Page 122 of Pervade Montego Bay

“We can take it from here,” he told him.

Xavier took the reins of the white horse. “Let me help you mount, Emily.”

He and James mounted up and took the lead. With anticipation shuddering through me, I squeezed my thighs gently around the horse’s ribcage. My horse followed James’ toward the ocean.

He turned and smiled back at me. “They swim.”

Xavier was taking great delight in my reticence.

“They love it!” James gestured for me to follow.

My thighs tightened further as my horse waded into the water. The sea lapped at my toes and rose as we went deeper until it was around my thighs.

Within minutes, we were waist deep in the clear blue water with our horses swimming below us. They really did seem to be enjoying it. Mine was even going out into deeper water, showing no fear. Xavier managed to direct his horse to catch up with me. He grabbed my horse’s reins and then guided us back into shallower water.

James turned to look at me. “Having fun?”

“This is amazing.”

The picturesque green-blue vastness met the bright horizon in a dreamy vista.

“I can never get over all this beauty,” I said wistfully.

“Can you see yourself living here?” asked James.

I shot a look over to Xavier. He smiled back warmly with a look of encouragement. There was only one answer. It was the one that made me grin with happiness.

James gave a nod at my reaction but that was all he offered. It felt like the moment of hope had dissolved as he led his horse away. James made my mind reel with his complexity. From the first moment I’d met him, I’d seen him transition into a new man. Xavier and I had fought for him, relentlessly, and for the first time I was seeing a change in him, as though he was rediscovering faith in himself. That was the best way—the only way—for me to describe what I saw in this mercurial man.

After our grand adventure with the horses in the ocean and a picnic on the sand, we returned home. We hung around the pool, swimming and talking. If my life would have ended that day, I’d have already been in Heaven.

Later in the evening, we settled in James’ kitchen, where he and Xavier set about making dinner. I found three glasses and poured iced tea into them. I cut up a lemon and dropped slices of the refreshing fruit into each drink. James cracked open one of the coconuts from his garden and poured out the rich milk, then carved up some of the shell for us to munch on. Now this…this was the vision I’d held in my mind when I’d flown all the way down here. Us hanging out together with the ease of old friends.

“Can you grab the olives?” asked James.

Inside the pantry, I scanned the shelves while rubbing my arms to warm myself up from the chill. I brought out a jar of black olives and showed them to him. “How are these?”

“Perfect.” James twisted the top open for me. “Chop them up, please.”

I glanced back at the pantry. “That room is so cold. It’s like a fridge in there.”

“That’s because James has a secret tunnel at the back of it.” Xavier laughed and shook his head, amused.

James didn’t find it so funny, for some reason, but it made me laugh. I reached for a knife and chopped up the olives, tossing them into the salad bowl.

I watched James round the counter.

He kissed my shoulder. “You got sunburned a little. I’ll get you some ointment.”

“I’m glad you’re wearing your ring.” I gave his arm a squeeze.

“Em…” James looked over at Xavier. “It’s not my wedding band. Not the one I had before…”

The words rushed out before I could stop myself. “Are you married? To each other?”

James sat on the barstool next to mine. “Well, a ceremony might be tricky.”

Xavier rolled his eyes. “He means for all three of us, Em.”