What Happens in Paradise - Elin Hilderbrand Page 0,102
driveway, which Huck supposes is a good thing. He needs to apologize to Cash; he shudders when he thinks how hard he was on the poor guy.
But it was Maia. When Cash has a child of his own, he’ll understand.
Huck trudges up the stairs and sees a light on in the kitchen. Cash is sitting at the kitchen table with his phone in front of him.
Huck knocks on the sliding door and Cash jumps, then hurries to let Huck in. “Did you find her?”
“I did,” Huck says. “She’s safe.” He can see the relief wash over Cash’s face and Huck feels ashamed. He’s so afraid of losing Maia, even of sharing her, that he’s ignoring the best part about her newfound family: there are more people who care about her. “Listen, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry,” Cash says. “I’ve been beating myself up since I dropped her off, wondering how I could have been so gullible—”
“You trusted her,” Huck says. “That’s a good thing. I had no right to speak to you the way I did, and I hope you can forgive me.”
“My mom gave me your cell number,” Cash says. “If you ever let me hang out with Maia again, I promise I’ll follow the rules and drop her only at home.”
“She’s grounded for a week,” Huck says. “But I’m sure she’ll be bugging you as soon as she’s a free woman.”
“I hope so,” Cash says. He offers Huck his hand. “Thanks for coming all the way up here to apologize, that was above and beyond. But I have an early morning tomorrow…”
“Right,” Huck says. He turns toward the door, then stops. “Is your mom still awake, do you think?”
“Probably,” Cash says. “She just headed upstairs a minute ago. Do you want me to check?”
Huck hesitates. He could just wait and talk to Irene on the boat tomorrow.
“I’ll get her,” Cash says. “I’m sure she wants to know about Maia.”
Cash disappears up the stairs, and a moment later, Irene comes down. Her hair is out of its braid, wavy over her shoulders. She’s wearing gym shorts and a gray Iowa Hawkeyes T-shirt. Huck feels himself trembling.
“I owe you an apology, AC,” he says.
Irene points at the door. “Let’s go outside.”
This is a good sign, he thinks. He holds the door open for her and she heads out to the railing at the edge of the deck, where they can look out over the water. The pool is gurgling to their right and glowing an ethereal blue.
“Maia is okay?” she asks.
“She was at the beach with her friends,” Huck says. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
“It was understandable,” Irene says. “She’s your girl.”
“That she is,” Huck says. “I vowed she would be my first and only priority. I can’t let anything happen to her.”
“She’s lucky to have you,” Irene says.
Huck throws caution to the wind and gathers Irene up in his arms. She allows this, but he can feel tension in her body.
“What’s wrong?” he says.
“The other night was magical…” Irene says.
Huck loosens his hold on her. “But?”
“Meeting you, becoming friends with you, has been nothing short of miraculous. That first day of fishing…it saved me.”
And me, he thinks.
“I love working on the boat. Not just because I like the work but because I enjoy your company—”
“Did I mess things up by kissing you?” he asks. Meeting him was miraculous, he saved her, she enjoys his company…but that doesn’t mean she feels romantic about him.
“Yes and no,” Irene says. Without warning, tears pool in her eyes. “When we kissed…I never thought I’d feel that way again.” She sniffs. “There’s a way in which I’ve never felt that way before, ever.”
“That’s good, right?” Huck says.
“It’s too soon, Huck,” she says. “This whole situation is still so fresh. I know you don’t think we need to worry about the authorities hauling us off to jail like they did the Vickerses, but I do anyway.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Huck says. “I care for you.”
Irene reaches up to touch his face. “And I care for you. But I need more time. I just…I need time.” She rests her hand on the side of his neck. “I want you to promise you won’t give up on me.”
Huck isn’t sure he can speak. He’s disappointed. Crushed. Can she not feel the chemistry here? The love? He’s not sure how he’ll be able to hold himself in check. And yet he’s also relieved. Irene is nothing if not a woman of her word. She