by Tamie Dearen
As they walked, the sea breeze blew her hair into her face, and she tried to tuck it behind her ears. Her only regret with her new style was that the some of the layers escaped a ponytail holder.
“There’s a hint of danger, I suppose. But I guess that’s part of the adrenaline rush.”
“I can see why you guys enjoy the thrill of doing something dangerous, but ziplining is about as adventurous as I’m willing to go.”
“So, we still can’t talk you into sailing with us tomorrow?”
“I’d be happy to go sailing if you were on a nice safe lake. There are too many things that can’t be controlled if your boat flips over in the bay, like sharks and riptides.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Katie, even your anxieties are well-thought-out.”
“That’s me. Organized phobias.” She shook her head. “It’s impressive how far Gary has managed to push me on this trip.”
A serious expression overtook his face. “About that… I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you alone. I’m worried about the two of you dating.”
She felt blood rushing to her face. So much for hoping Steven hadn’t noticed anything was going on between them.
“Why didn’t you say something to Gary, if you’re upset about it?”
“I did, but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks I’m interfering for selfish reasons. But the truth is I care about both of you. I think you’re setting yourselves up for a disaster.”
Though the sky was overcast, Steven reached into his pocket and retrieved his sunglasses as they approached another couple walking the opposite direction. The couple walked past, showing no signs of recognition.
“I appreciate your concern, but our relationship isn’t a long-term thing, anyway. I’m pretty sure Gary doesn’t even like me anymore.”
“That’s not the impression I got from Gary.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying Gary argued with me, because he wanted to date you. I told him it was a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong… He’s my best friend and a great guy. But he’s broken quite a few hearts in the last couple of years. Ever since—”
“Since Deanne broke up with him,” Katie supplied.
“He told you, huh?” Surprise registered on his face, but he recovered quickly. “Just do me a favor and be careful. I don’t want either one of you to get hurt.”
Gary must’ve decided to listen to Steven’s advice. Likewise, Katie didn’t want a serious relationship with Gary. She ought to be glad he’d ended it before they got any more attached to each other. So why did it make her throat feel like a rock was stuck halfway down?
Because of that stupid kiss—that’s why!
As they turned onto Main Street, bustling with tourists, Steven groaned aloud. Looking for the source of his consternation, Katie spotted a woman coming toward them on the sidewalk… none other than Lucille Sanderson and her fluffy white dog. In her crisply ironed dress and high heeled shoes, she looked like she ought to be on her way to church.
“Uh-oh!” Katie said.
“Any chance she won’t recognize me?” Steven murmured as they drew closer.
“No way.”
He might’ve gotten away with it, if Lucille hadn’t already seen them at Sweet Caroline’s the other night.
He took a deep breath, his chest expanding to stretch against his shirt. “Her name was Lucille, right?”
“Yes. What are you going to do?”
“You’ll see.”
Lucille waved her hand as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking their path. “Mr. Gherring, I’m so glad to run into you. My name is—”
“Lucille!” A brilliant smile split his face as he lifted her hand to his lips in gallant fashion. “The pleasure is mine.”
“Oh, my!” She giggled, flushing red from her neck all the way to her hairline. “You know my name, Mr. Gherring?”
“Please, call me Steven.”
“Steven,” she repeated, tilting her chin down and blinking her lashes, the thick black mascara contrasting with her blond hair.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve been looking for you, Lucille.”
“You have?”
“Yes. I noticed your beautiful dog.” He dropped to one knee and held his hand out for the dog to sniff.
“Her name is Princess,” Lucille said, her bright red lips spreading in a proud grin.
As Steven petted her, Princess danced in excitement, jewels sparkling on her blue collar, the exact same shade as Lucille’s shoes.
“You must tell me what breed she is,” said Steven, as he rose to his full height.
Princess yipped and bounced at Steven’s feet. “She’s a Bichon Frise,” said Lucille. “It’s a marvelous breed. They hardly shed at all.”
“That’s wonderful information. A dog like this will make the perfect present for my girlfriend. She’ll absolutely love it.” He turned to Katie. “Don’t you agree, Katie? Wouldn’t Margaret love a dog like this?”
“Sure.” Katie had to stifle a smile, when she realized Steven was essentially referring to his grandmother as his girlfriend.
Lucille’s smile faltered. “You have a girlfriend?”
Steven tilted his head toward her and spoke behind his hand. “That’s our little secret, Lucille. The general public doesn’t know.”
“Don’t worry, Steven. I can keep a secret!” Lucille beamed at him.
Steven pulled out his cell phone. “Would you mind giving me your number in case I have any questions?”
“Of course.”
Steven entered her number and lifted her hand for another kiss. “Thank you, again, Lucille. You’re a life-saver.”
Continuing on their way, Katie barely managed to keep her laughter inside until Lucille was out of earshot. “Oh my gosh! That was amazing!”
“One thing I’ve learned from my Gram… the best way to stop a determined matchmaker is distraction.”
Gary pushed his food around, his plate still half full, as opposed to Steven’s empty one. Not that the fried shrimp didn’t taste good, but watching Katie and Steven interact had poured acid into his stomach. Was he doing the right thing, pushing them together?
