Page 30

“There you are,” Savannah says, slipping her arm through mine. “I was wondering if you’d gotten sick or something. My daddy had to go lay down for a bit. He said he needed some peace, so I figured I’d come try to find something to do. Any ideas?” She lifts her hand up to run it through my hair and I take a big step back.

“I, uh,” I get out, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. “I’m looking for someone, actually.”

“Your sister?” Savannah asks.

No, but that could work as a diversion. “Yes. Have you seen her?”

“She’s over there by the railing. I’ll go get us some drinks and meet you over there?”

All I can manage is a small smile. I don’t want to hurt her, but I also don’t want Rachelle to get the wrong idea about our relationship.

I nudge Dani with my elbow when I make it next to her. “What are you doing over here?”

“Just enjoying a beautiful view and taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air without the constant rush of assignments and papers. What about you? Where have you been? I thought you just went to grab your nice camera from the room.”

I had said that’s what I was doing when I left the group at dinner. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“You must really be out of it if you forgot the one thing you went to get, buddy,” Dani says, glancing back over the water.

“What are you thinking about?” Dani is at least sixty-percent jokes and twenty-five percent sarcasm. This somber five percent doesn’t show up very often around me.

“My life. And how much I want to stab you for breaking up with Rachelle.” She pokes her pointer finger into my chest and jabs a couple times.

I nod and take a step back out of reach, rubbing at the spot with my hand. “We’ve been over this. I thought you were going to give me a break.”

“Sisters usually have wonderful insight into relationships, Landon,” an accented voice says next to me. I turn to find Isabella and Roman leaning against the railing. “Why don’t you tell us what happened?”

I raise an eyebrow, not sure I want to splay my heart out in front of the big head boss. And Dani’s already given them the watered-down version. The true story doesn’t paint me in the best light, and I’m not ready for Rachelle to find out from someone else. But I can give them a few details.

“Rachelle and I started dating in high school. She came into my life just after our father,” I say, pointing between me and Dani, “passed away. We went to colleges close to each other and then I proposed after graduation. We were set to get married last year, and, um—” I trail off, not sure how to put it all together.

Isabella raises her eyebrows, waiting for me to continue.

“There were some objections to us getting married.” I blow out a deep breath, relieved to have gotten that much out.

I feel a slap on the shoulder and turn to see Dani’s eyebrows cinched and her lips in a tight line. “Who objected?”

“It really doesn’t matter. The damage is done now, and I need to move on from the past.” I lean back onto the railing, talking myself into cooling the anger simmering in my stomach.

“Yeah, with Rachelle. You’ve done everything you can to take care of Mom and the family after Dad died, but every time something in your life is a little hard, you hide. I don’t get it, Landon.”

It’s probably good she didn’t see me in the room dodging Savannah just a few minutes ago.

“There will always be objections to the things we want to do or what we want,” Roman says. This is the most he’s spoken to me since that day in my office, and it’s kind of surprising. Isabella is the one who directs a lot of their relationship, from what I’ve seen. “Isabella had a few tricks up her sleeve to get me out of my comfort zone. And while I was furious with her at first, I’m forever grateful that she’s by my side. I could’ve lost her, and neither I nor the company would be where it is today.”

“Don’t give up on her,” Isabella says, patting my hand with hers. “And if there’s anything we can do to help, consider it done. We always love a good happy ending.”

I give them a grateful nod, not sure how to keep all the emotions back. Life hasn’t always handed me the easiest set of cards, and I’ve had to fight through a lot to keep everyone afloat. But having the two of them, practically strangers, standing before me and saying that they’re willing to help, well, it can make a grown man cry. Or tear up at least.

And as much of a pain as she can be, Dani is right here, cheering me on in her own way.

I have support. Now I need a plan that can’t fail.

CHAPTER13

Rachelle

I’m on my second walk around the ship. Yeah, I’m basically working off my frustration for Landon by getting in my steps. Where’s my smart watch so I can get my once-a-month health report?