Chapter 21
The cooler is packedwith drinks and food.
There’s a bag of snacks.
And less than a quarter tank of fuel.
Running out of gas is the best way I could think of to try the stranded-together trope. Knowing Phoenix Park, he’ll probably look at the fuel indicator on my boat’s dashboard before we glide out of the dock and put an end to my plan.
It’s not like we’ll really be stranded.
We can radio in for someone to bring us gas. But I’m hoping the situation will loosen Phoenix up a bit and force us to work together to solve our problem. And in working together, maybe some chemistry will grow.
My hopes of this plan actually working aren’t high. With each passing week and date I go on, my optimism goes down a notch or two. It’s just tough to stay positive and not believe I’ve set myself up for failure.
I glance down the marina dock again, looking for Phoenix’s dark head of hair.
Nothing.
It feels like I’ve been waiting for a while for him to show up. I reach into my back pocket for my phone. There’s a text on the home screen that sends my hopes and dreams into a deep dive.
Phoenix
Jane, I’m sorry for the late notice, but some things have come up today that prevent me from joining you on your boat. Thank you for your understanding.
My mouth drops. “Thank you for your understanding?”
His text sounds like something he’d send to a business partner, not a woman he was about to spend the day with.
Stood up again.
Jane
Yeah, no worries.
That’s as cordial of a response as I can muster.
I drop my phone onto the captain’s chair and head to the bow of the boat, leaning over the side to untie the buoy from the dock.
“Well, if it isn’t Pollyanna.”
Who else but Walker would be crouching next to my boat? This is just so freaking typical of my life right now. It’s moments like this that make me wish I didn’t live on such a small island.
I glance up, and my eyes narrow at the site of Walker’s glistening arms and chest. He looks like he just jumped off the front cover of Men’s Health. His running shorts are short, giving me the perfect view of his quads—he could cut diamonds with those things.
“Perfect timing.” He smiles.
The only thing perfect about this moment is Walker’s six-pack.
My focus goes back to unwinding the rope. Just keep yourself busy.
“I was going for a run and thought I saw you down here.”
“Yep, it’s me.” I move to the back of the boat, unloosening the second tie. When that’s done, I go to the wheel, put the motors in neutral, and turn the key.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, do you mind giving me a push-off?”
“Where are you going?” His foot presses against the side, nudging the boat slowly away from the dock.
“Home.” I move the throttle forward into idle. “It was good to see you.”
There’s nothing good about how good it is seeing Walker, let alone shirtless Walker.
“Whoa, whoa, wait.” He leaps from the side of the dock to the padded deck on the back of the boat, then hops inside.
My gaze whips to him. “What are you doing?”
“Coming with you.”
“Why?”
His giant shoulders lift. “Because I don’t want to go home.”
“Well, you can’t come with me.”
He glances at the cooler and the bag of snacks tucked under the chair. “Are you going on your date right now?”
“No.” I turn back to the water in front of me. “Something came up, and Phoenix had to cancel.”
I expect Walker to laugh, but he doesn’t. “I’m sorry. I know you were looking forward to it.”
I wasn’t looking forward to this date specifically. I was just looking forward to falling in love. Now, I’m not even sure I’m looking forward to that anymore.
Walker sinks into the passenger chair across from me, scanning his eyes over the water. My gaze shifts from his face to his dark hair and how the breeze lifts his curls at the nape of his neck. My ogling travels down his arm, stopping for a brief moment on the line the shows his slight farmer’s tan before I move my eyes to his chest and the effortless way he relaxes into the chair while still managing to look cool. If coolness came in dollar bills, Walker Collins would be a billionaire.
His head turns, and a smug smile covers his mouth. “Look who’s caught in 4k now.”
I hate that he saw me checking him out.
“What? I don’t even know what that means.” I jerk my head forward, focusing on the vast water in front of me, as any good captain would do. “I was just wondering if you were getting your sweat all over the leather chair.”
“Eh, the breeze will dry it off.”
“So does this mean you’re bumming another ride home from me?”
“Nah, let’s do whatever you and Phoenix were going to do.”
Everything inside me flutters at the thought of hanging out with Walker all day.
“What? No.”
“Why not? I know your day is wide open since he canceled on you.”
“Because…” Valid excuses don’t come fast enough. “What would be the point?”
“To hang out together.”
Again, what would be the point of that? Us hanging out can’t lead anywhere.
His expression turns somber. “I was being honest earlier when I told you I didn’t want to go home. It’s the final round of the U.S. Open, and I don’t want to end up watching it all day. Hanging out with you seems a lot better than feeling sorry for myself.”
“Is that really what will happen if I take you home?”
“Hours and hours of wallowing in sadness. If you take me home, you’ll be responsible for my despair.”
He’s really laying it on thick—so thick that I’m considering saying yes. It’s not like us hanging out would be sneaking around behind Capri’s back. We are literally together in broad daylight. And Capri is not even in town anymore. She left two days ago, so it’s not like she’s going to see us together and get her feelings hurt. We’d just be two friends keeping each other company so we don’t go home and feel sorry for ourselves. There’s no harm in that.
