Summer Ever After: A Sweet Romantic Comedy

Chapter 35

The last weekhas been a movie montage.

Specifically, the scenes where the couple falls in love playing on the beach, splashing in the water, making dinner together, laughing, smiling, kissing, all while a romantic song plays in the background.

That’s me.

That’s my life.

And it’s the greatest thing ever.

So great that it’s scary.

Today is the last day that Walker is in Sunset Harbor for the community golf fundraiser. Tomorrow, he flies to Scotland for the British Open, and after that, he’ll go back to Jupiter and then on to more PGA tournaments until the end of summer.

Technically, he could come back to Sunset Harbor when the tour is over, but I haven’t asked him to, and he hasn’t said he wanted to. That would be like him asking me to leave the island I love and chase after him while he plays golf. In a fantasy world, that’s a tempting idea. We’d be together, and nothing else would matter.

But that’s not real.

I love my life in Sunset Harbor. I’ve worked hard to get my job and put my blood, sweat, and tears into it. I have neighbors and friends who are like family to me. My parents signed over the deed to their three-million-dollar beach house. I now own a beautiful home with coveted beachfront property right on the water.

Deciding to leave all of that would require commitment, and Walker has never offered me anything like that. I’m not even sure he’s capable of it.

So I just need to take our relationship for what it is—something fun that restored my belief in love again and fulfilled my teenage dreams.

And when he leaves, I can finally be honest with Capri. Lies and deception change friendships. It’s hard to even look at her when I know I’m not telling her the truth. I hate how things have shifted between us this last week.

I miss my best friend.

But tomorrow, Walker will be gone, and I’ll tell her everything.

I just have to get through the fundraiser. Walker has been key in helping me set up the tournament. One hundred and forty-four golfers will be on the course today, competing in the four-man scramble. Each foursome plays the best ball to keep things moving. These rules take the pressure off me since I’m terrible at golf. We can throw out my scores and play someone else’s ball on my team—most likely Walker’s. Although, we do have Pete Luca with us and Walker’s caddie, Mick. Both of them are skilled golfers in their own right. Between the three of them, they’ll carry our foursome. I’m basically a non-player character in this game, and I’m fine with it.

The biggest challenge of the day will be keeping things professional between Walker and me. There will be no kissing, touching, or flirting (I might be able to let this one slide, depending on how the afternoon goes). But our physical sacrifice will be worth it. With a seven hundred dollar entrance fee to play in the tournament, we should come in with just over a hundred thousand dollars for the community pool, easily meeting our goal.

“Jane, I want to introduce you to my friend, Mick Beecham.”

I turn around just as Walker enters the room with his caddie. It’s not the first time I’ve seen Mick. He’s been on TV next to Walker’s side for the last five years.

His short blond hair is hidden under his baseball cap, but his green eyes sparkle as he extends his hand out to me. “So this is the famous Jane who put this whole event together? Walker failed to tell me how beautiful you are.” If I hadn’t been in love with Walker my entire life, I might be tempted to fall head over heels for this guy and his charming dimple.

I laugh, shaking his hand. “Well, that’s not surprising since he’s always thought of me more like a little sister than anything else. And he’s been like a brother to me.”

Walker’s head flops to me with an unamused glare, but I just smile back at him.

“If that’s true”—Mick laughs—“then he’s an even bigger idiot than I thought.”

“Easy, buddy.” Now Walker’s glare lands on Mick. “I can carry my own clubs next week at the British Open.”

Mick scoffs. “I’d like to see you try.” His smile shifts to me. “I’m glad we’re on the same team. It will give me all day to get to know you better.”

I feel Walker’s eyes boring into me, but I don’t meet his gaze. “Great.”

Mick winks on his way out. “See you out there.”

Walker’s eyes drill into the back of his head as he walks toward hole five, where we’ll be starting. “Did he just wink at you?”

“I think so.”

“Real men don’t wink.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you wink before.”

“Maybe as a joke. Not to seduce a woman.”

“Do you think that’s what he was doing?” I pretend to be ignorant. “He’s kind of cute. Maybe I should add him to my list of men to date this summer.”

“He’s ineligible. He doesn’t live in Sunset Harbor.”

“Maybe he could be persuaded to move here.” I smirk at him as I pass by. “I’ll find out on the course.”

“Really, Jane?” He throws his hands up. “You know, Mick doesn’t even like the ocean,” he calls after me. “So living on an island doesn’t make sense for him.”

I laugh to myself, enjoying every bit of Walker’s jealousy.

Jane squares up on the tee box at hole nine, looking back and forth between her ball and the line of target. I’m fifteen feet back, silently watching with Pete, when Mick joins us.

His voice is a whisper. “Hey, Jane is really cute. What’s going on between the two of you?”

“We’re just hanging out, having fun together.”

“Aren’t you leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“So what’s going to happen between you two once you go?”

“She lives here, and I live in Jupiter. That pretty much solves that.”

I hate that our relationship is boiled down to geography.

“You could do a long-distance relationship, and then, eventually, maybe she could move to Jupiter.”

None of that is what Jane wants. She’s lonely and ready to spend her life with someone. A long-distance relationship isn’t going to meet her needs. I would never ask that of her—like I would never ask her to give up her life in Sunset Harbor to be with me. This island is part of her identity as much as unwavering optimism is.

No, what’s best for Jane is if I just throw in the towel, admit defeat, and walk away before we both get in too deep.

She takes her swing, hitting the ball one hundred yards. Everyone claps, and she spins to me with a smile.

“Nah”—I clap too—“after today, Jane and I are over.”

“You’ll never make the putts you don’t take.” Pete shakes his head, slapping me on the back as he heads to the tee for his turn.

I don’t need a golf metaphor to tell me I’m giving up on the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life.

I already know that.