He’d given Heather the day. But that was all Ash was prepared to give her because every minute that he wasn’t with her, she was off somewhere thinking the worst of him. He’d tried to give her some space, but he was over it. He needed to see her, to talk to her, to make her understand that not only was what she saw a major misunderstanding, it was not in any way representative of who he was or what he wanted.

What he wanted was Heather.

He was in love with Heather.

Madly. Desperately.

It was inconceivable to him that he’d ever have the capacity to love after Carlie, but now, more than ever, he was so certain that’s exactly what it was he was feeling with Heather. It was different than it had been with Carlie. Much different.

And maybe that’s why he hadn’t recognized it at first. But it was definitely love. His chest hurt when he thought about her; his entire body yearned to be with her. To hold her. To hear her laugh. To kiss her.

With Carlie, it was different. He was young and that didn’t make it any less valid, but now that he was older and maybe more importantly, had lived through everything he lived through, love with Heather felt different.

Maybe it was different, but it was so real that he was going to burst if he didn’t get the chance to tell her how much he loved her. And soon. Because he was positive Mick was getting sick of hearing about it.

After loading the supplies for Casa del Sol in Luis’s boat and paying Miguel to help Heather with her guests and make sure she got off okay, he’d spent the rest of the day walking around town, trying to figure out what he was going to do to show Heather how sorry he was for not recognizing what was directly in front of his face sooner. About two hours earlier, he’d come up with the perfect plan. Now he just needed to wait.

“I swear to God, Ash. Staring at me like that is not going to make anything happen any faster.” Mick polished a glass and put it on the shelf behind him. “Frankly, I can’t believe you pulled this off for today as it is. Nothing ever moves this fast in Bocas.”

“I got lucky, I guess.” The truth was, as soon as Ash came up with his plan, he was not prepared to wait another minute to execute it. Or at least, as it turned out, a full day. Most of the supplies were found in town at the shops, but it was the new boat that was proving to be a bit more of a problem. Mick made a few calls for him, and he somehow found a boat at one of the new resorts that the manager was willing to sell him. But not until the end of the week.

Unacceptable.

Ash got on the phone and made a deal with the manager that he couldn’t refuse. The deal included delivery to Bocas Town, which was what Ash had been waiting for, rather impatiently, for the last hour.

“Seriously,” Mick said. “How did you manage it? He was asking too much for that boat, if you ask me. Did you talk him down?”

Ash shrugged. “Something like that.”

It was nothing like that. In fact, he’d paid extra to have the boat delivered ASAP but he didn’t need Mick to know that. Not yet. He still wasn’t in a hurry for everyone to know that despite his modest lifestyle, in reality, Ash was a millionaire with more money than he’d ever be able to spend, despite his generous annual donations.

“I guess I got lucky,” he said. “But I’d feel a whole lot luckier if he’d hurry up. I have to get going if I’m going to pull this off.”

The truth was, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull it off at all, but he was going to try his best.

He pushed back from the bar where he’d been chugging bottles of water and paced the length of the bar, keeping his gaze on the docks. “There.” He stopped and dashed back to the bar, where he fetched his box of supplies. “He’s here. Thanks, Mick.”

“Good luck to ya, man.” He smiled. “And don’t screw it up.”

“I don’t plan to.”

* * *

The new boat moved a whole lot faster than he was used to, and in no time, Ash neared Casa del Sol. He slowed as he approached, aware that Heather would see him. He didn’t know how she’d react, but he was fairly sure it wouldn’t be very positive. She wouldn’t make a scene in front of her guests, though, that much he could be sure of.

Regardless, he didn’t plan to pull up to the main dock. He navigated the boat toward the thick trees at the edge of Sherri’s property. There was an old dock, or at least what was left of it, hidden in the trees. It wasn’t ideal, but Ash didn’t want to disturb Heather. Not yet. Not until he was set up.

He tied the boat to the wooden pillars and ran an extra line to a tree on the shore. It was an expensive boat; he didn’t want to take any chances.

He gathered his stuff and picked his way through the trees until he got to the large storage shed. Or, the building Sherri had once wanted to turn into an artist’s studio. As long as Ash could remember, it had been used for storage, mostly because no one had ever turned it into more. He’d always thought it was a bit of a waste of space, but now that he wanted to use it, he was glad it was empty.

The building was unlocked, so he pushed open the door with his back and went inside. There wasn’t much inside, but he spent the next thirty minutes clearing aside the old chairs and crates. He opened the shutters to expose the room to the ocean and let the fresh air in. He spread out his supplies, tested the electricity and plugged in the lights he’d brought with him.

When the shed was organized as much as possible, he grabbed the rest of the supplies and set out toward grande casa, hoping to find Luis before anyone else. Just as planned, the man must have been watching for him, because Ash had barely taken a few steps toward the building, when Luis appeared.

“Hola.”

“Hola, mi amigo.” They shook hands and Ash thanked him again for bringing everything back for him and delivering it up the stairs to Sherri’s place.

