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He stops to look back. “Yeah, we have to check out soon.”

“I meant about Tatum.”

“Doesn’t matter, man. We live on opposite sides of the country, and I’m not the pen pal type.”

“We just move on like last night doesn’t matter? Liketheydon’t?”

His brow furrows, and he hits me with a glare. “Yes.”

Left standing there wondering what options I have, I sigh, wishing I could ask at the front desk about Natalie. But given she couldn’t even get into her own room last night, there’s no chance they’ll give me any information. That’d be a fool’s errand.

A fool.That’s what I am. A fucking fool for letting her go.

The walk back to the villa feels longer than usual, with my feet dragging beneath me.What can I do?There’s nothing left but to return to my life.

I let myself in, the door slamming behind me. The terrace would usually call to me, the ocean just beyond, but that’s not where I spent most of my time with Natalie. I walk into the bedroom and do a quick scan to find any trace of her. Anything that would give me a clue to who she was or even if she was real.

There’s nothing but a crumpled sheet. Standing there, I try to recall what sidetracked us from, as she put it, “properly introducing” ourselves. Frustration sets in when I realize it was me. I changed the topic by bringing up how much I liked our beginning. That still holds true, but I fucking hate our ending.

* * *

“How was Catalina?”my mom asks, stirring a cup of tea when I walk in the back door that opens into the kitchen. It must be two—her routine runs like clockwork. “I always find it so relaxing there.”

I close the door, dropping my bag on the floor, and go to her. I’m not sure how to reply. The truth isn’t something I’m ready to acknowledge, but I also don’t like to lie or worry her. Kissing her on the cheek, I say, “It was good.” I go with neutral, unoffensive, and generic.

Before I turn to head upstairs, she touches my cheek. “Well, that doesn’t sound like you.”

“Me having a good time?”

“No, the lack of emotion behind it. What’s wrong, darling son?”

Cookie Christiansen reads me like a book. I equally love and hate it. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Picking up her teacup, she takes a sip, then says, “That’s understandable. This is a big move. Are you ready?”

I lean against the counter. “I think I can handle walking across a stage.”

She laughs. “I meant the exam and coming to work for the company.”

“Do I have a choice on either?”

“Not according to your father, but at the end of the day, it’s about what you want.”

I’ve never understood her patience with him. Not that he’s horrible or anything like that, but they see life so differently. She’s about doing what makes you happy, and he’s about making money, which makes him happy. “You and Dad are so different. How do you make it work?”

She laughs, moving around the island to sit on a barstool. “We stopped trying to make it ‘work’ and made it ‘love’ instead.”

“Nope. Not going to have that conversation.” I pick up my bag.

Her laughter rings louder in the bright kitchen of my childhood home. I know I’m lucky, though. My parents are a rare breed.Still married. In love. Happy.“Oh, Nick. I’m not talking about sex, although that’s important as well. I’m talking about the little things. Changing your perspective. It’s not work to love each other, so that’s not a term we use. Loving each other is easy. It’s life that gets in the way. We hit a bump in the road or smash into a wall sometimes. We may be different and not always agree, but we do listen.” With a sweet smile, she adds, “Most of the time. But I’m okay with us being two beings with our own minds. What fun would it be if we agreed on everything?”

“I see your logic.” I kiss her head as I pass behind her. “You would have made a great lawyer.”

“I’ll leave that to you. I’m proud of my degree, but in practice, I’m glad I chose a different path.”

“You chose wisely.”

Just as I round the corner to head for the stairs, she says, “I had really hoped you would meet someone, Nicholas.” Although she can no longer see me, she knows I’m listening. “The new moon was in your seventh house.”