Page 40 of Hibiscus Heights

Deb sliced the air with her hand. “Never.”

“Do you think Kitty knew you were here?”

“She mentioned that she’d just read the magazine interview I gave. The way she approached me in the bathroom, asking about my work, inviting me for a drink—it was too much of a coincidence. She remembered me. And then she tried to stick me with Grant.”

“To what end, I wonder?”

Deb kicked the sand. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

April tried again. “Let’s think about this. I know you were utterly devastated at the time, but in hindsight, what do you think would have happened between you two?”

Deb drew a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “He was the one. If he’d returned to Crown Island, we probably would have become engaged, gone to the university together, married, and had a family. Instead, he chose someone else.”

“All these years, you wondered what happened to him, why he left so suddenly.”

“His father had a family situation,” Deb said, explaining. As she spoke, she regained a measure of control. “In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have said those things about his parenting.”

April chuckled. “Speaking your mind has always been your superpower. People know where they stand with you.”

Before Deb could answer, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen. “Perfect timing. It’s Matteo.”

April raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Argentina?”

“The perfect distraction.” Deb’s finger hovered over the answer button.

“Are you sure?” April asked. “Do you want to see where things go with Grant?”

“That’s going nowhere because he’ll leave, just like before. This time, I’m rewriting the story.”

With renewed determination, she answered the call, forcing a cheerful tone. After listening to what he had to say, she said, “Tomorrow would be perfect. You know where I live.”

As Deb made plans to meet Matteo right after work the next day, Duke returned to her side, pressing against her leg as if sensing her need for comfort. She stroked his head while talking.

When she ended the call, April gave her a questioning look. “Don’t use Matteo to avoid dealing with Grant.”

Deb pushed that from her mind. “I’m not avoiding him, and we dealt with whatever we had years ago. I’m moving forward, just as I always have.”

April lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “Grant is here now. Sounds like there might be some warm embers.”

“Whatever fire we had is stone cold, and that only happens in fairy tales. He moved on a long time ago.”

“You loved each other once,” April said. “Could it be time for a fresh start?”

While April had a point, Deb was too wise to court a potential rejection. She shook her head.

“Even though my brothers blocked Grant’s calls, he could have returned if he cared enough. It’s not as if I’d fallen into the sea. But I built a great life for myself. As for dating, I’m starting fresh, just not with him.”

She bumped April’s shoulder. “Just wait until you meet Matteo.”

11

As Deb was getting ready, Matteo’s number lit up her phone. She tapped it from the edge of her bathtub and answered.

His voice rang out over the speaker. “I forgot to tell you to dress casually. Be sure to wear something you can move in.”

Deb was curious now. “Are we playing tennis or sailing?”

Matteo said, “It’s a surprise, but what I have in mind won’t be rigorous. Not for you, anyway.”

---