“Hey, sis. Having fun?”
“I’m a confused mess.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Talking about my ex with you the other day really stirred up a lot of emotions.”
“I know; I’m sorry about that.”
“No, don’t be. I needed to get it all out and I’m actually glad that I did. But now that I’m here in paradise, hanging out with a madly attractive guy who is so much fun to talk to, I realized exactly how much of a hot mess I am. I told him the sordid tale of the wedding.”
“Oooh, who’s this guy?”
“He’s actually one of the realtors I work with. Did I ever mention Luke to you? He’s the one who was dating the broker’s daughter. Only now, he told me he broke up with her and is keeping it a secret.”
“Wait, I believe, you did mention that you hated him.”
“Hate is a strong word. But, yeah, I didn’t like him at all. But things have changed a little.”
“Sounds like they’ve changed a lot if he’s suddenly described as ‘madly attractive’ and ‘fun to talk to.’ So fun to talk to, in fact, that you spilled your secrets.”
“We had a bonding experience when we went kayaking together. Then we went on a romantic dinner cruise as a consolation prize for having our kayak attacked by a shark. Then he took me mini-golfing when Victoria was being horrible to me.”
“Whoa, I am really out of the loop here. Back up and start at the beginning.”
Joselyn relayed the events to her sister, who quietly listened on the other line. Joselyn wished it was a video call so she could gauge Sam’s reaction by her expressions, but she didn’t want to switch it over now.
The only time Samantha interrupted was when Joselyn mentioned Chris. “I haven’t seen him in years. That is so awesome you ran into him.”
“He asked about you. The hotel needs a new chef in one of their restaurants.”
“Oh, that would be amazing. I definitely need the job. Serenity Shores sounds incredible. But, hey, you’re distracting me from your story. Keep going.”
Joselyn finished with her last conversation with Luke, and Samantha clicked her teeth over the line.
“Joselyn, are you going to let your stupid ex ruin this for you?”
“That’s all you have to say after everything I said?”
“I really like the sound of this guy. You clearly like him now, and he likes you. Give him a chance. It’s not a commitment to anything. If he wants to take you out, why don’t you let him and see where it goes?”
“It is not as easy as you make it sound.” Joselyn stood up and glanced around to be certain no one else was around. “Victoria would fire me in a heartbeat. She thinks Luke is still with Gina.”
“Victoria doesn’t have to find out. Especially if Luke is leaving, right?”
“I think you’re really oversimplifying this.”
“You have every right to be careful. Not all men are like your ex. There are some great men out there, like Chris.”
“You like Chris?”
“What? Noooo…”
Joselyn wasn’t convinced. “I didn’t know you had a crush on him. He’s five years older than you, right? Yeah, he was in college when you started high school.”
“I don’t have a crush on Chris. I’m merely using him as an example of a good guy. He was Daniel’s best friend and he was always there for us when we needed help, right? Like a member of the family.”
Joselyn vaguely recalled Chris and Daniel helping Dad take care of the yard. “I guess.”
“I want you to be happy, Joselyn.”
“Being Luke’s friend makes me happy.”
Samantha sighed heavily. “Then go be his friend and see where things go. Hey, you better get going to that dinner. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Bye.”
“Samantha…”
“Bye, sis.”
The call ended and Joselyn sighed and shook her head. She really should go by and see Chris and get his number to send her sister. How had she missed Samantha’s interest in their brother’s friend? Joselyn smoothed down her dress.
She really needed to at least be seen at the dinner once more, but she’d likely run into Luke again. Hopefully things wouldn’t be awkward now. Luke would be going off on his own soon, and she probably wouldn’t ever see him.
Maybe all she needed to do was to strike up a friendly conversation to smooth things over.
Back in the event room, Luke was relieved that no one was still at his table. Everyone was up and chatting. Time to network and forget about Josie for a little while.
Some people were dancing, but most were drinking and chatting.
He got into a few extremely dull conversations, met an interesting broker from a branch in Savannah, and snagged some good contacts, all while avoiding Victoria. Going out on his own had him nervous but excited.
As things were winding down and the crowd was thinning out, he spotted Josie talking to an older gentleman. They shook hands, and she turned around and met his gaze. She raised her hand to say a silent hello.
He sent her a little wave in response; then she walked toward him.
“Hey, I wanted to talk to you about earlier.” Her voice was soft as her eyes searched the room. Most of the other agents seemed to be on their way out.
“What’s up?” He hoped his tone sounded only casually interested.
“I really appreciate you confiding in me. I’m sorry I rushed out.”
“How is Chris doing?”
“Oh, I didn’t actually make it to see him yet. I’m hoping he’s working on getting me an autographed copy of one of Krista’s books.” She folded her hands together. “But, Luke, I want you to know that I’m glad you feel you can trust me.”
Luke waited, heart pounding, hoping this conversation would go to the place he wanted it to. “I know what you went through was terrible.”
She nodded. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, Luke. I’d like it very much if we stay friends.” She swallowed.
