Chapter 6: Family

Seeley wanted to dance in the aisle of Yasmine’s pharmacy.

“I love to scuba! I even brought my gear,” Seeley said proudly, remembering which box she packed it in.

Yasmine grinned, her lip ring glinting from the open window. –f

“My mom will be thrilled. It’s been rough ever since the Wooten opened their dive shop here. They’ve been poaching our customers with bogus five-star reviews and trashing the reefs.” The plucky pharmacist put Pirate back in the box as she went to the back of the store.

“Ugh, I don’t want to hear that name ever again. Wooten.” A shiver went down Seeley’s spine and her throat tightened.

It still stung, and she tried not to think about her future.

“Wooten? You know the resort?” Yasmine called from the back.

“I know the man. Colton. He’s my ex-boyfriend.” Seeley crossed her arms in front of her chest, happy to finally be able to come right out and say it.

The petite pharmacist practically sprinted from the back of the pharmacy, holding an eyedrop bottle.

“What? Wow, good thing he’s an ex.” Yasmine began to look her up and down. “One, you look way too grounded to date some billionaire. Two, people like him don’t rescue stray cats.”

Seeley couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the compliment.

“I’m not rich. Colton and I dated for almost a year, and he told me he was planning a life for us out here, only I came a day early to surprise him, and I overheard him saying nasty things about me, and he was with another woman.” Seeley pursed her lips, preparing to cry, but she held it together.

Her heart didn’t wrench as much as she expected admitting everything out loud. It was as if the anchor of grief and shame weighing her heart down was slowly becoming lighter and lighter.

“Holy ghost!” Yasmine exclaimed and it was then she saw the cross necklace around her neck. “I already knew he had to be a terrible person, but this story seals the deal.”

“I called him a scumbag and said that he would get what’s coming to him. I wish I had made a bigger scene or something.” The copper-haired scuba enthusiast cradled Pirate to calm him down.

“You’re a smart cookie arriving a day early to see if he really was who he appeared to be. Rich people are charismatic, it’s easy to get swept up in their lies. It happened to my brother, Barlow, and a few others here on the island too.” The mahogany-skinned pharmacist held a warm compress to Pirate’s little face to coax the eye open.

Seeley cocked her head to the side. She wasn’t the only person this happened to?

“The rich con the poor all the time, you’re not the only one. Some rich girl came here five years ago, promised my big brother the world, and in the end, he caught her at the airport doing a midnight run. She tried to run away with his prized WWE memorabilia.” Yasmine scowled as she took off the compress and expertly applied the ointment to the wriggling black kitten.

“That’s horrible. Was he okay? Did he get his stuff back?” the toffee-eyed woman asked, and Yasmine took a deep breath in through her nose.

“He got his stuff, but only because he knew the airport security guard. He was bummed for a bit, but he’s engaged now to an awesome woman who’s in her home country now visiting her parents.” The dread-locked woman put the eyedrops in a bag and reached under her counter to get a carrier.

“I’m glad it worked out well for him.” Seeley smiled, wondering if the same would for her.

Could she ever trust again? Was it possible to open her heart again? She’d dated men before Colton, even a woman here and there, but her heart never shattered the way it had with him.

She looked down at the little kitten she was holding, so soft, fragile, and utterly adorable even if she wasn’t much of a cat person. She could open her heart up to animals, sure.

Maybe people will just take some time.

“It turned out all right for my big bro and it will turn out all right for you too.” Yasmine nodded and went out to an aisle to get a can of cat food and a cat toy.

“I’d like to hope so….” The freckled young woman bit her lip, and the image of Asher telling her to play her best game replayed in her mind.

She fought the urge to ask Yasmine if she knew him, but that may be a little weird, and she was almost afraid to find out the answer.

“It will. Believe in yourself and the universe. Colton will get what’s coming to him, along with those two rotten brothers who run the Wooten Resort Scuba shop,” the pharmacist insisted and reached her hand out for Pirate.

“Will Pirate be okay?” Seeley asked and Yasmine nodded, taking the curious kitten.

“Yeah, he just needs some food and some rest. I’ll take care of him here for a few days until his infection clears up, then I’ll take him to the dive shop,” Yasmine reassured and as if on cue, Pirate let out a little squeak.

“Thanks so much, Yasmine. I’m going to stop by the dive shop now and schedule a dive.” The freckled woman played with the brim of her hat, hoping she could get in a last-minute dive today.

“Yeah, and if they’re already out diving, you can always try surfing! Unlike Wooten’s dive instructors, their surf instructors are good guys.” Yasmine smirked and Seeley blushed, thinking of Asher.

Was it possible Asher was an instructor on the island, not an instructor elsewhere and he was just here for fun? And why did it feel like Yasmine could read her like a book when she just met her?

“I will.” The toffee-eyed woman gently rubbed behind Pirate’s little triangle ears, eliciting a rumbling purr. “Be good, Pirate, I’ll check in on you later!”

“Bye, Seeley. Go have some fun and enjoy Tucunia!” the young pharmacist called out as Seeley left the pharmacy, somewhat sad she had to leave Pirate behind, but relieved he was in capable, professional care.

She took her time making her way down the main street of Little Tucunia, stopping at a cafe to get a coffee and some ricotta toast, trying her best to not check her phone and staying in the present moment.

