by Aileen Fish
He looked up, his light blue eyes peering at her. Amazingly, his face was even more gorgeous than his body.
“I’m Molly. I’m here for the surf lessons.”
He gave her a bright smile, revealing a dimple on only one cheek. He set the white piece of something, wax maybe, on his surfboard, reached out, and shook her hand. “It’s great to meet you, Molly. I’m Sean.” His voice was deep but soft, perfectly suited to the sexy, surfer thing he had going on.
Someone had painted a mural of a mermaid beneath the window, and through the open door she could see racks and racks of surfboards inside. She set her beach towel and phone on the edge of the low deck that surrounded the building as she admired the painting. “This place is great.”
“I’m glad you like it. Are you ready for all of this?”
The surfboard in front of him looked huge, and she wondered how she would even get it in the water. “I’m a little nervous. I’ve never surfed before.”
He gave a light laugh. “I’m a good teacher. It’ll be an adventure.”
“I’m not sure if my date has ever surfed.” She hoped they would be beginners together, so that she didn’t make a fool of herself. “I haven’t actually met him yet.”
Sean’s brow creased and his mouth parted, but he didn’t say anything.
She knew it sounded crazy, and she didn’t blame him for not knowing what to say. “I’m not sure if they told you the situation when they set this up. This is a blind date.” Just saying the words made her feel embarrassed about the whole thing, especially explaining it to this handsome surf instructor.
He nodded slowly. “They told me.”
Meg, her friend from high school, had invited her to try out the new matchmaking site. She’d been about to decline the invitation when she accidentally mentioned it to her boss, who thought it would make a great column for the relationship section. “I’m just doing this for my job. I’m writing a story about the whole experience.”
He rubbed his hand across the side of his face that had the slightest shade of stubble. “So, you’re a writer?”
“I write for a women’s magazine. It’s called Gloss and Glitter.”
“I think I’ve seen it in the checkout line. What do you write about?”
“Relationships. Dating. That kind of thing.” The people at the magazine liked to refer to her as a “relationship expert,” whatever that meant. She certainly didn’t have any official qualifications other than writing for the magazine for the past few years. “That’s how I got myself into this blind date.”
He squinted, the blues of his eyes almost disappearing. “And you’re going to write about it?”
“A feature article. We’re doing a whole social media push to build up to it. I’m going to be posting photos of my adventure.”
She glanced around. “So where do you think this guy is?” she asked, wanting to get the awkward first introductions out of the way. Being late wasn’t the best first impression.
He shifted, looking uncomfortable. His gaze met hers. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your date isn’t coming.”
Panic rose in her throat. Had he stood her up? Had he seen her and changed his mind? Had he found out her name and googled her? Why would he back out at the last minute? What was wrong with her that she couldn’t even get a blind date? They only had seven days, and she was on deadline. She couldn’t fly back home to New York without an article for her editor. Not only was her promotion at risk, but it would also be additional humiliation after her last relationship debacle. “What do you mean? Did you talk to Dawson at Perfect Match? He set this all up ahead of time.”
“I’m really sorry. Maybe you could reach out to him, and he could find you someone else.”
Oh, she’d talk to Dawson. She’d give him a piece of her mind.
****
Sean watched as Molly walked away. Man, what had he been thinking? She was beautiful with that blond hair and that smile, and he’d just turned her away. A few hours surfing with a woman like that would have been a good way to spend a day. But what else could he have done?
He picked up the surfboard he’d picked out for her, carried it inside the little two-room building, and stuck it back on one of the racks that lined the walls.
He shouldn’t have gotten himself into this in the first place. When the creator of the dating website had come to the hotel to scout out the island, the owner of the hotel had decided the site could bring in more business. Part of the deal included a promise that Sean’s boss would convince all of his single staff to sign up for the new site. Sean had balked at first, but his boss insisted, and Sean’s refusals were starting to draw unwanted attention to him.
He went to the small front desk and sat in front of his ancient computer, which he used to schedule lessons and take payments. A few minutes later, he’d emailed Dawson to let them know he wouldn’t be able to go through with the week of dates.
Sean had uploaded a photo of himself surfing because it had been taken from far enough away to obscure his identity, but he’d struggled to even fill out his profile. What was he supposed to say? Seeking fellow loner who prefers sea turtles to humans? It wasn’t that he was anti-social. He just valued his privacy. Sean wore his solitude like a pair of sunglasses. Keep out the unwanted and don’t let anyone see too much.
Her talk of working for a big magazine had been a grave reminder that he needed to stay alert and do his best to maintain his privacy. As beautiful as she was, sending her away was for the best. He shouldn’t have agreed to the date. He was getting too relaxed.
He stepped back out into the bright sunlight. Two women in bikinis stood in the sand, looking up at him. One had a long brunette braid, and the other wore a wide-brimmed straw hat.
“Oh, hey,” the woman with the braid said. “We wanted to know if you rent out umbrellas.”
“No, sorry. Just surfboard rentals and lessons here. If you’re staying at this hotel, the guys on the pool deck can help you.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Do I know you? You look so familiar.”
His spine stiffened. “I don’t think so, unless you’ve been to the hotel before, and I work at the bar sometimes.” Hopefully, he’d waited on her this week, and that was how she remembered him.
Her friend gasped. “You know who he looks like?”
His stomach lurched. He took the sunglasses hanging from the neck of his shirt and slid them on his face.
The woman pointed at him. “He looks like that kid from that television show about the family who lived out in space. You know, the one from when we were kids? What was his name? Teddy?” She hit her friend on the arm with the back of her hand. “Teddy Thomas?”
