Page 19 of Sunset Serenade
Lillian laughed. She still couldn’t get over how lucky she was to be with him, and living on Orcas Island made it feel all the more magical. The hiking, the sunsets on the water, the oyster shucking – it was like something out of a dream, so much so that sometimes she thought itwasa dream. Two nights prior, she’d awakened with a start and remembered, all of a sudden, that they were together, he was real, and he washers.
She had fallen back to sleep with a grin on her face.
They got to the hotel and went straight to the in-house restaurant. Lillian’s mom Claire was already chatting with her cousin Marty and his girlfriend Emma.
Marty waved a hello as they approached. “We can’t stay long. We have a hike planned.”
He looked at his watch, then darted his hand into his pocket.
“We can stay for a bit.” Emma looked at him and gently touched his shoulder. “There’s no rush, is there?”
Marty took his hand out of his pocket, then zipped it shut. “No, it might rain later and that’ll ruin it. We should really get going.”
“It won’t ruin anything!” Emma said brightly. “I packed my rain jacket.”
“That’s good.” Marty scratched his head. “Still, we can’t stay long.”
Lillian wasn’t used to seeing him look so agitated. What had gotten into him?
Before she could ask what was wrong, Rose walked in, a bag slung over her shoulder and a grin on her face. “Hey everyone!” she yelled from across the room.
She’d come straight off the plane from Seattle. When Lillian had heard that was Rose’s plan, she’d worried that perhaps this new job was working her too hard and she’d fallen into old patterns.
But Rose looked anything but overworked. Her hair was straightened, her makeup was done, and she was wearing the cute velour jumpsuit Lucy had insisted on buying for her.
“Dr. Woodson!” Lucy said, pulling her in for a hug. “Rob couldn’t make it because he’s on a business trip, but I’m confident I can speak for us both.”
“I’m sure you can,” Rose said.
Their mom stepped in and hugged her next. “Dr. Woodson?” she asked. “What’s that about?”
Lillian bit her lip. Her mom wouldn’t approve of the lie they’d come up with. She knew about the job, of course, but nothowRose had gotten it. It was best not to dwell on the topic. “It’s just a joke we have,” Lillian said, giving Rose a side hug.
“Yeah,” Lucy added. “Because Rose only got this job after her new boss confused her for a doctor of psychology named Dr. Woodson. Isn’t that funny?”
Lillian shut her eyes. So much for keeping it quiet.
A scowl formed on her mom’s face. “What? You’re pretending to be someone else?”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom,” Rose said, waving a hand. “I’ve got everything under control.”
Lillian had to turn her head so they wouldn’t see her smile. This was certainly not the beaten-down version of Rose who’d arrived on the island a month ago.
In fact, she was starting to sound a bit like Lucy – perhaps because of the job? The jumpsuit?
Whatever it was, it was dangerous. And fascinating.
“It’s really nice to see you all,” Marty said, “but can we please be excused?”
“Marty!” Emma elbowed his side. “What’s gotten into you? We can stay for a bit. Don’t be rude!”
He let out a sigh and looked at his watch. “I don’t know. The rain could be bad, and it’s going to get busy if we wait too long…”
Rose turned to him. “Why are you so sweaty? Are you okay?”
Emma looked him up and down. “If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to do this hike.”
“I feel fine.” He unzipped his pocket again. “I’m dressed for the hike. It’s hot in here. That’s all.”
