by Cindi Madsen
“Is it working for you? Because it’s not really working for me,” she said, and his stomach bottomed out. She didn’t want to associate with him anymore? Her face pinkened. “I know I’m the one who suggested we stick to friends, but I like you, Josh. The kayak ride and being up here with you—it’s all emphasized just how much. Once this trip is over, maybe we could go on a date. But if that’s not something you’re interested in, please stop me before I embarrass myself any further.”
He gently cupped her chin, tipping her face to his. Her expression was so open and vulnerable. It yanked at his heartstrings, so strongly he almost expected them to snap in half. “Of course I like you, Danae. If you haven’t noticed, I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
“You’ve tried, though?”
He huffed a laugh. “I did. I just had some trouble with the follow-through.”
“Me, too,” she said, the barest of smiles touching her lips.
Pressure built beneath his sternum. In another life, he might dive headfirst and kiss her without thinking things through. But the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, and a tiny voice whispered that they still didn’t want the same things. That they might be too different to pull off a full-blown relationship.
“Look, I’m glad we have the boat christening to look forward to, but…” Josh slowly lowered his hand, everything inside him protesting at letting go instead of leaning closer. “I’m asking that when it comes to this thing between us, you don’t insist on planning it all out. Let’s catch up at the ceremony and just see where it goes from there.”
“I… But what if…?” Her nose wrinkled, and reluctance drenched her words. “I can try. I think. Yeah. Maybe.”
It wasn’t the answer he’d hoped for, but better than the one he’d feared, where she insisted on more, and he had to admit he couldn’t give it to her. He lowered his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, soaking in the moment in case she wasn’t willing to take a risk with him. “Let me know when you have a firm answer.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Josh hadn’t been wrong when he’d taken her hand and said, “Guess we’d better hike back to the kayak before you get anxious about how long we’ve been gone.”
It had been on her mind as they’d been hiking, sure, and she’d glanced at the time once after taking in the gorgeous view.
As for their intimate chat and the moment when she’d been sure he was going to finally kiss her…? Well, in that instant, she hadn’t been thinking or worrying about anything.
She’d just been a girl who really wanted to kiss a boy.
Of course I like you, Danae. The words, along with the gentle way he’d cupped her chin, had robbed her of breath and short-circuited her brain. Residual butterflies rose as she glanced at Josh now, kneeling in the sand on the other side of Franco. Both guys were pitching in to help Paige pack up her umbrella and beach mat.
If only there hadn’t been that added but. The one he’d sensed was going to come from her but somehow ended up in her lap.
Let’s catch up at the ceremony and just see where it goes from there.
Like most real-life plot twists, she wasn’t a fan of being taken off-guard. Vague had never been her thing, either.
“So, we were talking,” Vanessa said, and Danae jerked her attention off the guy and the situation she couldn’t stop obsessing about.
Danae finished cramming her towel in her beach bag and scanned the faces of her team, who were all staring at the two of them. Why did she suddenly have the feeling that Vanessa had drawn the short straw? “You’re freaking me out. What’s going on?”
Her coworkers shared glances, and a pit formed in her stomach. What had happened? They’d come so far and grown so close. Why did it feel like there was about to be a coup d’état? She was hardly a dictator, so that seemed wildly unfair.
Danae stood and crossed her arms, afraid she’d need the protection.
“We don’t care about the Forbes mansion,” Vanessa said.
Paige advanced a step. “Yeah, we can see it when we sail by it tomorrow.”
Danae moved to adjust her glasses before remembering she wasn’t wearing them today. “But it’s on the schedule for today. That’s why we’re gathering our stuff to head back to the boat.”
“Right,” Paige said. “We were all talking, and it’s been such a busy trip, and relaxing on the beach has been so nice…”
“And Josh says there’s this hidden gem of a restaurant here where we can have a nice relaxing dinner,” Vanessa finished.
Danae’s gaze shot to Josh.
Josh held up his hands, as if he were facing down a mugger in an alley. “Don’t bring me into this, guys. I told you about the place as a fun fact, not so you could pull me into this battle. I’m fighting one of my own.”
One of his own? As in whether or not she was open to a willy-nilly type of relationship that could very well lead to a dead end?
Both frustrations stacked on each other, causing them to feel that much bigger. “Let me get this straight. You all want to stay here and then just sort of glance at the Elizabeth Islands as we sail past them and head back to Newport? Is that what I’m hearing?”
After looking at one another yet again, they all nodded and gave answers that boiled down to yes.
Then Vanessa gave Franco a shove, nudging him to the forefront of the group.
“Doesn’t a nice evening with good food, where we can relish our last night instead of rushing to our next destination, sound nice?” he asked.
Danae curled her hand around the bill of her baseball cap as she considered it. “If that’s what the entire team wants, then…”
Team. She blinked at the group, which had been full of mostly solo artists at the launch of their voyage, each person doing their own thing. Not anymore. They compromised and harmonized, and in the end, that was her main goal. “As long as we get into Newport early enough tomorrow, I’m okay with it.”
