Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tucker
We parked the golf cart back at Kate’s house and set off on foot to make it easier to slip around town unnoticed. Kate and I are currently hiding in the side yard of the Errant Heart, praying Miss Ginny doesn’t notice us and unintentionally reveal our position.
Kate’s bouncing on the balls of her feet, an adorable pixie grin on her face, when the blast of the fire truck’s horn echoes around us. I bend over and pick up the bag of water balloons, carefully pulling the strap over my head so the bag settles against my hip. It’s heavy, but not so much that I can’t run with it.
“Let’s go,” Kate whispers, cracking open the gate and poking her head through to scan the area before pulling it wide enough for us to slip through.
Like two criminals in a slapstick comedy, we hurry down the street taking long steps with our heads swiveling back and forth, searching for either of the other teams. Kate slips into an alley between two buildings, and I follow her. We press our backs against the brick wall, and she tries to catch her breath while I lift the bag of balloons to relieve some of the pressure on my shoulder for a moment.
I’m sure we look ridiculous. No doubt about it. I’m also not sure I’ve ever had this much fun.
It’s been like this since the moment I got to Bush Monkey Isle and met the woman beside me. I haven’t had much opportunity––or let’s face it, desire ––to act silly like this since I was a kid. Working in the corporate world and slinging seltzer to twenty-somethings doesn’t leave much room for hunting fictional monkeys or building sand huts.
Or sneaking around town with a bag full of water balloons with a desperate desire to use them.
I don’t know if Kate does shit like this in her everyday life, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she did. This woman is an irresistible ray of sunshine. One I’m quickly becoming addicted to.
“Okay, there has to be a flag hidden around here somewhere,” she whispers, snapping me out of my thoughts. “There’s no way Blaine will agree to traipse all over the island, so she’s probably guarding their flag while sending Sam out to hunt.”
I nod in agreement, bowing to her expertise. She knows this town and these people much better than I do, obviously. I might be able to predict what Logan might do if he were on his own, but with Penny’s influence, Kate is, by far, the expert here. Plus, she knows every nook and cranny of this island, so I’ll simply follow as she leads the way .
“Let’s check the Grill first. They’d think they’re pretty smart, hiding their flag in my own restaurant,” she says, then slips out of the alley.
I can’t stifle my laugh when she starts moving like a cat burglar again, and when she looks back to find me copying her gait, she gifts me with a bright smile.
Worth it.
We slip in through the front door of the Grill, which is still unlocked even though the place isn’t officially open to the public yet. We keep our eyes and ears peeled as we search the entire dining room, then I check out the men’s room while she heads into the ladies’ to do the same. When we meet back out in the hall, we both shake our heads. Nothing.
After a quick look around the kitchen, we give up and head through the back door so we can skirt around the building, remaining hidden from the Midtown Square across the street. It’s a large plot of grass with an intricately carved gazebo in the center where the townspeople have celebrations and gatherings of all sorts. Being a weekday, it’s pretty deserted with only a few people walking dogs and chasing toddlers across the lawn.
I lean back against the wall for a moment while Kate continues her perusal of the area. I don’t miss it when she stiffens, then thrusts a hand behind her and wiggles her fingers. Catching on without missing a beat, I pull a balloon from the bag and place it in her palm. Pulling it in front of her, she holds it gently for a moment, rocking back and forth before bending her knees and leaping out onto the sidewalk with a banshee’s scream.
Rearing back, she throws the balloon, and I step forward just in time to see Logan swerve the golf cart he’s driving out of the line of fire, barely saving Penny from being struck. Penny immediately flips around, balancing on her knees on the seat while digging her own balloon from their bag of ammunition.
Before she can even think of throwing it, I grab Kate’s hand and drag her away, back behind the Grill, across the alley, and down another block. We end up behind Miguel’s, squeezed in the small gap between the restaurant’s back wall and a large dumpster. Kate’s breathing hard, and so am I, but we both freeze when we hear the whir of a golf cart heading in our direction.
The cart passes by, and we barely take a breath until the sound fades away. Kate lets out a quiet laugh, and I do the same. My laughter dies as I realize how close we are. Our bodies are pressed against each other in the tight space, and Kate feels so damn soft against me. Unable to resist, I lift a hand and push an errant strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
I don’t miss the way her breath catches or the way her pupils dilate as she stares back at me. Fuck, I want to kiss her so badly. I need to.
But before I can make a move, she shakes her head, chuckles uncomfortably, and slips out of our little hidey-hole. Damn it. As much as I wanted––no, needed ––to kiss Kate, she made the right choice. I can’t go there. Not with her.
No matter how much I want to.
As we sneak around town looking for our rivals, she whispers in a nervous, fast-paced chatter for a while before finally settling back into an easy, fun rhythm. Then she quiets, turning a bit introspective before pulling me into another alleyway.
“What do you think the odds are of us guaranteeing a win for Penny and Logan?”
