Chapter 26
Charlie came around the corner carrying a buoy, her brows crinkled in confusion.
“What is this thing?” she asked.
Willa chuckled. Shawn had recommended they all meet at the bait shop before the boat ride so he could drive them all to the marina. Parking sometimes got dicey on Saturdays, and he had a reserved spot since he’d been a longtime customer there and did so many tours. It was a miracle he even had availability today.
“It’s a buoy,” Willa responded. “They’re used for docking, providing direction, crab traps, and a bunch of other things. Haven’t you seen them in SF?”
“Like I said,” Charlie responded with a sniff, “I was made for indoor activities.”
Charlie had been keeping herself busy snooping around the store and picking up random items, shaking them or inspecting them with a keen eye. Willa was having a hard time holding back her laughter. Charlie looked so out of place here in her long, sleek cover up, sun hat, and extra large sunglasses.
Willa had tried to put Shawn out of her mind after last night.
Triedbeing the operative word.
She could barely sleep; her mind was racing and she’d gotten used to having an orgasm or two before bed. She wasn’t sure how she was going to be around him all afternoon without thinking about the fact that she might have feelings for him.
Okay, she definitely had feelings for him.
He’d texted her earlier that he’d be in the back when they arrived, gathering all the supplies they’d need for the day. She stood in his shop, surrounded by all the things that made her think of him, and she was already overwhelmed. She couldn’t imagine what she’d do when she finally saw him today after spending a restless night thinking about him before pulling her vibrator out of her bedside table and succumbing to her need for him.
Even just a fantasy of him.
“Well, well, well,” Charlie’s voice carried to where Willa was. “Look at what I found.”
Willa walked from where she’d been looking at hooks—she needed some new ones—and found Charlie peering over the checkout counter. Willa stopped in her tracks when she saw what Charlie was looking at.
She felt her jaw drop. It was a picture pinned prominently on the wall—a picture that Ida had taken of Willa on one of their walks. Ida had said something that made her laugh, and Willa turned around for a split second and grinned at her. Ida had texted her saying she’d bring it over to her, and Willa had just forgotten about it.
Willa glanced at Charlie, who had crossed her arms and was smirking at Willa with an I told you so smugness on her face.
“Like I said, that man is in lo?—”
The bell at the front door jingled as Amanda and Layla walked in. Layla was wearing a modest swimsuit coverup and toted a colorful beach bag. Her hair was pulled up into a no-nonsense bun, and she had a visor on. Amanda was wearing jean shorts and a bikini with heart-shaped sunglasses. Her black hair was in space buns on top of her head, and she walked in like she owned the place.
“Where’s your sexy fisherman?” Amanda asked.
Willa rolled her eyes. “Shawn is in the back getting some supplies.”
“Hi, I’m Amanda,” she stuck her hand out to Charlie. “You’re Charlie?”
“Yes, it’s so nice to meet Willa’s work friends!” Charlie said. “And you’re Layla?”
Layla nodded and shook Charlie’s hand.
“We were just looking at the picture Shawn hung up of Willa,” Charlie said. “Based on the look on her face, she had no clue it was here.”
Layla bit her lip, trying to hold back a grin as Amanda released a melodramatic gasp.
“No, it’s probably just to keep the tourists from flirting with him,” Willa said, trying to convince herself as much as her friends. “He hates that. I told him he could use me as an excuse—say I was his girlfriend to keep them at bay.”
Amanda laughed. “Girl, that man is head over heels in love with you.”
“That’s what I said!” Charlie said, high-fiving Amanda.
“Introducing you two was a terrible idea,” Willa said, rubbing her temples. “Can we not?—”
The back door swung open and Shawn moseyed out, his hands full with fishing rods, coolers, and life jackets. Willa gaped at him in all his glory. She loved seeing him in a tux last night, but nothing compared to the way he looked on a daily basis. Rugged and natural, like he was built for life on the water.
The shirt he wore clung to his pecs and biceps, his muscles perfectly on display. The muscles she touched, the ones she loved trailing her fingers down as he railed her so hard she saw stars.
And then he beamed at her. His face stretched in a smile so blinding, she couldn’t look away. She felt her lips tug up in response, and she walked slowly toward him, as if drawn in by a magnetic pull.
“Ready to teach your girl gang how to fish, Greene?” he asked with a wink.
“I don’t know if they have what it takes,” she whispered as she grabbed a couple of fishing rods from his hand.
“Rude,” Charlie said.
“Seriously, do you think we can’t hear you?” Amanda said. “We’re right here.”
“I feel like it’s worth mentioning that I grew up on the water and do not need a fishing lesson,” Layla piped in.
Shawn chuckled and Willa noticed a teenage boy trailed behind him. She gave Shawn a quizzical look.
“This is Brodie,” Shawn said. “He’s a senior in high school and he works here on Saturdays.”
