Chapter Seven Fighting the Inevitable
Maci
The next morning, Maci stood in the resort kitchen with her best friend since childhood, Jill, who worked at the resort part time doing whatever tasks needed to be done.
Over their first-morning coffee, she had spilled the entire story about Dev, how he saved her and then popped back up as a guest, and how they had spent the afternoon together the day before.
The conversation had gone smoothly until Maci said she was going to limit her contact with him.
Jill stared at her as if she had grown a second head. “I’ve been your best friend for your entire life, and you think I’m going to agree that you should keep sabotaging yourself when it comes to guys?”
“What do you mean, sabotage?” Maci asked as she rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what Jill meant, but she wasn’t going to admit it.
“You accept a date, a guy shows interest, you find fault, never a second date. Sound familiar?”
“One, it wasn’t a date. I was simply showing him around.”
“It was the closest thing to a date that you’ve had in a long time. Am I right?”
Maci ignored her question. “And two, I don’t always find fault. I just have,” she stumbled over her own words, “...high...standards.”
“High standards?” Jill snorted. “A guy would have to have wings to get high enough to reach your standards.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“This guy saved your life, Mace. I think he’s proven that he’s a good guy, not just a player.”
“Saving me was his job, so don’t read too much into that. Being a firefighter does not mean he doesn’t play around.” Maci sighed. “Come on. You of all people know why I have trust issues.”
Jill’s expression softened. “Of course, I do, and I get that you have abandonment syndrome. Your dad was a dick for leaving the way he did. But you can’t blame every guy that comes along for your father’s decision. That’s not fair. Not everyone is going to do that to you.”
“We’ve had this conversation a hundred times. When the right guy comes along, I’ll know it. And so far, that hasn’t happened.”
“That you know of,” Jill argued. “You never give anyone a chance.”
Maci stayed quiet.
“My two cents,” Jill continued, “is that you need to see if this guy asks you out, officially if you don’t want to count yesterday as a date. See what happens. You sound like maybe you had a little interest in him.”
Maci busied herself grabbing a knife. She didn’t have a single excuse to use to deflect her friend’s logic.
Jill folded her arms. “Now I know there must be something special about this guy, because normally you would have already argued until you were blue in the face.”
“It doesn’t matter, Jill. Whether I’m curious about him or not, I don’t believe in relationships, so there’s no point in even wondering. Life is easier without them.”
Jill walked around the kitchen island where they were cutting up pineapple. She popped a chunk of the sweet deliciousness in her mouth as she moseyed up to her friend. “Wait a minute. This is something new.”
Maci tried to ignore her. “What isn’t new is that you eat more of the pineapple than you put in the bowl for the salad.”
“You are not putting up your normal fight.” Jill circled her, eyes narrowed. “You really like this guy.”
“Like?” Maci’s voice echoed around the kitchen. She lowered her tone. “I don’t even know him. We stood on the beach for what, two minutes?”
“The woman doth protest too much.”
“Get back to work.” Maci jerked her finger at the knife Jill had laid on the table. “I don’t want Grandma out here doing this, and she will be if she thinks we’re too slow.”
Jill resumed her chore. “Mmhmm. I’m right.”
She slammed her knife down. “About what?”
“This guy. What’s his name? Dave? Something about him got to you, and you don’t like it.”
“Dev, not Dave.” Maci groaned. Jill had always been able to read her like a book she wrote herself. “Maybe there is something a little...intriguing...about the guy.”
“Intriguing? I’ll take it. It’s further than you’ve allowed anyone else to get.”
She gestured to the fruit in front of them. “Cut. Chop chop.”
When they had the fruit salad ready for the guests’ dinner, the two carried pitchers of ice-cold lemonade to the pool deck. A refrigerated self-serve tiki style bar sat under an awning.
Jill let out a low whistle as Maci placed the pitchers in the fridge. “Look at that. When did he get here?”
Maci groaned as she followed Jill’s gaze straight to Dev, who was reclined in a lounge chair wearing only a pair of swim shorts.
