Page 10 of Between Two Shores

Heat flushed through her cheeks, and she quickly offered her cone to take the attention away from herself. “Do you want a bite? It’s so good.”

“I’d love some.” He held out his cone to her too. “Try mine. Butterscotch.”

With their arms crossed, she first took a bite of his. Lachlan took a chunk of hers, but before he pulled away, Beth gave a small push and squashed some ice cream over his chin.

She laughed. “It’s juvenile, I know. But I couldn’t resist.”

He chuckled, grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser on the wooden table, and proceeded to wipe his face. Next, he rubbed the paper onto her forearm. “Take that.”

“I deserve it.” She couldn’t hold back the bubbles of laughter. Lachlan had a way of releasing her to be free and have fun. She did slip into serious mode way too often. Beth needed today as a lesson on how to live again. Life wasn’t meant to be all work and giving out to others. This beautiful island is here for people to enjoy, and enjoy she would.

“I like you, Beth.” He leaned back, holding his ice cream. “I hope we can catch up again before I leave. Can I visit your community centre over the weekend?”

Her lashes fluttered in surprise, along with her stomach. What did he mean by like?

“Sure. You’re more than welcome.” Now her dad would find out that she’d been hanging around sailors. Great. “It’s called Harbor of Hope. In Fremantle. Starts 8 a.m.” But to see that beaming smile of Lachlan’s would be worth the interrogation from Dad.

“Awesome. I’ll bring some buddies with me.”

She tucked some hair behind her ear. “How long are you in town?”

“We leave on Monday.”

Her heart sank. Why—she didn’t know.

He reached out and touched her hand. “Hey. We can keep in touch. Send emails.”

She mustn’t be good at hiding her disappointment. Beth pushed out a laugh and flittered her gaze to the napkin dispenser, reluctant to reveal any more of her thoughts to him. “That’d be nice. To remain friends.” She bravely connected with his eyes. “You’re like water to a thirsty soul, Lachlan. I could do with more friends like you.”

He squeezed her hand, then removed his. “I feel the same way.”

They finished their ice creams in comfortable silence. Her teeth crunched into the last piece of the cone. Would they stay friends via email? Would that be a good thing or not?

Lachlan arched his back and rubbed his belly. “That hit the spot.” Then he leaned forward and threaded his fingers, elbows on the table. “I took it upon myself to do my part of the investigating.” He grinned. “I asked the ice cream lady a few questions and if she remembered the name of the interested developers.”

She straightened. “And?”

“Pacific Master Builders. National company. They’re loaded with cash. The gossip is that someone offered a government representative a bribe but he refused. After that, the developers laid low to avoid potential infringements. The council member didn’t report it, just gave them the warning to back off.”

Beth widened her eyes. “Now that’s a reason for the developers to get nasty. It sounds like they’re the corrupt type to offer bribes in the first place.”

“We should find more answers back in town. But let’s go for that swim.” He stood and waved for her to join him.

Beth exited the change rooms at Little Salmon Bay. With snorkel around her neck, but no flippers, she easily made her way to the shore. She squinted across the glaring beach sand to Lachlan, waving her over from the water. He had no shirt. Fantastic. Just the torture she needed—to be close to Lachlan’s muscled torso.

She tugged at the ends of her bather shorts as she walked, making them longer, even though they were well beyond modest. Lachlan didn’t seem reserved. Guys could get away with showing extra skin. Her brothers didn’t wear surf shirts either. She simply needed to relax. With a shake, she stepped into the cool water. The wet sand crunched between her toes. The gentle waves lapped against her knees.

Disappointment plagued her mind. She didn’t know any married men who’d kept Lachlan’s fit physique. By the time she finally married, she’d be forty and never get to run her hands over—Bethany Michaels, stop it. She winced. Oh, if her father could see her now, she’d get thirty-one minutes of timeout. She laughed on the inside. But the wave of truth hit her. Her future Aussie hubby would have a beer belly. Or more appropriately, a food baby. Gee. So unfair that most women made a considerable effort to stay attractive for their man, but rarely the other way around.

“You’re frowning, Beth. Is it too cold for you?”

She shook her head.

Lachlan lifted his brows. “What are you thinking about then?”

She waved her hand in the air. “The travesties of life, but there’s no point worrying about things I can’t change.”

He crab-crawled over to her, staying low in the water. “On a small scale, we can make a difference.” He stood, and water cascaded over his sculpted body. “In our little worlds, we can do our part.” He circled his finger between them, stepping closer. Too close. “What’s something I can do to help change that travesty in your mind?” He pretended to drill her temple. “You worry too much.”

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