However, the sting of seeing so many happy couples, some even dressed in coordinating outfits, still ran like poison through her bloodstream. Growing up, she never planned her wedding or needed to be in a relationship, but she considered herself a secret romantic anyway.

Maybe now she should consider herself a hopeless romantic.

She eventually made it down to Seacret Divers after buying some extra sunscreen and a shell necklace she thought Brittany would like. The shop’s logo was a sunken galleon and she wondered if that meant they had wreck dives.

“Hello, welcome to Seacret Divers… Oh, it’s you! The pool shark.” A mocha-skinned man holding a few wetsuits in his arms paused. He had a green bandana over his short afro and the resemblance between him and Yasmine was undeniable.

This had to be her older brother, Barlow, but how did he know who she was?

“Uh…were you at the bar last night?” Seeley quirked a cinnamon-colored eyebrow.

“I was tending the bar last night. You had a pina colada and the deluxe bacon cheeseburger that you inhaled like a sailor.” Barlow grinned from ear to ear, hanging up the wetsuits.

Crimson spread across Seeley’s cheeks. She was so distraught she hadn’t paid any attention to the bartender! Did she even tip him?

“Yikes, that’s embarrassing. I should’ve remembered. I’m Seeley.” She reached out her hand and he reached out with his fist instead.

“No worries, Seeley. I’m Barlow. I know better than to come between a hungry woman and her food. You should see my fiancée when she’s hungry. She’s like a lioness.” Barlow laughed and Seeley fist-bumped him.

“It had been a while since I had a good burger, I’ll admit.” Seeley shrugged.

“Yeah, but was the burger really the best part of the night?” The man in front of her leaned over the counter, thumbing his beard.

What did he mean by that?

“Lo’ stop harassing the customers!” a woman’s voice called out from behind the shop and in walked a woman with short, cropped hair and glasses, wearing a purple one-piece swimsuit with her black wetsuit half unzipped, hanging down off her back.

“Mom, I wasn’t harassing her. I was making polite conversation!”

“Polite conversation my behind! I know that gleam in your eye, you were up to something.” Barlow’s mother, who had to be Loretta, walked up to Seeley, putting her hands on her hips. “Now young lady, I’m assuming since you’re in a dive shop, it's not to carry on with my bone-head son, but to schedule a dive, am I correct?”

A bright smile burst like a ray of sun across Seeley’s face. She liked the dynamic of their family. She could tell that even though she called Barlow a ‘bone-head’ she loved him.

“Yes! I think I’m a little late in the day to schedule one, but I have all my gear at my hotel. I’d love to dive a few times throughout the week.” Seeley dug through her purse.

“Unfortunately, you’re right. The currents turned on us because we’re expecting a storm this evening.” Loretta stuck a thumb out the back of the scuba shop and sure enough, Seeley could see gray clouds rolling in.

“Ugh, I shouldn’t have slept in.” The caramel-eyed woman kicked herself and Loretta swatted a hand out.

“Hush, you’re on vacation. Besides, tomorrow morning is looking great. I can book you for our 8 a.m. dive. We will have some beginner divers so it will be nice and gentle.” The older woman went to the computer and began to type.

“Thanks, that’d be great. I’m Seeley, by the way. I think I met your daughter at the pharmacy, Yasmine!” The copper-haired woman put out her ID and her dive card.

“Yes, I’m Loretta. So, Yas referred you, huh? She’s a good girl, works too hard…unlike SOME of my children.” The older woman looked over her shoulder at Barlow.

“Hey! I’m hosing off the BCDs! And whatever Yasmine told you about me, if it was bad, it’s not true, and if it’s good it’s even better!” the young man wearing a ‘Macho Man Randy Savage’ Wrestling T-shirt called out.

“Don’t mind him, he means well. He was born a handful.” Loretta winked and Seeley smiled again, thinking of how fun the dive would be. “Okay, you’re all set. Just be here at 7:30 for check-in with all your gear” the older woman continued.

“Thanks again, I can’t wait. I’ve been wanting to dive in Tucunia for ages,” Seeley said and Loretta smiled.

“You have good timing. It’s after storms like this, the pink dolphins like to come out. We may just see them alongside our boat, God permitting.” The short-haired woman turned. “I have to go secure the boat. I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Seeley.”

“Bye!” Seeley waved, but before she left, Barlow bounded up from the rinsing station.

“Hey, come back by Charm Bar tonight, we’ll have live music and half-off appetizers. It will be a good vibe, I promise.” Barlow made finger guns at her, and insistent eye contact.

Usually, Seeley liked to explore and try out different places, but this place did have a good pool table, and she did like the burger.

And maybe, just maybe, the devastatingly gorgeous green-eyed surfer would be back.

“Sure, why not,” the copper-haired woman agreed and the man wearing the green bandana rocked his fist in success.

“Dope. Also, don’t tell my fiancée, who I love with my whole soul and would take a bullet for, that I said this, but you look good with your hair that red color.” The young man motioned to her hair, and she had momentarily forgotten that just yesterday it was blonde.

“Thanks, it’s my natural color.” Seeley swished it around a bit. “I’ll catch you later, but if your live music is some sad guy playing ‘Wonderwall’ then I’m out of there.”

Barlow burst out laughing. “No, God no, Reggae! It’s Reggae music, get out of here!”

She had to admit it seemed like everyone here had an infectious smile, but she still held out hope that a certain mysterious surfer would be back at Charm Bar, asking her if he could buy her a drink.