“This is a fun place,” said Katie. “With a name like The Surf Shack, I thought it might be kind of dumpy. But it’s nice.”
She took a long drink of iced tea, condensation from the glass dripping on her chin. Gary fought a sudden impulse to wipe the moisture from her face with his thumb, and maybe linger on her soft lips.
Stop torturing yourself, Gary.
“It’s nice to eat outdoors,” he said, happy to have secured them a table with a great view on the outside of the wraparound porch. “Steven? What did you think?”
Steven looked up from his phone. “It’s good.”
“Glad you like it.” Gary didn’t know whether to reprimand Steven for his lapse in manners or leave him be. Perhaps, if Steven was offensive enough, Katie would decide she didn’t like him after all.
“Excuse me for a minute.” Katie dabbed her lips with her napkin and stood up. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
Gary watched as she walked away, gorgeous calf muscles flexing as she glided between the tables, an ache rising in his chest.
“Steven,” he said, jerking his friend’s attention away from his phone. “Get off your phone—don’t you know that’s rude?”
“Sorry.” He glanced up. “But there’s an emergency I need to take care of. The office has been going crazy today.”
“Some things are more important than work.”
Steven tapped a few more times on his screen and set the phone on the table, turning his full attention to Gary. “What’s so important?”
“You and Katie.” Gary jabbed his index finger in the general direction for each of them. “Have you told her yet?”
Steven blinked three or four times. “Told her what?”
“You know… how you feel about her.”
“Oh, that! I
didn’t say anything to her, but I think she knows. Sending her to the hairdresser did the trick.”
“That’s not enough.” Gary tamped down his growing frustration. Maybe he should just let Steven blow it, so he could have Katie back. No. I have to do what’s best for Katie. “Listen, Steven, you need to show it and say it with words.”
“Trust me, she knows.”
“Then, what did she say? Does she feel the same way?”
“I’m sure she does, but honestly I’m happy as long as she keeps doing her job.”
“Steven!” Gary slammed his hand on the table, rattling the silverware. “For a smart and successful guy, you can be really dense. Do you expect me to do everything for you? You’re blowing the perfect opportunity, here.”
“I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about.” Steven looked at him like he was a flying pot plant.
“You said you were interested in Katie, so I’m stepping out of the way to give you a fair chance. I passed you the ball, and now you’re fumbling it.”
Steven’s jaw hardened. “In the first place, I never said I was interested in Katie.”
“You did! You said if Katie ever changed her mind about getting married, you might change your mind, too.”
“That’s called sarcasm, Gary. You know I’m not planning to get married. And if I decided to marry, I certainly wouldn’t date Katie and risk losing the best PA I’ve ever had.” Steven’s eyes did a slow roll. “And if I were interested in Katie, I wouldn’t need you to step out of the way. As if I’d have trouble competing for a woman’s attention.”
“Let me get this straight. You have no desire to date Katie?”
“I already told you that.” Steven’s hand flipped in the air. “And I ought to reiterate my opinion that you shouldn’t date her either, unless this is the reason you’ve been in such a foul mood the past few days. If that’s the case, I’ll stop protesting against the two of you going out. That’s how desperate I am to end your moroseness.”
Steven isn’t in love with Katie. Gary felt his chest relax enough for him to take a normal breath for the first time since ziplining. Of course, that only took care of half the problem. He still had to convince Katie to give him a chance.
Terrific… I just wasted two and a half days I could’ve been with her! Why am I so hung up on this woman I only met a few weeks ago?
Before Gary had the matter fully settled in his mind, Katie returned. Back at work on his cell phone, Steven frowned as his thumbs tapped out a message.
“Well…” Katie stood behind her chair, instead of sitting down. “Since the two of you are surfing this afternoon, I’m going to do a little shopping.”
Steven glanced up from his cell phone, pushing obviously frustrated fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Gary, but I have to bow out this afternoon. It seems there’s a crisis on our San Diego deal, and the client is demanding to talk to me, personally.”
“Anything I can do?” asked Katie. “Do you want me to set up a conference call?”
“Zimmerman’s already scheduled it for about fifteen minutes from now,” said Steven. “You’ve got plenty to keep you busy arranging that meeting in Paris. I don’t need you for this.”
“Okay. I’ll see you guys later.” She started to leave, but stopped and turned back. “I meant to ask about something… I invited some guests to the beach tomorrow. Do you know if that violates the rules for Indigo Bay Resorts?”
“I think that’s allowed, but I can check with Zoe,” said Gary.
“Okay, thanks.”
As she made her way toward the exit on the breezy porch, her shorts exposing her shapely legs, Gary realized he was missing a crucial opportunity to make up for lost time.
“Katie! Wait up!” He didn’t bother to say goodbye to Steven, who barely registered his departure. “Want some company?”
“I’d love it.” Her brilliant smile was like the sun rising after a long stormy night.
13
Katie wasn’t sure what to make of Gary’s decision to tag along on her shopping trip. If what she’d told Nicole was true—that she didn’t want a permanent relationship with Gary—why was her heart singing a Broadway tune simply because he was with her?
