The Reunion by Jennifer Haymore Read Free Book Online Page B

cleared, raindrops sparkled on the leaves of the trees and shrubs bordering the path, and it promised to be a beautiful day.
    She wished she wasn’t leaving. That she could go snorkeling with Will and get a massage with Rebecca and Ella. That she could hang out on the beach, go kayaking, enjoy the gourmet concoctions Jake’s cook came up with.
    That she could stay with Nathan…be with him during the days and sleep with him at night…
    That absolutely couldn’t happen. That would be far too dangerous.
    Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the footsteps until they were practically on top of her. She jerked her head up just in time to see Will appear, running around a bend in the path. He reeled to a halt, glanced down at her suitcase, then looked at her face.
    It took him all of two seconds to figure it out.
    He took a deep breath. “Nate?”
    She nodded, then spoke through the giant lump in her throat, once again blinking back the water that seemed to want to pool in her eyes. “Yeah.”
    He closed his eyes. “Damn. I’m sorry, Zo.”
    “It’s…it’s okay. I just need to leave. I can’t be near him now, Will. It’s too… I just… I need to go home.”
    “Okay,” he said. His lips twisted. “You look like you need a hug, Zo. And I’d give you one, but I just ran around this island ten times, and I’m sweaty.”
    “I don’t care,” she whispered, shaking her head and swallowing hard.
    Will stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She gripped him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder, needing his comfort right now. He’d probably just run five miles, but the guy was in such good shape he wasn’t even breathing hard, and if he was sweating, she couldn’t tell.
    “All right,” he said soothingly, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “So…what are you going to do?”
    “I was going to ask Mason to take me to Tortola. I…I know it’s a lot to ask, but if he’s willing to take me, I can get a flight from there.”
    He pulled back, looking into her face, his dark eyes searching. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    “Yes. I am. One hundred percent sure. I have to.”
    “Okay.” She breathed a sigh of relief. Will always took her words at face value, and she loved that about him. He took her bag from her. “Mason’s already up. I saw him working on the powerboat. Come on. I’ll take you to him.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Mason agreed to give her a ride, saying he already planned to take Tyler, Rebecca’s pilot, to Tortola this morning. Leaving Zoey and Will on the pier, he went off to find Tyler, but he returned alone a few minutes later.
    “Where’s Tyler?” Will asked him.
    Mason shrugged. “He said his plans changed and he didn’t need to go after all.”
    Zoey chewed on her lip. “Are you still okay with taking me?”
    “Sure, no problem.”
    He jumped aboard, then reached out a hand to her. She looked at the word written in large blue letters on the side of the boat.
    Freedom.
    Was that where she was going? To freedom? Why, then, did it suddenly seem as if she were tied to her life by ropes thicker than those that held the Freedom to the dock?
    She turned to Will to say good-bye, but he shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. I’m coming with you.”
    She knew that tone of voice. There was no point in arguing with him. Nodding her acceptance, she took Mason’s hand and stepped aboard. Will followed behind her with her bag. They sat in the cockpit, and Will released the ropes while Mason went up to the captain’s chair and navigated the boat out of the bay.
    Sugar Cay grew smaller as they drew away from it, and then it finally disappeared over the horizon. She didn’t know if she’d be back next year. She wouldn’t be able to come if Nathan was going to be here.
    The trip between the two islands seemed to take forever, and by the time they reached Tortola, the sun had burned away the gray of dawn, the sky was jewel blue, and the Caribbean was a deep