The entire group erupted in joyous shouts and hoorays, so clearly they hadn’t thought she’d agree to the switch-up.
“I’m so proud,” a familiar deep voice said next to her ear, and she turned to gaze into ocean-blue eyes.
Yes, she’d learned to adapt and change on this trip, too. To at least consider the flow, if not go along with it. While the slight shift would require a big sticker to blot out her planner entry for the day, she had full confidence that Josh would sail them to where they needed to be, and that it would all work out.
More than that, this change made sense. The team needed an evening off. It would only help their productivity come Tuesday morning at the office, and they did deserve it.
“What’s the name of this restaurant?” Danae lifted her phone. “I’ll call and make arrangements.”
“It’s a secret.” Josh clapped her on the back, as if she were some dude on his ball team. “But I’ll make sure they can accommodate us.”
“Right, but what about Fr—”
“Franco’s gluten allergy and Paige’s vegan diet? The owner and I are old acquaintances, and I’m sure he’ll gladly whip up a few options.”
No checking out the menu? No calling ahead to ensure they wouldn’t have a long wait? No finding the best, most efficient route there?
“You’re getting this cute little eye twitch.” Josh pointed at her eye, as if otherwise she’d be lost as to what he meant.
Danae slung her bag over her shoulder. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re enjoying this.”
“I’m afraid you might not know as much as you think.” His smug expression stirred up a frenzy of emotions and made her rehash their conversation on that wooden bench again.
There was so much promise permeating the air between them. Yet how could she possibly give Josh a firm answer when her brain insisted she needed assurance?
If he were truly intereste
d, wouldn’t he have agreed to a date? Or at least made a semi-sorta plan?
No, because he felt about plans the way she felt about the lack of them. Perhaps that meant they were too different, their lives destined to head in opposite directions.
That thought turned her butterflies into pebbles that rattled her insides before settling in one large lump. Then she was questioning every single thing all over again.
As he had earlier, Josh watched Danae’s reaction as they walked into the restaurant. The exterior was gray brick with faded blue-and green awnings, so she’d gotten a hint it wasn’t anything fancy.
A seascape was painted on the far wall, and a plastic marlin with a long pointy nose hung from the ceiling. The place had booths, which wasn’t abnormal for him, but he’d noticed that the group had avoided vinyl benches in eating establishments thus far.
Simon the third, who upheld his father and grandfather’s legacy, glanced up from the cash register, then grinned with pleasure. “Josh Wheeler.” He rounded the counter and pulled Josh into a big, fried fish-scented hug. Then he raised his voice. “Hey, Linda! Get out here and see who’s finally come to visit.”
Linda exited the kitchen through the big open archway and gave Josh a slightly less bone-crushing hug.
“I’ve been sailing with this group for a week now, and I told them they couldn’t head back to Newport without trying your food first.” Josh introduced everyone, and Simon informed them they were going to get the red-carpet treatment.
The group ordered large plates of fried clam strips, shrimp and scallops and oysters, fries, and coleslaw. Then they ate picnic-style, each of them scooping up a bit of this and a bit of that.
When Danae’s salmon cakes—which Josh had insisted she try—arrived, she skewered the pickle that had come on the side and dropped it onto his plate. Then she bit into her food. Her eyebrows rose as she chewed, and while Simon deserved the praise, Josh gladly took credit for the astonished gleam in her eye.
“This might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Ever.”
Simon showed up right then and placed a platter of onion rings on the table. “Aww, I appreciate that. Family secret, that one.”
Danae lifted a napkin to wipe her mouth. “It’s so good. I can’t believe I almost missed out. Do you happen to deliver to Newport?”
Simon chuckled, giving Josh’s shoulder a quick squeeze before moving on.
“So, how do you know Simon?”
“My parents used to visit Borne every summer. It was a nice quick sailing trip, and my grandparents owned a timeshare. Most people head to the north part of Cape Cod, but we always came to this southeast end. A lot of my best childhood memories took place here. And as I mentioned earlier, it’s my get-away-from-the-world place. Unfortunately, my grandparents sold their timeshare, so nowadays my parents stay in a hotel. If it’s just me, it’s easy enough to stay on my boat.”
Danae nodded, and then nodded some more. Something was going on in that head of hers. He was so curious as to what, but he’d have to ask her later, if they got a chance to be alone again.
Everyone remarked on how good the food was, and then Josh caught sight of Simon and Linda, who waved him over.
“Excuse me.” Josh wiped his fingers on his napkin and headed over to chat.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Mark gesturing to Danae’s salmon cakes, and then she extended the plate to him for a taste.
It’s not a big deal. I’m the one she’s been spending her free time with.
Simon wrapped an arm around his wife and bent his head, forming a three-person huddle. “Linda asked me if there’s something between you and the blond, and I told her she’d have to ask you.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” Linda whispered. “He wants to know as badly as I do.”
They glared at one another as if they couldn’t believe the other had outed them, and Josh hid his grin behind his fist.
“I’m still figuring it out, honestly. There’s interest. I’m just afraid we might be too different to make it work.”