There it was. Just friends. His heart dipped, but a glimmer of hope was in her smile. He offered her his hand.
“I thoroughly enjoy being your friend.” Friends was a place to start, an opportunity to spend more time with her, and he would take it. There wasn’t much else they could do right now, anyway. He knew full well starting a relationship with her here was dangerous. Kelly was already suspicious.
He offered her his hand and she accepted it. They shook on it.
The nerves in his hand buzzed from her touch, and he didn’t let go when she did. When she stared down at his hand, he dropped it immediately.
“Luke, there you are.” Victoria adjusted the thin strap on her shoulder. “It is horribly hot in here. See what you can do about it.” She turned her attention to Josie.
“Joselyn, I want to talk about your numbers. I know you have a closing coming up, but I want you to see to it that next month you at least double your sales.”
Luke withheld a growl that threatened to erupt in the back of his throat. Victoria never seemed to let up this trip.
“Luke, aren’t you going to see about the horrific heat in here?” Victoria’s eyes narrowed.
“Of course.” He reluctantly left Josie’s side and headed off to speak to the manager. There was nothing wrong with the temperature as far as he could tell. It was summertime in Florida, but the hotel was pleasantly air-conditioned. But there wasn’t a soul who could successfully argue with her.
He turned his head back to check on Josie. Her back was straight and her muscles tense. It made his blood run hot despite the air-conditioning
Chapter Sixteen
Joselyn wandered outside by the pool and breathed in the fresh, salty air. She was finally away from Victoria for the evening and it was amazing. A live band was set up on a small stage on the other side of the pool area, playing a jazzy tune.
Families were all around, watching children playing in the water, and she made her way closer to the music and claimed a
n empty chair.
A woman sang a slow, sad song, and Joselyn leaned back and slid her feet out of her heels. She wasn’t ready to head upstairs yet, even to change out of her formalwear.
This was the life, she thought, sitting by a pool surrounded by tropical plants. The palm tree branches swayed in the ocean breeze.
Serenity. It was right here.
Definitely not inside talking to Victoria. She hoped things would improve once Luke left. But even if they didn’t, working for Victoria was the most prestigious position any realtor in Atlanta could aspire to. She was in a slump right now, but she would get her sales back up. It was hard to imagine her doing better with another company. Still, she wished she had the courage to strike out on her own as Luke planned to do. Working with him sounded like fun, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to do more than give a little design advice here and there. It would be dangerous, wouldn’t it?
Her feelings seemed to take on a mind of their own when she was near him. She had no business trusting him. It hadn’t been that long that they’d been getting along, and Cameron had showed her she was a terrible judge of character.
As she listened to the music, she imagined helping Luke choose designs for the master bath in the house he was flipping.
She probably needed therapy.
“You like jazz?” Luke dragged a chair over to sit next to her.
He sent her his million-dollar smile, still sizzling hot in his black suit and tie.
She stammered as her heart hammered in her chest. “I…uh…love almost all kinds of music.”
“What kinds do you dislike?”
Her mind became a blank slate. Come on, think. The last thing I need is for him to know how every thought flies out of my brain just looking at him in that suit.
“Uh…let me think. There’s got to be at least one song in every genre I can appreciate.”
“That’s cool. I mostly listen to Top 40 radio. I can really go for this jazz though.”
They listened to the rest of the song; then the singer announced they were taking a break.
“Thanks for helping me out in there with Victoria.” Joselyn jerked her head toward the building.
“Happy to. I hate how Victoria’s acting.”
“Good thing you’re getting out, huh? ’Cause if you tell her you’re sleeping through class one more time, she might kick you to the curb.”
“Well, yes…” Luke clicked on his phone’s screen and groaned. “No emails yet.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin. “They’ll keep me in suspense long enough to make me crazy.”
Without a thought, she said seriously, “You need a distraction.”
Luke raised his eyebrows. “What do you have in mind?”
She grasped his hand in hers and squeezed it as she stood and led him toward the boardwalk.
“The beach fixes everything.” They weren’t dressed for the beach, but she didn’t care.
“Everything, huh?”
They quickly reached the steps leading down to the sand. Luke peeled off his black jacket and hung it over the railing, then unbuttoned his top buttons and kicked off his shoes.
Joselyn slid out of her shoes and they trudged across the warm sand several paces before she realized she was still holding his hand. He hadn’t pulled away. His fingers in hers seemed so natural, even as her skin prickled with goosebumps.
They stopped at the water’s edge and let the ocean crawl over their bare feet in a thin layer.
“I hope this is a good distraction.” Joselyn inhaled slowly, wondering how long they could hold hands like this before it became awkward. She released him, but he took hold of her hand more firmly and moved closer.
“It’s perfect.” Joselyn’s leg muscles became as watery as the ocean beside them.
He stared at her, seeming to look through her as he inched even closer. She placed her hands on his chest to steady herself, and his eyes flitted to her lips as he leaned down closer to them.
Joselyn moved her hands to his shoulders, knees feeling even weaker, and pulled him in farther.
