“What did you do to make Lucy owe you a favor?” I asked, suddenly suspicious. “Lucy thinks she owns that island. Last I heard, she doesn’t go around giving out favors.”
“Oooh, look who does remember something about his hometown after all.” She chuckled. “I’d honestly thought you’d forgotten everything about it.”
“Never.” I hadn’t forgotten everything about it. A lot of it, I was sure, but not all. “I’ll be there at about eight tonight. Don’t worry about meeting me. I’m sure I can find my way home.”
“Uh huh.” I heard the doubt in her voice. “I’ll be ready for you at eight. We can have dinner and drinks together, but Will?”
“Yeah?” I rolled the suitcase to my front door, leaving it there before heading to the kitchen.
“I’ll send Tony down with the carriage to pick you up. I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself after all you’ve been through this weekend.”
I laughed. “I thought I was supposed to be the protective one. I won’t have a mental breakdown if I have to find my own ride once I get to the island, you know?”
“Guess we’ll never find out,” she said teasingly. “Tony will be there to meet you. If you want to have a breakdown, have it on your own time.”
“Thanks for the support.” I shook my head at her, grinning as we said our goodbyes.
A part of me was genuinely happy that I’d be seeing my little sister in just a few hours. Despite the shitstorm my life had become, I knew going home was a good idea. All the people who were waiting for me to schedule meetings, do interviews, try to salvage my working relationship with Angelina, and God only knew what else wouldn’t be happy about it, but fuck them all.
Mackinac was a haven unlike any other. It was quiet as fuck and insanely boring to live in by most people’s standards, but I wasn’t looking for an abundance of activities, bars, nightclubs, or tropical beaches.
I needed time and space to clear my head. Mackinac would give me plenty of both of those. After downing a glass of water, I left a note for my housekeeper and called for a car service. My own vehicles were safer here than in some long-term lot at the airport.
Once all that was done, I put in a call to the only other person I wanted to speak to. Dave answered almost as fast as my sister had.
“I just heard a rumor that you’re in rehab because you overdosed after finding out about Angelina’s indiscretion.” I heard the sneer in his tone when he said the word. “A director I’m working with on my new script asked if I’d visited you there yet. I told him to go fuck himself.”
“You and my sister are on a roll,” I said. “Between the two of you, you’d swear I’m one of those pricks who need to be pampered and can’t defend himself.”
“Nah, you’re just a regular old prick,” he replied good-naturedly. “I’m assuming you finally spoke to Jessie, then? How is she?”
“Chomping at the bit to—and I quote—‘kick some skinny actress ass.’” I chuckled again as I imagined my sister trying to make good on her threat. “It’s too bad she wouldn’t hurt a fly. She even saves spiders instead of killing them. It would’ve been entertaining to see Angelina’s face if Jessie really tried to do it, though.”
“I’d have paid good money to see that. Although Angelina’s nails are like talons. Last time I saw Jessie, she wasn’t even wearing nail polish. Maybe it’s a good thing she won’t really go after your dear fiancée.”
“Don’t call her that,” I growled, the sound coming from some primal part of me that refused to accept that, in the eyes of the world, we were still engaged. Breathing in deeply to get past the sudden rush of anger, I dragged air into my lungs and remembered the reason I’d called him. “I’m going to Mackinac Island for a while. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
He paused for a long moment. “I think that’s a great idea. It’s been too long since you went out there. It’ll be good for you to unwind a little.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead before opening the door to wait for my car outside but still inside of the gates. No way was I going beyond them on foot. “If you need me, you know where to find me. You’re always welcome to come visit there too if you want.”
“I’ll think about it.” Just before I could say goodbye, he cleared his throat. “You’ve been different since you met Angelina. The partying, the drinking, focusing on the spoils of this life instead of where you came from. I’m really happy you’re going home, man. I think you’ve lost who you used to be, and I have a feeling you just might find that guy waiting at your roots.”
For the first time in a long time, I was speechless. I couldn’t say he wasn’t right about some of those things, though. “That’s why you don’t like her?”
“I don’t not like her. If you decide to get back together with her, I’ll stand with you at your wedding and celebrate harder than anyone else. I just think you need to do some serious thinking, and I don’t think there’s a better place to do it.”
“Yes, oh wise one.” There was only the tiniest hint of sarcasm in my tone, but it ran out before I continued the sentence. “Thanks, man. I hope you’ll come see us soon.”
Chapter 8
ANNA
Sundays were my only day off during the tourist season. They were as sacred to me at this time of year as my morning routine. After spending the day cleaning my apartment, tidying up, and getting caught up on some reading, I felt restless by the time the sun started setting.
I wasn’t used to being cooped up inside all day, and it showed as I paced in front of the window. Eventually, I decided to go out and take a real walk instead of wearing a path in my carpeted floor.
The minute the dying rays of the sun hit my face, I breathed a soft sigh of relief. I took off in the direction of the town without a destination in mind, simply taking in the sights as I wandered around.
Even though I’d spent my whole life in Mackinac, the beauty of it had never been lost to me. Especially as the sun set in a glowing orange ball behind the horizon, casting all the boats dotting the water into nothing more than silhouettes.
It was picturesque in every way possible. The dirt roads, the Victorian-era houses and storefronts the town fought to preserve, the focus on gardens and flowers in recent years, it all made this town the kind of beautiful not many people got to see these days. Unless they came here, of course.
The clip-clopping of hooves and friendly waves of people saying hello as they closed up shop for the day also gave it a special ambiance that I, for one, wouldn’t be able to live without. I stopped to chat to a few people, then got lured in by the delicious scents coming out of my favorite bakery.
“Hey, Charlie,” I called as I pushed open the door and took a deep whiff of all her baked treats. Charlie’s Bakery was quaint, smelled like heaven, and only had two small round tables inside.
She popped her flour-covered face up from behind the display cabinet, wiping her hands on her apron as her wizened face cracked into a smile when she saw me. “Anna. Hello, love. You’re in luck. I’ve just pulled a batch of your favorite cookies out of the oven. Can I get you some?”