“What?” I blurt. “You don’t want to win?”
She doesn’t want to be alone on a romantic cruise with you, asshole.
“It’s not that,” she says as if she’s read my thoughts. “It’s just…Penny’s been stressed for months, planning the wedding, and while she’s having fun this week, she’s still running around, taking care of last-minute details. If anyone deserves a stress-free, romantic dinner cruise on a freaking yacht, it’s her.”
My chest hollows out as I stare at her in wonder. While she’s definitely proven to be competitive this week, she’s willing to throw this one to her friend. Because she loves her.
And while my baser instincts are ordering me to win so I can spend the evening with Kate, I can’t help being moved by her kindness. Smiling, I give her a firm nod.
“Let’s make it happen.”
“Really?” she asks, beaming.
“Definitely,” I say, and she surprises me by throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me in for a tight hug.
My arms circle around her automatically, and my eyes fall closed as her sweet scent surrounds me. Burying my nose in her hair, I breathe deep, careful to exhale silently so I don’t make her think I’m some kind of stalker-slash-serial killer.
She carefully extracts herself from the hug and beams up at me again. “Thanks, Tucker. ”
I shake my head. “No need to thank me. It’s the right thing to do. Now, how are we going to pull it off?”
She walks to the end of the alley and peers out as she speaks. “We could lead them to our own flag, or find Sam and Blaine’s and somehow guarantee Penny and Logan get–– Wait. Look.”
My gaze follows the direction of hers, and I see Blaine picking her way down the steps of the gazebo across the street. The blonde’s head swivels from left to right, then she nods at something. When I look that way, I see Sam hiding behind a golf cart that’s parked on the street along the edge of the square. She walks over to meet up with him, and they head down the street in the opposite direction.
Taking Kate’s hand, I slip out of the alley and jog toward the gazebo, pulling her along behind me. By tacit agreement, she stands outside the wooden structure to keep watch while I search the interior. It only takes me a couple of moments to find their red flag wedged beneath one of the bench seats. I readjust it so it’s more visible, then hop down the steps to join Kate.
“It’s there,” I say. “Now, let’s hide and wait for them to come back.”
We stay low as we run for the carts parked along the street, then squat down to hide while peering through the windshield of the one we’re hiding behind.
“You watch for Sam and Blaine,” Kate whispers, then turns around and leans back against the bumper. “I’ll keep an eye out this way for Penny and Logan. Can’t have them sneaking up on us from behind.”
“Good plan,” I whisper back, squeezing her shoulder .
She stiffens, then relaxes so quickly, if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would’ve missed it. Pulling my hand back, I stifle a sigh. I don’t know whether to be worried or ecstatic over that response. There’s no denying, Kate’s affected by my touch. She’s proven that over and over.
And even though I know it’s wrong, her reactions make me want to touch her again. And again.
Movement catches my eye, and I stiffen before tapping a finger against her shoulder and whispering, “Here they come.”
Digging my hand into our bag, I pull out a water balloon and hand it to Kate before arming myself. As they approach the golf cart we’re hiding behind, we stay low and creep around the side of the vehicle, keeping it between us and them. When their backs are to us, and they’re approaching the gazebo to apparently check on their flag, I whisper a count of three to Kate. She nods along with the words, and as soon as I finish, we jump out with matching war cries and throw our balloons.
Both missiles hit their mark, and Blaine screeches before spinning around to glare at us. Sam stays true to his laid-back personality, laughing as he gives us a respectful nod. Pulling out his phone, he sets a timer for five minutes while Blaine crosses her arms over her chest and fumes.
Kate’s laughing joyfully, and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. My mind goes blank as I watch her bounce around in a silly dance of victory. Then she freezes. Her eyes widen, and she drops to the grass before crawling back toward me. She lifts an arm and waves it in the universal motion that says “get down,” and I drop into a squat immediately.
“They’re coming,” she hisses before getting off her knees, taking my hand and running while keeping her body low.
I follow along, bent over to mimic her stature, and when I look back, I see Penny and Logan slowly moving down the street in their golf cart. Penny points toward Blaine and Sam, and they swerve in that direction, not noticing us at all as we creep across the road and slip back into the alley we were hiding in before.
We peek out and watch as the couple parks and hops out of their cart. Penny dances a little jig around Blaine while Logan heads toward Sam, clapping him on the back. When he sees the timer counting down on Sam’s phone, he calls for Penny, and they both dart up the gazebo steps to search the interior.
A moment later, Penny whoops loudly, and she and Logan dart back down the steps, the other team’s red flag gripped in Penny’s fist, then hop back into their cart and head toward Miss Ginny’s house. Kate straightens and turns toward me with a smile, holding up her hand for a high five.
I slap my palm against hers, then curve my finger around her hand and hold it there for a moment. She doesn’t physically react to my touch this time. She’s too happy for her friends.
So generous. And thoughtful.
God damn, this woman is amazing .