SCORE (A Stepbrother Sports Romance)(39)

CHAPTER 6


When Willow and Amy returned to the room later that night, Claire was curled up on the accent chair with a throw covering her legs. She instantly woke and looked around.

“What’s going on?” she asked as she stretched her legs.

“Have you been crying?” Willow asked her.

Claire pushed the throw aside and set her book on the nightstand. “What have you two been up to?” she asked, wiping the smears from her face.

“I was just out,” Willow said, removing her shoes.

“Out? Out where? In the ocean?” Claire asked.

Amy and Willow laughed. “It is a rather large piece of property, dear,” Willow responded. “Lots of places to be.”

“Mrs. Callahan?” Amy giggled. “Are you secretly meeting that man from the beach?”

Willow blushed and walked to the bathroom. “That’s none of your business, girls,” she tossed back at them as she closed the door.

“Of course it is,” Claire shouted back. “I don’t want to see my mother hooking up with a one-night stand.”

“Well, I’m not in a position to judge,” Amy said, blushing. “Chance is quite the catch.”

“I don’t even want to know what you two were doing,” Claire mumbled and sat back down in her chair. “I just hope the weather changes tomorrow so we can make it to St. Lucia in one piece.”

“I wouldn’t mind a few more days here,” Amy sighed. “I mean, this place is like a resort. Look at this room, and the service is great. And it’s free!”

“That may be the case, but we have already paid to be somewhere else,” Claire countered.

“Don’t you like it here?” Amy asked.

“I thought you didn’t even want to go to St. Lucia,” Willow pointed out as she rejoined the conversation. “We aren’t really losing if we are on a private island getting royal treatment. But…you wouldn’t know because you haven’t done anything.”

“Exactly!” Amy said. “Claire, the purpose of this trip is to get your mind off of…you know…”

“That’s exactly why I am staying away from people, especially men,” she said to Amy. “I can’t seem to do anything without thinking of Trent. Even taking a shower is a reminder, and I am not too keen on being with another man for one night just to get him off my mind. As a matter of fact, if I thought that would work, I would do it, but it won’t so that would be a dumb mistake on my part.”

“I’m not saying you should hook up with some random man, Claire,” Amy said. “We’re saying you can’t stay holed up in your room, and what you are doing now is a perfect indication of what will happen in St. Lucia.”

“I don’t need you two breathing down my neck,” Claire seethed, her temper getting hot. “I will deal with this in my own time and in my own way. You can’t force me.”

“Okay,” Willow grumbled as she threw her hands in the air in defeat. “I’m not trying to force you into anything, Claire.”

“Whatever. And you, Mom, I saw the way that man was touching you.”

“Oh, that’s Bryan. After you girls wandered off, I got bored and decided to stretch my legs. He approached me, and he wasn’t hard on the eyes, either,” she said.

“Bryan, is it?” Amy teased.

“Amy, don’t make me come over there,” she threatened with a laugh. “I saw you with that man yesterday, and just now out there. What’s that about?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “He keeps inviting me, but when I’m with him I sense he is unavailable. I’m not sure what’s going on there. He seems to be messed up.”

“Which brings me to my point,” Claire interjected. “You don’t even know these people. The plane made an emergency landing, and right away you two are trying to hook up with strangers.”

“All friends were once strangers,” Willow pointed out. “You just have to take that leap sometime.”

“Well, I hope it works out for the both of you,” Claire said. “I’m off to bed.”

“At least we agree on that. It has been a long day,” Willow said.

“Me too,” Amy added and slipped out of her sandals.

Before long they were all curled up on the king sized bed, and the billowy softness of the spread was enough to transport them easily into the land of dreams.

***

When they woke the next morning, they could hear the hustling and bustling taking place outside their door. Claire got up and peeked into the hallway. “What’s going on?” she asked a woman she recognized from the plane.

“The weather has cleared. The captain has asked us to return to the airstrip. We will be leaving in an hour or so.”

“Thanks,” Claire said. “Mom! Amy! We gotta go!” she said as she walked over to the bed and yanked the covers off them.

“What? Go where?” Willow asked, sleep still clinging to her eyes. “I’m not ready to leave.”

“The weather has cleared, and the captain has given us instructions to get back to the airstrip.”

“So soon?” Willow asked, obviously disappointed.