spotted them, she noticed Chris was watching for her and gave a little wave when their eyes met. Closing the distance, JC took in the scene. A table in the corner with a beautiful view of the ocean in the distance. Chris in a coral-colored summer dress with her blonde hair pulled back in a clip, looking fresh and beautiful as always. Beside her was a slightly more masculine woman in a yellow and green Hawaiian shirt and navy blue shorts. A pair of sunglasses perched on the top of her head. Her features were also attractive but in direct contrast to Chris. The fiancée had short, black hair and darker skin.

“You made it,” Chris said, standing with arms open to greet JC as she reached the table. Unable to avoid the hug or else make things look awkward, JC stepped forward for a quick embrace. “It’s so good to see you again.”

After a beat, JC moved away to pull out her chair while nodding to the other woman. The fiancée half rose from her seat and held out a hand. “I’m Tamara,” she said as JC shook her hand to return the welcoming gesture.

“It’s nice to meet you,” JC said as she settled into her chair.

She noticed Chris looking around. “Where’s Bella?” she asked. “Didn’t she come with you?

“No,” JC replied. “She is currently on the mainland at a book conference.”

“Oh,” Chris said with a raised eyebrow. “And you didn’t go with her?”

JC paused because the question felt probing. When they had met for dinner, JC and Bella never announced their timeline to Chris.Although I don’t know what our timeline is either, JC thought.But the whole world doesn’t need to know that.

“Unfortunately, it was short notice, and I couldn’t reschedule work, but I will next time,” JC said, going on what she and Bella discussed. “Although I did miss out, because she won an award for that book you like so much.”

Chris clapped her hands and turned to Tamara. “Remember I told you Bella is the author of that fantastic novel I read last summer.” Chris beamed. “She promised me an autographed paperback the next time I see her.” As if planning the segue, Chris returned her attention to JC. “When is she coming back?”

“I’m not sure yet,” JC had to admit. “Although, I’m thinking of going to visit her in Portland.” Even though her plan was vague, the idea appealed to her more and more.Maybe even surprise her, she thought.I think she would like that. “But honestly, one of my delays is what to do with Roxie.”

“Who is Roxie?” Tamara asked.

JC smiled as she thought of her furry companion. “A wonderful dog,” she answered, glancing at Chris. “She recently came into my and Bella’s life.” She liked adding the second part, not only because it felt right but because it should give Chris a hint that they were a strong, very connected couple. From the pinched look on her face, JC could tell it hit home.

Grinning, clearly oblivious, Tamara nodded. “That’s great,” she said. “I love dogs, and I miss having one, but it’s so impractical moving around in the Army.” She sighed. “When I get deployed overseas, I can’t take a pet with me.”

“Yes, that can be frustrating,” JC said, already so attached to Roxie that she didn’t want to think about not having her around. “I was in the service for a while as well and having a pet would have been impossible.”

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