What are the Chances? Read online

  “I thought we were going home,” I said.

  “We are, just not in the truck. The highway is still washed out, so I arranged for alternative transportation.”

  That was actually sort of good news because it meant Paula wouldn’t have been able to get down from Squamish to Britannia Beach. I felt better for not standing her up, but Granddad was probably running around like crazy trying to handle the summer rush by himself. I let Trevor lead me down the sidewalk towards the marina. The Search and Rescue hovercraft was moored at the end of the dock. “Seriously? Isn’t that a bit much?” I said.

  “My dad has been itching for an excuse to fire it up. You don’t want to disappoint him, do you?”

  Not eager to make an even bigger deal about what happened, I said, “Maybe we could just catch a ride on someone’s speed boat. All the guests from the Inn are going to be at the beach, rubbernecking at a hovercraft.”

  “Your grandpa will be there, too. I called him to tell him we’re on our way.” Trevor laughed at my embarrassment as his phone rang. He checked the call display, then glanced at me and excused himself as he walked away to answer it. I assumed it was his girlfriend Lindy because he spoke in whispers. I tried to decipher what he was talking about based on his body language. He had one hand in his pocket as he paced three steps in one direction, then turned and paced three steps in the other direction, repeatedly. His facial expression didn’t change that much and it almost looked as if he was talking to a receptionist to make a dental appointment rather than to a girlfriend. Maybe that was what he was doing. He hung up and shot me a forced smile. “Sorry.”

  We walked down to the end of the dock and Trevor’s dad Jim met us. He really did look excited to have a reason to use the hovercraft. “Hi, Deri. Are you feeling better?”

  “Yeah. I’m definitely not cut out for the Search and Rescue profession, though.”

  “That’s why we’re here, but you do have a special skill set we all wish we had. If you ever want to join us we’d be happy to have you. Hop on.” He held my hand to help me on board.

  The hovercraft was the loudest and most ridiculous form of transportation. I cringed the entire way back to Britannia Beach, which only took a few minutes. We pulled up to the dock, and I was right, the beach was busy with guests from the Inn, along with other tourists who were hanging out because they couldn’t get through to Squamish or Whistler on the highway. My granddad was waiting on the dock. I could tell he wouldn’t be convinced I was all right until he could hold me in his arms.

  I jumped out of the hovercraft and ran to give him a big hug. “Sorry if you were worried.”

  He leaned back to examine me. “I knew Trevor would keep you safe.”

  “Actually, she was the one who did the rescuing this time,” Trevor said as he passed us.

  I wasn’t comfortable taking any credit since he did all the hard, life-threatening parts, but I was happy that my visions helped save the little boy. We walked across the beach and I focused on the sand to avoid the stares from the people. Trevor climbed the boulders that led up to the railroad tracks and turned to give my granddad a hand. He helped me up too, then we all crossed the highway.

  The lobby of the Inn was completely filled with pink roses. At least ten vases, each filled with a dozen flowers. The fragrance was so strong it was almost intoxicating. I hadn’t noticed at first that Kailyn was seated at the front desk, hidden behind the explosion of colour. She grinned as if she was in a magical dream world. “Read the card, Deri.” Kailyn thrust her arm towards me. “Somebody loves Derian so much. Tell me what the card says. Tell me. Hurry. Maybe Riley Rivers will send me this many flowers before we get married. Read the card.”

  I glanced at Trevor, then opened the envelope and slid the card out.

  Dear Derian,

  Although our first date did not go exactly as I hoped, I want you to know that I immensely enjoyed spending the evening with you. I would like to ask for a second chance at a first date. I hope you will do me the honour of accompanying me on a proper date this Saturday night.

  Yours Truly,

  M. Cartwright

  PS I hope you enjoy the flowers, Miss Lafleur.

  “Who loves you, Derian?” Kailyn shouted impatiently.

  My eyes met Trevor’s and I folded the card into squares without answering her question.

  “Chance Cartwright,” Trevor mumbled as he walked out of the lobby.

  My gaze alternated between Trevor, as he crossed the parking lot towards his house, and the note in my hand. The overwhelming smell of the roses made me dizzy.

  CHAPTER 9

  Sophie had left me three phone messages. Each one was increasingly urgent as she hypothesized why I hadn’t called her yet. She was down to two theories—either Mason had taken me on a private jet to a country where my phone didn’t work, or I had been in an accident.

  I plopped down on my bed and got comfortable because I knew she was going to go berserk when I called.

  “Derian. What the hell? I heard the highway was washed out and I couldn’t get a hold of you. I’ve been going mental down here.”

  “Sorry,” I said calmly, just to bug her.

  “Sorry. That’s it?” Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Is it good or bad news?”

  “Both.”

  “Shut up, you guys,” she yelled into the background. “You better start talking or I’ll come home and beat it out of you,” she threatened.

  I explained the entire night and gave Sophie every specific detail from the McLaren, to Corrine saying I looked too pretty to be Derian Lafleur, to the flower necklace from Paris, and what Mason and I had talked about. I also retold with exact specifics of how Mason’s face looked when Corrine kissed him and how Trevor’s face looked when he was going to kick Mason’s ass. When I told her that Trevor drove me home, she assumed it was the end of the story. I had to interrupt her to keep telling the rest.

