A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection (6 page)

There was a different feel around the table tonight, and though conversation continued, as it always had, the difference was palpable, but not unexpected. Clint was frustrated with Sarah’s lack of response, Brylee was disappointed that Sarah had backed off in her interest toward Clint, Mark thought Sarah was a jerk, and Sarah
felt
like a jerk. Not rocket science to figure out the reasons for the shift of mood.

Mark suggested they go see some Mayan ruins tomorrow—their last day in Cozumel.

“I was hoping we could charter a boat,” Clint said. “There’s some really good fishing off the coast.”

“I’m not much into fishing,” Brylee said.

Sarah took her example and decided to be honest about her preference too. “I’d love to see the ruins. I didn’t realize they had any here.”

“I didn’t realize it either until I talked to a guy in the lobby earlier—he’d just come back; said it was pretty cool.”

“I’m game,” Brylee said.

“Me, too,” Sarah agreed. Maybe a trip to the ruins would give her a chance to talk to Mark.

Clint’s mood changed after the girls poo-pooed his suggestion, which made Sarah realize that up until now, they’d done everything he’d wanted to do. He ordered another beer and asked for a side of guacamole for his enchiladas. The waiter delivered the beer a few minutes later, but forgot the guac. “Very sorry, sir. I will get it right away.”

“You can use some of mine,” Brylee said, scooting her bowl toward him. “I’ve got plenty.”

Clint shook his head. “I guarantee they’ll put it on my bill, and I’ve asked for it twice already.”

Everyone went back to their meals. Now that Sarah wasn’t hoping for something to blossom between them, she could see that Clint was charming when he got his way, and bratty when he didn’t.

Another minute passed, if that, and Clint waved their waiter to the table again. “I ordered a side of guacamole. I’ve now asked for it three times.”

“Did Beto not bring it out?” the waiter said, searching the table. He pointed to Brylee’s bowl.

“That’s
her
guac, not mine. The service here is complete crap.”

“Clint,” Sarah couldn’t help but say, embarrassed by the scene he was making. “Don’t be rude.”

“What?” Clint said, turning his glare on her. “He thinks I have my guacamole, but I don’t.” He turned to face the waiter, who looked both embarrassed and confused. “Do you think I’m some kind of retard who doesn’t know what you’re trying to pull here?”

Sarah, Mark, and Brylee all froze—Mark with his fork halfway to his mouth.

The waiter apologized and promised to get it immediately. He hurried from the table while the other three began to unthaw.

Clint looked around the table. “What?”

“You used the R word,” Sarah said automatically, as though she were talking to a child—which didn’t feel far off. “It’s offensive.”

“‘The R word’?” Clint replied, a teasing lilt in his voice. “What, are we in the fourth grade?”

“Clint,” Mark warned.

Clint turned on him. “Oh, right, I forgot about your
R-word
brother.” Clint shook his head. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Chill out. It’s just a word, and if someone acts like a retard, they deserve to be called one.”

“My daughter’s retarded,” Sarah said quickly, a rush of heat running through her. “And when you use that word to describe someone who simply hasn’t met your demands, you say a whole lot more about yourself than you say about them.”

Clint blinked at her. “You have a daughter?”

Sarah took a breath. “Her name is Rose. She’s six.”

The silence that descended on the table was out of place in the noisy restaurant. The waiter showed up with the guacamole, apologizing again for not getting it out sooner.

“It’s okay,” Clint said, subdued and not looking at Sarah. He scooped a spoonful of the guacamole and put it on top of his enchilada. The rest of them exchanged looks and went back to their food.

After a few seconds, Clint looked up at her, his expression accusing. “You didn’t you tell me you had a daughter.”

Sarah took a breath and looked at him. “No, but I should have. I’m sorry.” Brylee and Mark were watching them, but stayed out of the conversation. “And
that
says a lot more about me than it does about you.”

“Damn straight it does,” he said, under his breath.

“Clint,” Brylee said in reprimand. “What’s your problem tonight?”

Sarah took a breath, but when she looked up, it was Mark’s eyes she caught.

