“So?” I’m not sure what he’s hinting at.
“Well, I’m curious about what you want now. The animal clinic, your goals…”
“Finding out what happened to Nathan is the most important thing right now. I’ll get to those other things later.”
“Yes, well, a big part of life is learning to let go at the right time—so you can hold on to what you’re meant to. Right?”
“Okay, Aristotle.”
He winks and jumps back into the topic of wine, doing all the work for our host. I’m captivated by the history and essence of each variety and have immersed myself in the experience by the time we reach the dessert wine.
“We end with our Key Lime Dessert Wine, per your request, sir,” the sommelier says, with a slight bow to Wes.
As the expert I now consider myself, I eat a small cracker to cleanse my palate, swirling the wine and observing the thick, pale-yellow legs as they run down the glass. I inhale deeply, catching citrusy floral notes with a hint of honeysuckle. I take a sip.
“What do you taste?”
“It’s tart and creamy.”
“And?”
“Okay… it’s delicious.”
Wes smiles and gulps his down.
After returning to the inn, we relax in the living room, discussing the highlights of our day. We’re on the couch, and Wes leans in closer to me.
“You remind me of Nathan,” he says, a shadow of memory clouds his face. “Intelligence, curiosity—that quiet fire. You’re much stronger than you think.”
“I don’t think I’m much like Nathan at all. He knew what he wanted, and he was so fearless. I’m just… trying to figure things out. I feel pretty useless right now.”
Wes shakes his head, not having it. “Nathan believed in you. And I see why. You have so many great things ahead of you. You just need to take a breath and figure out what you want.”
He’s right. I have no idea what I want. The animal clinic? I should be excited about opening it and building a life here, but am I?
“I’d like to interview you.” His request comes out of the blue. “It’s a piece about Nathan and your time on the island. Tomorrow morning?” I’m a bit taken aback by the abruptness of his request, but I agree.
I hope I don’t regret it.
A noise comes from the kitchen—Garrett. He steps out, holding a glass of tea.
“Good evening.” He’s staring at us, curiosity in his eyes. “It’s quite late. Am I interrupting?”
Wes looks up. “Yes.”
Garrett snorts. “Excuse me, then. If you have a minute, Harrington, I’d like to discuss some business with you before you turn in for the night. I’ll be in the kitchen.” He frowns at Wes, then smiles at me. “Goodnight, Maddie.” Garrett walks back to the kitchen.
Wes rubs a hand down his face and breathes in through his nose.
“So, what’s next? Have you decided how you want to deal with all this?”
“I’m not sure what to do. Nathan’s research, Carter’s Drop, and the break-in are connected, but I can’t figure out how.” I pull my hair back from my face. “It’s like trying to finish a puzzle with half the pieces missing.”
“Well. If I can help you…”
“Why are you so nice to me?” The question slips out before I stop it.
“Easy. I respected Nathan.” His green eyes catch the light and hold it. “And I care about you.”
