“Stunning. As usual. Which shouldn’t matter when you’re driving a guest on an errand.”
“It’s important to take pride in how you look, Mirra. Otherwise, how do you show your confidence?”
“Oh, please. You are the least insecure person I know. Your picture is next to the definition of self-confidence in the dictionary. I have never seen you awkward or uncomfortable in any situation. In fact, you gaining more confidence is… scary. You’d terrorize the world. No, Jolie, more confidence is not what you need. But what you do need to do is tell me what’s going on with you.”
“Nothing’s going on with me,” Jolie said, slinging her woven mochila bag over her shoulder.
“A liar you are not.”
“Fine – there is something going on. I’m just not ready to talk about it,” Jolie admitted, turning to meet Mirra’s eyes. “Give me some time, okay?”
“Is there anything I can do? Do you need me?” Mirra asked, concern crossing her pretty face. Jolie sighed. Even though they often butted heads as sisters, they were and always would be best friends. It felt weird to not discuss this with her, but until Jolie could wrap her head around her own feelings upon seeing Ted and realizing he was her destiny, she wasn’t ready to open up.
“No, I’m okay. I promise that when I’m ready to talk, I’ll come to you. You know I always do.”
“I love you, Jolie. Just… be careful with Ted, okay? I like him.”
“I like him too. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“That’s what scares me.”
“Don’t be jealous that I’ve got better game than you,” Jolie said, laughing as she left her room to meet Ted out front. A flutter of nerves raced through her, stopping her in her tracks. It was such an unusual sensation, she realized, to be nervous about seeing a man. But this one – well, this one mattered.
“Good morning, Jolie,” Ted said when she stepped outside. He was leaning against a palm tree; aviator glasses shaded his eyes, and a well-worn leather backpack hung over one broad shoulder. Today he wore loose board shorts and a faded blue t-shirt that showed more of his muscles. He didn’t spend all his time with his head buried in books, Jolie thought as she ran her eyes over his muscular arms. “Don’t you look lovely this morning?”
“Thank you.” Jolie beamed at him and slid her sunglasses on to hide just how much the compliment delighted her. “And you look well-rested and settled in. Did you sleep okay?”
“Just fine, thank you. The room is great and after another glass of the wine you stocked, I was out like a light.”
“That’s good to hear. Would you like me to take you on a little tour of the island first to help you get acclimated, or do you want to pick up your truck right away?”
“Um… well, a tour would be nice. And perhaps an introduction to the man you mentioned last night? Or if I could have his phone number, I can arrange all that. No need to bother you.”
“It’s no bother. Tour it is.” Jolie motioned to the same pickup truck Irma had used the day before to pick Ted up. He paused for a moment, looking back at the house and then to the truck. Jolie asked, “Did you forget something?”
“Is this your only car?”
“It is.”
“Well, then, I couldn’t possibly take up your time. What if they need it?”
“They’ll call me if they do. I don’t think they had plans to go to town today, though – I already have my list of what to get from the shops for them.”
“Oh. Well, if you’re sure…”
“You’re very sweet, Ted.” Jolie flashed him a grin and delight slid through her when his cheeks went pink again. A few days in the sun and she wouldn’t be able to notice his blush anymore. “But we’re used to navigating around having one car. And Mirra has a scooter if there’s a need for anything.”
“Ah, okay. Then if you’re sure I’m not imposing, I’d love a tour.” Ted put his pack in the back of the truck after pulling a little camera from the front pocket, and settled himself in the front seat. Jolie smiled to herself as she got behind the wheel. It was nice to know he was also considerate. It was a good quality to have in a man.
Her life partner.
Nerves flitted through her again. Jolie stalled the truck when she shifted into first, and she stared at the dashboard, her mouth hanging open.
“I can’t believe this!”
“It’s okay. I’m not great at driving stick myself.”
“I’ve been driving a stick shift since I was twelve. I can’t tell you the last time I stalled the truck,” Jolie said. She huffed out a laugh, shaking her head at her incompetence, then forced herself to focus and get the truck moving.
“Twelve, huh? That’s a little young to be driving.”
“Ah, well, island life is a little more relaxed on these things. I can’t say I was legally driving at that time, but I learned enough to get around. If there had been an emergency, I could have gotten someone to the doctor if I’d needed to.”
“I never thought about that. No ambulance services here, I suppose?”
“There are. But sometimes the quickest way is to get to the hospital yourself.”
“I can see that. Kind of like where I grew up. We lived in a more rural part of Vermont. You had to be much more self-sufficient there; the nearest hospital was a good forty-five minutes away.”
“Exactly. You learn to make do on an island. And learn basic skills. Like driving a stick shift.” Jolie shook her head and laughed at herself once more, sliding a glance at Ted to see him studying her, his mouth hanging slightly open. Good, she thought. He wasn’t impervious to her.
“I’m just happy I have an automatic back home.”
“I must have been distracted by you,” Jolie said, widening her smile and glancing at him again. Testing the waters, she thought.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ted said automatically. “You’re right – I shouldn’t have been talking when you were driving. I’ll be quiet.”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.” Jolie blew out a breath. Okay, that had crashed and burned. “Just you know… handsome man and all.”
“Oh.”
The silence drew out until Jolie’s eyes widened and her hands clenched on the steering wheel. ‘Oh’? Was that all the man could say? She’d opened the way for flirtation and… crickets.
“So, this is the road to the downtown, but if we go left here there’s a mermaid statue over by the cliffs you might like to see.”
“I’d love to, thank you. Is there a historical significance to the statue?”
“There is, actually. I can tell you the story when we get there. Have you read much about how Siren Island got its name?” Jolie steered the conversation back to Ted’s comfort zone, grateful they weren’t sitting in silence anymore, and mentally kicked herself. How had she bungled that so badly? Usually she was an expert at flirtatious banter, but her one gentle attempt had bombed. Taking a deep breath, she chattered on about points of interest they passed as her brain whirled, trying to think how to handle things next.