They’d all had a pretty good time this week. Rand had given them a tour and they’d visited several places on the island which Rand said he hadn’t visited in a while. After snorkeling and scuba diving, they could surf right outside of Rand’s front door since his home was located beside the beach. Jack and Nick had visited here a few years ago, and feeling more adventurous, they’d gone rafting and tried kitesurfing as well as flyboarding, which Rand was really into. Jack and Nick, not so much, even going as far as to suggest Rand had a death wish.
Jack was thinking about Rand’s behavior again, and he studied him closely. If Rand was here living the playboy lifestyle, there would be signs of dissipation, but Rand was definitely physically fit and kept a daily routine, which included working out.
After the three of them finished eating, Rand set aside his napkin, leaning back in his seat. “Anything special you both want to do this afternoon?”
Nick shrugged. “I thought about just taking a good old-fashioned walk, and maybe picking up a few souvenirs for the family.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jack murmured. “I saw a wallet and purse in one of the shops which I know my mom would love.”
Nick grinned when Rand tried to look enthused.
Jack laughed, muttering, “You don’t need to stick with us, Rand. Hey, we’re going out tonight. You’ve been with us every day. I’m sure you’ve got a few things you need to catch up on?”
Rand’s smile was definitely rueful. “As a matter of fact, there’s some work I need to get done at home online. You sure you don’t mind?”
“Nah,” Jack answered, giving Rand another thoughtful glance.
“I’ll take care of lunch,” Rand muttered.
“Of course, you will,” Nick answered, finally giving Rand a grin. “Thanks for having us. It’s helped, keeping busy this week. We’ve had a great time.”
“Yeah, we have,” Jack murmured. “I almost hate to go home.”
Rand pursed his lips, looking at Nick. “Are you still dissatisfied with your job?”
Nick had an MBA in business administration and was currently working as a stockbroker. But few people knew, after delegating well, he was also overseeing the family business.
“I thought I’d love it, but I just don’t get the satisfaction I should. Plus, the company I work for is so cut-throat.”
“I might know about a job for you.” Rand looked like he’d come to a monumental decision. “How would you feel about moving away from Virginia?”
Nick sat up. “Where?”
Rand answered, “Wisconsin.”
“Wisconsin?” Nick’s look was quizzical. “Now there’s somewhere I’ve never dreamed about wanting to live.”
Jack laughed. “I like Wisconsin. I went to the Dells a few times as a kid with my family.”
Rand stood up from the booth, ready to pay the bill. “Think about it this afternoon, Nick. If you want a fresh start, I have an idea about a change in career.”
“What about me?” Jack asked, frowning as the three of them walked toward the register.
Rand halted, his eyes going wide. “You want to move to Wisconsin?”
Jack shrugged. “Why not? My mom is doing well with her new husband and now that my brothers are both enlisted, I was thinking about starting over anyway. Providing it’s a job that’s better than selling insurance, I’m willing to try something new.”
“Let me think about how this might work,” Rand murmured, as they walked outside.
Jack looked back one final time, and smiled, catching the eyes of the woman with the ash brown hair. She and her friends were definitely watching them depart.
Just for the heck of it, Jack raised his hand, and appearing taken aback, she blinked, raising her hand in return and giving him what was definitely a hesitant smile.
Returning his attention to Nick and Rand, Jack noticed they were watching the ladies themselves.
Rand started to walk away. “We can talk about Wisconsin later this afternoon when you get back to the house.”
“Sounds good,” Nick answered, as he and Jack began strolling in the opposite direction along the street.
Chapter Two
“You’re really going out with him?” Janelle Thoreau punched Ciara Ryan in her ribs with an elbow.
“Ouch,” Ciara muttered, picking up her fork and taking another bite of the tropical chicken salad scooped onto a plate in front of her. “What was that for?”
“I thought you meant it when you turned him down,” Janelle said dryly. “What happened? What made you go after him?”
“I followed him down to the beach, because I thought, for sure, he was meeting someone,” Ciara murmured. “I was hoping to get over this obsession I’ve always had for the guy by facing reality.”
Apparently, Ciara and Rand, the guy who’d made a pass at her earlier, had met when they were kids, although Rand had obviously not recognized Ciara.
Janelle paused, her fork in midair. “Well—did he—meet someone, that is?”
“Yes. But not romantically,” she answered, still looking slightly puzzled.
“It was a guy?”
Ciara heaved a sigh. “No. It was a woman. All she did was hand over some keys to him, I think.”
Janelle snorted. “Well, there you have it. They’re probably meeting up later. Tell her Em, why she shouldn’t trust the guy.”
“Why would I do that?” Emma Caffrey snorted, focusing on her food. “At least one of us deserves the chance to have wild crazy sex while we’re here.”
Ciara blinked.
And the three of them began laughing.
* * *
Ciara, Janelle and Emma spent their first day of vacation shopping in town, and then settled in at their hotel, where they went for a swim and enjoyed some down time by the pool.
And then later in the day, Emma decided that Ciara needed something
