Page 41 of A Wedding in the Bay

He grinned at her briefly, his chest puffing up a bit with pride.

So far no one seems to have noticed that we like each other, Johanna thought, glancing back at the rest of their group. They all seem none the wiser.

She chuckled quietly to herself, wondering what they would say if they knew that she and Everett were dating.

As the night wore on, it was clear that everyone was having a great time. They all chatted and laughed together as they played, and Johanna and Everett kept finding moments to murmur things to each other and flirt in secret.

When the game finally ended, she had the best bowling score out of anyone, and Everett grinned at her when Dane announced it. He seemed proud and impressed even though she’d beaten him, and her heart picked up its pace in her chest. She couldn’t wait until she got to talk to him.

Still talking happily about the game, the members of their group put their regular shoes back on and began to walk toward the shoe rental counter. Johanna was just about to follow them when she noticed Everett hanging back. She hesitated and then hung back as well, her pulse picking up a bit.

“What are you doing?” she whispered as he glanced around to make sure no one was watching them.

He stepped forward and pecked her on the lips. “I didn’t like the idea of the night ending without me getting to kiss you,” he said, grinning.

Her heart fluttered at his sweet words. “I’m glad you did,” she whispered.

For a moment, they stood there smiling at each other. Then they heard Alissa laughing in the distance, and the sound broke them out of the little bubble they seemed to be in.

“We’d better catch up to the others,” she said, sighing. “I’ll go a little ahead of you.”

She squeezed his hand and then hurried toward the shoe counter.

Everett followed a few footsteps behind her, keeping up the pretense that they were just acquaintances. Even though he wasn’t beside her anymore, her heart was still racing with excitement over their kiss, and how fun their evening together had been.

I think this is becoming a real thing, she thought happily as she returned her bowling shoes. The way we get along together is really something special.

Once everyone had returned their shoes and their bowling balls, the friends stepped outside into the winter night. Overhead, stars gleamed brightly, and the wind felt refreshingly cold against their faces.

They called cheerful goodbyes to each other as they walked to their cars. Johanna and Everett shared one last secret glance, and she couldn’t wait until the next time she saw him.

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Josie glanced at the clock for what must have been the hundredth time and sighed. She felt as though her workday was never going to end. It was her bachelorette party that night, and she hadn’t felt so squirmy during a workday in a long time—perhaps not ever.

Outside, it was a beautiful sunny day. She knew that it was bitterly cold outside, but inside, it was warm and cozy, and the sunlight made the outdoors look pleasant and inviting. Josie took a sip of the peppermint tea that she’d made for herself and glanced back down at her to-do list. She’d already gotten everything done that she needed to do that day, and she tried to convince herself to start getting ahead on tomorrow’s work. She felt restless and jumpy, however, and it was hard for her to concentrate.

I’m so excited, she thought. I can’t wait for tonight.

Her bachelorette party was going to be a low-key affair—the plan was just to gather with her friends for games, drinks, and treats, but she still felt giddy with excitement over it. She grinned, realizing that most of her excitement stemmed from the fact that Paige was going to be there that night. She hadn’t seen her little sister in a long time, and she couldn’t wait to hug her and spend time with her.

She glanced at the clock again. Only a minute had passed, and she sighed, feeling as though her workday was never going to end.

She heard a laugh and glanced over at Alissa. Her friend was watching her, and it was clear that Alissa had seen the way she was checking the clock.

“You want to get out of here or something?” the other woman teased.

Josie grinned. “I have to admit I do. I feel so wiggly with excitement over tonight. I’m trying to convince myself to get started on tomorrow’s to-do list, but I’m finding it hard to concentrate.”

Alissa chuckled. “Girl, get out of here. There’s no reason to stay if you’ve already gotten all your work done. You can leave a little bit early, that’s totally fine.”

Josie squirmed, feeling torn about it. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t I be on hand in case something goes wrong?”

“During the last half an hour of the workday? We’ll be fine.” Alissa grinned at her. “Today’s a big day for you! You go ahead and get out of here. If there are any unexpected fires, Dane and I can cover for you.”

Josie bit her lip for a second, and then nodded at her friend. “Okay. Thanks.”

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