“In the rain?” I ask. “He’ll catch a cold.”

  Natalie shrugs. “Or maybe he’ll get a clear mind. Sometimes, the rain can give that.”

  “If he catches a cold, you might have to postpone your wedding,” I say. “And even if he doesn’t, I might have already ruined it.”

  “Ruined the wedding? How on earth do you think you did that?”

  “Because even if your wedding pushes through, it’s not going to be the same after what happened. Joel isn’t going to be happy, which means you’re not going to be happy.”

  Natalie looks confused. “Why wouldn’t Joel be happy? He may have lost his best man, but he still has his bride.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She sighs and puts her arm around me. “Joel will be fine. If he doesn’t forgive Ryker in time for the wedding, then we’ll just have to find another best man. And everything will be fine.”

  I frown. I don’t know how she can be so optimistic. I can’t do it. I can’t believe everything will be fine.

  How can I when Ryker isn’t here? What if he’s already left me behind? What if he’s decided he doesn’t want me after all and I never see him again?

  Just then, the door to the cottage opens. Joel comes in. His clothes are dripping wet. A puddle forms at his feet.

  Natalie goes over to him and starts to dry him with a towel.

  “Where have you been?” she asks, worry in her voice.

  I guess she was worried, too. She was just trying to hide it.

  “I was looking for Ryker,” Joel answers.

  I thought so.

  He looks at me. “He’s gone.”

  My chest grows tight. “Does that mean you killed him?”

  He sinks into a chair as Natalie continues to dry him.

  “If I say I did, what would you do?”

  Natalie frowns. “Oh come on. I know you didn’t kill Ryker.”

  “Did you?” I ask him again.

  “No.”

  Relief washes over me.

  “I didn’t find him. He’s not here in the resort anymore.”

  So Ryker did leave. But where did he go? Did he go to another resort? Did he go to the airport?

  I fetch my phone from my purse. No messages. Then again, I haven’t really been able to use my phone since we arrived.

  “Did he send you a message?” Joel asks me.

  “No,” I answer. “Even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you about it.”

  “Well, you haven’t been telling me anything lately, have you?” Joel says.

  He lets out a deep sigh.

  “I wanted to tell you,” I tell him. “I wanted to tell you I was with Ryker, but I knew you would get mad like you just did, even though you have no reason to be.”

  He points a finger at his chest. “I have no reason to be?”

  “Ryker and I haven’t done anything wrong,” I point out. “We’re just a couple like many other couples in the world.”

  “He’s my best friend.”

  “So? When has there been a law that says women can’t go out with their brother’s best friends? In fact, a lot of women are married to their brother’s best friends.”

  “Really? Who?”

  I can’t think of any right now. I just know there are.

  “I don’t understand why you’re upset,” I tell my brother. “Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m with someone you know, someone you trust? You chose Ryker to be your best man…”

  “He’s not my best man anymore.”

  “But you chose him to be your best man. Before all this, you thought he was the best man in your life. Don’t you think that’s what I deserve?”

  “You deserve a man who will love you,” Joel tells me.

  “And Ryker won’t?” I ask him.

  “Weren’t you complaining that he was always putting you last?”

  “Didn’t you hear him say that he’s putting me first from now on?” I retort.

  “He has a busy job. You said that yourself. He can’t put you first.”

  “He’s getting a new job.”

  Joel’s eyebrows arch. “He is?”

  “Yes.”

  He shakes his head. “I bet he’s going to be just as busy.”

  “Maybe, but he’s not going to be stuck in Chicago. He can travel with me.”

  Joel’s eyebrows furrow. “You’re getting married?”

  “No.”

  Not anytime soon, at least.

  “But you’re going to travel the world together?” Joel asks.

  I shrug. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “What’s wrong is you’ve made so many plans and you didn’t bother telling me about them.”

  “I didn’t know I had to tell you all my plans. I’m not a little girl anymore, Joel. I know you said earlier that I’m little until you say I’m not little, but I’m not. I’m a grown-up.”

  “No matter what age you are, you’ll always be my sister,” Joel says.

  “Then treat me like a sister,” I tell him. “Not like some damsel you have to protect or some object you need to hold on to.”

  “It’s my job to protect you.”

  “I can protect myself. I can take care of myself.”

  “Then why do you need Ryker?” he asks.

  “Because I love him,” I say it out loud for the first time.

  And to think I haven’t even told Ryker.

  Joel falls silent. I hold my breath, hoping that my confession will move him somehow and make him see what he’s doing wrong. But he just shakes his head again.

  “Ryker doesn’t love you. If he did, he would have told me.”

  Unbelievable.

  “He was going to tell you. Didn’t you hear him?”

  “If he loves you, why did he leave you behind, huh?” Joel asks me.

  “Because you were trying to kill him,” I remind him.

  “So he’s a coward.”

  “He didn’t want to hurt you trying to defend himself. Can’t you see that?”

  “He couldn’t hit me because he knew what he did was wrong,” Joel says.

  “Because you made him think it. And because he’s a good man.”

  “He regrets it now. He’s not coming back for you.”