  I started with how I knew the highway was washed out and my vision about the kid. Sophie gasped at the other end of the phone when I told her the overpass fell on the car and I stupidly jumped in. I kept going without letting her ask questions and told her about getting washed downstream with the boy, spending the night in the hospital, the phone call from Lindy, the hovercraft, the room full of roses, and how Trevor got all moody and walked away.

  “Holy shit. I’m on my way home,” she said and hung up.

  I was stunned she hung up on me, but I wasn’t surprised she was coming home.

  The entire band showed up in Britannia Beach after dinner. The guys were annoyed that Sophie made them come home early. Especially since the highway was still closed and they couldn’t get up to Squamish. I told them I’d give them the key to my mom and dad’s room if they promised to keep the noise down. I had to dust the room a little because it never got used—not that the guys would have cared if I hadn’t. And it hit me that it was going to be Alan and Paula’s room once they took over ownership. That was hard to accept, but I had no choice. I spent an extra minute to say my goodbyes to the space, the memories, and the past, then Sophie and I set up for an old-fashioned girly sleepover in my room with popcorn, nail polish, and waxing strips.

  “Were you hurt at all when you were swept down the river?” she asked.

  “No. My elbow is a little scraped. It was just really cold.”

  “Where’s Trevor right now?”

  I got up and peeked out my bedroom window. The light was on in his room. “In his bedroom.”

  She shot up off the bed and pressed up against the window. “That would be torture for me to know the man of my dreams was over there sleeping all alone in his bed only a stone’s throw away from me. I wonder if he sleeps in the nude or maybe in boxer briefs. Ah, I’m making myself want to go over there to find out. How do you resist?” she asked as she flopped down on my bed.

  “Thirteen years of practice.”

  “What did you think of Mason?”

  I sat on my desk chair and clic
ked the top of a pen repeatedly. “He was nice to talk to. And he seems to be trying to figure out who he really is, which I admire. He’s a really good listener and it feels like he’s memorizing everything I say. He does this thing where he lets what I’ve said sink in for a while and then he says something super-thoughtful.” I threw the pen on my desk because I was annoying myself with the clicking noise.

  “All womanizers do that.” She rolled onto her stomach and scrolled through photos on her phone. “They’re trying to figure out your weak spots so they can take advantage of them.”

  “That’s not what it felt like.”

  Sophie shrugged. “Maybe he’s just really good at it.”

  I leaned over to share the popcorn with her, then sat back and balanced the bowl on my lap. “You make him sound so calculating. We have a connection that’s real, I know that,” I said with a mouthful of popcorn.

  “I might be wrong about him. There’s obviously something you find appealing about him. I know you wouldn’t waste your time with someone who didn’t have some genuine redeeming qualities.”

  “So, how did you and I end up friends?” I teased her.

  “No idea,” she joked back.

  “This is going to sound stupid, but what I like about Mason are his flaws. There is something so vulnerable about him and he only lets me see flashes of it at a time.”

  “Well if flaws are what turn you on, there will be no shortage of guys for you to fall in love with.” She tossed her phone down on the bedspread and stood up. She changed out of her clothes and put on one of my t-shirts to sleep in.

  “I just like that Mason hasn’t got it all figured out yet. Trevor has always been so together and steady. Sometimes he makes me feel like I need him for everything and he’ll never need me for anything.”

  “Well, if Trevor is finally stepping up to the plate, this discussion about Mason is a waste of time,” she hollered from the bathroom, where she turned the water on to wash her makeup off.

  “If nothing happens with Trevor again, I would definitely consider a second date with Mason.” I pulled my socks off to paint my toenails.

  “You need to make it happen with Trevor, Deri. It’s now or never.”

  No pressure.

  Doug and the band were laughing way too loudly, so Sophie went next door to give them shit. I looked out my window again. The light went out in Trevor’s room. It was only ten o’clock, so he must have been planning to get up early for a run. Or maybe the rescue took a lot out of him. He did seem uncharacte‌ristically rattled by what happened. Apparently rescuing strangers was easier for him than watching people he cared about almost die.

  I texted him: How are you doing?

  Good. Tired, though. How are you holding up?

  I’m okay, but can we hang out tomorrow?

  There was a slight delay before he responded: Yeah. I’ll come over.

  When Sophie returned, I updated her as she straightened my hair for me. Then we both went to sleep with cucumber slices over our eyes.

  CHAPTER 10

  When I got out of bed at five in the morning, Sophie mumbled something hostile and rolled over onto her cucumber slices. I dressed in dark jeans and a white tank top. My hair still looked good because Sophie had worked for two years in a beauty salon and knew how to make it stick straight. The door closed quietly behind me before I tiptoed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

  By eight, the dining room was almost full with guests and the kitchen was packed with the band and Kailyn. The guys cleaned my parents’ room for me and then helped with the breakfast dishes. After nine, when all the guests had gone down to the beach, Sophie and the guys headed outside to sit on the side deck. Doug helped me put the dishes in the cupboard. “Hey, Deri, do you have some Tylenol 3s or something like that?”

