by LuAnn McLane
“Let’s head to the deli and order subs. Is a sandwich okay? They’re really good here.”
“Sure. I haven’t had a sub in forever. An Italian sub sounds so good, and I’m getting hungry.”
Jesse squeezed her hand, leaned in, and whispered, “I worked up quite an appetite this morning.”
Ava put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “Me too!” she whispered.
Jesse thought she looked so cute with flushed cheeks and her hair in a ponytail, which swung back and forth while she walked. She wore a flowy, floral beach cover-up and flip-flops, and was sporting a gaudy ornamental daisy that she’d found hilarious and insisted she had to wear. Other than mascara and petal-pink lipstick she’d triumphantly dug out of her purse, she was fresh-faced, but she had a glow about her that he hoped he’d put there.
Ava pushed a small cart that soon overflowed with snacks, including Bugles, cheddar cheese Pringles, and chocolate chip cookies. Ava found her favorite chardonnay and Jesse snagged a six pack of his Beachin’ beer. Wanting to balance out all of the junk food, Ava added a bag of raw veggies and yogurt dip before they headed over to the deli and ordered giant subs.
Ava raised her eyebrows at the cart and winced. “We shouldn’t shop while hungry.”
“My cart would look like this anyway, minus the veggies,” Jesse admitted with a chuckle.
They turned the corner, but Ava put her hand on his wrist and whispered, “Go down the next aisle, quick!”
Jesse nodded, not liking the stricken look on her face. “Ava, are you okay?” he asked, wondering why her sunny mood had suddenly changed.
“I just spotted A² and Not-So-Angelic!” She looked over her shoulder with big eyes.
“What do you want to do?” Jesse asked, hoping that if they ran into the pair he wouldn’t punch A² in the face.
“Let’s just look at the stuff on the shelves,” she said, picking something up.
“We’re standing in front of condoms and lubricants, Ava! Put those Magnums back,” Jesse warned, but as if on cue, Anthony and Angelica immediately turned down the aisle.
Ava tossed the big box of condoms into the cart and it landed on top of the Bugles.
“Well, well,” Anthony said with an arch of one eyebrow. “Look what we have here, Angelica.”
Angelica’s eyes rounded, but Anthony smirked.
Jesse noticed that Ava had a white-knuckle grip on the handle of the cart. Okay, he’d try his best to keep his cool, but if that asshat said one shitty thing to Ava, he’d deck him right on the spot.
“Anthony,” Ava greeted him tightly. She gave a pointed look to Angelica, who was staring at Jesse. “Angelica,” Ava said, and Jesse noted that the buxom, overdone blonde was entirely different from her.
Angelica spared Ava a slight glance before turning an adoring gaze back on Jesse. She stuck out her hand. “Jesse . . . Heart! It’s so nice to meet you,” she said, and then Jesse realized she would have been the right age to have been a Heartbeat fan.
Jesse shook her hand, but when he failed to exchange pleasantries, Angelica persisted. “I’m such a big fan of Heartbeat,” she gushed, drawing a scowl from A².
“Thank you,” Jesse said, noting that Ava was trying to discreetly move the box of condoms below the Bugles, and he nearly laughed.
“I have a Heartbeat station set up on my Pandora,” Angelica said. “I listen to it when I work out. The songs give me energy!” she said brightly.
Jesse didn’t know how to respond, but A²’s scowl was pretty damned entertaining. Usually he was overly polite to fans, but this was Not-So-Angelic standing in front of him. “That’s nice,” he said blandly, but she didn’t seem to notice. He glanced at Ava, who was trying to block the couple’s view of the cart without much luck.
“We should get going,” Ava said, but Anthony’s cart was blocking their way.
“Let’s bounce,” Jesse agreed, drawing a nasty chuckle from Anthony.
“Bounce?” Anthony sneered. “Oh, right, I guess you must be stuck in the nineties. Makes sense to want to go back to your long-gone glory days.”
