Page 71 of A Heart to Find
Her brain took mercy on her and allowed her to drift off. But just when she settled into dreamland—a dream where Jared held his hand out and led her down a path of rose petals to a lovely gazebo by a lake—the phone next to her bed rang.
“Jared?”
Melodious laughter and the distinct clanging of wrist bangles greeted her on the other end of the line. “I am delighted to hear you so eager to speak to your match! From the message I was left, I was afraid something terrible had happened, and you were ready to quit. So glad to be wrong.”
Keira sat upright in her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Had she seriously answered the phone with his name on her lips?
“Hannah, thank you for calling. I apologize—I don’t know why I said his name. But yes, I need to get off this island. I don’t want another shot, either, I just want to go home and put this experience behind me.”
“Oh buttercup. I hear anguish in your voice.”
Her compassion threatened the tentative grip Keira held on her emotions. Holding the phone to her ear, she wrapped her fuzzy blanket around her shoulders to ward off the chill.
Then she breathed deep and focused on staying calm and collected.
“It’s been a rough day,” she admitted. “But I knew from the beginning that he and I didn’t belong together. So if you could assist me in leaving here, you won’t hear from me again. I’ll leave glowing reviews and pretend it was the best experience of my life.”
“I’m not concerned with the reviews, rose bud. I’m concerned with why you’re giving up now. Last time I saw you two flitting about the island, you looked like the textbook definition of infatuated.”
Keira closed her eyes against the pain stabbing her temples.
“Keira love, we have resources available to help you navigate the difficult bumps we all hit in relationships. But trust me when I tell you—you don’t want to waste a precious minute when you could be spending it with the one you love.”
A sob caught in Keira’s throat and she couldn’t respond.
“I lost my husband when he was in the prime of his life. Our children were young, and we had our whole lives ahead of us. If I could go back and forgive him quicker for every single fight we had, I would do it in a heartbeat. Pride has no place in a love affair. Please don’t give up before you’ve given it a full chance.”
Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Keira steadied her breathing and sat up straighter in her bed.
“I’m so sorry for your tragic loss, Hannah. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been. And I truly, truly appreciate your wisdom and advice. I will carry it with me into the next relationship I enter.” Not that she had any intention of ever doing this to herself again… “But I know this can’t work. I did have fun, and this island is amazing. Jared isn’t a bad guy. I just have some wounds that he adds salt to, and I am trying my best to heal every day.”
“I hear you, lily of the valley. I feel your pain. And I salute you for giving it your best shot.”
Relief coursed through Keira as Hannah accepted her decision.
“Unfortunately, there’s no way to get you off the island. We’ve been notified that the storm is intensifying so much that we may not even be able to get people off island at the end of the session. We’ve started the process of notifying the next guests that there may be a delay. Believe you me, if there was a way to push this storm off course, I’d do it. As much as it pains you to be here, I’m going to have to recommend that you keep your head up and enjoy the island for what is offered, even if you’ll be leaving without a love match. And if there’s anything I can do to help you, you know where to find me.”
Keira exchanged begrudging words of gratitude and farewell, and returned to the dream world, where her brain did its best to protect her from the reality of yet another loss in her life.
Chapter 18
The idea of attending a resort-wide blizzard party appealed to Keira as much as a root canal, but she refused to spend her time moping in her room over things she had no control over.
She may be trapped on the island, but she may as well get her money’s worth, especially if she wouldn’t be leaving with the soul mate she had wished—and paid big money—for.
He probably wouldn’t show. He hadn’t tried to call or text or anything, so he must have heard her rejection loud and clear.
But even if he did go to the party, she could avoid him. There were a lot of people to hide behind. She’d avoid balloon arches this time–this conflict was too big to be cute.
Stomach growling, she made her way to the appetizer table and half filled a small plate. Nibbling on a tiny teriyaki ginger meatball, she perused the room looking for a familiar face.
A familiar face other than his, of course.
A sweet couple next to her invited her into their debate on whether crepes were best sweet or savory.
“I think I’ll have to sample both to give an educated opinion.”
“Yes, yes, you definitely should.”
