Page 139 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

PETER

“ C an you pick me up in an hour?” Katie asked over the phone.

I nodded as I held my phone to my ear. “Absolutely. I’ll see you soon.”

The hour passed with agonizing slowness.

I’d missed Katie this past week while she was gone, and when her name lit up on my phone, my heart had done a little hop step in my chest, like a nervous dancer taking to the stage for the first time.

Her voice had sounded like music to my ears, and the soft laugh that followed me telling her so made my insides squirm.

I wanted to kiss her again.

Memories of the kiss we shared the morning after our night at Skip’s played on repeat in my head as I sat in my truck outside the lobby of the El Cartana, waiting for Katie to emerge from inside the massive glass doors.

I could see guests milling around inside, but I didn’t spot Katie until she stepped out into the sun and pulled her sunglasses from her head.

She slid them on the bridge of her nose, looked both ways before crossing the circular pull up drive, and then hurried to my truck.

I leaned across the bench seat and popped her door open for her when she reached me.

Katie hopped inside. She had a picnic basket with her lined in gingham cloth. It looked like the picnic baskets characters pulled bottles of wine or sweet tea out of in southern romance movies.

“What do you have there?” I asked, nodding down at the basket between us as she put her seatbelt on.

“Treats. Lunch. Drinks. You know, the necessary things for an afternoon.”

I nodded approvingly. “All right then. Where are we headed?”

“I’ll give you the directions as we go. I want the destination to be a surprise.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Interesting. Should I be worried?”

She flashed me a radiant smile. “You’ll find out.”

“Oh, so this is a surprise, is it?”

“Yep,” she said.

Sneaky. I wasn’t keen on surprises. Never had been.

But for some reason, the thought of getting a surprise from Katie seemed a lot less hellish than a surprise birthday party thrown by my single father and my little brother.

This seemed like a surprise I would more than likely enjoy, and it was already starting out on the right foot.

Katie looked beautiful this afternoon.

Her long brown hair was pulled back off her face in a messy, loose ponytail.

A few strands framed her face while one braided piece wrapped around the base of her ponytail.

She wasn’t wearing makeup, or if she was I couldn’t tell, and she had simple stud earrings in.

Her dress reached the middle of her thighs and was bright yellow with little red flowers all over it.

It had thin spaghetti straps and a V-cut across her cleavage that made it difficult to look anywhere but at the three clustered freckles on her right breast.

Katie cleared her throat and nodded out the windshield. “Are we going to go?”

I kicked myself out of my reverie and put the truck in drive. “Yes, sorry.”

She smiled knowingly, and I suspected I hadn’t been all that subtle about checking her out. I couldn’t help it. She was so beautiful.

As we drove, she told me all about her trip to New York.

“It was good to see my brother,” she said.

“Jackson and I don’t see nearly as much of each other as we used to, and it isn’t easy for twins to be apart so often.

But seeing as how we’re very similar, we both love our work and the lives we’ve built because of it.

We’ve made sacrifices, and spending time with each other is one of them. ”

“Do you think that will change once the baby comes?”

Katie licked her lips and gazed out the passenger window. “Time will tell on that one, I suppose.”

“Do you want it to change? Maybe you could make arrangements to fly out to New York once a month or something.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

Katie didn’t seem all that enthused by the idea, which surprised me. Were there issues between her and her brother that she didn’t like to talk about? I understood that better than most. Or were there other things in her past holding her back?

She smiled at me. “Take the next left up there and then a right. We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?”

“Nice try.”

We drove in comfortable silence the rest of the way.

The tires of the truck left the paved road and once again I found myself driving through the thick brush and dense jungle foliage of St. John island.

We drove down an ever-narrowing road for at least five minutes.

The truck jostled and rolled through potholes until the road ended and we couldn’t go any farther.

I looked for signs that might forbid parking or trespassing, but there were none.

Katie got out of the truck. “We go the rest of the way on foot. Come on.”

She reached for the picnic basket but I beat her to it and got out of the truck.

I followed her around the hood and into the brush, where she picked her way through a path made by others’ footsteps.

Tall grass was crushed flat to the ground, but without her as a guide, I doubted I’d have found my way through the winding path around bushes, trees, and puddles of swampy-looking water.

After walking for about five minutes, I heard water.

Katie pushed her way through the dense branches of a massive tropical plant and then stepped free of it.

I came out behind her and found myself standing on a flat rock overlooking a swimming hole below.

