Page 42 of Hibiscus Heights

After Duke received his due attention, Matteo looked up. “Hope you’re ready for fun.”

“Should I be worried?” Deb asked, picking up her purse.

“Never,” Matteo replied, grinning. “Only intrigued, I hope.”

As they approached his car, Deb noticed a backpack on the rear seat. “Are we hiking somewhere?”

Matteo opened the passenger door for her. “Not hiking, but we’ll be active. I hope you don’t mind a slight change from the traditional dinner date.”

“I’m fascinated,” Deb said, sliding into the seat.

They drove through town, chatting easily about the island and Matteo’s vineyards. He told her that in Argentina, he tended the vines his father and grandfather had planted and married before he turned twenty. Years later, after his divorce, he’d taken a soul-searching trip to Napa Valley. There, he’d stumbled upon a neglected vineyard and bought it on impulse.

Deb enjoyed hearing about his past. “Is that where you met your second wife?”

He nodded as he drove. “I want to be transparent with you. I’m human, so I make mistakes, but I try to learn from them.”

“Good advice,” she said, trying not to think about Grant. “Where are we headed?”

“Have a little patience,” Matteo replied with a playful smile.

A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot beside Regal Bikes.

“A bike ride?” she asked, pleasantly surprised.

“This island is so rich with beauty, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. We’ll enjoy the sunset from a special place.”

He opened the door for her and grabbed his backpack.

Inside the shop, Adrian Marino was making an adjustment on a bicycle. His salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back in his usual ponytail, and his hands moved with precision. Classic rock music played in the background.

Adrian greeted Matteo with a firm handshake and gestured to a pair of shiny bikes. “You’re ready to go. Best in the fleet for you and your princess.”

Deb grinned and greeted Adrian. She’d grown up with him, so he was like another brother, though far less annoying.

The bell over the door jingled, and Adrian’s son strolled in, his sun-bleached hair still damp. Sailor stopped when he saw Deb. “You’re renting these?”

“Matteo is taking me on a mystery bike ride,” she said, introducing them.

While Sailor and Matteo shook hands, Adrian added, “Sailor is heading to Huntington Beach tomorrow for the U.S. Open of Surfing.”

“That’s impressive,” Matteo said. “You must be pretty good.”

Sailor shrugged with modesty. “I do my best.”

Deb was proud of one of the island’s own. “Sailor has been surfing since before he could walk. Now he’s a champion.”

The younger man grinned. “This will be Maileah’s first time attending the U.S. Open. We’re expecting big waves.”

“Maileah is my best friend’s daughter,” she said to Matteo, who seemed to take all the island connections in stride. “Many of us grew up together, so we’re practically related. Adrian and I have known each other forever.”

“I can relate to that,” Matteo replied without a hint of jealousy. “Reminds me of my home in Mendoza. Many of our families are as entwined as the vines.”

After wishing Sailor well, Deb and Matteo wheeled their bikes outside. The late summer sun was heading toward the horizon, though they still had an easy hour before sunset.

“Which way?” Deb asked as they mounted their bikes.

Matteo gestured to one side. “Adrian told me there’s a secluded beach this way.”

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