Page 76 of Unexpected Hero

Gripping her under the arms, I tug her upward. When she’s about halfway up, a big gust of wind skates past us, flipping her dress up to her waist.

Thank you, coastal breeze.

Purple with black lace across the top.

My two new favorite colors.

She lets go of my forearms to push it back down. “Oh shit!” I maintain my hold and keep lifting her.

“I didn’t see anything.”

“You’re a liar,” she says with a chuckle.

If only she knew how true that was, she wouldn’t find it funny at all.

Once she’s upright, I guide and lower her to the bench. Her hair is askew, blowing wildly in the wind. Taking the opportunity to live out another one of my little fantasies, I run my hands through it in a combing motion and tuck a bundle of soft strands behind her ears.

She inhales crisply, holding her breath for a moment before easing it out in a lingering stream. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Edging away, I straighten my posture and scan the area. I need a minute to separate myself from her. If I don’t clear my head, I’m not sure what I’ll do. I might confess every secret I’ve kept from her and beg her to forgive me. Or I might hoist her up onto the picnic table and make a meal out of what I’m sure is a heavenly pussy.

She shakes me back to the present. “The sunset is beautiful here.”

I don’t answer. She didn’t ask me anything.

Tracking her line of sight, my vision sweeps beyond the dunes, catching on the white spume of the cresting waves. What remains of the sunset shimmers off the ocean. The orange glow blending into purple and blue hues easily transcends the majesty that any artist could bring to a canvas.

Drawn closer, I take the seat on her left. Our backs rest against the table, and our legs stretch toward the water.

For several minutes, we sit in silence, taking in the beauty of the sun slipping below the horizon.

“You know, I think... I think this is why I came here.” Her words are wispy and low as if carried by the breeze.

“The beach? Sunset?”

She nods, keeping her eyes trained on the waves and darkening night sky. “Yes to both. I remember this when I was a little girl. We came here on vacation. I think we stayed in a rental on the beach. Or it might have been a hotel. I’m not sure. A lot of the details are fuzzy. But I vividly remember playing in the sand until the sunset, often staring into the ocean. I was waiting for a mermaid to pop up.” Her smile spreads, molding her face into pure joy and radiance. “Mama and Papa kept trying to get me off the beach, but I wanted to stay. For hours, I’d run back and forth into the surf to fill up my bucket with water to make my castle bigger.” She sighs wistfully. “It was the happiest time of my entire life.”

“That’s a nice memory.”

Her hair comes loose again, wildly streaming in the wind. When she turns to face me, the pinks and purples of the evening sky behind her surround her silhouette, enhancing her already striking beauty.

She pats her hand twice on my thigh, just above my knee. “This is a nice memory too. Minus the probably-broken toes.”

I tear my gaze from her, my eyes searching for something as captivating as her.

There’s nothing even close.

Even at the most picturesque time of the day, with a perfect sunset over one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, there’s nothing as breathtaking as Lettie.

“James?”

My jaw pinches tight as I prepare to look at her again. “Yes?”

“Since I don’t work at the club yet, would you kiss me? Just once more. If I’d have known it was all I was gonna get, I’d have savored it more.”

She’s fucking killing me.

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