I squint at the horizon. “I would hate to be responsible for your despair.”
His lips press into a cute closed-mouth smile, as if he knows he has me right where he wants me.
“Fine.” I shrug indifferently. “We can boat around for a little bit.”
In a way, this is me being a good friend to Capri.
She wouldn’t want me to leave her brother alone when he’s having a bad day.
So I won’t.
Once we cross the no-wake buoy, I shift the throttle forward, sending us speeding toward the mainland. A sharp left turn points the nose of the boat to the north end of Sunset Harbor. We pass the nature reserve and circle around the tip of the island, where the resort and golf course are, until we’re on the Gulf side.
Walker rummages through the compartment in front of him, finding a pair of my dad’s old sunglasses to help with the wind. Now, he’s shirtless with sunglasses and wind blowing through his wavy hair. It’s too much for one girl to handle.
I slow the boat to a stop about a mile out from shore, but it’s still shallow enough that I can lower the anchor so we don’t drift. This distance gives us the perfect view of the island from top to bottom.
“It’s crazy how small Sunset Harbor really is.” Walker stands, taking it all in.
“That’s what makes it so great.”
He dips his smile to me. “You never miss a chance to share your island pride.”
“Never.” I kill the engine, letting the lapping water control us.
“It’s hot.” Walker stretches his arms out to the side, and it’s a glorious view of twisting muscles and manly veins. “I think we should jump in the water.” He bends, taking off his running shoes and socks. “You coming?”
I scratch my head as I watch him dive off the back of the boat—gracefully, I’ll add.
He surfaces with a flamboyant yell, flipping his wet hair back from his face. “Get in here, Jane!”
“Okay, I guess we’re doing this.” I tug off my shirt and unbutton my shorts. I assumed I’d be swimming with a man today—just not Walker—so I wore a cute, flattering bikini. My tan looks incredible, thanks to sunbathing yesterday. I’m swim-ready, which gives me some confidence.
“Jane! Jane! Jane!” Walker chants as I step onto the back and jump in.
I know enough about myself to know I don’t come out of the water looking like the Little Mermaid. I’m more of a George Washington kind of girl, with my hair rolled and folded back from my forehead in the ugliest way possible, and there’s usually some kind of wet booger smeared across my cheek that I can’t feel. So I turn away from him, giving myself a second to adjust my hair, and frantically swipe my hand all over my face, clearing away any unwanted green thing before I face him.
“It’s refreshing, huh?”
“Yeah.” I make sure to keep a body-length distance between us. This isn’t some flirty swim. We’re just cooling off—a great thing to do when I’m feeling hot over how attractive he is.
“I’m glad Phoenix canceled on you. I mean, he sounds like a total jerk, but I’m glad he canceled.”
“Why? So you can gloat and tell me I told you so about my summer plans not working?”
“No.” He grins as he treads water. “So I could go on the date with you.”
“This is not a date.” I splash him with a slap of water. “Stop trying to turn every time I see you into a date.”
“I have to, since you won’t put me on your list of prospects.” He gives me puppy-dog eyes. “Jane, what do I have to do to get inside your heart and on your list?”
I’m skipping over the inside-your-heart part and focusing solely on the other half of his words. “I knew this was just a game to you. Even back in high school, you’ve always loved the chase. Didn’t matter who the girl was—you just wanted to see if you could win her over.”
“That’s not true,” he scoffs. “I was so focused on golf I barely even dated in high school.”
It’s my turn to scoff. “You’re joking, right? You pretty much kissed the entire female student body.”
His lips purse as he shakes his head. “I don’t remember that. I think your information is inaccurate.”
“Okay, what about Olive Belacourt?” She was a year younger than me and the most gorgeous thing at school. “You two were boyfriend and girlfriend and had engagement photos taken.”
“Engagement photos?” A laugh sputters out. “What are you talking about?”
“Before prom, you went to the beach and had a whole photoshoot taken together.” I wanted to stab Olive’s eyes out in every picture of the two of them.
“That did not happen.”
“Oh my gosh! Yes, it did. I saw the pictures.”
He splashes me before swimming to the back of the boat. “I think your memory embellishes the details a little bit.”
“And I think your memory leaves out the details. Ask your sister about your engagement photos. She’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”
I swim to the back of the boat too, just as Walker pulls himself up. It’s the most beautiful site I’ve ever seen. Glistening arm muscles. Drops of water rolling down the space between his shoulder blades. This moment is worth the price of admission—or submersion.
He kneels on the swim platform, reaching his hand out to help me up. I think about not taking it, but what would be the fun in that? My fingers slip into his, and with little effort, he pulls me out of the water, drawing my body to his. He doesn’t drop my hand, just keeps it in his. We’re kneeling together on the back of the boat, wet bodies barely an inch apart. Attraction rushes through me, buzzing through every pulse.
Gleaming blue eyes look into mine. “For the record, Jane, it’s more than a game with you.”
Despite that being exactly what I want to hear, I push Walker’s chest, sending him plunging back into the water again.