They all said hello and introduced themself to the lanky, dark-haired teenager. As Willa introduced herself, she saw a look of recognition pass over Brodie’s face. Then she realized he probably recognized her from that damn photo. It was sweet that Shawn had a photo of her in the bait shop, but confusing as hell given their current situationship. It’s not as if she needed another thing to stress about today, and of course, she knew she could count on her friends to poke the bear.
Brodie gave them a shy smile before settling in behind the checkout counter, right near where the photo of Willa hung proudly.
“That’s a great picture of you, Willa,” Charlie said, grinning like a cat.
“It really is!” Amanda chimed in. “You look so pretty.”
“That she does,” Shawn chimed in, his cheeks reddening as he looked his fill at Willa.
Amanda and Charlie exchanged knowing glances.
“So what’s the story behind it?” Charlie asked.
Shawn cleared his throat. “Well, my Grams took the picture. She and Willa go on walks together most days. And she asked me to give it to Willa but I decided to keep it and hang it in the shop. It’s a good photo. Plus, it keeps the tourists off my back.”
“The tourists?” Amanda asked.
“Ahh, well…” Shawn trailed off, then looked to Willa with wide eyes as if searching for help.
“The aggressively flirtatious tourists who show up to the shop drunk and try to get in Shawn’s pants even after he’s expressed that he’s not interested,” Willa said.
The girls nodded knowingly.
“Yikes,” Layla frowned.
“People suck,” Amanda said.
Out in front of the shop, they piled the supplies into the bed of Shawn’s truck before climbing into it. Of course, the girls insisted that Willa sit in the front. As she walked around to the passenger seat, Shawn was preparing to open the door for her but stopped her.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you about the picture,” he said quietly.
“It’s alright,” she said. “Just wasn’t expecting…”
“I know we’re just keeping it casual, but having that picture does help keep the tourists away,” he said. Willa nodded, grateful, at least, that she could help in that department. “Plus, if I’m going to be honest, I like looking at it.”
Her lips parted as he smirked at her, then opened the passenger door. She felt hot all over her body as he shut the door and then hopped in the driver’s seat. He sent a quick glance her way and winked at her, then turned the car on and pulled out.
Willa rested her head against the window and willed her body to calm down. If she couldn’t get herself in check, it was going to be a long afternoon.
Shawn laughedto himself as he hosed down the boat. It’d been a great afternoon on the Bay, and aside from a few suggestive remarks from Charlie and Amanda, he’d pretty much just acted as their chauffeur and taken them to all the best spots. He’d had a good time watching Willa have fun with her friends, and he was certain they’d be exhausted after swimming and fishing all over the Bay.
Of course, he’d had a raging hard-on half the afternoon. He was a man, after all, and being around Willa in a swimsuit still made him feel like he might explode.
“What are you grinning about?” A deep voice pierced through his thoughts.
Shawn turned around and saw a familiar tattoo sleeve on fair skin.
“Tucker,” Shawn said, dropping the hose and hopping onto the dock to pull his best friend in for a hug. “Good to see you, man.”
Tucker hugged him back, but when they parted, he said, “Gotta say, I’m surprised to be receiving such a warm welcome considering you haven’t texted me back in months.”
Shawn grimaced. “Sorry, man.”
“How sorry are you? Because Hanna is in the car and we’d love to take you to dinner.”
Shawn chuckled. “Pretty sure if I say no, she’ll come yell at me.”
“Probably,” Tucker grinned.
“Give me ten minutes to wrap this up?”
Tucker nodded and turned around. Shawn hopped back on the boat and finished hosing it off, then headed to the parking lot where he found Tucker and Hanna leaning against their truck waiting for him. As soon as he came into sight, Hanna beamed and ran toward him, then jumped into his arms and gave him a huge hug.
“You’re in trouble, mister,” Hanna said as he lifted her off the ground.
“Will it help if I pay for dinner?” he set her back down and she chuckled.
“It’s a start,” she responded.
He told them he’d follow them to the restaurant, so he hopped in his truck and drove five minutes down the road to the main cafe in town. A few minutes later, they were seated in the restaurant with drinks on the table, and an awkward silence ensued.
Shawn didn’t know where to begin.
“I’m sorry I went AWOL on you guys,” he finally said. “I know that barely begins to make things right.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t,” Hanna said, crossing her arms.
“Babe, go easy on him,” Tucker nudged her with her shoulder.
“Why should I? He disappeared on us.” Her scowl melted into hurt. “Did we do something wrong?”
Shawn ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He’d only known Hanna for a few years, but they’d become close after she started dating Tucker—and even closer when they got married. He’d hurt her. He’d hurt both of them.
“I was jealous,” he said, staring at his twiddling thumbs to avoid eye contact. “Of what you guys have. It was hard being around you. I know that’s not fair. I’m happy you two are happy. You know that. It’s just… hard watching two of your closest friends be in love and have something I’m not even close to having.”
Willa flashed through his mind, but he wasn’t ready to bring her up yet.
