At least she was getting the closure she needed. She couldn’t wait to get out of this sweat pit and fly back home. To her job. To Ted. No, let’s not think about him quite yet.
She and Rodney had a lot of talking to do. Every moment they’d ever spent together seemed to be their last, so she intended to find out every detail she’d ever wondered about. Then they could finally say goodbye for what she hoped would be the last time. The man was no good for her at all.
“You have every right to be upset. I’m a crazy rebel. Always was and probably always will be.” He tilted his head. “Would you like to hear what happened to me?”
She took a steadying breath. “Yes. Yes, of course I would.”
“Then let’s sit on the deck with some cold drinks, and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Okay.”
While she chose one of the chairs, he dug through the ice in the cooler and appeared at her side with two bottles of sweet iced tea.
“Perfect,” she said as she grabbed one and opened it.
“We were flying to a gig in New Orleans,” he began, staring out at the swamp. “The plane had a problem, which took time to fix, putting us in the path of a wicked thunderstorm.”
The shadows lengthened, giving her chills. “I heard about it in the news report.”
“I wanted to take a different flight or miss the show, but Jack wouldn’t hear of it,” he added.
“Figures,” she smirked. “Then what?”
He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t remember anything about the crash scene. I woke up on a houseboat like this one.”
“Injured,” she added, swigging more tea for strength. Hearing about his near death made her feel drained of life herself.
“Yes. The man who rescued me said he was fishing and found me in the water. I’d been bitten by an alligator. But if I fell on it, the creature may have saved me from drowning.”
She pressed her hand to her mouth. “I’d like to thank that alligator.”
“Somehow, I broke my ankle,” he added. “The blurred vision scared me the most, but it cleared pretty quickly.”
“Did the man take you to the hospital?”
Rodney shook his head. “No, Karen took care of me.”
“Who’s Karen?” she asked, surprised by the quick jab of jealousy.
“Bubba’s daughter. She had enough nursing skills to patch me up.” He studied his bottle. “I’ve been living with them and her son, Timothy, until recently when I got the job renting boats.”
She set her bottle down. “You mean hiding out.”
“I call it starting a better life.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “My wallet must have gotten lost in the water. I saw it as a sign.”
“You did tell me fishing made you happiest.” Their date in Georgia felt a million years ago. “Don’t you miss being a famous rock star?”
A wistful smile danced across his lips. “Yes and no. Having no money or ID is a hassle sometimes, but I miss making music the most. I’ve done a little jamming with the locals, and I’ve given Timothy voice lessons.”
A comfortable silence drifted over them. So different than her hustle-bustle life of nonstop meetings and speeches.
“It’s so peaceful here,” she said. “Therapeutic.”
The perfect place for him to heal. But to spend the rest of his life here? She didn’t see it.
“How about some dinner?” he asked. “Hot dogs aren’t quite the caviar you’re used to, though.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She’d eat dirt with this man if it meant spending more time with him. “Do you need any help?”
He stumbled as he rose to his feet. “No, I need to feel useful.”
She went inside because he couldn’t easily carry the food out on a bad leg. On the deck, he quickly cooked up the dogs on the small grill. They set them on the resin table and resumed their seats.
“I’ve always known you were alive,” she said, opening a mustard pack and spreading it on her roll. “I guess I have a sixth sense.”
“Is that why you came to look for me a second time?” he asked.
“No, I came here to think over a big decision. The houseboats I searched last time looked pretty relaxing, so I wanted to try one.”
He frowned as he chewed. “Would your decision have anything to do with the guy you were kissing in the picture?”
Shame heated her face. “You saw that, huh?”
He nodded. “While I healed on the houseboat, Karen brought me old newspapers from the motel where she works.”
“Ted has been my mentor. He even talked me into running for office. With you gone forever, we grew close.” Her throat tightened, making her feel like choking. “H-he’s asked me to marry him.”
He shifted his head around as if in pain. “Have you made up your mind yet?”
“No.”
She owed it to Ted to think carefully and keep an open mind. Her heart had made up its own mind the moment she’d glimpsed Rodney behind the rental desk. But she refused to bank her future on emotion. Rodney Walker had always been as elusive as a tadpole, and it didn’t look as though he’d change.
If anything, they’d drifted even further apart in their values. She was helping society more than ever while he’d completely washed his hands of it.
“I’ll clean up,” she said.
When she came back outside with two new bottles of cold tea, he was leaning against the railing, studying the water, so she did the same beside him.
“If you’ve been reading the papers,” she said, “you know what Breeze has been up to lately.”
His features looked grim as he nodded.
“How could you let your brother impersonate you?” she asked. “He’s dragging Breeze through the mud, making it a symbol of hate.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he said as he stared at the dark, mossy water before them.
“Then, why don’t you stop him? Reclaim your rightful place.”
He shook his head. “Because it’s too late, and I don’t want to get sucked back into that go-go-go life. Deep down,