“What’s my
problem
?” Clint said, looking at Brylee and then at Mark as though hungry for an argument. “I was completely snowed into this trip, wasn’t I? Here I was thinking I was gunna have a hot hook-up, and—”

“Whoa,” Sarah said a split second before Mark or Brylee could. “I never said that’s what this weekend was about. I thought we were going to hang out and get to know each other.” She almost added that she’d planned to tell him about Rose—but had she?

“Yeah, right.” Clint took another drink of his beer. “’Cause
getting to know each other
is totally what people go to beach resort vacations for. Finding out you’ve got a kid puts everything into perspective. If I’d known that you were a … a
mom
, I’d have never invited you. If I’d know your daughter was—”

“Clint,” Mark said this time, cutting him off. Clint shrugged and went back to his meal.

Sarah stared at her plate, but only for a few seconds before her hurt and anger changed to pity. No wonder there’d been no chemistry—they were polar opposites. She forced a smile that seemed to confuse him. “I accepted your invitation because I took you at your word about this being a fun weekend together. I’m sure you can hit the clubs and find a hot hook-up, but I
never
had any intention of filling that role. Not for an instant. As for why I didn’t tell you about Rose, well, I guess I have to figure that out for myself but I guess I’m glad I didn’t. Then I’d have never extended this trip and had such a great time.” She turned to Mark and Brylee, using all her ability to remain calm. “Thanks for making this a wonderful weekend, you two.”

She turned and took her purse off of the back of the chair. Without looking back, she headed for the exit, her heart thundering in her chest. Brylee caught up with her a few steps later. “Oh. My. Gosh. Can you believe he said that?”

“Actually,” Sarah said, feeling more …
herself
than she had all weekend. “I can. You don’t need to come with me.”

“I’m not staying here. Are you going back to the room? Are you all right?”

“I think I’d like a little time to myself, if you don’t mind, but really, I’m okay.”

Brylee tilted her head. “You’re sure?”

Sarah smiled and gave Brylee a quick hug. “I’ll see you back at the room in a little bit. Do you mind taking my purse with you? I’d hate to get it wet.”

Chapter Eleven

Sarah adjusted her glasses and looked out across the Caribbean Sea, knowing that the hem of her dress was getting wet but not caring. It was a beautiful night, just like last night had been, yet different. Her anger towards Clint had gone out with the tide. Good or bad, he’d facilitated her learning some important things about herself, which helped keep this weekend in perspective. It hadn’t been a waste, just a very different experience than she’d expected and it was a relief to know that Clint wouldn’t invite her to his room or slobber all over her after too many beers. As embarrassing as the final moments had been, at least she was done trying to protect parts of her life, or pretend to be someone she wasn’t—or whatever it was she’d been doing. They could all move on with their lives now. Clint wasn’t the kind of guy a girl like her could pin her hopes and dreams on.

Mark was the one who was harder to walk away from. As long as she was connected to Clint, there was a chance she could have found a chance to explain herself to Mark. Of everything that had happened, he was her biggest regret. How different could things have been if it had been Mark, not Clint, she’d come to spend time with this weekend? She couldn’t begin to imagine.

She looked at the foam swirling around her ankles as her feet sank a little lower into the sand. The what-ifs would doubtlessly haunt her for a very long time.

“Hey.”

Sarah looked over her shoulder then dropped her arms to her sides as she turned to see Mark standing farther up the beach, wearing the shorts he’d had on at dinner. No shoes to spark a tantrum should they get wet, but then Mark didn’t strike her as the tantrum-throwing type. A wave hit the backs of her ankles, splashing up her legs and soaking her dress almost to the knees.

“H-hey,” she said back after she got over the surprise of seeing him there and found her voice again.

“You okay?”

He’d
followed her out of the restaurant even though he had every reason to dismiss her. She crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her upper arms, which had broken out with goose bumps. Was this was her chance to try and redeem herself? “About my daughter—”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

“I feel like I do.” Sarah talked fast, hoping he would let her at least try. “My life orbits around Rose, and I love that and everything about her, but…” Words abandoned her.

