Page 39 of Letting it Ride

I shuffle the cards again and bend them in a bridge as they snap back into place.

Tomorrow is my big chance. All day with Cam. And it might be my last chance. Because once we get back on board after our day in port, we’ll be in Miami by the next morning.

It’s now or never.

15

ADDISON

To:[email protected]

From:[email protected]

Subject:Favor

Hey Addie,

When are you going to be back in town? Chris and I are in town house-sitting and watching the dog for Maddox and Holly while they’re on their honeymoon. We would love to see you. Have a favor to ask, too.

Loveyou!

Josie

We’re scheduled to dock in Nassau this morning. When I wake up, we’re already here. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, feeling for the ladder with my feet before shimmying down.

Cam was nice enough to pay for an excursion for the two of us, and even though I’m pretty sure he just feels bad that I can’t afford one on my own, I’ll take it.

Because I really,reallywant to make the most of this day.

Getting to hang out with Cam is just the delectable cherry on top.

I peek at his bed, finding him still snoring, which is for the best since I’m not wearing shorts—just a pair of bikini briefs under my tank top, my only PJ option this week. He’d better get up soon, though.

I grab my outfit for the day before I duck into the bathroom and get ready.

The plan is to sightsee in the morning and check out the markets and other tourist destinations. The afternoon is going to be spent doing an ATV tour of the island. I’ve never ridden an ATV, but Cam assures me it’s basically like a high-powered golf cart, and therefore something even I can handle.

It’s not that I’m abaddriver. It’s just easy to getdistracted by conversation or changing the music or looking at the deer on the side of the road. And I’ve never been in a car accident for real. Just a popped tire from hitting the curb too fast, and the time I accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way street.

No one else was on the road. It was fine.

I look through my clothes in the closet and settle on a pair of soccer shorts and a t-shirt. It’s cute enough to walk around, and sporty enough to hike or get dirty on the ATVs.

Pursing my lips, I tap my finger on my chin. Should I bring anything? I shouldn’t need much for the day, but I grab my backpack just to be on the safe side. I don’t want to have to come back to the ship if I don’t have to, and I’m sure things like sunscreen are marked up beyond belief in a tourist destination like this.

I toss my phone in alongside the Coppertone, an extra shirt just in case, and my wallet with my passport tucked inside. That should be enough. I’m not even sure I need my wallet, since I know Cam isn’t going to let me pay for anything today, but there’s always a chance he’ll let me buy him a beer or some lunch. The information from the cruise said we didn’t need passports to get off the ship, but to bring it when we leave.

Cam wakes up with a snort and a groan as I zip the backpack. “What time is it?”

There’s the Cam I know. Not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination.

When he and Maddox would stay at our house during college breaks, he’d never appear until 10 a.m. or later, usually bleary-eyed and searching for coffee.

I’m not exactly a morning person either, at least not all the time. But if there’s something exciting going on, the adrenaline is better than coffee, and I can be up-and-at-em with even the earliest of early birds.

Cam isn’t one of the grumpy types, most of the time. He just looks bleary and confused until after he’s brushed his teeth, which is better than hostile, like my freshman roommate. I woke up at 5 a.m. to take a shower and get going one day when we were supposed to head up to the mountains to ski, and she locked me out of our room while I was in the dorm’s communal bathroom.

“Almost nine. We just docked, but since our ATV thing isn’t till this afternoon, you can sleep in more if you want.” I sling the backpack onto my shoulder. I’m ready to get going, even if Cam isn’t.

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