“Now, you’re still okay to help me with this part?” Ash handed him the box he’d brought. “Remember—not until the sun goes down. Everything should be there. Just paddle it out to the platform and set it up. It should be easy enough to figure out.”

“Si, señor.” Luis grinned. “I have my share of experience with romance, too, you know?”

“I know it, Luis. I know it. Thank you again.”

He waved away his gratitude. “Good luck, mi amigo.”

“Gracias.” I’ll need it.

* * *

Heather did her best to go through the motions for the rest of the day. It was made easier by the fact that her guests were a lot of fun and didn’t seem to need much entertaining. They were happy to hang out and relax. They’d found the storage room full of inflatables and had spent the better part of the afternoon floating on the ocean, drinking mojitos and enjoying the sun.

Camila had cooked up a delicious feast and they’d all gathered around the table to celebrate their first night at Casa del Sol. She wasn’t much in the mood for celebrating, and had never been so thankful for her mother, whose presence was surprisingly a huge help. She never thought the day would come when she would be able to say that, but more and more, Heather was starting to expect anything but the expected.

She sat in the back corner, watching as Mason fired up his iPod and started dancing. Soon, everyone was dancing, even Phoebe, who’d come out of her shell a bit more as the day progressed. Even Luis and Camila had stuck around and were demonstrating their Spanish dance moves. Heather’s mother had played hard to get, but Eric only had to ask once before getting her up on the dance floor, too. No one bothered to ask Heather to join in, a fact she was more than grateful for as she didn’t think her spirit could handle it. It was one thing to play happy hostess as your heart was breaking; it was a completely different thing to join in the festivities. All she really wanted to do was make her escape and go to bed so the day could be over.

After a few songs, Luis and Camila disappeared into the kitchen—likely Camila was preparing a dessert or another round of delicious munchies of some kind. Her mother broke away from the dance party and joined her on the couch. “I haven’t moved like that in years.” She flopped down next to Heather and smacked her thigh. “You should get out there, sweetie. It’ll make you feel better.”

“I feel fine.”

“You’re a bad liar.”

Heather didn’t bother to respond. “I just feel like sitting out tonight.”

Her mother eyed her suspiciously but fortunately didn’t say anything.

“I wonder how long they’re going to—”

“Señorita Heather!” Luis appeared in front of her, looking panicked enough that Heather sat up.

“What is it? Is everything okay?”

“No, señorita.” He shook his head. “There’s a situation in the storage shed.”

“The storage shed?” She looked around. “Weren’t you just in the kitchen with Camila?”

“No, señorita. The shed. You must go.”

Heather looked between Luis and her mother.

“Go,” her mother said. “I’ll make sure everyone has whatever they need and I think Camila is going to serve those yummy cookies we made earlier.”

She looked back at Luis. “A situation?” He nodded. “Okay.” She sighed. “Let’s go.”

“Oh no, señorita. You go. I’ll be right behind you.”

She shook her head, but didn’t bother objecting. It was likely some type of superstition or something. Or more likely, Luis needed to go get a kiss from Camila before venturing out into the dark. Either way, she didn’t have any such requirements. Heather grabbed a flashlight from the shelf by the door and set out the back door. The pathways were marked with solar lights, and as usual, Thor was right behind her. If there was any type of situation that she required backup for, she’d have to rely on the dog.

There was a full moon, which made the traveling easier, and Heather was able to avoid tripping over too many roots and rocks as the path became a bit rougher. If Sherri agreed to her plan of turning the shed into a hostel type of bungalow, she’d have to improve the path for guests. Maybe put a few more solar lights in.

Her pace slowed as she approached the building. Everything looked fine from the outside, but there did appear to be a faint glow coming from inside. Maybe Luis left one of the lights on when he was out there. It didn’t even occur to ask him why he was out in the shed, or what he was doing. It hadn’t seemed important. But as soon as Heather opened the door and stepped inside, it all became clear. And she almost turned right around and walked out.

Twinkle lights had been strung around the room. In the middle of the floor was a large blanket with a vase of flowers in the center. Next to the flowers was a folded piece of paper with her name on it.

She stood in the doorway, battling with herself, trying to decide whether she should just turn around and walk back to grande casa, or whether she should bother with reading the note that was so obviously left by Ash.

It had to be Ash.

Finally, curiosity won. She flicked the flashlight off and walked across the floor to the note.

Heather,

I’m sorry you’re upset. Please give me a chance to explain.

She shook her head and held the note down by her leg. What was there to explain? She’d found him in a compromising position with another woman. There was no way to explain being half dressed in a bedroom with a woman. It could only mean one thing.

Or maybe not.

With a sigh, she lifted the note again and kept reading.

The truth is, I was involved with Sara at one point, before I met you.

Reading that hurt more than she’d expected it to, which was completely ridiculous. Everyone had a past.

There’s nothing between us. There hasn’t been for a long time. Last night, I drank too much and I didn’t know she was in my bed with me until this morning. Shortly before you walked in. It was her idea, and I made sure she knew in no uncertain terms that it was unacceptable. I know it looked bad. I’m sorry. I hope you know I would never do anything to hurt you. You must know that. Deep down.

