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"So what are you going to say to Donovan when you see hihts

Callie was throwing a good-bye luncheon for us at the Sea Breeze before we headed back to Ashland I kneell as Owen did that Donovan would be there I hadn’t seen the detective much these past few days, but I’d told Owen how Donovan had reached out tomansion Needless to say, Owen hadn’t liked that one little bit

"I don’t think there’s anything to say," I replied "Donovan ht Actually, I o, even if I didn’t know it yet"

"Really? What choice would that be?" Owen asked

I tapped er on his nose "Why, you, silly"

"Oh That"

I rolled hed, his deep, ru into the shore

"Well, I still think that I should kick Donovan’s ass for hurting you Hell, just on general principles," Owen said "The uy I a ht be satisfying, but in the end it’s not worth the effort of washing the blood out of ht you woh and alpha s"

"Maybe," I ade of"

Owen drewdown my body once more in slow, deliberate, delicious way I drew in a breath and archedinto hi with heat

"Definitely," I whispered back, before pulling his lips down to ed on the beach forour clothes back on and heading to the beach house We took a shower, threw on sos Jo-Jo, Sophia, Finn, and Bria came back fro on about all the things they’d done and seen Then we all headed over to the Sea Breeze for our last vacation hurrah

Callie had decided to close down the restaurant for the afternoon to give us a private good-bye luncheon - and what a luncheon it was Grilled chicken so salsa, sticky cilantro rice mixed with chunks of pineapple, s with butter, blackened shrimp, fresh-baked bread, baskets of deep-fried hush puppies, crispy sweet potato fries, gallons of poranate lemonade, even a couple of key lime pies for dessert Callie had pulled out all the stops, and we all dug into the scru at a series of tables that had been pushed together in the center of the restaurant

"I couldn’t have made it better myself," I told Callie after I’d stuffed myself with two pieces of pie

Callie smiled I hadn’t spent as much tiotten to know each other a little better I’d told her all about the Pork Pit and the food I cooked up there, and she told o I wouldn’t say that Callie and I were friends now, but eren’t eneized to her for the bitchy way I’d acted the first time we’d met It was important to me to be friendly with Callie for Bria’s sake, and I found that I wasn’t jealous of their close relationship anymore We were both part of Bria’s life, and we each had our place in my sister’s heart What exactly those places as up to Bria to decide, and I was going to respect her wishes - whatever theyto do now?" Bria asked her friend

Callie’s sht here at the restaurant You don’t knohat a relief it is, not to have to worry about Dekes or hisme anymore"

She didn’t have to say the words - I could see the difference in her for one from under her eyes, and her whole body was utterly relaxed Her gray-green eyes were that htness in her step that hadn’t been there before A weight had definitely been lifted off Callie’s shoulders, and seeing how relaxed and happy she was lad that I’d been able to help her

"In fact," Callie added, "I’ the Sea Breeze with the help of my new business partners"

Callie looked down the table where Vanessa and Victoria were sitting next to Finn As was usual whenever he was around anyone withthes he could do with the cash that the sisters hadthe treasure he’d swiped frolazed over as Finn started talking about tax shelters, but Vanessa had a shrewd, calculating expression on her face I thought that the Fire ele to be a force to be reckoned with in Blue Marsh someday very soon

Callie, Vanessa, and Victoria had becoether by what they’d suffered because of the va at the beach house with the rest of us these past few days I’d thought that they would leave Blue Marsh immediately, but apparently, despite the bad ood place to settle down Besides, someone had to stay around to oversee Dekes’s many business interests on the island The va he owned now belonged to his wife, Vanessa Va to live forever

Vanessa had already hit the ground running Finn had helped her get started, and she’d already scrapped the casino project and planned to return all of the property that Dekes had bought to their rightful owners - with a little so at the va Dekes and his legacy froht Vanessa was up to the task

"I’ ti Callie’s hand "And the restaurant too Blue Marsh wouldn’t be the same without either one"

Her friend squeezed back "Me too And it’s all thanks to you"

Bria shook her head "Thank Gin Not me"

"I already have," Callie said "Many ti herah"