Island Affair (Keys to Love #1)(5)
The woman leaned to the side and rose up on her toes. Chin jutting up in the air, she craned her slender neck to look over his shoulder in the direction he pointed. Her oversized reddish-brown leather tote slid down her arm until its strap snagged in the crook of her elbow.
“Fire department, huh?” she murmured.
“Yeah, with the city. Finished my shift this morning; now I’m off for a few days.” Whether he wanted to be or not.
She lowered back onto her heels, eyeing him with guarded interest. One corner of her mouth hitched in a cute little half frown as she seemed to weigh her options.
Finally, she clasped his hand with her own. Strong, slender fingers wrapped around his in a firm shake. Her smooth palm nestled against his, cool and soft, and Luis found himself loath to let go.
“Hello, Luis Navarro, local firefighter. I’m Sara Vance, tourist.”
“Nice to meet you, Sara Vance, tourist.”
His teasing response earned him a husky chuckle paired with a full-blown grin that rounded Sara’s cheeks and sucker-punched him in the gut. She slid her hand from his to heft her big purse back onto her shoulder.
“Wow, talk about impressive service. I haven’t even called nine-one-one and a rescue squad has arrived. Not that I need saving or anything. Because I don’t.” Her confidence nearly convinced him, but he caught the flash of worry washing over her face before it whisked away like a tiny wave on the beach’s shore.
“You sure about that?” he asked.
“Um, yeah. I just need to, uh . . .” The humid breeze blew her blond tresses against her cheek, and she tucked them behind her ear with a crooked finger. “Reevaluate a few things, I guess. Yeah, that’s all.”
Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
Luis cocked his head, thinking about the conversation she’d just had with some guy who, by all indications, seemed like an absolute loser if he was dumb enough to leave her high and dry in the Keys.
Sara glanced down at the phone clutched in her left fist. Her short, manicured nails, painted the same orange as her toes, were a stark contrast to the shiny black case. The name “Ric” flashed across the screen, signaling an incoming call. Lips pinched with anger, she pressed the side button to ignore the call, then dropped her cell in her shoulder bag.
Fascinated by her resolve to jettison this Ric guy when doing so seemed to put her in some kind of pickle, Luis waited for her next move.
Chin tucked into her chest, she rubbed at her forehead, as if the reevaluating she mentioned caused her pain.
When several moments ticked by without a word from her, he stepped backward toward his truck, his helping-hand instinct telling him to do the opposite. “Well then, if you’re all good, I’ll head out.”
He turned away, craning his neck to catch one last glimpse of her slender figure over his shoulder. She gazed down at the gravel scattered at their feet, her brow puckered, her bottom lip caught between her teeth once again. Far too often he’d seen a similar look of devastation on a person’s face when he responded to a call. Loss, uncertainty. Their mind scrambling to make sense of the situation.
“Good luck and welcome to the island,” he called to her.
The soft click of his automatic door lock made her flinch. Her chin shot up.
“Wait!” Indecision and desperation swam in the depths of Sara’s blue-green eyes. “I’m not. Not good, I mean. Actually, I’m more like . . .” Her voice drifted off as she jabbed her fingers through her hair in obvious frustration. “More like in a mess, actually.”
She winced as if the admission hurt.
Intrigued, Luis lifted his sunglasses to the top of his head, meeting her gaze.
Sara swallowed, took another deep breath, then squared her shoulders, like a rookie set to answer her first alarm. “Everything’s a wreck, and I’m about to disappoint my parents. Again. If your offer is serious, I could really use your help.”
And just like that, Luis knew his first day of forced time off was definitely about to get interesting and maybe help him “shake things up.”
Chapter 2
Sara Vance watched the firefighter’s warm brown eyes closely. Hoping with all things good and right in the world—the likes of which the self-centered jerk Ricardo Montez was not—that she’d made the right move by blurting out her SOS.
Her sorority sisters would be throwing up red caution flags. Well, except for Wendy. She’d probably say it’s about time Sara tried something wild and crazy. A column under which this idea definitely fell.
But right now, the clock on her parents’ arrival was ticking. When it came to options, Luis Navarro might be her only viable one. She certainly couldn’t think of anything else.
Her family was already in the air, somewhere between Phoenix and Key West. If she didn’t find some way to pull herself out of the pit of quicksand she’d inadvertently created, before everyone else landed, this seven-day vacation with her parents, siblings, and their spouses was doomed before it even started. She refused to be the unwanted damper on the celebration of her mother’s recent cancer-free diagnosis. Especially after her dad’s rare edict demanding that they all clear their schedules and not cause any fuss.
“What’s going on?” Luis asked. “You need a ride? Suggestions on a place to stay?”
Oh, if only it were that simple of a problem. “Probably the first, unless I take a cab. Got the second one covered. It’s a little more involved than that.”