“I’m sorry you did, too.” Liz sat on a wooden bench in a garden clearing and patted the empty space beside her.

  “I understand that you had no choice the other day. I apologize if I said anything out of line.”

  “Are you kidding? If I were you, I’d probably have thrown chairs.” Liz laughed.

  “There may’ve been an inkling of that.”

  “So, some things have come to light this morning and we…we let Diana go.”

  Jillian blinked slowly trying to understand, but she thought she’d just misheard. “I’m sorry. What?”

  Liz said she preferred not to go into detail, but it had to do with her treatment of trainees and what led to the lack of action and Pepper’s unchecked illness. “But that’s not why I wanted to see you, well, not entirely anyway. The board of directors and I want you to come back.”

  Part of her wanted to scream “Yes. Absolutely. Whatever you want.” But another quieter part of her stammered with the answer. What did she want? Truly? They sat in silence as Jillian struggled to make sense of the warring feelings inside her, but the choice was clear even if she didn’t know it. “I’ll come back on one condition.”

  “Okay. Which is?” It seemed Liz hadn’t expected any answer besides “Yes.”

  “I resign as director of education. No more office or paperwork, just Jillian Marshall, marine mammal trainer.” Jillian blew out a loud breath.

  “You worked so hard to become a director, why would you give it up?” Liz asked.

  “Have I? I never wanted this, it just happened. I liked being a trainer and spending my time in the water. I hate being in the office.” Jillian could hardly believe that she’d said it out loud, but it was just spilling out of her.

  “Are you doing this for Laura?” Liz asked.

  It was a two-fold answer. “Not for her. Because of her.” Laura had shown Jillian everything she loved but in a whole new light. “But now we can be together with no conflict, no misperceptions.”

  Liz touched Jillian’s knee. “Jillian, she’s gone.”

  Every breath was knocked from her lungs, and she shook her head. Jillian’s world hazed over, and her skin tingled with a million painful pins. “What?” No wonder Liz had brought her outside, even in the wide-open space, Jillian’s world closed in on her.

  “She withdrew from the institute this morning. And demanded that once she left, we take you back. I never even had the chance to tell her that it was already in the works.”

  “And you just let her go?”

  “I don’t have the power to stop her, Jillian.”

  Jillian jumped up from her seat. “You could have called me or tried harder. Flattened her fucking tires, for fuck’s sake, Liz.”

  “This is right about the time when you would start throwing chairs.”

  “If you hadn’t brought me out into the fucking wilderness I probably would be.” Jillian waved her arms like the crazy person Liz thought she was now.

  “It’s interesting to see the passion this woman brings out in you. Scary, but interesting.” Liz laughed.

  Jillian paced around not sure whether she should stay or go. “When did she…Where?”

  “I don’t know. I was too busy firing your ex-girlfriend to worry about your current one.” Liz laughed louder this time.

  “I need to go.” Jillian stepped away and then stepped back again.

  “I know. Go bring her back, will you?”

  “Really?” Jillian asked.

  “Yes. And I’ll start looking for some gullible sap to replace you.”

  Jillian sprinted toward the dorms. Knowing Laura, she was long gone by now, but she had to start somewhere. Although she had expected as much, her heart twisted when she saw Laura’s door standing wide-open to a spotless room and her clothes piled neatly on the bed. She leaned against the cold steel of the doorframe to help keep her balance. Her mind flashed back to the many times she’d stood here waiting for Laura to answer. She rested her head on the wall and sighed.

  “She left about an hour ago I guess,” BJ said from behind her.

  Jillian continued to stare into the empty space. “You wouldn’t happen to know where?”

  “No. Sorry. But it seems to me that she’s only got one more thing to do in order to put this all behind her.”

  “And what’s that?” she asked, turning around to face him.

  “She may have overcome her fears here, but how will they translate in the real world?” he said.

  The butterflies in her belly set flight and she asked, “Do you think?”

  “There’s one way to find out isn’t there?” BJ smiled.

