Page 29 of Wayward (Wrecked #4)

Can of Sardines

Sam

T he car rolls up to the side road near our villa, and I let go of the door handle. It pops open like expected. My hand’s cramping from holding it closed on the bumpy road. I unfold my legs from Zane’s and step out onto the sidewalk.

“Here, Sam—pull.” Haley waves her hand at me and laughs. I give her a good yank and she pops out, flying into me. I catch her and hold her up. “Is your ankle okay?”

“Yeah, but I have to go to the bathroom now from laughing so hard.” She holds her hands to her sides.

The ace bandage has come loose. I kneel next to her and tighten it.

Straightening, I rub my ribs. “That’s the last time I do something like that. Zane’s elbow was in my kidney.”

Haley chuckles. “I’m a one person, one seat belt kind of gal too.”

“I know you are.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her as the rest of the guys fall out of the car. Calvin, who comes out of the front passenger seat, is the only one who’s not rubbing a part of his body.

Dante says something to the guy in Thai and hands him a wad of cash.

The driver waves him off, but Dante’s insisting. Haley steps next to Dante and bends down to see in the front passenger window. “Please, you really helped us out.”

“Okay, okay.” He takes the cash. “Good day.” He waves as his red car speeds away.

“What now?” Dante asks, stepping up to Haley. “You ready for a shower and a nice comfy bed?”

“That sounds good.” Haley pauses. I’m not the only one who can hear the or coming.

“Or?” Easton adds for her.

“We could walk down to the beach and listen to the ocean. If we’re really going home soon. This might be?—”

“That’s a great idea,” I say. Hell yes I’m ready to go home. But I’m not ready for what I feel about Haley to end.

“I thought you might all hate it. I’ve had enough sand for life, but the sound and smell is something I think I’m going to crave forever.” Haley latches onto my bicep.

“Exactly,” Zane says.

Down at the resort’s private beach, we wait for Haley outside of the beach restroom before continuing down the beach. There’s only a few chairs and things not put away. We find a large ottoman-like chair that hasn’t been covered up for the night.

“Here?” I ask.

“I love a cabana bed.” Haley jumps into the middle of it.

“It has a name?” I crawl in beside her.

“If you can charge more for it, it has a name,” Dante says, playing with Haley’s hair. And I think about how nice it would have been to have one back on our beach.

The laughter from the car ride fades away, and we all turn silent like we were back in the temple.

It’s been an exhausting day. From the hotel phone ringing and Anan wanting to talk to Dante to finding Stella and her amazing deal to get us back home.

The beauty of the temple and the amazing tastes of the market.

Now . . . I pull Haley to my chest and close my eyes, listening to the crashing of the waves on the manicured beach.

I can’t help but think about our island and about Penny back with Esmeralda, but we wouldn’t have been able to be here with Penny.

We wouldn’t have found a way home. I will bring Penny home, but first I need to think about Haley.

And only Haley. “Penny would have loved it here,” I say.

“You think Stella’s going to keep her promise?” Zane asks Easton.

“Why wouldn’t she? What would be in it for her to not keep it? She didn’t come off as flippant or uncaring to me. Do you agree, Haley?” Easton places his hand on her leg.

Haley rolls onto her back. “I do. She was really kind when she was on Charlie’s boat.

What benefit could it be to her? If anything, it gets us out of the villa and away from her wedding without bringing in the press.

Despite what Stella said about the media not reporting on positive things, we’re going to have our fifteen minutes of fame.

I’m not looking forward to it. There’s bound to be all sorts of questions. ”

I grab her foot, and when I look around the cabana bed, all the guys are touching her in some way. She’s not wrong. “I won’t let them defame you, Haley. None of us will. What we are is no one’s business but our own. We’re a family. We lead with that,” I say.

“A family,” she repeats. “You’re right. It’s no one’s business but our own. I don’t have a family, but you all do. What are your parents and siblings going to think?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Little Bird. But I know my sister is going to adore you. And my mum is going to be glad that I didn’t decide to marry a football.”

Haley laughs. “You would if you could.”

Zane shrugs. “But shite, I can get a real football now and show you how bloody brilliant I am.” Calvin pushes at him with his foot, and Zane dramatically rolls off the cushion, then jumps to his feet and stands with his hands on his hips.

“I’ve got the moves. I’m as fast as Harry Kane.

He’s a football player,” Zane adds and nods at Haley.

“I know. You might have told me about him once or twice before. You definitely have all the moves, Zane.” Haley laughs.

The sun dips below the horizon, and we head back to the villa. The room has a giant fruit arrangement on the table, like the one in Stella’s suite. There’s also a rack with six hanging clothing bags, each with one of our initials on it.