  “Do you have a headache?”

  He shoulder-checked to look out the window at everyone on the deck. “Don’t tell Sophie, but my back is still killing me.”

  “From when you fell off the stage?”

  “Yeah. I have to take something for the pain or I can’t even stand up straight.”

  I frowned with concern at how he was standing, favouring his back. “That happened like three months ago.”

  “I know. It’s not getting any better and the doctor won’t prescribe me any more pain meds because it’s been so long.”

  I glanced out the window and lowered my voice. “Why don’t you want Sophie to know?”

  He looked out at her again. “We have twelve shows booked in the next month. If she knows my back’s still hurting, she’ll bug me to cancel them. I don’t want to let the guys down.”

  “Have you seen a chiropractor or something?”

  “I will. I’ve just been too busy.”

  “Doug, you have to make time to do it.” I stacked the last mug on the shelf and folded the dishtowel. “Wait here. I think my granddad has some pain medicine left over from when he had his surgery.” I left Doug in the kitchen and went to get the prescription bottle out of Granddad’s medicine cabinet in his room.

  Kailyn was in the library pulling a puzzle box off the shelf when I walked by. The guy from 208 who lied about his credit card when he checked in was sitting in a chair by the window typing on his phone, so I called her and she met me in the lobby. “Do you mind doing the puzzle in the kitchen today?”

  “Why?”

  I nodded over her shoulder towards the guest. She turned and looked to see what I was getting at. “Do you remember what I told you?”

  “Don’t talk to him because he is a bad man.”

  “Shh.” I gestured with my hands to make her lower her voice. “I don’t want him to hear us say that, but I would be more comfortable if you did the puzzle in the kitchen today. Okay?”

  She shrugged as if she didn’t care one way or the other. She led the way back to the kitchen. Doug was waiting for me and he didn’t look well. He was pale and sweating. I handed him the bottle. “You’re probably not supposed to take these without a prescription.”

  He read the label and smiled. “It’s fine. These are the same type the doctor has been giving me up until recently.”

  I soaked a towel in cold water to wipe his forehead. He shook a pill into his palm, then placed it on the metal pastry table and crushed it with a spoon. I watched as he brushed up the residue and swallowed it with a gulp of orange juice. “Why do you crush it?”

  “It works faster that way.” He shook the pill bottle. There were only three left. “Do you think your grandpa will miss the rest of these?”

  “No. You can have them, but you have to promise to see a chiropractor or acupuncturist or something.”

  “I promise.” He draped his arm over my shoulder and we joined everyone outside.

  “Why didn’t Trevor come over for breakfast?” Sophie asked as I sat down beside her.

  “He sometimes doesn’t come over when he knows it’s busy.”

  “You’re lying.” Sophie pointed at me accusingly.

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know why he—” I paused mid-sentence because Trevor’s motorcycle started up and he backed it out of their detached garage. He revved the engine and pulled forward to the edge of the deck with an extra helmet hanging from the bend in his elbow. “—didn’t come over,” I finished my sentence.

  I glanced sideways at Sophie. She smiled and raised her eyebrow. Trevor flipped his visor up and motioned with his index finger for me to join him. I climbed over the railing and jumped down onto the parking lot. My heart beat so fast it felt as if I just climbed the mountain and ran back down.

  “You want to go for a ride?” he asked over the sound of the engine. “I already talked to your grandpa. He said you should take the day off to recover.”

  I glanced over my shoulder back at Sophie. She scooted forward and sat on the edge of the chair as if she was about to watch her favourite part in a movie. “Sophie and the guys are waiting for the highway to reopen. I shouldn’t just take off on them.” />
  “The highway’s open now. They built a one-lane temporary wooden bridge that will be in place while they rebuild. Murphy and his brother are coming down this way to go off-roading and drop my truck off for me.”

  The guys got up and all said, pretty much in unison, “We’re out of here. Thanks, Deri.” Sophie got up too and skipped behind the motorbike. She made a thumbs-up accompanied by a raunchy facial expression and a hip grind that only I could see, unless Trevor saw her reflection in the window.

  “Have fun,” she hollered as she got in the van.

  “I was thinking you might need some therapy,” Trevor said. He must have noticed my confused expression because he took his helmet off to explain. “You were already a little uneasy driving on the highway after your dad’s accident. I don’t want the washout to turn you into your mom. You should get right back in the saddle. Face your fear.”

  He handed me a leather jacket. It fit me perfectly, but was probably bought for Lindy. I smelled the collar to see if I could detect perfume. It just smelled like new leather. I couldn’t summon visions at will, but I thought I would try to force myself to have a vision about whether I was going to die in a motorcycle wreck. Being all phobic like my mom was not appealing at all, so I concentrated on seeing my fate. My efforts didn’t produce a vision. Instead, I was reminded of the guest in the library. “Is your dad going to be home?” I asked.

  “Yeah, he’s off today. Why?”

  I hovered my lips right up next to his ear so he would hear me whisper over the sound of the engine. “There’s a shady guest I don’t trust with Kailyn. I told her to stay away from him, but someone should keep an eye on her just in case.”