His jaw tightened. “No. Sorry. I’m Sean.” It had been awhile since he’d been recognized. It never got easier. He hated lying, but it was a necessary evil. As the years passed, fewer and fewer people saw the resemblance. Not even his coworkers had noticed. Of course, who would think a famous child actor would now be on this tiny island teaching surf lessons? But this life was the life he wanted and the one he’d chosen for himself and his teenaged brother. He didn’t want anything to screw that up.
The girl with the braid nodded. “He does look a lot like him,” she said as if he weren’t standing right in front of them. “I had his poster in my locker in seventh grade.”
He couldn’t wait to get out of this conversation. “Would you like me to call the guys on the pool deck? I bet they would have an umbrella waiting for you.”
“Didn’t he have red hair?” the woman in the hat asked.
He looked down the beach to see Molly walking toward him. What was she doing back here?
“Sean,” the brunette said, pulling his attention back. “What are you doing tonight? Maybe you could take us around town. Show us where the locals hang out.”
“Can’t. Sorry. Check with the concierge desk. They’ll be able to give you a great list of bars and restaurants.” Molly stopped at the corner of the
shack, waiting. “If you’ll excuse me…”
He left the two women and walked over to Molly, relieved to have an excuse to escape. Even better that it was Molly.
She lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
He glanced at the women, who were heading back toward the hotel pool. “You didn’t.”
Her attention moved behind him. “I think I left my phone here.”
“Um.” He spotted the cell beside the building. He picked it up and handed it to her. “Here you go.”
She wiped sand from the screen and clutched the phone to her chest. “I can’t believe I left it. I always have my phone with me.” She swiped her finger across the screen. “I need it to call the guy at the dating site. I think I have his number in here somewhere.”
The air rushed out of his lungs. “You’re going to call him now?” he asked, trying to hide the dread he felt. Would Dawson tell her that Sean was, in fact, the man she was supposed to go out with today? He hadn’t thought this through before sending the email. Molly would think Sean was a complete jerk, and maybe he was for not being upfront with her.
She looked up from her phone. “Absolutely. He needs to know that the loser stood me up. What kind of man does that? I flew all the way here, and then he doesn’t show.”
She was right. He’d put her in a huge bind. “Molly.” The word was filled with remorse. He had to come clean. She deserved that.
Molly held up a finger, the phone already to her ear. “Dawson. Hi. I’m so glad you answered.”
*** End of Excerpt ***
Molly
by
Julie Jarnagin
Buy Here
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Fish is an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. Her books include The Bridgethorpe Brides series and the Small-Town Sweethearts series.
Stay up to date with book releases at her website http://aileenfish.com or on Facebook
Do you like your romance steamier? Check out http://arithatcher.com!
Finally, if you have a bit of time, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review. Your opinions can help readers find books that are the right fit for them, and are always very much appreciated.
Other Books by Aileen Fish
Excerpts and buy links are available at http://aileenfish.com
Regency Romance Novellas
A Bride for Christmas
The Mistletoe Mishap
The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation
Her Secondhand Duke
Chasing Lord Mystery
His Heart for Christmas
The Duke Who Loved Her
Once Bitten
Earl of Basingstoke (Crossover with My Sweet Scoundrel and Bridgethorpe Brides)
My Sweet Scoundrel Series (Regency)
The Rake Takes a Wife
Kissed by a Scoundrel
That Miscreant Marquess
Regency Tales Series
Masquerading as a Miss
Rescuing Lord Ravenscliffe
His Elusive Nightingale
The Bridgethorpe Brides Series (Regency)
His Impassioned Proposal
The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley (print and ebook)
Charming the Vicar’s Daughter
Her Impetuous Rakehell
Captivated by the Wallflower
One Last Season
Captain Lumley’s Angel
Betting on the Duke
Love’s Promises series (Victorian America)
The Lieutenant’s Promise
Anthologies
A Christmas Courtship
Regency Christmas novellas: The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation, A Bride for Christmas, and The Mistletoe Mishap.
A Summons from the Duke of Danby
The Duke of Danby summons his unmarried children home for Christmas with an ultimatum. Marry, or he’ll choose a spouse for each one. Include The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation.
The Duke’s Christmas Summons
The Duke of Danby is at it again, only now he’s working on his grandnieces and nephews. Includes A Marquess for Christmas.
Charmed at Christmas
Seven Regency Romance novellas: A Bride for Christmas, The Mistletoe Mishap, The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation, Chasing Lord Mystery, A Marquess for Christmas, His Unsuspecting Heart, and His Heart for Christmas.
Once Upon a Happenstance
The three Regency Tales novellas: Masquerading as a Miss,
Rescuing Lord Ravenscliffe, and His Elusive Nightingale
Contemporary Romance
Anthologies
Sweet Christmas Kisses
14 Sweet Christmas Kisses, a bundle of G- and PG-rated contemporary romance novels and novellas from USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Includes Christmas in White Oak.
Sweet Christmas Kisses 2
19 heartwarming and wholesome novellas from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Includes The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride.
The Small-Town Sweethearts Series
Cowboy Cupid
The Cowgirl and the Geek
Christmas in White Oak
The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Young Adult
Cat’s Rule (In the anthology Wild at Heart Volume II)
Outcast (Apocalyptia Book One)
Paranormal
The Lives of Jon McCracken (print and ebook)
Children’s Picture Book
My Cousin has a Broken Heart (all proceeds are donated to the American Heart Association through Reid's Roundup)
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Excerpt Molly by Julie Jarnagin
About the Author
Book List