“Except none of us wanted to be on this island,” Dorie pointed out.

“Damn A straight,” Andy said.

“Duh,” Cadence said.

Brandy looked at the sky.

“Um, Brandy?” Cadence said. “Back us up?”

“Maybe none of us planned for the island thing…” Brandy glanced at Michael. “But not all of us are having a bad time.”

Michael, so rich he could have bought God, not to mention had been shot only an hour ago, smiled.

Dorie blinked, then looked at Christian. He met her gaze, with no outward sign of what he was thinking-except for the slight flicker of heat. And suddenly she was vividly reminded of the absolute not bad time she’d had right here on the island.

With him.

In the waterfall, on the beach.

In the shower, only a hour and a half ago.

He arched a brow, and if she wasn’t mistaken, his lips curved. Was he thinking about when he’d tugged off her wet clothes and hoisted her up, pushing inside her until she’d cried out his name?

Of course not. He was more disciplined than she, and could control himself.

Plus, he hadn’t done the unthinkable. He hadn’t been stupid enough to fall in love with her, and then, oh yeah, let’s not forget, admit it in front of everyone.

At least it was almost over. Soon she’d be home.

She’d thought that she’d be going back with a tan, maybe some beautiful pictures. Instead, she was going home with much more than that. Such as the knowledge that maybe she was far stronger than she’d ever given herself credit for. Good to know. And also that she needed to go after her dreams, which meant no more Mr. Stryowski…

But had all this newfound self-knowledge been worth risking her life for?

Yes.

And wasn’t love also worth the risk?

She had no idea where the hopeful little voice came from, but yes, love should be worth the risk-if it went both ways. Too bad it didn’t in this case.

“Well, I’m glad to be getting out of here,” Cadence said, then glanced at Michael. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“I can’t wait to get back and kiss home plate,” Andy said. “I think I’ll write a tell-all about our adventures here.”

Michael nodded. “Retain those movie rights, and maybe we’ll make a deal someday.” He looked around. “You’ll all be home soon, and happy for it, I imagine.” His eyes cut to Brandy. “Right?”

She didn’t look at him, so he pulled her around, and in front of everyone, tipped up her chin and looked into her eyes. “You could stay.”

“I have a job.”

“Work for me instead.”

“I don’t do private shows.”

“My assistant got married last week. Replace her.”

Brandy’s mouth fell open, speechless for what Dorie suspected was the first time in her entire life.

“Interested?” Michael asked.

“I don’t do sex. Not for a job. Not for any job.”

He arched a brow. “I said assistant, not piece of ass.”

“You are serious.”

“Of course I’m serious.”

“Oh my God…” Brandy looked bowled over.

“Come on,” Michael coaxed. “Take something good out of Denny’s stupidity.”

“Hey,” Denny objected. “If good stuff happens, I should get the credit for it.”

Michael didn’t take his gaze off Brandy. “What do you say?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll be your assistant.”

Michael’s smile was slow and pleased.

“Hey, why don’t you offer everyone a big life change,” Denny said. “Then no one can blame me for anything.”

“Not to let him be right or anything,” Brandy said to Michael. “But did I mention Cadence is an artist?”

“Do you have a portfolio?” Michael asked.

“Why, are you going to put my art on your walls?”

“If you’re any good.”

Cadence stared at Michael. “I’m really good.”

“My idea,” Denny said. “Remember that. And for Andy’s book, and the subsequent movie. I want credit for all of it, because you’re all good to go now.”

“Wait. Dorie,” Brandy said. “She’s-”

“A designer,” Dorie filled in for her, saying it out loud and proud, feeling it warm her from the inside out. “But I’m going home to get started on my own.”

Michael smiled. “Good for you.”

“See? Slate clean,” Denny said.

“What about me?” Christian asked more than a little wryly. “How are you going to appease me?”

Denny laughed. “Like I could appease you.”

“You could.”

“How?”

“I’ve given you two years of my life. You’re going to be lucky to sail away from this and keep your own freedom. So give me mine. Forgive my father’s debt.”

“I can’t, the deal wasn’t mine, but-”

“Ethan’s, as I now know. But you could make it go away, you know damn well you could.”

“How? I’m trussed up like a turkey on Thanksgiving.”

“Say it, goddamn you.”

