"So how did it go?" Finn asked, looking at me over the tops of his sunglasses. "Did Donovan tearfully proclaim his undying love?"
"Something like that," I said in a mild voice, making sure that Callie couldn't hear us.
"And then what?" Finn asked, his green eyes gleaming. "I want all the juicy details."
"You're such a gossip." I spoke to Finn, but I looked at Owen, who hadn't said a word. "And then I punched the smug bastard in the stomach and told him that I loved Owen. That's what."
Finn grinned. "That's my girl. Always resorting to violence."
I shrugged. "You stick with what works."
Owen got off the table and gently brushed a piece of hair back off my face. "I'll second that."
He leaned down and kissed me, and I felt everything with him that I'd been missing with Donovan - everything I'd always been missing with the detective. Understanding. Concern. Caring. Love.
A minute later, Donovan stepped out of the Sea Breeze, his face carefully calm and blank, the earlier turmoil in his eyes gone, although perhaps not forgotten. He looked at me standing next to Owen, and his face tightened. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of regret in his eyes. Whatever it was, the detective quickly pushed the emotion aside. He went over to Callie's side and slid his arm around her waist. He didn't look at me again. Good. I didn't want him to.
Callie and Bria finally wrapped up their conversation, and Owen, Finn, and I walked over to where they were standing. Once again, my sister's eyes drifted from me over to Donovan and back again.
"Is everything okay?" Bria asked in a cautious voice. "Are you ready to go now, Gin?"
That wasn't what she was really asking me, and we both knew it. But I had been ready to let go of Donovan for a long time, even if I hadn't realized it.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
She looked at me and nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear it."
We all fell silent for a moment before Finn let out a long, tired, I'm-so-put-upon sigh.
"Well, I suppose that it's time for me to hand these over again," he muttered.
Finn pulled his car keys out of his pocket and dangled them in front of Bria. "Do me a favor. Try not to get my car smashed up on the way back home, okay?"
That was another reason that we'd decided to stay in Blue Marsh a few more days - so Finn could get his car fixed. The mechanic had finally returned the Aston Martin this morning in what Finn had reluctantly deemed appropriate shape, meaning that everything had been replaced and that he couldn't find any real fault with the car. He had perked up considerably though when he handed me the bill for the repairs. Finn always enjoyed passing the buck like that.
So we were leaving the same way that we'd come down to Blue Marsh. Bria and I were driving the convertible back to Ashland, while Owen was riding with Finn in the Escalade.
"Oh, shut up and give me those already." Bria snatched the keys out of Finn's hand.
Instead of being intimidated by her slightly cross tone, he took the opportunity to draw her close, bend her over, and plant a long, sound kiss on her lips just like he had in the restaurant a few days ago. Finn always liked to be grandiose, no matter how large or small his audience was. After a moment, Bria let out a sigh, wrapped her arms around his neck, and melted into his embrace.
I just smiled.
After Finn and Bria came up for air, the guys said their final good-byes to Callie. Then Finn and Owen got into the Escalade and pulled out of the parking lot. A minute later, they were gone, headed back to Ashland, although I'd see them again before we reached the city. We'd already made plans to hook up at a rest stop between here and there in an hour or so and follow each other back home.
That left me standing outside the restaurant with Callie, Bria, and Donovan. The detective shook hands with Bria, then turned and finally looked at me. His eyes were dark and a little sad too, but I also saw relief mixed in with the other emotions. Donovan might have wanted me, but deep down, he hadn't wanted to wreck his new life with Callie either. Sooner or later, he'd realize that, if he hadn't already.
"Good-bye, Gin," Donovan said in a low, rough voice.
He hesitated, then stuck out his hand, like we were just two casual acquaintances going our separate ways instead of a couple who'd once had an intense affair. Maybe acquaintances were all that we were now. Hell, maybe that's all we had ever really been to start with.
I wrapped my fingers around his and gave his hand a firm, final shake. "Good-bye, Donovan."
The detective's fingers tightened around mine for the briefest instant before I dropped his hand and stepped back. And that was that - Donovan Caine was out of my life once again. But this time, it was by my choosing and on my terms.
Donovan stared at me another second before going back inside the restaurant. I didn't watch him go. I didn't need to. Not anymore.
Bria gave Callie a final hug, and the two women made all sorts of promises about visiting each other and staying in touch, trying to make the moment last just a little while longer. Then Callie turned to me. I was surprised when the other woman held out her arms and hugged me as well.
"Thank you for everything, Gin," she whispered in my ear. "Especially for Donovan and letting him go."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Perhaps Callie hadn't been as oblivious about the detective as I'd thought. I wondered what she would say to him after I left and where they would go from here. But that was up to them now, and I was out of things - for good.
"You're welcome," I whispered back.
We broke apart. Callie waved at us a final time and then went back inside the restaurant, getting ready to open up for the supper crowd. The familiarity made me smile and miss the Pork Pit. Vacations were all well and good, but I was looking forward to going home and getting back into the swing of things.
And then there were two of us - Bria and I standing outside in the sandy lot where this whole thing had started last week. My sister's eyes traced over the neon blue clamshell sign, the one that spelled out the words The Sea Breeze, and a wistful look filled her pretty face. I walked over to stand beside her.
"I'd understand if you wanted to stay here in Blue Marsh," I said in a soft voice. "I know that it was your home once and that it could be again. That you have a lot of good memories here and that part of you wants to go back into the restaurant and tell Callie you're leaving Ashland and moving back down here for good."
Bria tried to smile, but it didn't come off so well. "Is it that obvious?"
I nodded and drew in a breath, bracing myself. Now came the hard part. Because there was something else I wanted to say to my sister before we left Blue Marsh, something I needed to say, something I'd been thinking about ever since I'd had those dreams about Fletcher leaving me on the mountain so long ago. The old man had taught me a lesson that day, one that I'd half forgotten, but that was still important - maybe the most important thing he'd ever made me realize about myself and what I did.