“Oh, sugar, you’re going about it the wrong way.” Linda sandwiched his hand between both of hers. “Different works. You think me and this guy at my side are similar?”
Actually, he’d never thought much about it. Since they ran a restaurant together, he’d supposed they were. Hope flickered, doing its best to crowd out his doubts, but there were so many more of them. “What if we want completely different things, though?”
“That’s trickier. It’s also what compromise is made for.” Linda craned her neck to see around him, and if Danae hadn’t already suspected they were talking about her, she’d be aware of it now. “Who’s that other fella? He seems to be interested, too.”
Josh didn’t have to look to know who they meant. “They used to date. A long time ago.”
“Hmmm,” Linda said. “Is he a jerk?”
“I thought so at first, but sadly, no. I mean, not sadly, but…Mark’s a decent guy.”
“Hmmm.” For some reason, that one sounded graver than the last one.
“Why?”
“I’m calculating your odds.” Linda patted his cheek, the way she’d done when he was a kid. “Of course I’d put my money on you. You’re strong and handsome and kind, although you’ve attempted to hide the kindness since you and Olivia broke up.”
Broke up sounded so simple. They’d promised to love each other forever, and then ripped their merged life apart, and it had been far from clean. He never wanted to go through that ever again. He wasn’t sure he’d survive it.
“But that man looks like he’s regretting losing her. You should learn from his mistakes. You hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, because his mother had taught him manners.
As he turned to read the situation for himself, Mark’s longing was as plain as day. Josh imagined he wore a similar expression whenever he was talking to Danae.
This entire time he’d been so focused on getting her to take a risk, that he’d accidentally hesitated to take a real risk himself.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Danae was coming out of her cabin, pink cardigan in hand, when she ran into Mark in the kitchen area.
She had planned on snagging the cupcakes she’d picked up at a bakery and returning to the helm of the boat. The theory being that if she could stretch out her final evening with Josh a while longer, it might help her come to a firmer decision.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking, and”—Mark tugged on his ear, a nervous tic of his that caused her to tense up as well—“I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you for a couple days. It just never seemed to be the right time. Not to mention it’s been hard to find a moment alone. But I also don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”
Various excuses to put off the conversation flitted through her head, the ticking countdown of this trip still at the forefront of her mind. If she put it off, though, she’d fret about what Mark had been going to say as she tried to fall asleep later, and whether or not it was a concern about the campaign.
To prevent herself from forgetting the cupcakes, Danae slid the box to the edge of the counter and then rested her hip next to it. “Yeah, it’s been super busy, but lots of fun, too. Anyway, what’s up?”
“Yes. To the fun.” He laughed, an odd laugh she’d never heard from him before, and she shifted from foot to foot, the suspense killing her. “Guess I should just spit it out. I was hoping that I could take you out sometime. Like on a date.” Mark scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor, his eyes fixed on the movement. Slowly, he lifted his chin. “I’m a different person than I was six months ago. Spending all this time together in a more casual setting has reminded me of how many great memories we have. I was a fool to throw us away so easily.”
To think that he had regrets—well, she couldn’t help but be flattered. For months she’d wonde
red why he’d dumped her, her wounded ego craving closure. That part of her did a little leap for joy, a sense of justification coming along for the ride.
Still, if she put her feelings for Josh on one side of a scale and her feelings for Mark on the other, Josh’s side would outweigh Mark’s, no question about it.
Then again, Josh didn’t want to make long-term plans. He wouldn’t even commit to going out on a date. But that wasn’t the only complication.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Mark. After we broke up, I was pretty hurt, and it was hard to work together for a while. I just got this promotion, and I don’t want to do anything that might mess up my job or the new campaign.”
Mark exhaled, his shoulders deflating slightly. “I completely understand. But D, we’re both in better places in our lives, and this trip has proven how well we can work together when we put our minds to it.” He stepped closer and braced a hand on the counter as his eyes implored hers. “Promise me you’ll think about it?”
Standing in the tiny kitchen, across from the guy she’d spent nearly a year with, she recalled how easy it had been to be with Mark. He was straightforward, driven, and put a lot of effort toward work, and they had similar goals when it came to the future.
“Thinking happens to be my middle name,” she said with a smile, and Mark grinned back.
The blood in Josh’s veins burned hotter with each sentence Mark spoke to Danae, intensifying the toxic churning in his gut. The temptation to be overdramatic and burst into the kitchen called to him, so contrary to his usual personality that he wondered who he’d become.
All because he’d met a woman who drove him crazy in every possible way.
In order to avoid doing anything he’d later regret, he backed away, climbing the stairs as quietly as he could and returning to the helm. He’d been waiting for Danae there, his head up in the clouds like he was a teenager instead of a grown man. When it had taken awhile for her to grab a sweater and “a surprise,” he went to see if she needed assistance. Or if she couldn’t find her jacket and needed to borrow his again. As absurd as it sounded, he almost wanted to ask her to wear his jacket instead, so he could see her in the oversized garment again.