Page 27 of Worth the Risk

Neither of us said anything else. I stepped around him and continued to my bungalow, my heart sitting heavy in my chest.

As I got close to my bungalow, another woman was walking in the same direction while talking on her phone. I wasn’t paying much attention to her, but I caught a snippet of her conversation.

“Grey chose a beautiful island for our vacation. And you should see the bungalow. It’s right on the beach. That man knows how to treat his wife right…”

I picked up my pace, not in the mood to hear about this woman’s happy marriage after what just happened with Ford. As I reached my bungalow, I saw that the woman was strolling toward the one next to mine.

So, I was right next door to the happy couple. Great.

I didn’t like this bitterness enveloping me, but just like I didn’t know what Ford could do to make things right, I didn’t know how to stop feeling this way.

Walking straight through the living room, I went out the sliding back door of the bungalow and onto the deck. Standing at the rail, I looked at the ocean, breathing in the salty air and listening to the endless rhythm of the waves.

It was peaceful, but it didn’t take away my problems.

The worst part was that despite how ridiculous that proposal was, my traitorous heart lurched for just a second. I wanted it. I wanted that future I dreamed of with him.

Letting out a sigh, I started to turn away to head back inside when the sliding door of the bungalow next to mine slid open and a familiar figure stepped out.

The pink streaks in Heather’s hair distinguished her from her twin, and right now, those colorful locks were a wild mess around her head. The sundress she was wearing earlier was inside out now, and she was in such a rush that she stumbled and nearly fell down the deck’s wooden steps. She barely caught herself by gripping the railing, and I took a step in her direction automatically.

A board on my deck creaked under my foot, and Heather’s head snapped up. When her eyes met mine, her cheeks turned red, and she bit her bottom lip.

“Uh… is there any way that you can pretend you didn’t see me?” she asked in a low voice. There wasn’t much distance between the decks, but I could barely hear her.

My eyes shifted to the bungalow she had just snuck out of, and I thought about the woman I passed on the walkway. Immediately, I took issue with what she was doing. She’d obviously just gotten physical with someone inside that bungalow, and with that woman talking about her husband…

It was easy to assume that Heather had just crossed a major line. I frowned, my eyes now taking in the discoloration on her neck that was clearly a hickey and her slightly swollen lips.

“What did you do? Isn’t the guy in that bungalow married?”

Something hardened in her expression. “It’s not what it looks like.”

I wasn’t sure if she was trying to justify something terrible or if I really didn’t have the whole story. Then, I thought about the people who stared at me at the tiki bar, judging me because I loudly rejected Ford’s proposal. Those people had made some assumptions too.

“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “You were never here.”

I hoped I wasn’t aiding in adultery, but somehow, I didn’t think I was. I didn’t know Heather well, but she didn’t seem like someone who would do such a thing.

She took a moment to slip on her sandals and quietly thanked me before hurrying away. I stood outside a little longer, turning over everything that happened today.

In the end, I decided to skip dinner with everyone else tonight. I was tired and emotionally wrung out.

So, I ordered room service to be delivered to the bungalow. After eating, I headed into the bathroom, where there was a deep jacuzzi tub.

Nothing sounded better tonight than a nice, lukewarm bath. There was lavender bubble bath in the cabinet, so I poured some in and filled up the tub. Sliding into the water, I let out a long sigh and relaxed. This was exactly what I needed.

I hummed to myself as I washed my long hair. I’d just rinsed out the shampoo when I heard something that sounded an awful lot like a footstep just outside the bathroom. I froze in place and looked toward the door. Then, the doorknob started to turn.

Chapter Ten: Ford

Inever used to be a man who worried. Part of what made me a good doctor was that I was skilled at identifying problems and solving them. In work and in my personal life.

After a somewhat chaotic childhood, it was important to me to have a plan whenever possible. When something went wrong, whether that was a leaky roof or a conflict with a friend or a sick patient needing help, I shifted immediately into fix-it mode.

There was no room for worrying. No point in it.

Then, I broke something that couldn’t be so easily repaired. And how unfortunate for me that it was the most important thing in my life.