  What?

  “Joel.” Natalie holds his arm. “You don’t know that.”

  “Well, he better not come back,” he tells her and me. “Because if he does, I really am going to kill him.”

  Joel walks out the door. I go after him.

  “I love Ryker. Does that not mean anything to you? Does my happiness mean nothing to you?”

  He doesn’t answer. He just leaves. I grip my hair in frustration.

  “It’s okay.” Natalie stands beside me and rubs my shoulder. “He just needs time. He’ll come to his senses. You’ll see.”

  I say nothing.

  Natalie squeezes my shoulder. “He loves you. And Ryker loves you. I’m sure he’ll come back.”

  She gives me a hug and then goes after Joel. I ponder her words as I go back inside my cottage.

  Does Ryker love me? He’s never told me so. And Joel seems to be sure he doesn’t. What if he doesn’t come back for me? What if Joel’s right and he regrets being with me?

  I pace the floor. The more I think about Ryker, the more I worry.

  I can’t stand it anymore.

  All I’ve done so far is stay here and worry, but I’m not doing that anymore. I was the one who told Ryker to go. I’m going to bring him back.

  I grab the keys to the rental car and go outside. It’s still raining and it’s dark, but I don’t care.

  Ryker came to Jamaica to get me back. Now, I’m going after him. And I’m going to get him back no matter what.

  I head to the parking lot and get in the car. I start the engine and drive in the direction of the airport.

  I’m pretty sure that’s where he went. I only hope he hasn’t been able to get a plane yet. Hopefully, there are no planes flying out because of this rain.

  At any rate, I have to get to the airport as soon as I can.

  Unfortunately, the rain is also making it hard for me to drive. The road is slippery and there are times I can barely see it. Still, I keep driving. I have only one thing in mind—Ryker.

  Please let me get to him in time.

  Suddenly, after turning a corner, I see the lights of another car in the opposite lane. It seems to be coming towards me fast. Then to my horror, it starts to swerve.

  Fuck!

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ryker

  I mutter a curse as I glance at my empty wrist.

  I can’t believe I left my watch in the cottage. I know I took it off and put it on the bedside table. I must have forgotten to pick it up before leaving.

  Then again, I was in a hurry. As soon as I got back to my cottage, I changed into dry clothes as fast as I could, grabbed my things and left. I didn’t even have time to shower. I was afraid an enraged Joel would catch up to me if I stayed longer, and I didn’t want to fight him anymore.

  For a moment, I consider leaving the watch behind. I’m scheduled to board the plane in a few minutes. And I still have my phone to tell time. Besides, it’s just a watch.

  Except that it’s not. It’s not just any watch. It’s a gift. From Joel, no less. With the words Best Man engraved on the back. He gave it to me just before our plane took off from Chicago, saying it was a token of his gratitude and also something to remind me of how awesome I am in case I forget. He told me he would kill me if I ever gave it away.

  I smile now as I remember that conversation. Weird. That was only hours ago, and yet it seems like a lifetime has passed since then. So much has changed. When he gave me that watch, I was the best man he knew. Now, I’m the man he wants to beat to a pulp for sleeping with his sister.

  All the more reason to go back for the watch. I’ve already lost Joel. I don’t want to lose the watch, too.

  So I gather my things and leave the airport, intent on driving back to the resort. The rain, which has barely stopped since this evening, nearly dissuades me, but I proceed anyway.

  I have to go back and get the watch. Hopefully, it’s still there where I left it. After all, Joel and Natalie booked that cottage until the wedding, so no one else would have moved in tonight. And it’s probably too late for someone to go in and clean it up.

  The only person who might take it is Joel. He could have gone there looking for me and found it.

  Shit. What if he saw the watch and interpreted it as me throwing our friendship away? He’ll get rid of it for sure.

  I shake my head. I just have to hope that hasn’t happened. And I hope he doesn’t see me.

  Do I go see Claire? I want to. I want to make sure she’s alright. I want to tell her I’m sorry for what happened and that I’ll be waiting for her in Chicago after the wedding. I want to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. Damn it, I even want to take her with me.

  But if I drop by her cottage, there’s a chance Joel might see me. He might even be waiting on her porch.

  No. I can’t see her. It’s too risky. I’ll just tell the receptionist to pass my message along.

  Still, I wish I could see her even just for a moment.

  I can’t help but see her face in my mind as I drive. I grin as I remember us having sex in that tent and then running across the beach under the rain. As always, she’s an adventure.

  It’s too bad I won’t get to spend more time with her here in Jamaica, but we’ll have plenty of time to spend together in many other places. Where was it she wanted to go again? That village in Nepal. Japan. Cambodia. There was one more. A waterfall, I think. Where was it?

  I’m still trying to think of the answer when I pass by a car in a ditch on the other side of the road.

  Whoa.

  I quickly turn the car around, park it near the one I saw, and run out to check what happened.

  As soon as I peer into the driver’s seat, my heart stops. Claire is the one behind the wheel. Her eyes are closed and I notice a gaping cut on her forehead.

  No!

  “Claire!”