“But you wanted to feel like a normal person for once?” Mark filled in, smiling just enough for her not to feel judged by his assumption, which was spot on. “You wanted to see if Clint was someone who could accept
you
before you had to tell him everything about your reality?” He held her eyes for a moment as hers filled with tears; he spoke the very words she’d been unable to find. “You think I’ve never feared rejection or loneliness so much that I held back with someone? I live the same life, Sarah. I have a lot of the same limitations you do, and I feel the same devotion.” He took a step toward her, bringing the distance between them to just a few feet. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, though she tried to blink back tears. “I really didn’t come out here to talk about that, though. After what happened in there, I wanted to be sure you were okay.”

Her heart fairly melted as she nodded in response. “I’m fine. Better, even. Thank you for checking on me, though.” Did she dare say more? If she didn’t say it now, she might never have the chance. “My biggest regret from this whole week is not realizing what a great guy you are sooner—and not being who I really am. I’m sorry.”

He watched her for several seconds, as though puzzling out what she’d said. Or maybe, like her, he was trying to decide how much he should say. “I owe you an apology too.”

“We both know that’s not true,” Sarah said, shaking her head slightly. “You’ve been kind and generous, and now you’re being forgiving, too. What could you possibly have to apologize for?”

“Because two years ago, I listened to you introduce yourself and talk about your little girl, and I thought ‘this is a woman I would like to know better,’ but then I didn’t do anything about it.” He’d wanted to know her better way back then? Before the hair and the contacts and the fake eyelashes? He smiled, a little sad, but a perhaps a little hopeful too. Sarah felt the hope bubbling up in her own heart as well. “If I’d at least tried to get to know you then, just talked to you at all, maybe things would have been different.”

It was so easy to discount what he said, but why should she? He was right here, and he had been all weekend. He had nothing to gain from being insincere. Suddenly the what ifs shifted. What if there was something here? What if Mark was who she’d hoped Clint could be, but never could? The thought gave her boldness she seldom felt, drawing a smile from her lips.

“When you put it that way, maybe you do owe me an apology.” The breeze blew her hair across her face, and she tucked it behind her ears again. “Consider yourself forgiven.” She took a step toward him, closing the gap a little bit more.

His expression relaxed, and he cocked his head slightly to the side. “Perhaps I’m not too late after all?”

Sarah smiled a little wider as the words washed over her. “Maybe you’re just in time. Two years ago, I wasn’t ready to think past tomorrow.”

“And now?”

“I have a different perspective, and that’s something I can thank Clint for. He made me think differently about my future, even if he was the completely wrong person for it.”

Mark reached out his hand, holding it there in the moonlight, inviting her to take it. “Have you ever walked on a beach hand-in-hand with someone who thinks you’re pretty amazing?”

“No.” Sarah slowly shook her head while taking his hand, and feeling electricity travel throughout her entire body. He pulled her toward him, and the closer she got, the more the air around them shimmered with expectation. She hadn’t felt this energy with Clint, let alone this… rightness.

“I live in Omaha,” she said, grasping the last shred of reality she could think of. She was close enough to see the tiny ring of green on the outer edge of his blue eyes, to smell the cologne he must have put on before dinner. “I live with my parents. They help me raise Rose.”

“I live in Seattle with my disabled brother and my mom, who can’t take care of him without me.”

Saying those things out loud should have felt like stop sign for both of them. Instead, she found it comfortable and familiar. “It would be complicated,” she said.

“What about our lives
isn’t
complicated?” Mark replied. She could feel his breath on her face as her gaze moved to watch his mouth as he spoke. “If it’s right, we could make it work.”

The calm she felt at his words was surprising. Mark knew her world, and it didn’t frighten him. Being separated by a few states felt like a paltry obstacle. “Know what else I’ve never done?”

He lifted his eyebrows.

“I’ve never been kissed on the beach in the moonlight.”

He smiled bigger, revealing a dimple on the right side of his mouth that she hadn’t noticed before. He dipped his head and she went up on her toes to meet him halfway. Their lips met beneath the Cozumel sky, melting away the challenges and complications that defined their lives and leaving in their wake, promise, hope, and possibility.