“Looks like Stella’s been busy using that black card of hers,” Easton says and unzips the one with an E on it.

“Two shirts and two pairs of pants. There’s also a small plastic bag of underwear and a blue tie.

Fucking hell.” He moves the rack, showing a tower of boxes of men’s shoes.

“Guess Ms. Freeman wants us to show up with a little bit of style to the airport.”

“It’s really nice of her.” Haley takes her bag.

“There’s a note from Stella. It says she’s arranged transportation for us tomorrow.

It’ll pick us up at three. We need to get her our passport names and numbers so she can get it to the crew by tomorrow morning.

” Haley looks over to Dante. “Is that going to be an issue?”

“Shouldn’t be, Anan said any time after ten. Ten’s morning to me.”

Haley nods. “The rest is just her wishing us well.”

“I’ll send a nice wedding gift when we get back to the States.” Easton kisses the top of Haley’s head.

“That would be great.” Haley flops into the swivel chair, her bag of clothes on her lap.

There’s a lot of silent negotiation between the guys as to who’s going to sleep where. Calvin’s the first to crack. “I’ll take the first watch. We might have a plan on what and how we’re getting out of here. Doesn’t mean that Ed or Z’s men aren’t still looming around the resort.”

“I’ll take the one after you.” Dante sits on the sofa and spins the seat Haley’s sitting in.

“I can take a shift.” Haley crosses her arms over her chest.

“You should get more sleep, Haley. Make sure your ankle is healed,” I say. My own leg is healing up surprisingly well.

“It’s almost healed.” She stops the chair from spinning with her good foot.

“But I didn’t think I was going to get a resounding yes from any of you.

I’m going to choose to think that it’s because I’m not one hundred percent healthy.

” She spins the chair the opposite way and immediately stops.

“Yeah, I’m too old for the teacups now. I’m taking a shower and heading to bed. ”

Zane and Easton take off after her and close the door behind them.

“You’re not going to the party, Cap?” Dante asks.

“I’ll take the early morning shift. But I want to head out and check the slips, see if any of the Zambrano fleet are back.” If I thought I could get away with calling again, I would. But the harbor master would be suspicious, seeing that the Rosewood didn’t arrive yesterday.

My turn on watch drags on for two hours with not much but housekeeping carts and men heading to the dock for early morning fishing.

When Zane gets up and takes over watching, I use the shower in the bedroom with the two double beds.

An impulse strikes me when I see the shaving kit on the counter.

I lather up and shave off the beard. Unlike my dad for my sister’s wedding, I actually manage to not cut any veins in my neck.

Man, my mother and sister were pissed at him.

With the new clothes on, I head out into the bedroom where Zane is watching out the window. “I’m heading out to the dock.”

“No beard?” He nods, his lower lip shooting out in what I hope is approval.

I grab the keycard from the table and head outside. The castaway in me has been cleaned right up. This is the first time I haven’t had a beard in ten years. I run my hand over my shaven face, hoping it’s taken a few years with it. It doesn’t matter to Haley. I know it . . .

There’s a stillness to the air. It’s going to be super hot today.

But we’ll be gone soon enough. I nod at the guard at the hut at the entrance to the dock.

They should be looking for an ID, but I know how to carry myself in the dock.

I got the I-belong-here walk down a long time ago. Long before I actually did belong.

I stroll down the dock that we ran down two nights ago and make my way down a side dock that should give me a clear view of the Zambrano slips. It’s past the time most fishermen would be out and too early for pleasure cruising.

There are some large yachts in this section of the harbor. I’m trying to glance between them to see the next dock over when a deep voice comes from the deck of the yacht I’ve just passed. “Can I help you find something?”

“I’m looking for dock fifty-nine,” I say without looking up, taking a few more steps so I can see around his vessel. And fucking hell, the speedboat is back.

“You need to go down one more,” he says. He has a European lilt to his English. Something French-like, maybe.

“Right, thanks.” I glance up at him. He’s middle-aged, with more gray at the temples than I have.

And clearly not the crew of the yacht he’s standing on—he’s the owner.

I wave over my shoulder. Then I stroll to the end of the dock, and when I’m sure he can’t see me, I hightail it as casually as I can back to the villa.

There’s a rumbling in my gut. We need to get out of here, and we need to get out of here now.

I open the door to the room, and everyone’s awake.

“Sam? Your beard.” From the look on Haley’s face, this might be the only time I don’t have a beard again.

“It’s hair. It’ll grow back. We’ve got a problem,” I say.