Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(51)

He set Rory down in the booster seat Cara had set up and buckled him in while Cara went to pour his coffee. It was a comfortable routine they’d fallen into over the past several weeks. Coffee and a morning snack for the kids, diaper changes, load up the car, and off they went on a new adventure.

Cara and David had become quite comfortable with each other as they minded the children. Since Brett, she’d been cautious with men, not wanting them to get too close and holding back on anything important or personal. With David, however, the children had established a common bond. They had each other’s backs and had reached a comfort level she’d never experienced with a man before. Not even with Brett. Children changed everything.

And she’d needed that change.

Cara handed David his steaming mug of coffee.

“Smells great. Thanks,” he said, his eyes glittering at her over the rim of the cup. After a swallow he added, “Mmm . . . tastes great too.”

Emmi drew closer with the cake and offered some to David. He accepted it with thanks. She set the box on the table. While the children nibbled fruit snacks, the adults stood in a circle with their coffee.

“So, where are you heading to today?” Emmi asked.

“Yes,” Cara echoed, turning to David. “You said you had a surprise for today. Where are we going?”

David leaned over the table to set his half-eaten cake on the plate. “Well, you know how we’ve talked about taking the kids on my boat?”

Cara nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said guardedly. “I thought we’d decided they were too young.”

“Right,” David replied readily. “So instead, I got us tickets on a boat tour. There’s a company right on the island I heard good things about.” He pulled tickets out of his shirt pocket and held them up in the air. “Coastal Ecotour.”

Cara felt her stomach fall along with her face and stared back at David, speechless.

Seeing her reaction, his thick brows drew together in concern. “Don’t worry. It’s large and only goes out on the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s very smooth. Perfect for the children. I checked.”

Cara looked to Emmi for support. She stood silent with her fingertips pressed against her lips. Cara looked again at David and swallowed hard. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“My late husband. Brett. He owned Coastal Ecotour. That was our company.”

David’s face paled. “Oh, Cara, I’m sorry. I had no idea. Forget I suggested it. I’ll give these tickets away. We can go—”

“No, don’t do that,” she interrupted, shaking her head. She took a breath, considering her words carefully. “No. You know what? I should go. To Capers Island. I’ve been meaning to go for years. And I want to take Hope. It’s a very special place with a lot of beautiful memories.”

Emmi drew closer and put her hand on Cara’s arm. “But only when you’re ready.”

“Right,” David agreed. “When you’re ready.”

“I am ready,” Cara said with a shaky smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be. And honestly . . .” She looked into David’s dark brown eyes. She felt safe in the depth of concern she saw there. “I’d like to have you with me when I go.”



CARA FELT HER stomach clenching during the slow drive north on Palm Boulevard toward the Isle of Palms Marina. The large, open gravel parking lot was half-filled with parked cars and boat trailers. David hunted for a spot with shade, and finding none open, opted for a spot close to the water. Once he’d parked, he leaped from the car to help Cara from the passenger seat.

“I’m fine,” she said with a soft laugh. He was being exceedingly solicitous. “My heart hurts, but the rest of me is good. Let’s get the kiddies.”

She heard every crunch of gravel like a drum pounding in her ears as they walked with the children toward the dock. A new sign, slightly bigger and with bright lettering, read COASTAL ECOTOUR. She immediately spied the Caretta, moored by the small wooden office built on pilings. The Caretta was a long, flat, creamy-white pontoon tour boat with steel railings, a metal roof, and narrow benches on either side. Her mind flashed to the day the boat had been christened after her. She’d stood in a white dress and hat, beaming into Brett’s eyes under a cerulean sky, surrounded by friends and family. He’d been so proud. Then, on the count, she’d swung the bottle of champagne and broken it against the hull. She’d given the Caretta and Coastal Ecotour ten of the best years of her life. And then she’d sold it and moved away. She felt the ensuing three years’ time like an invisible barrier she had to cross.

She swallowed hard and, lifting her chin, followed David to stand with a cluster of people at the dock entrance. She knew she could stroll over to the office and say hello, and there would be hugs and tears. No waiting for you! But she couldn’t. She wanted to hide in the group of strangers dressed in pastel T-shirts and Bermuda shorts with phones out clicking pictures. Suddenly she didn’t know if she was ready. She leaned against David, and he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

The line began to move forward. Two young boys raced down the ramp, hooting and hollering, to grab front seats. A man’s voice called out, “Hey, no running! There’s plenty of room.”

Cara bit her lip, recognizing Robert’s voice. They inched forward. She stood behind David as he handed Robert their tickets. Robert was chatty, calling Rory a young pirate. She followed his gaze from Hope’s face to her. His words stopped short, and his smile dropped into a gape of wonder.