so? Now Ellie swiveled her chair only slightly so that she had a better view of him.
“Who doesn’t love Evening Island?” she asked. It was beautiful every day of the year, from the clear water to the lush foliage. Sure, there were moments of cabin fever, but that could happen anywhere. It was a destination spot; tourists flocked here for as many months as the weather permitted.
“Seriously.” He shook his head. Shrugged. “She’s a city girl. All this nature and slow pace isn’t her thing.” He seemed to want to say something else but took a long sip of his beer instead. Finally he said, “To be honest, I’m not sure she plans on returning at all.”
Ellie fought off a smile, even though she knew that there was really no room in her heart for hope at this moment. But she’d never been much of a realist, at least that’s what her father had told her. She thought with her heart, not her head. She didn’t focus on practicalities and life’s inconveniences, like…Simon’s fiancée, for example.
The fiancée who had left the island. While he remained.
Even though she was tempted, she did as she had promised herself and only stayed for one drink. He’d left her wanting more once. It was probably time to turn the tables.
“I should call it a night,” she said, standing.
Her stomach flipped over at the look of disappointment that flashed in his eyes. “So soon?”
“I’ve got an early start tomorrow,” she explained. It was true. She was desperate to get out of the house before either of her sisters woke. She’d almost forgotten how they’d left things, and now she felt uneasy about returning home.
She checked the clock on the wall. She’d stayed later than she thought, meaning that she had a dark walk home with the bike.
She looked at Simon. He was worth it. He always had been. And that was just the problem.
“Well, hopefully I’ll be seeing you again soon,” he said, giving her a slow grin.
She was counting on it.
By the time she got inside the house, it was dark and quiet. Hope and the girls were clearly asleep, and if Gemma wasn’t, she hopefully knew better than to leave the third floor tonight. Still, Ellie tiptoed up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door before turning the lock, thinking how much different a few hours could mean.
Tomorrow, she knew, would be full of more tension, more unresolved issues with her sisters she would have to deal with.
But tonight… tonight she was certain of two things. She was still in love with Simon. And maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that he could fall in love with her again too.
Chapter Nine
Hope
The weather was finally warm enough for the girls to venture at least knee-deep into the water, even if Hope did find it alarmingly icy for herself. She sat on one of the weathered Adirondack chairs that had been on their stretch of beach for as long as she’d been coming here, a notebook in her lap, her eyes on the girls.
When they were like this, playing in the sand, transferring buckets of water to their castle and back again, she couldn’t imagine missing out on such a thing, the way Evan did, now by being in Singapore, and daily, when he went to the office. How often had the girls done something so cute that she couldn’t find her camera fast enough, and she thought, How fortunate am I?
Now, guilt twisted inside her because she knew that she was fortunate. She had a big, beautiful house and was blessed with two gorgeous girls. She had a husband who held down a good job, was moving up in his company, and came home every night that he wasn’t travelling, unlike Cindy’s husband at the end of the block, who was most definitely sleeping with his secretary—something Cindy pretended not to know about because she didn’t want to lose her membership at the country club, or have to get a job.
But Hope did want a job. Or better yet, a career. She remembered how it felt once, to dress for work, not an active day with toddlers. To feel like she was needed and wanted for more than cleaning up spilled milk or preparing yet another snack. To be asked questions, and to have her opinion matter.
Could she make a mean chocolate chip cookie? You bet. Could she whip together a snack for twenty-two kids with various diet restrictions and allergies