Chapter Seven
Jade went to the gym early and did a few rounds of weights. She ate breakfast alone, just as she had dinner the night before. Breakfast was a little less awkward in the bustling buffet, unlike dinner in the formal dining room with two very kind servers waiting on her lonesome, sorry self. She was a social person and had lots of fun friends she did things with: exercise friends, friends at work, friends at church, friends to go dancing with, friends to go to dinner with, and friends to go exploring with. And here she was, all alone. Lame Lucy.
She spent the meal texting and emailing friends, and of course Teal, but her mind was on three men: Jesse, Joshua, and her priest from next door. She liked all of them, Jesse more than the others. She wished she’d been brave enough to ask her priest to do something with her today, but she kind of liked a buddy she could spill things to, without worrying about entangling another man in her brain with Jesse and Joshua. Her priest could be Handsome Harry or Plain Paul. It didn’t matter. He was just her friend, and she’d really needed one last night.
The ship docked at St. Martin as she finished eating. From what she could see out the windows, it looked like a pretty spot, green hills with some nice beaches.
She strode through the busy buffet, grabbing an apple and an orange, then hurried down a couple flights of stairs and to her room, which was just a few doors down the hallway. She filled a backpack with a couple water bottles, the fruit, granola bars, sunscreen, and a towel she’d picked up at the pool. Slinging it on, she made her way down the steps with the rest of the crowd all the way to the first floor and off the ship.
She walked along the port and followed Teal’s instructions to find the man with the four-wheelers to rent. Teal had stayed on this island for a few days, and this was where the love of her life, Stetson Strong, had come for her. Jade knew exactly where she wanted to go today: a small cave at Cupecoy Bay, the spot were Stetson and Teal had reconnected. She might be alone, but at least she had a purpose. For the moment.
She saw some four-wheelers parked off the side of the road and a tall, thin guy with a big smile and skin so dark that his white teeth were almost shocking. He claimed his name was Jerry Lewis. With his accent, she doubted his name was even Jerry, but she didn’t really care as long as the four-wheeler ran. She handed over a hundred dollars that was supposed to include the gas, insurance, and all-day rental. Signing some papers without really looking at them, she listened to his tourist spiel about where to go on the island, strapped on her helmet, put Cupecoy Bay into her phone’s navigation, and took off.
The drive was really nice, up and down some pretty, verdant hills and then past a huge inlet filled with yachts that blew her mind. Did Joshua Jewel have a yacht like that? She scowled. She didn’t want to think about Joshua anymore. She let some cars go by on the next hill but then continued through a little town, and her navigation took her straight off a dirt road and up past a small bar or restaurant. She waved but kept going on the dirt road, parking a little bit later. A man walked over and offered her a chair and umbrella for fifteen dollars, but she declined. She didn’t want to sit and sun herself; she wanted to explore.
Walking down some crumbling concrete steps, she jumped off at the end into gloriously soft sand. It was almost as soft as the beach on Puerto Rico, where she’d met Jesse. She sighed. If only Jesse were here.Maybe he is. She pushed that voice away. She’d been humiliated yesterday, insisting that Joshua was Jesse. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in that illusion or pine away for Jesse. She was here on this cruise, and even if she was alone, she would enjoy it.
Jade didn’t stop at the pretty beach where a couple were sunbathing nude in some beach chairs, or jump in the blue water that reminded her of Joshua’s incredible eyes; she kept walking, climbing over some rocks and down into the small cave where Stetson had found Teal. The cave was shaded, and luckily, it was empty at the moment. She glanced around and smiled. It was perfect. Easing out of her backpack, she set it on a rock where it wouldn’t chance getting wet. She took a drink of water and munched on an apple as she just savored the peace and beauty of this small cave, listening to the waves roll and crash and thanking the good Lord for this beautiful spot, for her sister, and for the man who had claimed Teal’s heart. She replayed the story of Stetson coming for Teal, and how Teal, who only painted scenery, had shown him how she’d been painting him from memory. This place was so beautiful.
Finishing her apple, she hurled it into the ocean and then pulled out her phone. She hit a FaceTime call to her sister and grinned as Tempting Teal’s beautiful face filled the screen. “Sis! How are you?”
“So good,” Teal said. “Painting away.”
“Where are you?”
“Texas, where else?” She smirked. Stetson was playing for the Texas Titans, so Teal had been trying to stay close by. Teal panned the phone around and showed Jade an incredible view: a half-cavern with a soft-looking sheet of water coming down from the rocks above her. The water below was jade green, and there were red rocks and green trees in the view.
“That’s incredible! Where is it?”
“Just west of Austin. It’s called Hamilton Pool Preserve.”
“I love it! I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
“Thanks. Where are you?”
“You’ll never believe it.” Jade slowly turned the camera around to take in the cave, and she heard Teal scream.
“You found it!” Teal looked like she was tearing up. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“So pretty, sis. I was just reliving your moment.”
“Give me a minute to relive it. I am so making Stetson take me there after football season.”
“You do that.” Tempting Teal wouldn’t be alone here like Jaded Jade was. No. She wouldn’t think of herself as that. Jesse wanted to be with her next week, and she didn’t give a flying flip what Joshua Jewel thought.
“How’s the trip?”
“Honestly, kind of lonely since I left Jesse.”
“He sounded like an interesting keeper.”
“For sure.” She gave a heavy sigh. “The ship is incredible, though, and the food is delicious. I’m going to make it a great week exploring a new island each day.”
“I know you’ll make it fun. I just wish you weren’t alone.”
Jade couldn’t argue with that. She saw the shadow of a person coming her way. She turned to see who was intruding on her spot. A tall, fit body navigated the rocks through the bright sun, and then he straightened. She gasped, and his eyes widened. “Joshua?” she breathed.
He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I didn’t … uh …”