Page 81 of Catch and Release

A few minutes later, Charlie walked out the automatic sliding doors dressed in a baby blue sundress and a beach hat, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze and tanned skin glowing underneath the sun. She grinned when she saw Willa.

“Ugh, let’s never go this long without seeing each other again,” Charlie said, tugging her into a hug.

“Deal,” Willa said as she wrapped her arms around her best friend.

They put Charlie’s luggage in the back seat and hopped in the car.

“So what’s the plan?”

“The plan?”

“For the weekend!” Charlie said, exasperated. “Aren’t you going to show me around, introduce me to some locals, charm me into moving here?”

“You would never move here.”

“Well, not with that attitude.”

Willa laughed. “Tonight, we’re fishing off the wharf. I’ll teach you how to throw the cast net. Shawn will probably come over.”

Charlie fanned herself. “Can’t wait to meet the hot neighbor. His six-pack better be as amazing as you said it was.”

“The Bingo Ball is tomorrow night,” Willa continued. “So we can just take it easy tomorrow. Maybe go swimming or something.”

“As long as my hair doesn’t get wet. I just got it colored.”

Willa rolled her eyes. “I sweet-talked Shawn into taking us on a boat ride on Saturday.”

“By sweet-talked, do you mean you sucked his dick until he agreed?”

“I plead the fifth,” Willa laughed. “And Saturday night, we’re having a girls’ night with my friends from the hotel. Takeout, rom-coms, the whole nine.”

“And then Sunday, we’ll nurse our hangovers?”

“Just like old times.”

“Perfect.”

Shawn’s first impression of Charlie was that she probably devoured men with those scorching eyes and innate sexuality. Of course, he only had eyes for Willa.

His second impression was that she had a lot to say. And she had no problem saying it.

“Can I see your six pack?” Charlie asked.

Shawn’s eyes widened and he glanced at Willa, who’d covered her mouth with a hand in an attempt to hold back laughter.

“Uh…” Shawn wasn’t sure how to answer.

“It’s just that Willa said your abs are amazing, and I’m not convinced they’re any better than other abs we see at the yoga studio all the time. You know?”

Shawn looked at Willa again, whose shoulders were now shaking with silent laughter.

“I guess?” he said, then lifted his shirt up.

He shifted a bit under Charlie’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Wow,” Charlie said, nodding appreciatively. “Willa was right. Your abs are amazing. Never seen anything like ‘em. You even have the V and everything. Can I touch them?”

Shawn dropped his shirt and looked at Willa in alarm, who had abandoned all pretense of hiding her laughter and now was doubled over in hysterics.

---