“It's not your fault, and Tyler knows that.” I turned her to face me, giving her a version of the speech I gave her at home whenever she felt guilty about the divorce and her son. “Tyler's whole world just crumbled around him. With his dad running off, the divorce, moving, and then just the fact that he's eleven and in a new school, life is going to be rough. But he's going to be okay. This trip-and getting to hang out with people who love him even when his voice cracks-is going to be good for him.”
“I just feel like a bad mom,” Maddy said quietly, not meeting my gaze. My heart squeezed in my chest for my best friend.
“You are anything but a bad mom, Maddy.” I hugged her close. “You love your son. You are doing everything you can to help him with this. He's a good kid. He'll make it through. Middle school is rough for just about everybody.”
Maddy hugged me back. I could feel her pulling strength into herself again. She never let Tyler see this side of her. Only me. She wanted to be strong for Tyler, and I, in turn, was strong for her. She let me go and made sure I had the waiver in my hand. “I feel better. Do you?”
“Yes. And now that you've managed to effectively distract me from my rage toward Logan Hayes, I'm going to go meet your son,” I said as she gave me a cheesy grin. She had known I would comfort her and forget my anger. She was such a mom. I shook my head at her and smiled. “Go get that massage. My treat.”
“Thanks, boss. You two have fun. And don't let him show off too much,” she warned, walking me to the door.
“He's a junior high school boy. I don't think that's going to be possible,” I responded, trying to keep a straight face as we stepped out into the hallway. “If there's a cute girl on the beach, I'm completely doomed.” Maddy's laugh echoed down the hall as I headed off toward the dock to meet Tyler.
Chapter 4
I walked quickly up the path to the dock where Tyler was supposed to meet me. He was standing patiently next to the storage shed, petting a dog and talking to a man whose back was to me. I admired the back of the attractive male form for a moment, taking in the broad shoulders and muscled frame under a skintight rash guard shirt. His board shorts were low slung and accentuated a perfect ass. I hoped that this delightful male specimen would be joining us and that his front was as attractive as his back. I could use a little vacation romance.
“Hey, Tyler,” I called out as I approached. “You ready?”
Tyler raised his hand and grinned at me. The man he was talking to turned around and I nearly ate asphalt as I momentarily forgot how to walk. His front was as handsome as his back, all right. But that was because he was also Logan Hayes.
“Olivia Statler,” he greeted me with a smile. “It's a pleasure to see you again.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I sputtered, trying to keep my temper in check and mostly failing as I pretended I hadn't just tripped. I hoped neither of them noticed the bright red blush I could feel spreading across my cheeks. I smiled and smoothly joined the two of them next to the shed. Despite my dislike and history with Logan, I could be somewhat diplomatic. Hopefully.
“Aunt Liv, Logan is going jet-skiing too,” Tyler informed me. He had apparently missed the venom in my voice toward Logan, and was now smiling happily at the dog in front of him.
“You are, are you?” I asked, forcing my face into something I hoped passed for pleasant instead of angry. “Awesome.”
Logan flashed me an easy smile. It was a smile that was made to make women's insides flutter, but for me, it just made my temper flare. This man had nearly ruined me. He nearly destroyed my future with that charming smile and hadn't even bothered to call. I wondered just how many other unsuspecting women he had charmed into failure with that grin.
“Plus, we found this dog here. Isn't he awesome?” Tyler looked up at me, his hand still on the dog's head. It was a brown mutt with white paws and a white splotch on his chest. He wasn't an ugly dog, but he certainly wasn't going to win any dog shows. Judging by the thinness in the dog's ribs and the state of his fur, he was one of the local strays. I had heard they liked to hang out near the tourist areas of the island because they usually could find food.
“Yeah, he looks like a good dog, Tyler. I'm going to go get us some life jackets and turn in your waiver.” I let the fake smile drop as soon as I was behind Tyler. Of all people on all the possible islands, Logan Hayes had to be on my vacation island. And if he was jet-skiing here, then he was staying at this resort. Not just visiting from one of his various mansions. No, he was probably with one of the travel agencies touring the resort. That would just be my luck. I would have to see him the entire week.
I handed the waiver to a hotel employee sitting at a desk by the dock. He went into the storage shed and pulled out two life jackets and handed me the key to a jet-ski.
“Do you need any instructions? We offer free beginner lessons,” he asked in a thick accent as I shrugged into my life jacket.
“We're good, actually. I've done this since I was a kid and I was here yesterday to practice,” I told him. He checked a list and smiled. I had actually stopped by the day before to find out how a jet-ski could be environmentally friendly. The ones at the resort were a brand new type of watercraft that used an electric engine. They looked a little different and so I had to try it out. The smooth ride and quiet of the engine had been fantastic and a big part of how I had been able to convince over-protective Maddy to let me take Tyler.
“Of course, ma'am. Be careful out there today. The wind is picking up and making waves. If it continues, we'll send a signal out to come back in. Safety is very important here.” The man smiled again and nodded to the waiting jet-skis. “Yours is number four.”
I nodded and thanked him before going back to Tyler. Logan was on his knees rubbing the tummy of the very happy dog. Tyler was giggling as the dog wiggled and made happy dog noises.
“Let's get your jacket on and get going, Tyler,” I said, trying my best to ignore Logan. I had managed to mostly avoid Logan Hayes for almost two years despite working in the same city. I could do it on an island. Tyler stood up quickly and took the life jacket from my hands. I helped him tighten the straps and situate it properly across his bony shoulders.
“So, are you riding with Olivia or driving yourself, Tyler?” Logan asked, apparently not done with talking to Tyler. The dog had rolled back onto its stomach and Logan was scratching his ears.
“I'm not old enough to drive myself yet,” Tyler answered with a shrug. I tightened down another strap.