“Excuse us,” Ava said sharply, and Anthony seemed to react to her use of us. When the asshat peeked into their cart, he narrowed his eyes at the contents. Jesse could see the moment when Anthony spotted the extra-large condoms, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.
“Come on, Angelica,” Anthony commanded tersely. Jesse noted that their cart was full of colorful fruits and vegetables. He nearly shuddered when he spotted a big bag of what must have been kale. “We need to get back to our beach house and make our smoothies,” Anthony said with a disdainful look at Ava’s cart of goodies. “Really, Ava?” Anthony asked with a snicker. He gave her a once-over and his eyes widened as he clearly noted the silly daisy in her hair. “Dear God, what were you thinking?”
“I’m learning to live a little,” Ava said lightly.
“You mean die sooner?” Anthony sneered.
Seeing red, Jesse flexed a fist, thinking he was going to deck the asshat in a few seconds. There was going to be a massive cleanup in the condom aisle.
“At least I’ll die happy,” Ava shot back.
Jesse wanted to give her a high five.
“Let’s go,” Anthony said in a nasty tone to Angelica.
“But I want to get a selfie with Jesse,” Angelica whined, shooting a hopeful smile at Jesse.
Jesse hesitated but Anthony shoved Angelica forward, saving him from having to refuse. He looked at Ava watching them hurry away, trying to get a bead on her state of mind. “You okay?”
Ava lifted her chin a notch. “Yeah . . . better than I’ve been in a long time. What in the hell did I ever see in that creep?” She reached into the cart, picked up the Magnums, and burst out laughing. “Ohmigod.”
Jesse tossed his head back and laughed with her.
Ava put the condoms back on the shelf, but then paused and picked up a bottle of lubricant promising all kinds of heightened pleasure. She arched an eyebrow at Jesse but then quickly put it back when someone headed down the aisle.
“I thought you didn’t want to get tongues wagging, my little minx,” he whispered in her ear.
“Maybe I no longer care,” Ava replied with a shoulder shimmy.
“Attagirl,” Jesse said, but he hoped that she meant it. Although there weren’t many people in the store, there would be talk of Jesse being out and about with a woman. And if there had been an altercation with the asshat? He didn’t even want to think about it.
“Let’s go, home skillet. I want to get out on the water.”
Ava smiled. “Me too.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
Ava felt the warmth of the sunshine on her face and smiled at the gentle bobbing of the boat. Jesse lounged beside her on the bow of the cabin cruiser. “This is the life.” She sighed with happiness.
Jesse reached over and took her hand. “Sure is. Sometimes I take for granted the beauty of where I live.”
“Mmmm, well, you shouldn’t.”
“Maybe it just took someone special to make me appreciate what I have.” He smiled, squeezing her fingers. “Do you miss the city?”
“Yes, sometimes,” she admitted. “I do love Chicago and I long for my parents, Grandpa Gigi, and Nonna. I haven’t been back home since Christmas.”
“Any plans to visit soon?”
“Yes, probably after the dance competition,” Ava said, wondering what her parents would think of Jesse. She could picture him at the restaurant, charming everyone.
“I know you moved here to get away from everything.”
“Some things.”
“So, do you like it in Sea Breeze?”
Ava knew what Jesse was getting at with his questions. “I miss my family and sometimes the bright lights and big city, but I feel more relaxed here. I don’t see myself moving back. And honestly, I thought I thrived on the ballroom competition, and I suppose I did when I was doing
it, but I really don’t miss it. The pressure, the grueling schedule—it isn’t a lifestyle I want to go back to at all.” She turned her head to look at him. “I’m sure you must have the same kind of feelings about your Heartbeat days.”
Jesse nodded. “You’re right. For a moment there, after the reunion and Mom’s hit song, there was part of me that craved the spotlight, the excitement, but I wanted a regular life. And seeing Grady, Oliver, and Jimmy all so happy made me want the same thing. People dream of fame and piles of money.” Jesse shook his head. “Neither one of those things means a damned thing.”
