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“It’s nice to see you two getting along,” their mother said.

“We’ve never not been getting along,” Alex said. “Just busy.”

“Another idea,” Julia said. “This might sound bonkers, but hear me out. The resort I interned with in the Finger Lakes leaned into catering to introverted travelers. Smart tech allowed guests to basically never talk to someone. Mobile check-in, check-out, concierge, lobby grab-and-go for the basics, in-room cocktail station. Room service left on tables by the door.”

“Isn’t that, like, the opposite of hospitality?” Carson laughed.

“Nope. Silent salons and spas are totally a thing. Another trend is curating vacations for guests. People are so plugged in they hit decision fatigue by 9:00 a.m. These boutique hotels survey your likes, dislikes, health concerns, etcetera and cruise direct your vacation. No planning or decisions required. Total passenger princess.”

Carson bumped his shoulder against his dad’s, then tilted his head toward the conversation. “Are you hearing this?”

“Sounds like the only thing holding them back is capital,” Dad murmured.

“You could help with that.”

Julia twisted her hair into a bun. “We could accommodate anything guests might want. Alex can take them on adventures, then they head back to their oceanfront cabana and avoid people if that’s their choice.

We’ll provide touches that teach them about Belize—interesting history printed on artisanal paper, maybe with handcrafted souvenirs.

We’ll use local vendors, too. Bed pillow chocolates by Mo, flowers by Xio. ”

“I can see that.” Alex tapped her chin. “Rodrigo could hook up the cocktail carts, too.”

“Are the Marandons still running their bakery?” Julia asked. “Guests would be beside themselves to wake up to a carafe of local dark roast, the Marandons’ authentic French fresh-baked pastries, and local fruit.”

“Shut up, because you’re making me hungry,” Alex said.

She laughed. “Sorry. Now I’m dying for a jambon-beurre from Lamberts, too.”

“We’ll get one before you leave,” Alex promised.

“You know your stuff,” Carson said.

Julia lifted a shoulder. “It’s almost like I have a degree in hotel and hospitality management.”

“Do you two have any investors?” Dad asked.

Alex shook her head. “No. My family has bad luck with financial partnerships. I don’t trust them.”

Carson scratched the back of his neck. That was strange. Taking a business from a corner stop to a global shop required investment. It didn’t sound like they wanted to stay small. Julia was touchy about anything to do with Stone Adventures, but he’d try to ask her about it later.

“Been there,” Dad said. “But what if the investment is coming from within the family?”

Michelle beamed. “Oh, Jim, that’s so generous.”

Alex’s and Julia’s gazes swung toward Dad, unblinking. He could’ve predicted his father would do this. He’d done the same thing for Carson five years ago.

“I like to invest in the next generation,” his father said. “Before coming here, I read up on Belize, and development’s exploded. It could be the next Punta Cana.”

“I know you’ve had bad luck.” Carson draped his arm around his dad’s shoulders. “But my dad’s the best. Silent partner, unless you ask for advice. Seriously, five stars.”

“You’re not exactly unbiased,” Alex said with a laugh. “Can we think about it?”

“Of course,” Jim said.

Julia wrinkled her nose like a mountain of sargassum just washed ashore. “Who’s we?”

Alex bumped shoulders with her sister. “You and me.”

Carson breathed deeply. That would make Julia happy. And Julia being happy? Made him fucking ecstatic.

Bo entered through the back door. “Hi, everybody. Ready?”

“Paperwork’s in order, sir,” Alex said. “Prepare to douse yourself in bug spray, everyone. Today, we’re zip-lining.”

* * *

The carabiners attached to Carson’s harness jingled as he hiked up to the platform. They’d already done a few short hops, and they were about to tackle the longest line. Prehistoric-sized ferns and trees and other plants he couldn’t name surrounded them, a gorgeous green sea.

Every breath was filled with rich, deep energy.

The cave had felt like this, too—like something watched them.

Actual spectators were more likely in the rainforest, though.

Howler monkeys had grumbled at the last launch point, and a toucan had taken a dive at Bo as he zipped to this stop.

A brief shower passed overhead, making everything feel fresh.

“You’ll love this, Mom,” Alex said. “It’s Belize’s longest zip line.”

Michelle shook her helmeted head. “The things I do for my daughters.”

“Ready, senora?” Harrison, the zip-line company’s guide, clipped her onto the line. “Don’t forget—use the glove to slow down.”

Harrison beckoned to Alex, who shoved her mother from the platform.

Next to him, Bo laughed. “I bet she promised him a big tip if he let her do that.”

“Do they…not get along?” Carson asked.

“They do, in their way. They’ve been talking more, which helps.”

Alex gestured for him to go next.

“That’s my cue.” After clipping in, Bo sailed off into the green.

“Do you not love him?” Julia asked Alex. “He’ll be alone with her for three minutes.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s unflappable.”

Julia crossed her arms. “Mom can make people flap.”