  Panicking, I open the door and check her pulse. I feel a sense of relief when I feel it, even more so when she opens her eyes.

  “Ryker?”

  I stroke her cheek. “Claire.”

  “Is that really you?” she asks. “I’m not dead, am I?”

  “No,” I tell her. “But you do have quite a cut on your forehead.”

  “Hmm. No wonder my head hurts.”

  I frown. She probably has a concussion. But at least it doesn’t seem like she has any other injuries.

  “Does it hurt anywhere else?” I ask to be sure.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Good.”

  I pull Claire gently out of her car and carry her to mine. I strap her into the passenger seat.

  “Where are we going?” she asks.

  I start the engine. “To the hospital.”

  ~

  “What happened to Claire?” Joel asks as soon as he arrives at the hospital with Natalie. I’m waiting for Claire to be done with her stitches, which fortunately are all she needs.

  I called the resort from the hospital to let them know about the accident.

  “Where is she? What did you do to her?”

  “I didn’t do anything,” I tell him clearly. “I was driving back to the resort when I saw her car in a ditch by the side of the road.”

  Natalie covers her mouth as she gasps, “A ditch?”

  “On the way here, she told me that she was trying to avoid a swerving car.”

  “So she’s alright?” Joel asks.

  I can see the worry written all over his face.

  “Yes,” I tell him. “She’s just getting stitches now.”

  “Stitches?” Natalie looks just as concerned.

  “For the cut on her forehead. It’s deep, but the doctor said it’s not bad. The stitches should help the wound heal.”

  “Thank goodness,” Natalie expresses relief. “The whole time we were headed here, we were so worried about her. Joel was imagining the worst.”

  He nods. “We didn’t even know that she had left the resort. When the receptionist told us she was in a hospital and then I saw that she had taken the car, I thought that she…”

  His voice falters. His lips quiver as he touches his forehead.

  “You thought that she had met the same fate as your parents,” I finish the sentence for him as I manage to read his thoughts.

  Of course he would. It’s always been one of his greatest fears.

  “But she didn’t.” Natalie rubs Joel’s shoulders. “Claire is fine, thanks to Ryker.”

  “Thanks to her,” I correct Natalie’s statement. “Claire could have collided with that swerving car on the slippery road, but she managed to avoid it because of her own quick thinking and reflexes.”

  “But you brought her here,” she points out. “You found her and made sure she was alright. If you hadn’t, she might have spent the whole night out there bleeding. Worse, another car might have hit her, what with the slippery road and the rains and all.”

  I look at her with furrowed eyebrows. Why is she so insistent on the fact that I saved Claire’s life?

  Then I realize from the look in her eyes that she’s saying the words for Joel’s benefit. She wants him to think I saved Claire’s life, probably so he’ll forget about our fight.

  I’ve already forgotten about it.

  “Thank you,” Natalie tells me as she takes both my hands in hers.

  “I’m just glad I found her,” I reply.

  “It’s a good thing you decided to come back to the resort,” she adds. “Although I told Claire that you would come back for her.”

  I’m glad I did, too. But that’s not why I went back.

  “Actually, I went back to the resort because I forgot something,” I say. “A watch.”

  Joel’s eyebrows arch. Then he snorts.

  “You came back for a stupid watch?”

  “It’s not a stupid watch,” I tell him. “And it’s not just any watch. It was given to me by my best friend, the best friend anyone could ask for.”

  Joel says nothing.

  “I know he hates me right now. That’s why I had to go back for the watch. I wanted to be reminded of the good times we shared.”

  Natalie touches my shoulder. “I’m sure there were many good times.”

  “There were,” I confirm. “From when we were children playing in the backyard to when we were in middle school playing video games and riding our bikes to high school when we were on the quiz bowl team and then college when we’d go drinking one night and cramming for a report the next. Good times.”

  “Good times,” Joel mutters at nearly the same time.

  Natalie grins. “They do sound like it.”

  She glances at Joel, waiting for him to say more. I do, too. But he doesn’t.

  Natalie clears her throat. “I think I’ll go get coffee. I spotted a vending machine outside.”

  That’s what she says, but I know she just wants to leave Joel and me alone to talk. Still, Joel doesn’t say a word after she’s gone. I decide to speak first.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him as sincerely as I can. “I should have told you I was going out with Claire. I should have asked for your permission, actually. But believe me, it was never my intention to hurt you or make a fool out of you. I guess I was scared that you’d lose your faith in me, that I’d lose my best friend.”

  Joel remains silent.

  “In the end, it seems that’s what happened, but I want you to know that even if you don’t see me as your best friend anymore, I will always be your friend. I’ll always be here if you need me.”

  Joel turns his head to look at me. Finally, he speaks.

  “Do you love Claire?”

  I nod. “I do.”

  I may not have told her yet, probably because all this time, I’ve been feeling like I’m not allowed to, but I know I do.

  “I love Claire,” I tell Joel. “I realized it at the Christmas party seven years ago.”

  “And yet you never called me,” Claire says as she steps into the room.

  I glance at her forehead, where there’s a bandage now instead of the bleeding cut.