“Don’t forget that you brought joy to a lot of fans, Jesse, all over the world!” She gave his shoulder a nudge. “I had a poster of Heartbeat on my wall growing up.”
“Did you ever see us in concert?”
Ava lifted her sunglasses up and winked at him. “I did when I was eleven. I was in the fifth row, and I was sure that Grady waved at me.”
“Grady! Are you kidding me?” Jesse looked put out.
“You were my friend Shannon’s favorite,” Ava said, laughing. “Oh, come on now . . .”
“What?”
“If anyone had asked me back then if I ever thought I’d be right here, right now, I would have said they were crazy. I never gave it any thought—well, some thought but I didn’t really think too hard on it until—”
“Tell me what the hell you’re trying to say.”
“I never fully understood what it would be like to be with one of the famous Heart brothers until Not-So-Angelic couldn’t hold her shit together around you.” She put her sunglasses back down. “Ha!”
“Please tell me you were feeling kinda smug.”
“I guess that’s not very endearing.” She bit her bottom lip and winced. “But, yeah, I was,” Ava admitted, mostly because she knew it would make Jesse happy.
Jesse grinned. “Sweet. Hey, are you ready for a swim?”
“Absolutely. And then I’d love to do some shelling. This little cove is just gorgeous. And private.”
“I know. A friend of mine owns the home beyond the mangroves. It’s his beach and he’s gone for the month, so I knew we would have it to ourselves.”
“Smart thinking.” She tapped her temple.
“I have my moments.” He stood up and offered her his hand. “Ready to jump in?”
“Is it deep enough?”
“Eight or ten feet, and the depth finder is accurate. Come on.”
“I’m an easing-myself-in kind of girl.”
Jesse arched an eyebrow. “Well, I’m jumping in with both feet. I’m not holding anything back,” he said, making Ava aware that he wasn’t just talking about going for a swim. Her heart skipped a beat and she couldn’t hold back a smile. And with that, he did an athletic backflip over the rails and into the water, making Ava put a hand to her chest, but he surfaced, grinning. “Come on in, my little mermaid.”
“Is it cold?”
“Not too bad.”
“That means cold.”
“Okay, head to the stern and I’ll put the ladder down for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, thoroughly impressed with the sleek boat that slept six and had a bathroom and a full kitchen. And Jesse looked damned sexy driving the boat with ease. She made her way past the front windshield and into the seating area. Jesse was already letting the metal ladder down into the water.
“Come on in, the water’s fine,” he said.
“Do you have floats? I’m not big on treading water.”
“Lift up the bench seat and you’ll find life jackets. You can slide your legs into the armholes and they work like a charm.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll take one too, please. And the beer is cold, if you want one.”
Ava grinned. “Meaning you do.”
Jesse slicked his hair back. “Please.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” she said with a salute.
“Thank you, First Mate.”
Ava smiled as she went below for the beer. After locating it in the fridge, she found two koozies in a cabinet beneath a compact kitchen area. Looking around at the gleaming teakwood and stainless steel appliances, she thought it would be pretty sweet to cook on the boat. “Cool . . .” She peeked at the bed at the bow and marveled at it, thinking about what it’d be like to sleep on the boat and . . . well, other things. “Wow,” she whispered, bringing the cold bottle to her warm cheek. Just thinking about making love to Jesse got her all hot and bothered. And while seeing Anthony had been unpleasant, she realized how different it felt to be with Jesse. She closed her eyes, and for a moment she regretted all the time she’d wasted with someone so callous.
And then it hit her. Maybe holding back—no, fighting—her growing feelings for Jesse was just another waste of time. Her heart thudded at the thought. He’d made it clear that he wanted to pursue a future, so why should she hesitate? She licked her lips, suddenly sure of herself, and yet fear still crept down her spine. Just enjoy the day, Ava told herself, and stop overthinking.
Putting a smile on her face, she headed back out into the sunshine and handed Jesse the beer.
“You’re a doll,” he said. “Hand me that life jacket and I’ll show you how it’s done.” He put his beer on the back ledge of the boat, leaned back, and put his feet through the armholes. “See?”
