Once Upon an Island

His lips twitch into an almost smile.

“Don’t even think about buying it,” I say. Then I let myself smile at him, which is what I’ve wanted to do since he barged in on my private little clearing.

His almost smile becomes a full smile.

“Did you…did you receive my email?” he asks.

I nod. But the mention of his email reminds me of Kate, and all my worries and fears for her.

“I’m sorry,” I begin. I bite my lip, remembering all that I said to him. That I don’t like him.

But I do like him. I do.

I may not love him, but I like him.

My phone lets out the chime that’s unique to Kate. She’s finally texted. I hold up my hand, “I’m sorry. Don’t leave, I just have to check this.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and read her text.

Oh no.

Declan steps toward me. “Are you alright? You look…”

I glance up at him. What is Kate doing?

“You should sit down,” he says.

Apparently, Kate’s text made me look like garbage. I shake my head. “It’s not…it’s Kate. She texted this morning.” I hold up my phone. “Michael convinced her to elope. I think…I think he sought her out and preyed upon her desire to reunite with her family. She has the connections he wants, the status. I don’t know where she is. Somewhere in England.” I look at Declan with the helplessness and shame that I feel. “I don’t know if she’s already married or…”

I look down and squeeze my eyes together. I feel so angry and so helpless that there are tears burning at the back of my eyes. Kate’s my best friend, she’s gone off with a known skeeve, and I don’t know how to help her.

“I finally understand how you felt when you thought Arya was a schemer and…”

When I look up, Declan has lost his relaxed posture. He’s closed off and cold again.

His closed expression hurts me more than it should.

“I’m sorry,” I say, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean to involve you in this. I just…I don’t know what to do.”

Declan gives a sharp nod. Then gestures toward the hedge maze. “I believe the estate closes to guests at five.”

I stare at him for a moment, not exactly comprehending what he’s saying. Then it dawns on me. He doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Not me. Not Kate. Not Arya. Not Michael. Not any of us.

Why would he, when I blatantly told him that nothing would ever entice me to date him, marry him, love him or even like him?

He finds the way out of the maze much faster than I came in. We’re back at the entrance in less than two horribly silent minutes.

I thought yesterday was goodbye. That was bad enough. This is even worse.

I pause when we’re at the entrance to the hedge maze. Declan stops with me, but he looks distracted and impatient to be gone.

“For what it’s worth,” I begin.

Then in the distance I hear a sharp, “Helloooo. Isla. Helloooo.” I look toward the house. Harriet flaps her arms at me from the car. “Helloooo. Time to go.”

“I suppose it’s another goodbye,” Declan says stiffly. He nods to me.

“Helloooo.” Harriet calls again.

I look toward Harriet and then back at Declan. I’d like to say a hundred things to him, but I have no idea how.

You make me tingly and warm. I want to eat apricots when I’m around you. You remind me of sunburn and wool sweaters. I like it when you smile. Thank you for jumping into the water after me. Thank you for letting me sleep on your chest. Maybe…maybe you’d like to come and help paint a room in my cottage? Or take a walk on the beach?

“For what it’s worth,” I begin again.

Declan reaches out and takes my hand. His grip is firm and impersonal.

“Take care of yourself,” he says.

Then he drops my hand and turns and strides quickly toward the carpark.

I stare after him, completely stunned.

His hand.

His touch.

His…

Oh my word.

“It’s happened,” I say.

I stare at my hand. It’s tingly and warm and I can still feel the lingering touch of Declan’s fingers brushing over mine. The warmth travels up my arm and over my whole body until I feel like I’m floating in the bioluminescence, surrounded by glowing lights.

Oh my word.

It’s that moment. That moment when you realize the person that you thought you disliked, you actually like, that the person you thought you liked, you actually love.

I love Declan Fox.

“Oh no. Oh no.”

I have the worst timing. The worst. My horrible, meandering slow boat trip to love arrived after the train already left the station.

I told him I’d never love him, and a day later, I realize that I do. That I probably have for quite some time. It snuck up on me, like the color of the sea shifting from aqua to navy blue. You don’t know the exact moment the color changes, only that it does.

I love Declan Fox.

“Helloooo. Isla. Time to go.” Harriet waves her arms at me.

I close my eyes, let out a long, slow breath and then decide that the only thing I can do is keep moving on.

When I get to the car Harriet says, “Was that Declan Fox?”

I nod. I suppose he has a distinct enough look that he’s hard to mistake for anyone else.

“Did you ask him about surveying for a Roman fort?”

I shake my head. “Why would I ask him that?”

Harriet frowns at me, and her hair blows ferociously around her head, adding to her irritated expression. “Because he owns this estate. Who else would you ask?”

My heart feels like it drops out of my chest and hits the gravel.

Declan owns this estate? He owns the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen? Declan?

No wonder he smiled.