Directly ahead of us was a waterfall. It was at least twenty feet high, and water poured off the edge to fill the crystal-clear hole with fresh spring-fed water.

Katie turned to look over her shoulder with a grin. “Surprise!”

“This is incredible.”

“I found this a few months after I first came to the islands,” Katie said as she picked her way across the rock and down the side to a flat grassy bank below.

“I read a book about the Virgin Islands from a travel writer I like, and he mentioned this place. It’s funny that I’ve never stumbled across anyone else when I come.

Somehow it’s remained a well-kept secret on the island. ”

I followed her down to the banks. “Do you come here often?”

“When I want to disconnect and give my head and heart a break.” She giggled to herself as she stepped out of her sandals and waded into the water up to her ankles.

“I know how wishy- washy that sounds but it’s true.

This place has always felt like a sanctuary.

Or a place to refill the well, you know? ”

“I don’t think that’s wishy-washy at all.”

She held out her hand to me.

I set down the picnic basket, took off my shoes, and joined her at the water’s edge. It engulfed my ankles. “Oh shit, that’s cold.”

Katie laughed. “Yes, much colder than the ocean. That’s for sure.”

She wiggled her toes in the sandy and rocky ground.

They were painted a soft, feminine pink, and I wondered if she’d had them done when she went to New York.

Not that it mattered. She let out a contented sigh and tilted her face upward to face the sun for a moment.

Its rays lit up her face and cast long shadows across her cheekbones from her eyelashes.

I stared and admired for as long as I could before she cracked open her eyes and shot me a look.

“Should we eat before we swim?” she asked. “I’m famished.”

“Your wish is my command.”

Katie and I set up our little picnic spot together.

First, we laid down the blanket on the driest patch of grass we could find.

Then we went to our knees and Katie began unpacking the rest of the basket.

She withdrew a container of diced strawberries, another full of pineapple, and a third of dried coconut shavings and chocolate.

My mouth was already watering when she revealed two sandwiches made on fluffy, crumbly croissants, and by the time she pulled two bottles of beer from the bottom of the basket, I was quite convinced that I was in love with her.

“A woman after my own heart,” I said.

She giggled and searched for the bottle opener. When she found it, I took it from her and opened the beers. We tapped the necks to each other before taking a first sip, and I was delighted to find the beer was cold due to the freezer packs she’d lined the basket with.

“This just might be the best date I’ve ever been on,” I said.

Katie sat back so she could stretch her legs out.

Her heels rested in the grass and the sun caught the dainty gold anklet she wore, making it glitter.

“I’m glad you like it. I wanted to do something special.

I know it sounds silly because we haven’t known each other long, but I really missed you this week, Peter. ”

“I missed you too.”

She crossed one ankle over the other. “You did, did you?”

I nodded earnestly and leaned back on my hands. “I did. Call me crazy, but I don’t think I’d be enjoying myself on this island nearly this much if I hadn’t bumped into you. Or rather, knocked you on your ass.”

Katie laughed. “I’m glad you played your own personal game of lawn bowling and used me as a pin.”

“That’s good because chances are high it will happen again if you continue to spend so much time with me.”

“Maybe I should start wearing more appropriate shoes. You know, just in case?”

“Sneakers with supportive soles and ankle support are most recommended.”

Katie laughed harder. “I don’t think that would look very cute with my dress.”

“So long as the dress is on you, anything would look good. Trust me.”

She blushed. “Are you sweet talking me, Peter?”

“I don’t know. Is it working?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes, I’m sweet talking you.” I reached for the sandwiches and passed her one.

She accepted and we unwrapped the layer of cellophane around them before digging in. It took six point seven seconds for me to drip mustard on my shirt. Katie giggled, fetched a napkin, and leaned in close to wipe up my mess. I stared down the length of my nose and watched her.

“I’m a klutz,” I said.

She batted her lashes and looked up at me. “I find it kind of charming.”

“That’s the first time anyone has ever said that to me.”

She shrugged and leaned back. “To each their own, I suppose.”

We devoured our sandwiches and continued basking in the afternoon sun until the heat began to feel overwhelming.

When I mentioned it might be time for a dip in the water to cool off, Katie rose gracefully to her feet.

I stood in her shadow and looked up at her as she pulled off her dress.

For a brief moment, I couldn’t speak. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth as she revealed her body in a little yellow bikini that nearly matched her dress.

She looked down at me with a knowing smile. “Are we going in or what?”