Staring at his lips, she inched even closer, and Luke needed no further invitation. His lips brushed against hers ever so lightly. Her heart pounded out an erratic rhythm as she returned his kiss and deepened it, slipping her arms around his neck.
Sand slid out from under her feet as the small wave rushed back to the ocean and she held on to Luke more tightly.
Everything around them seemed to disappear. When he broke the kiss, she found herself breathless as he leaned his nose against hers.
The sound of someone shouting startled Joselyn and she stepped back.
“They’re getting rowdy over there with that volleyball game.” Luke jerked a thumb to point to the game she somehow hadn’t noticed when she had been thinking about the feel of his hand in hers.
“I’m sorry.” Joselyn shook her head and took another step back. “Someone from the office could have seen us. This isn’t a good idea.”
“I think it’s an amazing idea.”
“Are you serious? Victoria will fire us both.”
“There’s no one we know out here.” He stepped closer.
Joselyn pushed on his chest to stop him. “We can’t.”
“I’m sorry.” He stepped back. “It wasn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable.”
“Can we still be friends?”
“Of course, but…after I leave Southern Homes, if you ever want to come with me…”
Her voice caught in her throat as she stared into his enchanting eyes. “I can’t, Luke. I…” She paused and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t.”
Luke stared at his feet a moment, then met her gaze again. “I understand.”
“I, uh…need to go.” Joselyn darted around him before he could see her eyes water. Leaving Victoria to work with him was a risk she couldn’t afford, financially or emotionally.
She was falling in love again; she could feel it. Only this time, it was stronger and sweeter than before. And there was nothing more terrifying.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning, Luke grabbed a muffin from a little café off the lobby and worked his way to the first class of the day. He really should forget about Josie when he had so much to figure out. He still needed a plan for leaving Southern Homes. Perhaps forgetting Josie would have been simple before their beach walk and the kiss that rocked his world.
Don’t think about that.
Mixing love and his professional life was bad news. He should have that tattooed on his arm. He paused in the hall to unwrap his breakfast and took a bite.
Thoughts of Josie’s soft lips on his the night before had his heart clenching in his chest.
He made his way down the hall as dozens of other realtors went the same direction. No sign of Josie yet.
“Hey, there.” Kelly slipped out from the others and sidled up beside him.
“Good morning.”
“Where did you and Joselyn sneak off to last night?”
Luke lifted his shoulders. “What are you talking about? We didn’t sneak anywhere.”
“You went for a walk with Joselyn, didn’t you? I saw you both leave.”
His muscles went rigid and the hair on the back of his neck began to itch. “I left the dinner a little while and went for a walk outside. Then I came back.”
“Between last night and you two disappearing from the restaurant…” Kelly’s eyes were wide, waiting for his explanation.
“Josie and I are friends and there is nothing going on.” With her rejection of him last night, he was pretty confident there wouldn’t be anything further. He jerked a thumb at the door to her left. “I’ve got to go before I’m late.”
As he walked in the doorway, Luke squeezed his muffin and squished it, crumbs spilling from his hand. He tossed it in the trash can in the corner by the door.
Kelly was really complicating things. He and Josie didn’t need rumors spreading.
Josie was sitting in the
front row with her arms folded. She was as beautiful as ever in a short blue dress with her hair twisted into a cute bun on her head. His heart did a flip and he gulped. He sat in an empty seat at the end of the row. It wouldn’t be a good idea to sit behind her where he could stare at her silky hair.
A woman in a blue pantsuit stepped to the front of the class with a stack of papers in her hands.
“Welcome, everyone.” She grinned as she scanned the room. “I’m Raelee Carlisle from the Southern Homes office in Augusta. This is my Supersonic Sales course and I need every single one of you” —she jabbed a finger at several in the audience— “to participate this morning. We’re going to be role playing.” She handed the papers to Josie. “Please take one and pass it down. You will each receive a hypothetical situation and your assignment is to do your best to improvise and make the sale. Then we’ll discuss what worked and what didn’t and ideas of how we can improve.”
Raelee walked over and tapped the number at the top of Josie’s paper. “Your partner will have the same number at the top of your paper. Read over the situation listed, then you” —she indicated Josie— “come up to the front along with the other person who has a number one on his or her paper.”
Sure enough, there was a large number one on top of the paper in his hand. He sighed. Josie probably wouldn’t like this matchup. She was to be a realtor trying to sell an older home in a historic district and he was to be a difficult buyer who wanted to renovate it.
Josie moved to the front of the room, and her face reddened when Luke went to stand across from her. She twisted her lips while tightly squeezing the paper in her hands. As much as Luke wished things wouldn’t be awkward between them, they very obviously were.
“You’re kidding,” she mumbled.
That was annoying. He hadn’t planned this. Was teaming up with him so bad?
Things seemed like one step forward and two steps backward when it came to her.
“You okay?” Luke whispered.
She nodded but did not appear okay. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she shifted her weight between her feet.
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