Denny stared at him, but let out a long breath. “Fine. It’s done.”

“Spell it out.”

“I release you from your father’s debt.”

“Entirely.”

“Entirely. We’re even. Congratulations, you’re now the best doctor in the South Pacific to be both homeless and jobless at the same time, you bastard.”

Christian’s mouth split in a grin that was so beautiful, Dorie felt her heart swell, and then rip wide open. She grinned back, and stepped into his arms for a tight hug.

“You don’t have to be jobless,” Michael told Christian. “After what you did for me, I’d be glad to help you get a job.”

“Thanks.” Christian squeezed Dorie, then let her go. “And the islands have been great, but I’m ready to get back to it.”

“Back home?” Dorie asked with remarkable calm considering the train wreck occurring between her heart and soul.

“Yes.”

To France. She’d known this. She’d expected it. And he hadn’t made her any promises so there was no reason for her to feel like the bottom had just fallen out of her world, no reason at all.

“Do you hear that?” Brandy asked. They all went still to catch the humming that was getting louder and louder.

“A helicopter?” Cadence shielded her eyes. “A helicopter!”

This was greeted with such excitement that Dorie made herself smile along with the others. Because rescue was good. Great actually, because now she could put her new epiphany to the test.

She was going home to live her life. To design clothes, which had been her dream for a very long time. This trip halfway around the world had given her that, if nothing else.

Yep, any second now she’d feel the joy…

TWENTY-SEVEN

By the time the helicopter had refueled, Christian had gotten word via the radio that the authorities had caught Ethan. He’d run adrift on a ridge of coral and had given up fighting the sails. He willingly surrendered to the authorities and confessed in exchange for rescue.

Denny was hauled off, still trying to get everyone to say that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

He’d be telling it to a judge soon enough, Christian knew.

Then the helicopter was ready to leave. Cadence had decided to go home with only what she wore on her back. She didn’t want her bag, didn’t want anything from the island. “Going home to make a fresh start,” she said, and hugged everyone, even Dorie, though they were traveling together. “Friends forever,” she whispered fiercely, smiling when Dorie repeated it back to her with tears in her voice.

Christian watched them, not surprised at the deep bond that had formed between them. They’d been through a lot in five days.

Andy lifted his bag. “I’m not leaving anything behind. I want to remember.” He hugged everyone, too, and like Cadence, held on to Dorie for just a little bit longer than the rest.

Christian resisted the urge to step in, reminding himself of what he’d always known, that there was just something about Dorie, something different. Special. She pulled back, smiled, and watched Andy get onto the helicopter. Then she looked at Christian.

He was staying to watch over a stubborn Michael for the night, since he refused to go to the hospital.

Which made it good-bye.

“My turn,” Dorie said with false cheer. She hugged Brandy, then carefully did the same for Michael, then turned to join Cadence and Andy on the helicopter.

Christian stood there, poleaxed by a swamping rush of emotions. She was going to walk right out of his life. And since that’s what he’d wanted, there was nothing he could say.


Dorie reached for the hand of the man squatting just inside the helicopter. He wore a headset and was talking into it, but all she could hear was the roar of her heart.

She was leaving.

Then someone tapped her on the shoulder. “What about me?” Christian asked. “No good-bye for me?”

At least that’s what she thought he said. She couldn’t hear him over the chopper, or her own heart. She certainly couldn’t talk. Didn’t he know how hard this was for her? Couldn’t he just let her go, without making her lose it entirely? “Christian-”

“We need a minute,” he said to the pilot, then pulled her aside.

“Listen, I’m really sorry about earlier,” she broke in. She had to say this. “I didn’t mean to blurt it out. I think it was just a remnant from all that adrenaline, from the shipwreck, from being back in a boat, from the gun-”

“When I heard the gun go off,” he started, then closed his mouth. His eyes were shiny with some fierce emotion when he finished. “I didn’t breathe again until I saw you.”

God. The look in his eyes. She really wished he wouldn’t look at her like that, like maybe it would have killed him if it’d been her to get shot.

“It was the longest minute of my fucking life, and then you wouldn’t get on the goddamn radio-”

“I wasn’t pushing the button down-”

“I love you back.”

She just stared at him. “I’m sorry. I think my brain just hiccupped. Could you repeat?”