“I really thought you were kidding,” Ava said.
“Come on in and I’ll help you.”
Ava put her beer down and held on to the ladder as she slowly climbed down into the water. “Ohhhh, it’s cold.”
“You’ll get used to it.” He put his arms around her and kissed her neck, causing a warm thrill to slide down her spine. “Okay, put your feet into the holes,” he said, holding the life jacket in place for her.
Ava struggled, laughing, until she was finally upright and bobbing in the salt water. “I feel silly.”
“Well, you look cute.” He reached for her beer and handed it to her. “They actually make upside-down life jackets called Floaty Pants.”
“You’re making that up.”
“I tease you not, but this is the way we’ve done it since I was a kid.” He tapped his beer bottle to hers. “To a fun day on the water.”
“Thank you for bringing me here, Jesse. It’s beautiful.”
“I want to show you all around Sea Breeze eventually, but today, I want you all to myself.” He leaned forward, pulled her close, and kissed her. “I want you wrapped around me. Maybe these life jackets weren’t such a great idea after all.”
Ava laughed and then took a swig of her beer. “Oh my gosh!”
“What?”
“Over there!” She pointed with her beer bottle. “A dolphin!”
Jesse twisted around and looked.
“That’s so cool!”
“We’ll see more,” Jesse promised.
Ava marveled at the beauty of their surroundings. The sound of the water lapping against the shore, the warmth of the sunshine, and the tang of salt on her lips were simply sublime. “Oh! Something’s nibbling at my toes!” Ava said with a little jolt of alarm, but Jesse laughed.
“Fish. They’re harmless, but I don’t blame them. I’d like to be nibbling at your toes too.”
Ava laughed when she felt the little nips. “Are you getting nibbled too?”
“Of course. I’m super tasty,” he said, bobbing in the water like a cork.
Ava wanted to have a sassy comeback to Jesse’s comment, but all she could think about was how she wanted to have a nibble of him too . . . and maybe a lick or two. Or ten.
For the better part of an hour, they frolicked in the water, spotting more dolphins, and a manatee that came close enough for Ava to feel alarmed.
“They only eat plants,” Jesse assured her. “My cute little city girl.”
“I think I can adapt to salt life just fine.”
“I never had any doubt,” he said, flashing her a grin. “It’s fun doing some serious loafing.”
; “Serious?”
“I take my loafing very seriously. I could give you lessons.”
“Mmmm, maybe.” She slid him a sideways glance, admiring his broad shoulders and bare chest. “But right now, I’d like to—” She stopped and licked her bottom lip, tasting salt.
“Go shelling?”
“No.”
“Fishing?”
“Nope.”
“Snorkeling?”
“Not right now.”
Jesse scratched his chin.
“I’m thinking I’d like to rock Heartbeat.” She pointed to the sleek cabin cruiser with the boy band’s name scripted in red across its stern.
“Oh . . . oh!” Jesse said, and paddled so hard over toward the ladder that he nearly toppled over. “Come on, home skillet,” he said over his shoulder, but Ava was right on his heels. Jesse moved aside for her to go first. He helped her get out of the upside-down life jacket, making her laugh when it was a bit of a struggle. He tossed both jackets onto the boat. “After you.”
“Ever the gentleman.”
“Mmmm, and the hero, to protect you from circling sharks.”
Ava laughed, but then hurried up the ladder and turned around. “You were kidding, right?”
“Yes, damn, you’re on to me now,” he said, swiping his hair back from his face.
Ava arched an eyebrow. “Not yet . . .” she added with a saucy grin that had Jesse nearly slipping on the ladder rungs. Ava laughed, loving that she could be herself with Jesse, and as soon as he was up the ladder, she made the first move and tugged him into her embrace. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait.” She pulled his head down for a long, steamy kiss.
“Sorry?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers.
“Not sorry.”
“Tell me what you’re thinking right this minute.”
“That I was lost for a long time, not myself, not happy. But right this minute?”