Chapter 25
Hunter
It’s all I can do to suffer through an hour in the kitchen listening to Kyler recount the highlights of his business trip and all the “epic surf” destinations he managed to fit in.
Usually, I’d love to hear him describe the big waves and look at the photos he downloaded from an on-site photographer’s website.
Usually, I’d be here for all the details about the new contracts he scored with major surf retailers and celebrity skateboarders.
But today is not normal. Today, my body hums with one thought—how to get Gracie into my bed for more than just one night.
At the same time, I’m dejected by how dismissive she was of last night.
Like she didn’t see any potential for more than a hookup.
Granted, I know my reputation, so maybe she’s not wrong to jump to that conclusion.
And she made it clear that romance and work do not mix, and if she has to choose, work is the clear winner.
Yet…a part of me knows she was protecting herself from my reputation, guarding her heart a little bit. That’s what gives me hope. All I want to do now is hear what Gracie was about to tell me in the car.
“So we spent a week together after the trade show just kind of bumming around on the beach, trying different surf spots and eating seafood every chance we got. It was the most fun I’ve had in ages.” Kyler’s thumb glides across his phone screen until he finds the picture he wants.
He slides it across the counter for me to see. It’s a selfie of him with a blond guy who looks like a teenager. The two of them are grinning at the camera in front of a pristine beach with surfers in the background. I’m confused because I’ve only been half-listening to his story.
“You and he…” I scroll through the next few photos. They’re pictures of surfers mostly, and I think I can identify Kyler and this dude in a few of them, but it’s hard to be sure.
“Are partners.”
The last I heard, Kyler was still dating women, so this is new. “And how did you two meet?”
“I told you. At the trade show.”
I want to be supportive of his new relationship, but I’m also aware I missed about half of the conversation over the past half hour. I don’t want him to know my mind was elsewhere, so I need to cover.
“Cool,” I say. I catch Gracie trying to hide a smile. She looks down at the counter, where she has her pancake box open. She’s managed to get through about half the stack. Kyler picks up a pancake, rolls it up, and takes a bite from the end.
“Yeah? Cool?” Kyler asks, tilting his head like he knows I’m not all here, and he’s about to bust me.
“You two make a nice couple,” I say, hoping it’s the affirmation he wants. I’m ready to move on from this conversation and find a way to be alone with Gracie before she leaves to pick up her friend. She’s definitely laughing quietly now, still looking down.
Kyler takes the phone back and looks at the pictures.
“I’m not sure that was exactly the goal, but thanks?
” He takes another bite of the rolled pancake and tilts his head again.
He’s starting to look like Bogie, and I wonder if I should pet him on the head so maybe he’ll go off somewhere and take a nap.
“Well, I don’t know what you wanna hear. He’s hot? He makes you look young and hot just being with him?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Your boyfriend, or whatever. I don’t know what you want to hear. I’m just being supportive.”
Gracie pushes the box of pancakes toward me. There’s still one at the bottom, swimming in syrup, but I tear off a corner. Maybe I need to shove something in my mouth instead of words.
Kyler’s laugh sounds like the bark of a seal. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my partner.”
“Okay, call him whatever you want. All good.” I launch off the barstool and push past him to find something in the fridge to counteract the sickeningly sweet pancake. I land on a bag of carrots and go to the sink to peel one.
“I mean, he’s my business partner in the new venture to sponsor surf competitions like I said fifteen minutes ago. What part of that did you not understand?”
I turn around, carrot peeler in hand, and look from Kyler to Gracie, trying to make sure I’m getting the real story now. Gracie nods almost imperceptibly.
“Sorry. I spaced out for a second,” I admit. “Didn’t sleep great last night, so I’m a little off my game.”
Kyler laughs. “So all this time, you thought I was coming out, telling you about my little side dish?” He looks at the picture on his phone and nods. “I mean, I could do much worse, but come on, I’m not a cradle robber.”
“How old is he?” Gracie asks, clearly still amused by my gaffe.
“Eighteen.”
I slap a hand against my forehead and take a bite of the carrot. “Jesus. Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.”
Still smiling, Gracie excuses herself. “I need to shower and pick up Tatum.”
Kyler high-fives her and continues without missing a beat. “Sorry you didn’t sleep. Was it the blinds in the office? Sometimes they let in too much light.”
I nod. “Yeah, the blinds. I think that’s what it was.
” I don’t dare look at Gracie, but I hear her giggle.
Even though I know I’m the butt of the joke, my senses still light up at the sound.
I need to get her alone, but I also need to be a better friend to Kyler.
I owe him my full attention, at the very least. “Anyhow, forget that. Tell us more about the surfing. What’s the biggest wave you caught? ”
Kyler thumbs through his phone again. “Thirty footer. There’s only one good one before I wiped out, but it’s here someplace.”
“Take your time,” I say. It takes all my self-control to sit here and let him, but maybe it’s good practice for gametime. All I know is that every minute I sit here, it’s that much longer I have to wonder about what Gracie was about to tell me.