  A burst of energy jolted through her, and she dashed out the door. She had no time to waste.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  The breeze was gentle through the old cypress trees, and the air tasted crisp without a hint of salt. It was an obvious difference, as the last three months were filled with the briny wind and water. Laura sat on the weathered boardwalk and dangled her feet over the clear water of Crystal Spring. Overhead hung the remnants of the rope swing long ago put out of use. The frayed ends were barely distinguishable from the thick Spanish moss that draped from the branches above her.

  They told her it was in this very spot where they fought for her life and held their own breath as they waited for hers. Laura hadn’t been back here since that day, and it had been a weird journey littered with potholes and failure since. Yet here she was finally able to bring herself to this place without panic or fear. It was as beautiful as she’d always tried to remember it, and the terror and darkness that always tainted her memories were gone. While her pulse raced a little, she was filled with gratitude for being there and wished she could share this moment with Jillian. As without her, this wouldn’t be possible.

  Laura closed her eyes and imagined Jillian beside her, loving and being loved in this special moment. The wind shifted and Laura heard the quiet tapping of footsteps behind her. She opened her eyes as someone sat beside her. She closed her eyes tightly once again and prayed that her one wish had come true.

  “Seems a shame not to share a moment like this with someone who loves you.”

  Laura squeezed her eyes even tighter and sunk her face into her hands. When Jillian wrapped her arm around her, she fell into her and broke down. She couldn’t speak though she wanted to. Each time she tried her words were choked with sobs.

  “It’s okay, love,” Jillian said as she lifted Laura’s head with two gentle fingers beneath her chin.

  Laura blinked away the blurry haze of tears and stared into Jillian’s eyes. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “There’s no other place on earth I should be, my sweet girl. This is where I belong.”

  “What about Pepper? And your job? You can’t lose your job.” Laura tried to control her heaving gasps as she spoke.

  “Turns out this amazing woman did exactly what I told her not to just to get my job back.”

  “It worked?” Laura smiled through the tears.

  “It did, and I had to personally track her down to thank her and tell her that I’d only accept it if she agreed to come back with me.”

  “Oh, Jillian, I can’t. Last night was too hard. I couldn’t do that every day and pretend that I wasn’t ripping my heart out.”

  “No problem. I resigned as director. I’m just a lowly old dolphin trainer now. Free to love and make love to anyone I want.”

  “Why would you do that?” Laura was certain Jillian had lost her damn mind.

  “You’re not the only one of us crazy enough to quit their job just because they’re in love.”

  “Yes, I am.” Laura knew Jillian didn’t have a crazy bone in her body, but it was one of the reasons she loved her so much. She kept her sane.

  “Okay, you are. I did it for you, but I also did it for me.” Jillian explained why she had done it, and it was one of the best decisions Laura thought she could ever make.

  Laura turned to Jillian and took her beautiful face in her hands. “I love you, more than you could ever know.”

  “And I love you, my sweet girl. Forever.”

  Laura kissed Jillian for every minute they’d been apart and every word they had yet to say. She pulled Jillian to her feet and held her hands. “Will you do just one more thing for me?” Laura asked.

  “Anything,” Jillian said.

  Laura led her to the open platform that jutted out over the edge of the spring. They stood side by side and looked out at the turquoise water. Jillian looked at Laura and her eyebrows pinched together. She glanced between Laura and the water and back again. Laura smiled as her heart raced. Her whole body was vibrating as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

  “Are you sure?” Jillian asked.

  “As sure as I’m in love with you.” Jillian kissed Laura quickly before they ran off the edge of the dock and leapt into the water together.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Tina Michele is a Florida girl living on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon in the biggest small town on the Space Coast. She enjoys all the benefits of living in the Sunshine State. During the day, she pretends to do what they pay her for but really spends most of that time daydreaming and plotting some wild adventure. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her BA in interdisciplinary studies—the most liberal of the liberal arts degrees—majoring in fine art and writing with a minor in women’s studies. To say she is motivated by her Right brain is a major understatement. Afflicted with self-diagnosed Sagittarian Attention Deficit Disorder, she spends a lot of time starting projects that she might, possibly, one day, probably finish. When she isn’t writing, playing, drawing, painting, or creating something of some sort, she feeds and waters the three dogs that are permanently tethered to her hindquarters.

  Books Available from Bold Strokes Books

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