“I’m sorry that happened to you, but maybe it was a good thing. He wasn’t the one for you. Better to find out now than after you’re already married.”
“True.” The thought that Jon cheating was positive had never even crossed my mind. Was Ryker right?
Ryker was quiet, allowing me to take that in but then his warm eyes settled on mine. “Where do you live?”
I wouldn’t normally offer that information to a stranger, but he wasn’t. Not really. We’d gone to school together and he seemed like a good guy. He was certainly saying all of the right things. “I still live in Naples. I like living near my family. My sisters are all married with children. I get to see them as often as I want.”
“You’re really involved with your family?”
“I am. I like being able to go to dance recitals, baseball games, and babysit on weekends.”
“You love your family and you planned an amazing romantic weekend with your boyfriend.” He was quiet for a few seconds, like he was thinking carefully about what he wanted to say next.“If you were mine, I’d cherish you.”
I felt those words all the way down to my toes. He’d cherish me. “How can you possibly know that?”
Pink tinged his cheeks. “I’ve crushed on you since high school and I told myself if I ever got a real shot with you I wouldn’t screw it up.”
My mouth dropped open slightly. “How’s that possible?”
He shifted in his chair. “We didn’t hang out in the same crowds. I was invisible then.”
“I’m sorry.” I never wanted to be popular. I didn’t like the expectations that came with the status—that I had to be mean to other kids and put them down. So I didn’t. I was myself. I was friendly. I refused to talk to anyone who gossiped about others and it still did nothing to deter people from flocking to me. My mom said I was a natural leader and that responsibility came with that role.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just glad that I was lucky enough to run into you on a small secluded island.” He leaned in closer to me and lowered his voice. “It’s almost like fate.”
I pulled back from him, feeling shaky. “Well, I don’t believe in fate.” Not anymore.
“We’ll see about that.” He teased, his eyes sparkling with humor.
“Are you ready to order now?” The waitress said, breaking the moment.
After we’d ordered and the waitress left, I asked, “What brings you to the island?” I was happy to take the focus off of me.
“I work for Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. I met with the owner to discuss his assistance in testing the waters here for red tide.”
All playfulness gone, Ryker’s serious side took over at the mention of work.
“The owner? You mean the owner of the island?” I asked.
“Technically, the Wells own it and their sons manage it. So, I met with them.”
“I can’t imagine owning an island.” I looked at him with newfound respect.
“And you’re what? A marine biologist?”
“Yes. I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean.” He leaned his elbows on the table looking out over the water. “It’s hard not to be, growing up next to this.”
“It sounds like an amazing job. Are you just here for the day?” I’d only just met him but my stomach sank a little at the thought that he’d be leaving with the boat this afternoon.
He glanced from the water to me, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “I am and I’ve never had the opportunity to eat here so thought I’d try it out.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “You know they think Jimmy Buffett wrote ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ in this restaurant?”
“I saw that when I researched the island.” I had been looking for something romantic, secluded, with history. I fell in love with the quaint cottages. Most visitors only stay a few hours before departing on the boat back to Captiva in the afternoon, so I thought Jon and I would have an opportunity to reconnect without the daily interferences of work, friends, and electronics.
Wanting to focus on something besides my dismal personal life, I pointed to the dollar bills taped to the walls. “What I want to know is, what’s the deal with the dollar bills?”
“Apparently, it started out with fishermen who’d write their name on the bills and leave them to make sure they’d have money for beer when they returned.”
“Interesting. It was their version of a bank.”
Ryker nodded at the waitress walking by, the back of her shirt read: The Top 10 Questions. “The staff wears shirts that answer the most common questions they get here. How much money is on the wall—seventy thousand. How much money falls off each year—ten thousand, which the restaurant donates to local hospitals. That’s all I’ve been able to read so far.”
“I can’t believe,” I gestured around the room, “all of this equals seventy-thousand dollars.”
“It’s hard to believe.” He lowered his voice and leaned in conspiratorially. “Do you think someone actually counted?”
I laughed. “There’s no way. That would take forever.” My breath caught as something passed between us. The tension released from my muscles, the pain behind my eyes dissipated. He’d done it. He’d taken my mind off of why I was here.
Ryker leaned back in his chair breaking the moment. “Did you arrive today?”
“Yesterday.”My face pinched at the memory of checking into the Dollhouse Cottage, also known as the honeymoon suite, alone.
Ryker must have noticed my pained expression because he said, “I think you shouldn’t waste any more time worrying about your ex. It’s on him. You have a right to enjoy this weekend, whatever happens.”
“Oh yeah?” I tilted my head. “Are you part of this enjoyable weekend I’m going to have?”
“I’m sitting across from a beautiful woman having lunch, so I think so.”
Chapter Two
RYKER
The server slid our plates in front of us, leaving once we said we didn’t need anything else. Ally unfolded her napkin on her lap. “Tell me about yourself. Who were you in high school?”
I took a bite of my Mahi-mahi sandwich, giving myself a minute to think. I couldn’t believe I was having lunch with Allyson Brooks—the most popular girl in my high school. She’d made quite an impression on me back then. “I don’t know if I want you to remember how I was back then. You never would have looked at me twice in high school, even if we were the same age.”
“Wouldn’t that make me shallow if I only cared about looks?”
“Isn’t that how it is in high school?” I spoke without thinking, probably due to my own bitterness from my adolescent experiences. But I regretted my words when I saw the hurt flash through her eyes.
“I’d like to think I was popular because I was nice and friendly to everyone, not because of my looks.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t inferring anything about you.” It was mainly the jocks who I had an issue with. I cleared my throat and took a sip of water. Should I tell her how we met? I didn’t want to remind her of who I was back then, but at the same time if I wanted something with this woman, I needed to be honest. “We talked one time in high school.”