The sidewalks were fairly crowded in the quaint little tourist town, though practically empty compared to New York. While plenty of people had stared at Steven as they were walking toward the Surf Shack, for some reason that hadn’t bothered Katie as much as the women who now eyed Gary. Not that she had any claim on him, but wasn’t it rude for those women to look at him like they could eat him for dessert while she was walking right beside him? She’d never felt so invisible in her life.
No doubt, he deserved the attention. He looked like a walking billboard for a male fitness magazine. His muscles were everywhere—arms, legs, back, stomach—and his t-shirt and board shorts did little to disguise them. They were the kind of muscles she liked best—well-defined, without being too bulky. Evidently a lot of women shared her opinion, but Gary seemed oblivious to the attention.
“There’s Happy Paws… Do you want to go in the pet shop?” he asked.
“I’d be tempted to take one home, and our apartment doesn’t allow pets, except for goldfish. I’m just aiming for the Chocolate Emporium to get something for Nicole.”
She was annoyed that she’d missed Gary the past two days, while their lack of interaction had obviously not bothered him. She’d been thinking they only had a short time in Indigo Bay, so they should take advantage of every opportunity to be together. Yet even today, Gary was only with her because Steven cancelled out on surfing.
Two girls, who had to be in their teens, giggled as they passed Gary, one of them licking her lips and throwing in a snide comment about someone being “yummy.” Katie’s foot wanted to accidentally jump into their path, but she forced it to behave. And she barely stopped her mouth from mumbling something about coming back when they were out of there training bras. Except they’re both more well-endowed than I am.
Gary pointed across the street. “On the way back, let’s hit that store—Sands and Such. I think it has souvenirs, and I want an Indigo Bay coffee mug.”
“I went in there the other day and got a beach hat. There’s a ton of cheap touristy stuff.”
“We should go to the Trixie Cone,” he said. “I know you love ice cream.”
“I do, but I’m stuffed.”
“In my family, we have a saying. ‘There’s always room for ice cream, because it melts and fills in all the air spaces in your stomach.’”
“Your family sounds more fun than mine. Dad would probably be talking about how ice cream raises your cholesterol.”
As they passed a jewelry store called Coastal Creations, two attractive women emerged. Like almost every female who crossed Gary’s path, they gawked at him with flirtatious smiles that practically shouted, “I’m available!”
Katie glared until she caught their gazes, and the two wisely averted their eyes.
Inside the Chocolate Emporium, a woman named Eva helped her choose an assortment for Nicole.
“I’d love to try your specialty, those caramel chocolate-dipped apples.” Katie’s mouth watered as she perused the delectable treats. “But my roommate doesn’t like caramel.”
“Maybe she’d like chocolate-covered almonds,” Eva suggested.
“That sounds great,” said Katie. “And let’s add some of those chocolate truffles with the dark chocolate centers.”
Eva wrapped up the chocolates and arranged them in a small box. When Katie had paid for her selections, Gary said, “Can I have a half dozen of those dipped apples? What would you like on the outside, Katie?”
“Gary, I don’t need anything. I’m actually trying to lose a few pounds.”
“This could be our last day on earth,” he said. “Don’t deny yourself this pleasure. Besides, you definitely don’t need to lose any weight. You look perfect. Absolutely beautiful.”
Embarrassed by his declarat
ion, she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Okay. Thanks, then. I guess I’d like to try them with nuts and Oreos.” Gary had complimented her more in one week than Joseph had in five years. Had Joseph ever said anything that sweet and affirming? All her memories were of his criticisms. She couldn’t help wishing, once again, that she could be the kind of woman he needed. Maybe, if she psyched herself up, she could overcome her fear of the ocean, and go sailing with him tomorrow.
As they left the emporium with their treats, he caught her elbow. “Come with me. There’s one more place I want to go.”
His hand slid down, his fingers lacing with hers. It felt right. Whatever she’d said to hurt him, he must’ve forgiven her. Was it okay to let herself enjoy this time with Gary, or should she hold him at arm’s length? His Superman-blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he flashed a grin that warmed her inside.
No way I’m holding Superman at arm’s length.
He led her down Main Street, past Sweet Caroline’s to a building with “Seaside Cycles” on the sign. Inside were dozens of motorcycles and ATVs.
“Good afternoon?” asked a man who looked fiftyish. “I see from your bag you’ve been to the Chocolate Emporium. One of my favorite places.” He patted his belly, smiling. “Where are you folks from?”
“We’re from New York,” Gary answered. “Down here until Saturday, but I wish we could stay longer. Indigo Bay is fantastic. So much to do.”
“Yes, I love it here. My name’s Jeff Brewster.”
“I’m Gary Lassiter, and this is Katie Carson.” Gary was scanning the bikes with a huge grin, like a little boy in a pet store. “I see an interesting bike over there.” Gary wandered to the far right corner where a fancy-looking motorcycle gleamed in the overhead lights.
Jeff and Katie followed behind him.
“That’s one of my custom jobs.” Jeff said. “Isn’t she a beauty?”
“She is.”
Gary caressed the gleaming handlebars with such adoration, Katie wished she had the money to buy one for him.