His bare abs gleamed in the sun and the light spattering of hair across his chest seemed to sparkle from the tanning lotion.
She watched in horror as he suddenly raised his sunglasses and winked at her.
Attention diverted back to the task at hand, heat rushed to her face as she stuttered when she tried to answer. “Yesterday. He...umm...got here yesterday.”
Jill was like a bloodhound on a scent. “Wait, is that...that’s him, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“He’s hot. Mace, are you crazy? How can you say no to that?”
“How indeed?”
Maci squeezed her eyes shut and didn’t turn around as Dev’s teasing voice made her cheeks heat up even more. Seriously?
Jill showed no signs of remorse at being overheard. “Hi, I’m Jill. Best friend and part-time employee.”
“Deverick Striar, but call me Dev.”
“Nice to meet you. Maci here has been telling me all about you.”
“I have not.” Maci bumped her head on the small table that held an ice bucket and cups as she tried to stand. “Oww.”
Dev grabbed her arm. “Are you okay? Do you need to sit?”
She growled at him and yanked her arm loose. “Are you a firefighter or a paramedic? Geez, I’m fine.”
“Sorry.” Dev held his hands up. “Danger of the job. Forever the first responder.”
Jill snickered. “I think it’s sweet that you keep trying to save her.”
“Trying?” Dev put his hand over his heart. “I’m wounded. The way I see it, I did save her life. And in the laws of decency, doesn’t that mean that she owes me?”
“It does, indeed.”
“Jill! Stop. You’re not helping.” Maci straightened the cups for the third time. “I’m very appreciative that he saved me from the fire, but I’m not the type that constantly needs saving.”
Dev nodded. “I’d be disappointed if you were.”
“Why do I feel like you have every intention of collecting on your perceived debt?” Maci’s heart both sank and skipped a beat at the same time.
“Oh,” Dev chucked her on the chin, “I have every intention of collecting. What good is an ‘I owe you’ if you never receive it?”
“Boom.” Jill clapped her hands together. “I really like this guy, Mace.” She leaned over in a conspiratorial whisper. “If you don’t go for him, I’m going to.”
“I can hear you.” Dev burst out laughing. “I’m right here.”
Jill winked at him. “You’re safe. I have a boyfriend.”
“Don’t you have a job to do?” Maci could barely ask the question through clenched teeth. Can this get any worse?
“Nope. I’m done for the day. Part time, remember?”
“Then be gone. See you later.” Maci turned to escape back toward the resort.
“Dinner.”
She looked over her shoulder at Dev. “Excuse me?”
“Dinner. That’s my reward for being your savior.” He folded his arms. “And I don’t mean here where you’re going to have a hundred distractions. My choice.”
“You’re at a resort in the middle of nowhere. There are only so many options.”
“Take it or be forever indebted to me.”
“Uh, Mace. I believe this invite counts as a date.” Jill clapped Dev on the back. “You’re doing great. She’s going to cave.” She waved and headed toward the parking lot. “See you tomorrow, bestie.”
“I’m revoking your best friend card.” Maci felt like a high schooler as she called after her friend.
Jill threw up her hands. “Whatever. You know you can never leave me.” She disappeared around the corner.
“My brother and I are like that.”
She turned back to Dev. “Close?”
“Like best friends. We have twin older brothers, and those two are really close, but Dalton and I do okay.”
“Age gap?”
He nodded. “Yep. About ten years between the first two and us two. We still do the family thing, though. Mom keeps us together.”
“Where is home?”
Dev threw up his hands. “Are we going to dinner or not? I need an answer so I can start planning.”
She decided to ignore his blatant disregard for her question. There would be other opportunities. “Okay, fine. Dinner. When and where?”
He grinned, and she felt that little tickle in her belly. “Right here, tonight, eight o’clock.”
“How should I dress?”
His hands rubbed together. “Casual. Nothing fancy.” He backed away. “I have to get the plan in motion, so I’ll see you tonight.”
She watched him walk away. Plan? How can he have a plan? And what the hell have I just agreed to?
END OF THE SAMPLE!
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