Page 48 of The Love Bus

And really, I could understand a fair amount of what she was describing. Skimming the surface of life … Maybe that was part of the problem I was dealing with. And that sort of feeling, it didn’t just go away. It built up beneath the surface, increasing the pressure slowly but surely until…

Boom.

Gasket blown.

Or lobster (and fiancé) dumped, in my case. So, yeah, I could empathize with that too.

But I also sensed something lonely in Tay.

Maybe she was just careful about keeping that stuff hidden away while she was working, but I never saw her on her phone, checking social media or answering texts or phone calls from anyone other than the bus tour company.

Nothing from friends or family. Just a careful distance.

And in seeing that, I recognized it in myself. I was suddenly aware of just how much I had missed the friends I’d made at the restaurant, being part of something bigger than myself.

How much time had passed since I’d had a normal conversation with another woman who wasn’t thirty years older than me? Or my sister? Since I’d gone out for lunch, or drinks, chatting and giggling about nothing in particular?

The question brought me up short. Because I hadn’t been doing those things for months.

I bit into my slider while Tay just studied me for a moment. “But that’s enough about me. What’s your deal, Luna Faraday? You sure as hell aren’t the average Bucket List participant.”

“My mom broke her hip. She’d already paid for the trip so…here I am.”

Tay’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a chef, right?”

It was a simple question. Not a simple answer.

But since we were sharing confidences, it was only fair.

So, this time, I was the one venting. I explained how I’d been engaged. How Leo and I had not only lived together, but worked together, right up until the end.

“It’s—I woke up one day and my entire life imploded.”

I paused, taking another sip of my wine to give me some time to think.

Because it was true, what I was saying, but at some point on this trip I’d stopped counting the days that had gone by since The Incident .

I hadn’t watched the video since I’d shown it to Noah, after watching it every day—sometimes multiple times a day—before I’d gotten on that plane to Denver.

Maybe I felt a little bit of distance from the whole thing now, but the whole disaster was still waiting for me back at home. I’d simply been avoiding thinking about it recently, which I’d totally needed the time to do, but I couldn’t avoid it forever. It was my life.

“I didn’t just lose my fiancé,” I said. “I lost my career. My friends. Eventually, I’m gonna have to find a new home.

Tay just looked at me. And then, “Well. Shit.”

I huffed a laugh, shocked out of my melancholy thoughts. “That’s one way to sum it up, yeah.”

“Okay, I’m not gonna lie—that really sucks.

Sounds like your ex sucks, and your so-called friends?

Also suck. Which is…unfortunate.” Tay stabbed the olive at the bottom of her glass and popped it into her mouth.

“But—and hear me out—did the world end when you dumped him?” She raised her brows, daring me to argue.

“Didn’t think so.” She set her drink down and held up a hand, ticking off each point with her fingers.

“One: People will disappoint you. Two: A career is just a shiny word for a job. And three: Home? It’s everywhere and nowhere. ”

“That’s…encouraging?”

“It’s realistic. But that’s why…” She pinned me with her stare. “You need to enjoy this little holiday fling the universe is giving you.”

Wait. What now?

“I’m not having a holiday fling!” I insisted, doing my best to look innocent.

We were both on our second drinks by now, and it was getting harder to control my expressions, all of my muscles a little too relaxed, a little lazy.

My cheeks were feeling pleasantly warm, but I couldn’t tell if it was from the wine or because I was blushing.

But, I mean, I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t.

She waved her glass. “If you’re not having a holiday fling, explain to me exactly what happened up at that waterfall.”

I stared at my glass. “Nothing. Just what we said when we got back. We ended up taking a little swim is all…”

“Oh, sure.” She leaned back, one brow raised. “Just a casual dip in the glacial runoff. And then you show up, wearing his shirt. Doctor Noah Grady’s shirt , who also just happens to be the hottest guy I’ve ever taken on one of these trips.”

“We didn’t—he wasn’t—I just?—”

“Hey, if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.” She leaned back, one brow raised. “But I still think you two should totally hook up.”

Hook up. The words made me feel like a teenager. And that, more than anything, opened the gates.

I covered my face with both hands. “We aren’t hooking up, Tay.” I sighed and peeked through my fingers before glancing around, just to be sure there wasn’t anyone from our tour who might be listening. “We just…kissed, okay?”

Tay blinked slowly, like a cat. “And…? Was it any good?”

Okay. It looked like we were doing this. “It was…” I shook my head. “The best kiss I’ve ever had.”

“Better than your ex?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “Yep.”

Tay sat back. “Interesting.”

And, well, yeah . But that didn’t change anything.

“It was like a fairytale, you know? But fairytales aren’t real.

None of this”—I gestured around the lounge—"is real life. And everything about that waterfall… So romantic! But afterward, even though we agreed the kiss was… wow,” I couldn’t think of any other way to describe it, “we agreed that doing anything more would be a mistake. He knows about Leo. So we aren’t going to let it happen again. ”

Tay lifted a brow. “You just decided that? Both of you?”

“Yeah. Mutual decision. One-and-done. Bucket-list waterfall kiss.”

“One-and-done?” She stared into her empty martini glass and then back up at me. “I think thou doth protest too much.”

“Nope. It isn’t like that.” I folded my arms. “He’s…he’s here for his mom. And I’m not looking for…anyone. I’m here to get my feet under me again.”

“Okay.” Tay just nodded. “But, since it’s my responsibility to ensure that you have a safe and entertaining vacation, I’m going to say just one thing: maybe the timing isn’t great, but…life only happens once. You’re on vacation. Don’t let the good stuff get away while you’re waiting to feel ready.”

I opened my mouth to respond, though I wasn’t sure exactly what I was planning to say, but then her phone rang, and she frowned down at the display.

“It’s the company. I have to take this.” She lifted the phone to her ear, throwing some money onto the bar and sliding off her stool. “Tay here. Hang on just a second.”

Tay pressed her phone against her shoulder and pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket.

After skimming what looked like some sort of list, she jotted a number onto one of the cocktail napkins and slid it over to me.

“I’m not supposed to do this, but in case you want to check another item off your bucket list… ” She winked. “You can find him here.”

I shook my head, laughing.

After she left, I just stared at the number she’d written—331.