Page 60 of Escape to the Sun

“I am—”

She held up a hand to stop him. “You’ve been hanging around Bocas and Casa del Sol for how long now? Five years?”

“Four,” he corrected her and immediately felt stupid when she tilted her head.

“Okay, four. But that doesn’t make it any better. What are you doing?”

He didn’t know how to answer that question. He was living his life. He was doing what he wanted because he could. He was living his dream. Everyone’s dream, really. Didn’t everyone dream of making their fortune and retiring before they were thirty to live life as a beach bum? That’s what he was doing. And it was everything he wanted.

Wasn’t it?

“What makes you think I need to leave?” he challenged her. “Why can’t I live my life right here? What makes you think I’m not already living my life exactly how I want to?”

She didn’t answer that. She didn’t need to.

Ash continued with the dishes, stacking them in a drying rack next to the sink. When he was finished, he turned to Sherri, who still stood close. He opened his mouth to object to her argument again, but she stopped him.

“I don’t mean you need to leave Bocas, Ash. I didn’t even mean that you had to leave Casa del Sol.”

He was confused and told her as much.

“I’m sorry if I’m not making much sense these days. The medicine muddles me.” She took a moment to compose herself and tried again. “I just want you to live, Ash. I want you to go into your future. I want you to leave your past in the past and stop letting it keep you from living your future. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to—”

“Don’t.” He held up one hand and looked down at the ground. “I get your point.”

“Do you?”

He nodded. “I think so.”

“Good.” There was a lightness to her voice he hadn’t heard all day. “So get down there and tell Heather exactly what you feel. Even if you don’t fully understand it yet. Tell her. Can you do that?”

He wasn’t sure he could, but Sherri made it sound so easy, so he nodded.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Silly boy. It is easy. You only get one shot to live life, so do it on your terms. Put the past where it belongs, behind you. Focus on the here and now. And I think we can both agree, Heather is the here and now. And possibly…even the future.” She winked and in that moment, she seemed so much like the old Sherri, Ash couldn’t help but pull her into a hug.

“But…”

“But what?”

He swallowed hard, not wanting to voice his deepest worry. “What if I lose her?”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” She reached out and stroked his cheek. “Oh, Ash. What happened to Carlie was tragic, but that’s not going to happen to Heather. The only way you’re going to lose her is by not letting yourself love her.”

He let the words sink in and it didn’t take long. “You’re right.”

“I know I am.” She smiled and smacked his cheek gently. “Now go.”

“Okay. You win. I’ll go.”

“Good. And when you’re done, send that girl up to me. I think I’d like a few words with her myself.”

* * *

He was practically runningdown the stairs to grande casa, overflowing with ideas and eager to get on the computer to start his research for ways to help Sherri and of course, to see Heather and tell her how he felt.

Maybe.

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