“Then my grandpa died, and I moved in with Grams. And I guess it just got easier to flake on things. I was sad, and Grams needed me, and… God, I don’t know. I was a shitty friend, and I’m sorry.”
When he looked up at them, Hanna’s hand was over her heart and her eyes were misty. Tucker was looking at him with a mix of regret and concern.
“I’m sorry, man,” Tucker said. “We had no idea. I thought you just, you know…”
“We thought you were going to continue being a playboy for the rest of your life,” Hanna finished his sentence with a smirk.
Shawn chuckled. Trust Hanna to get right down to the heart of things.
“That was the plan,” Shawn responded. “But then…”
They looked at him expectantly as he trailed off.
“Then I was the best man in your wedding. And I saw how happy you two were. And it made me realize I wanted that too.”
“Oh, Shawn,” Hanna squeezed his hand. “I want that for you, too.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a shitty friend.”
“All is forgiven,” Hanna said with a smile.
“It’s all good, man,” Tucker added.
“That easy?” Shawn said, breaking eye contact with his friends. “I’ve been putting off this conversation for a while. I should’ve come to you sooner. Way sooner. I know that. And I’m better than this, too. But a few weeks became a few months and it just became easier to avoid talking about it.”
“Look, I won’t say we aren’t hurt,” Tucker said as Shawn’s eyes lifted from the spot he was looking at on the table. “We are. And you should’ve communicated with us. It’s not like you to not tackle things head on. But…”
“I’ve been telling him we needed to just show up at your place for months,” Hanna said. “Grams would never stand for it if she knew you basically ghosted us. We could’ve tried harder. We knew something was going on.”
“Yeah, Grams misses you,” Shawn replied. “So do I.”
“We love you, Shawny,” Tucker said. “You’ve been with me for my whole life. It’ll take more than that to get rid of me.”
What did Shawn do to deserve friends like these—so quick to forgive?
“I fucked up, guys. Big time. And I know I need to earn back your trust. It won’t happen again.”
“It’s alright, man,” Tucker responded.
“We get it, bud,” Hanna added. “Like Tuck said, we love you.”
Shawn breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, now that I know you’re ready to date, maybe I could set you up with one of my friends,” Hanna said. “They’ve all been crushing on you for years.”
Shawn grimaced and shook his head, and Hanna gave him a knowing look.
“I see,” Hanna said. “So there’s a girl.”
Shawn felt his cheeks grow hot, then he covered his mouth with his hand to hide the smile that stretched over his face whenever he thought about Willa.
“Wow, you really like her!” Hanna said, elbowing her husband. “Are you seeing this? He’s blushing!”
Tucker smirked. “Oh, I see it.”
“Tell us everything!” Hanna said, clapping her hands in excitement.
Shawn shook his head, unsure where to even begin.
“She’s not going to give this up,” Tucker said, leaning back in his chair. “Trust me. Just give in now.”
“You owe us, Shawn,” Hanna chimed in.
“What happened to ‘All is forgiven?’”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she responded, waving her hand in irritation. “All is forgiven with this one stipulation. Tell us about your girl.”
His girl.
If only.
Shawn eyed them both warily before deciding to give in. Maybe they could give him some advice.
“Her name is Willa,” he said softly. “She moved into her grandparents’ house a couple of months ago. It’s right down the beach from Grams’ place. She’s… God, she’s fucking perfect. Gorgeous and kind and funny. And she knows how to fish. Like, really knows. Puts me in my place all the goddamn time. Tells me what’s what. She walks with Grams every morning and helps her stretch. We fish together off her wharf most nights. She’s a yoga instructor, and I went to one of her classes and it was actually pretty awesome.”
Hanna was beaming, and Tucker was studying him.
“I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming,” his best friend said.
“But… she’s skittish,” Shawn said, running his fingers through his hair. “Men have let her down before. Her last boyfriend… well, he really fucked with her. And so I agreed to a friends-with-benefits arrangement with her because it was the only way I could have her. And now…”
“You fell in love with her,” Hanna said matter-of-factly.
Shawn nodded, jittery that he was finally saying it out loud. “I’m so fucking in love with her. But she’s made it clear she wants to keep things casual. Sometimes I think maybe… maybe she caught feelings, too, but she’s just too damn scared. And I get it. Who am I to push her into a relationship when every relationship she’s been in has ended so badly that she’s basically sworn off all men?”
“Except she hasn’t sworn off you,” Hanna said, raising her eyebrows.
“You gotta talk to her, bro,” Tucker said.
“But what if—” Shawn cut himself off, running a hand down his face.
He couldn’t voice his fear—was too afraid to even say it.
“What if she doesn’t want you?” Hanna asked, her eyes full of compassion. “Then it’s her loss. But you need to know. One way or another.”
Shawn knew Hanna was right. He’d known he’d have to talk to her for weeks now. He’d just put it off because he didn’t want it to end. Even getting pieces of her was better than nothing. But it was getting to a point where it hurt too much. He wanted more. He wanted everything. And if she didn’t want that, better to find out now than later.