She did. Reading his words, Heather knew it was true. Ash wouldn’t hurt her. Not like that. Not intentionally.

There’s more. Please follow the trail of shells.

For the first time, Heather looked up and saw the trail of tiny seashells leading across the floor, to the porch. She followed them but the trail ended at the water’s edge. When she looked up, the sight took her breath away and despite herself, she giggled.

Out in the water, under a beautiful blanket of stars, was the swim platform lined with candles, flickering in the gentle breeze.

“What on earth?” Heather looked all around, certain Ash was going to appear out of the shadows, but there was nothing. Besides the candles, the platform was empty. “This is ridiculous.”

Ridiculous or not, she was intrigued. Very intrigued.

“Why not?”

She’d come this far, and what he’d written in his note made sense. Maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe there was more to it. She might as well find out. Thankful that she always had a bathing suit on under her tank top and cut-offs, she stripped to her bathing suit and dove in. After all, there was nothing else to lose.

* * *

When Heather surfaced, the bioluminescence shimmered all around her. Just as it had the first time, the sight of the neon blue water took her breath away. She’d forgotten all about the magic of the water and for a few moments, she reveled in it.

With gentle breaststrokes, she moved toward the swim platform and climbed up the ladder, which had been returned to its position in the water after the storm. She knew he wasn’t up there, but still, she was disappointed not to see Ash standing there waiting for her. Instead, there was a towel and beside it, another note.

She picked her way through the candle border, careful not to drip on any of them and extinguish them. She picked up the towel, wrapped it around her even though the night was warm, and sat down with the note in her hand.

Her heart was hopeful when she opened the paper, but still guarded. She didn’t know what to expect. Although nothing about the day or evening had been expected up until that point, so what did it matter?

There were only two words written on the paper.

Turn around.

She did.

Ash stood on the ladder of the platform, dripping wet. His bare chest glistened with flecks of electric blue from the lingering bioluminescence. Her breath hitched. But not because he looked like a water god from the sea, but because her heart pounded out of her chest. She struggled to stand, but somehow got twisted in the oversized towel.

“No. Sit.” He held out a hand and climbed the last few steps to the platform.

“Ash, I—”

“Please just let me say what I need to say.”

She closed her mouth.

“I need you to hear me. And really listen to me, okay?”

She nodded.

He took a breath. “I know what you saw this morning hurt you and that was never my intention.” She squeezed her eyes for a second before she opened them again. Hurt was an understatement. “I need you to believe me that there’s nothing between Sara and me. I thought I was clear with her before, but apparently not. That’s been remedied. What happened today will never happen again.”

She nodded, because there was nothing else to say.

“Do you believe me? Nothing happened, Heather. I need you to believe me.”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“I do.” As she said the words, she found she believed them. Seeing Ash standing there with another woman shocked her. It hurt her. But listening to him, seeing his face as he explained it, she did believe him. But that didn’t fix everything.

“I’m glad you believe me.” He let out a breath, and visibly relaxed, but not all the way. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. About how I told you I would never love again.”

Her heart clenched in her chest, hearing him speak the words out loud again.

“I was wrong, Heather. I think I already knew I was wrong when I told you that. In fact, I know I was wrong because when I told you about Carlie and my past, it was just that. My past. But what I didn’t realize was that I’d already fallen in love with you.”

His mouth kept moving, and more words came out, but Heather wasn’t listening. There was an intense buzzing in her head, with his words on replay. I’d already fallen in love with you.

“Wait.” She interrupted him. “What did you say?”

“I was talking about how I was wrong.”

“Right.” She stood and the towel dropped in a puddle at her feet. “Before that. About how—”

“I love you?”

She nodded.

“I do.” He smiled. “I’m not even totally sure when it happened, but all I know is that I love you so much, Heather. When you ran away from me today, I knew I’d do anything it took to make you understand about what you saw and more than that…” He stepped over the candles and closed some of the distance between them. “I needed to make you understand that it doesn’t matter what I said before because I was wrong. I can love again and I do. I know you feel the same way.” He shook his head. “No, I hope you feel the same way.”

He took two more steps until he was directly in front of her and took her hands in his own. “Tell me, Heather.” She looked directly into his eyes. The candles and the moonlight lit them perfectly, so she could see everything he was feeling and she knew he could see the same. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.” The words were soft at first, as if they were hard to say, but the moment they were out of her mouth, she had to say them again. “I love you.” And again. “I love you.” This time she laughed, because it just felt so right.

“You do?”

She nodded.

Ash bent and kissed her forehead. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Good,” he said with a laugh of his own. “Because I was all out of ideas on how to convince you.”

Heather reached up and pulled his head down to hers so she could kiss him properly. He tasted of spice and salt and everything Ash. His arms came around her bare back, holding her tight as their lips explored each other. They kissed as if it had been months since they’d had the taste of each other. And when finally they came apart, Heather said, “I think you just said it all.”