“Thank you.” I smiled and really meant it.
“And besides, if I had let you drown, I wouldn't be able to have your company become part of Travel, Inc.,” Logan added. “Maybe you can give us a ‘saved your life’ discount.”
I felt the smile slide off my face just as quickly as it had found its way there. It was all just a business maneuver. He hadn't changed. He was just leading me on. Again. The charming man was just an act. He was only interested in acquiring my business. I should have known better than to let my guard down, even for an instant.
“If you think that today is going to have any bearing on our business negotiations, you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Hayes” I said coldly. I couldn't believe his nerve. “It will be a cold day in hell before I sell my company to you. You had your chance two years ago and you blew it.”
“Olivia, I didn't mean-”
“Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do,” I said, cutting him off. I set my drink down with a loud thunk. All the warm, fuzzy feelings I had toward him were gone. He was willing to use the fact that he rescued me as a business tactic. He was willing to use Tyler as a business tactic. That was not acceptable to me.
I stalked over to the table where Tyler and Izzy were chatting. Maddy had joined them as well, and I flung myself into the chair next to her. From the corner of my eye, I could see Logan sag against the bar, frustration painted on his face. He knew he had just screwed himself, and that gave me a little bubble of smug pride. I knew the real Logan Hayes.
“What did the eel look like?” Izzy asked Tyler. They were apparently discussing the marine life he had seen earlier that afternoon and were oblivious to everything else in the room.
“It had black and white spots,” Tyler answered, his face furrowed in concentration. “Little ones.”
“That was a Spotted Moray Eel, then,” Izzy told him. “What else did you see?”
Tyler thought for a moment as Noah came up behind Izzy. He put his hands on her shoulders, and she turned to look up at him. Her face was full of trust and pure happiness at his touch. It was hard not to be a little envious of how much their love shone through in just a simple touch. They were lucky.
“I'm really sorry, Izzy,” Noah interrupted, “but we need to be going. The plane's ready and the pilot's anxious to leave.”
Izzy stood gracefully. “Tyler, it was wonderful to meet you. Madison and Olivia, thank you so much for coming. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your trip.”
“Thank you so much for inviting us,” I replied. “From what I've seen so far, I'll be recommending this resort to my clients.”
“That's exactly what we want to hear,” Noah said with a grin. “It was wonderful to meet you all.”
Izzy gave Tyler a hug as Noah pushed her chair in for her. Tyler turned a delightful shade of red at her touch. He definitely had a little crush on Izzy. He smiled absentmindedly after her as she and Noah headed to the door.
Logan met the couple at the door and gave them both hugs. I had read that Noah and Logan had met in school and formed a fast friendship. I certainly believed it, especially as Logan's travel company had some exclusive perks with Diamond Hotels that no one else seemed to have. I wondered if Noah knew just how much Logan was using him for those perks.
My jaw creaked as I let out the biggest yawn of my life. I hadn't realized just how tired I was. Between the accident and the stress of the day, I was exhausted.
“I'm going to head to bed, Maddy,” I said, rising to my feet. “It's been a long day.”
“All right. Do you need me to come check on you tonight?” she asked. She was such a mom, and I loved her for it.
“No, I’ve got it covered,” I answered. I went and gave Maddy a hug over the back of the chair. “The front desk is going to call, and if I don't pick up or answer their questions appropriately, they will come into the room to check on me.”
Maddy considered my answer for a moment and nodded. “Okay. If you need anything, you let me know.”
“I always do,” I said with a smile. “Breakfast tomorrow?”
“Sounds good to me,” she replied. Tyler nodded in agreement. “Have a good night.”
I went over and gave Tyler a hug. “Thank you again for saving me today. You were awesome,” I whispered.
“Anytime, Aunt Liv,” he whispered back. He gave me a quick squeeze before remembering a question. “Izzy was telling me about some of the fish that live around here. You want to go snorkeling with me and mom tomorrow? No jet ski required.”
“You got it, kid,” I said with a wink. He grinned. “I'll see you in the morning.”
I collected my things and headed to the door. Logan opened it for me as I reached for it. Instead of walking through it, I reached for the other side and helped myself. I didn't want even that much from him.
“I'm sorry about bringing business up. I know this is your vacation and-”
“Just drop it, okay?” I snapped, cutting him off. I took a deep breath and attempted to use a more even voice. “Thank you for your help today, but please, leave me alone.”
With that I walked out into the night, leaving him holding the unused door. The wind was picking up from across the waves and whipped my skirt around my ankles, threatening to trip me. The last thing I wanted was for Logan to see me trip and come help me. Again. I pulled up on the fabric and held onto it to keep it tamed while I walked. Without thinking, I glanced back at the brightly-lit building, assuming he must have gone back to the party. Instead, he stood there, still holding the door against the wind and watching me fade into the night.
Chapter 10
The sky was solid gray. There were no individual clouds; it was just a jelled block of achromatic gray. As we walked along the ocean's edge, the water seemed strangely calm as it lapped against the sandy beach. It was almost as if the sea was expending its energy elsewhere. It seemed possible, as according to the resort's weather report the storm was still safely north and supposed to miss the entire island completely.
Up ahead, I could see a boy playing fetch with a dog, the two of them bounding through the waves and spraying water under their feet. The boy looked familiar, and as I came closer, I realized it was Tyler. I hadn't seen him since breakfast, where we had decided that neither one of us was really interested in snorkeling with the sky so dark. Without the sunshine, the colors of the fish and coral would be muted and dull. There were plenty of other things that we each wanted to do more than look at gray fish.