subject for her to talk about. Obviously, her brother wasn’t an easy subject.
“Mom and I are very close. Always have been and we always will be.” My mother was my rock of stability growing up, and that had never changed. “She was the one who encouraged me to come on this trip. Her only condition was that I wasn’t allowed to fall in love with a local. She claims she’s not moving here to be close to me, but I think she’d love it if she gave it a chance.”
“Anyone would.” Lindsay smiled as she turned her gaze to the window and the forest covering the hill in the distance. “It’s gorgeous, but the heat might get to her.”
“She lives in Houston. If she can manage that humidity, she can manage any heat.”
Her eyebrows went up. “You’re from Houston?”
“Yep.”
“Me too.” She grinned. “Think we’ve ever walked past each other on the street and not known about it?”
“Maybe, but probably not.” I had a feeling I would’ve remembered someone who looked like her, but that was a really douchey thing to say, so I kept it to myself. “I haven’t been around much for the last two decades or so.”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s right. I suppose we could’ve run into each other when you were there, though. It would be interesting if we were able to go back and see how many run-ins or almost run-ins we’ve had.”
We talked a little about home while finishing up with our ice cream, then headed back to the hotel. As I was unlocking the bungalow door, I heard my phone ringing inside.
Kavan’s name came up on the screen when I finally located the device in our kitchenette, and I held it up to Lindsay. “I have to take this. Think about what you’d like to do for dinner in the meantime. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“What’s up?” I asked my friend when I picked up, closing the bungalow door behind me. “You should’ve come with me, man. If you could see the view I’m looking at right now, you’d hop on the next flight out.”
“I’m assuming the trip is going well then?”
“Very well.” I laughed and rubbed the back of my head as I walked down to the hedges. “It was almost a disaster that would’ve ended with me on the streets, but then I met this woman, and with her help, I managed to get us a suite for free.”
“Us?” He scoffed. “Do you honestly expect me to believe you’re sharing a room with a woman you met while trying to find someplace to stay?”
“You don’t have to believe it, but it’s true. The hotel was trying to tell her they had a double booking. She would’ve been shit out of luck too. I threatened to fuck my brand new wife right there in the lobby, and lo and behold, they have a room available for us.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Thank you.” A smirk formed on my lips. “I really appreciate the compliment.”
“It wasn’t a compliment,” he said, sounding like he was biting back laughter. “Who is she? Is she hot?”
I groaned. “You have no idea. Her name is Lindsay and she looks like my walking wet dream.”
“Dark hair, blue eyes, curves for days?” He didn’t have to guess. There wasn’t much we hadn’t shared over the years. He whistled under his breath. “You hook up with her yet?”
“No. She’s going through some stuff. I definitely wouldn’t object if she was down for it, but I’m not sure where her head’s at.”
“Jesus, I wasn’t suggesting you ask the girl to marry you. Have a little holiday fun. It’ll be good for you. You don’t have to do anything with her after. Just enjoy your time together.”
“You’re suggesting a fling?”
“Why not?” I could almost hear him shrugging. “It’s not like you’d be doing anything wrong. I really think it’d be good for you.”
“So do I.” I would definitely make it good for her, but I wouldn’t make a move unless I got a clear sign that she wanted me to. She’d been through way too much, and even I wasn’t that much of an asshole.
Kavan and I talked a few more minutes about the island and his daughter’s arrival in a few weeks. When we hung up, the sun had almost set completely and I was looking forward to getting something to eat from Big Mac.
Walking into the hotel room, I noticed the bedroom door was closed. I hadn’t moved far away from the bungalow