Page 30 of Deep Tide

“Sea Isle,” he said, nodding down the beach.

“Oh, that’s right. You said you had a condo. How is it?”

“Fine, if you don’t mind drinking games at two a.m.” He rolled his eyes. “The people above me were having a rager last night.”

“That’s a Sunday thing. Sundays and Fridays.”

“Oh yeah?”

“They’ll probably quiet down by tomorrow.”

He smiled slightly. “How do you know?”

“Most people rent for the week or the weekend. People generally like to party the first night.”

He had three days’ worth of beard now, and it looked good on him. She turned to the surf again. He smelled like sunblock and male sweat, and she had no idea why the combination put butterflies in her stomach.

“Sounds like you’re an expert,” he said.

“I am, unfortunately. The apartment beside mine is a short-term rental.”

He was watching her closely, obviously picking up on the fact that she’d been crying just now. He turned to look at the water.

“Nice cat out there.”

She followed his gaze to the catamaran farthest away. “That’s the Eclipse.”

“It’s big. Looks about sixty feet.”

“Bigger, I think. It belongs to the hotel. They do sunset cruises every night during the season.”

“Is it the season already? Late April?”

“The season runs pretty much Easter to Labor Day. But Memorial Day is when we really get going. That’s why Joel and Miranda wanted to get married now, before the real rush starts and the police get swamped.”

And just like that, her thoughts boomeranged right back to the topic she’d been trying get out of her mind by going out for a run.

She looked at Sean. “So, how’s the fishing going?”

“Don’t know. I haven’t gone yet.”

“No?”

“I slept in.”

She watched his eyes closely. “Oh yeah? And what did you do today?”

“Not much. Hung around the condo, mostly.”

She shook her head and looked away.

“What?”

She sighed. “Sean.”

“What?”

“I grew up in a tourist town. I can spot guys’ bullshit a mile away. What are you really doing here on this open-ended trip? And don’t say fishing.”

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