“Not me. At least, not anymore. See you on the other side!” Alex stepped up for Harrison to clip her in, then jumped and disappeared into the lush rainforest.

“I’d never do that to you,” Julia said to Carson. “Alone time with my mother is cruel-and-unusual punishment.”

“I’ve been alone with your mother, Julia. She asks inappropriate questions, but I’ve dealt with way worse. Her heart’s in the right place even when her filter isn’t.”

“Oh,” Julia said. “Right. I keep forgetting you’ve known her for longer than I’ve known your dad. What if you’d known she was my mother?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed at his chest. The secret he duct-taped to his heart chafed. “What if?”

Harrison clipped Julia in. “Your turn, senorita.”

“Here I go.” Her low blond ponytail flapped in the wind as the trees swallowed her.

“Who’s next?” Harrison asked.

“Dad?” Carson prompted.

“Actually, can we talk?” Dad asked him.

His ass puckered. Dad had started conversations with him this way when he was in high school. It meant Carson was in some shit. Did he and Michelle know about Julia?

“Take your time.” Harrison invited another tour guide to bring her group to the line.

“What’s up?” Carson said to his father. “You seem off. Nervous?”

“Not about the zip line.” Dad leaned against the railing. “About Michelle.”

Dad’s admission felt like a thud to the chest. “Do you have cold feet?”

“Not cold,” he said. “But I’ll be honest, they’re a little chilly. I don’t get it, because things between us are great. She suggested couples’ therapy early because of our track records, and that’s been eye-opening. Helped me see patterns about myself. But it’s all happened so fast.”

Carson’s gut twinged. This wasn’t good. If the wedding took a nosedive, he’d take Dad’s side and Julia would take her mom’s, making anything between them messier than it already was.

“Fast isn’t necessarily bad, Dad. You’ve both been around the block and know what you want. She seems good for you.”

“All true.” His father folded his hands.

Carson leaned his elbows on the railing. “What’s the problem, then?”

“The first time I did this, my heart was the only one I risked.” He glanced at Carson. “Now there’s yours to look after, too. The way your mother hurt you… I should’ve seen it coming. Shielded you from it.”

He wouldn’t lie—his mother’s disinterest in him post-baseball still stung. But that was her failing, not his. Definitely not Dad’s. And he’d be damned if Dad carried guilt about it.

“Dad, no.” Carson clapped a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “You came through for me. And there’s no way Michelle could hurt me as much as Mom. But if you’re having doubts, postpone—after you talk to her. You two should figure things out together.”

“You’re right.” His dad released his grip on the railing, then slid a palm against his neck. “I got hit with nerves…that’s all. I love Michelle, and I’m pretty sure she loves me. Thanks, Cars. And I’d like to keep this between us, okay?”

He approached Harrison. “I’m ready.”

Harrison clipped him onto the cable. “Enjoy the ride.”

As Dad slipped away into the forest, cold flushed through Carson. Pretty sure? Growing up, he watched his dad bend over backward to keep the peace with Mom while she built her business. The only time they seemed like a solid unit is when they watched him play ball.

Carson snorted. No pressure for him to succeed, right?

After his accident, his parents fell apart. Dad gave his mom an ultimatum—if she couldn’t get it together and be supportive to Carson, she needed to get out. She chose out, and the shifting moods and uncertainty in their home left with her.

He’d catch Dad alone later and encourage him to talk to Michelle again. He was sure they’d come through a tough conversation fine, but if they didn’t…

Where did that leave him and Julia?

“Ready?” Harrison asked.

He stepped toward the precipice of the steepest drop of the day. “Yes.”

As Harrison secured him with a comforting metallic clunk, he’d made a decision. Despite his dad’s wishes, he’d talk to Julia about Dad’s chilly feet.

Their parents might’ve been rocky, but that didn’t mean they had to be.

Just like he was about to plummet toward the zip line’s next stop, he was falling for Julia. Scratch that. Had fallen for her, years ago. The problem was they’d met way too early in life. As a teenager he couldn’t handle his big, intense feelings.

He hadn’t been ready for her.

He’d needed to go through some shit, like…losing his career; being sued by his friends; shedding his mother’s toxic love; and feeling the weight of people depending on him for their livelihoods…to truly become a man who, finally, was good enough for her.

“Have fun.” Harrison pushed him from the platform.

Above him, the pulley’s whir sounded like a tiny screaming jet engine. As gentle forces tugged on his insides, the dark green tunnel of trees opened and revealed a forest spreading in all directions under his feet. Golden sunlight dappled the canopy, and hazy purple mountains lay in the distance.

Beautiful.

The destination platform waited for him up ahead.

He was too far away to see faces, but that person, that one right there, watching the arrivals—that was Julia.

From the way she held herself, the angle of her body.

She was the person he searched for in a crowd, the eyes he wanted to connect with when he entered a room.

Tonight. He’d talk to her tonight.