Page 66 of Captiva Book Club

“That makes sense,” Claire said.

Maggie sat back in her chair and sighed. Ciara chimed in. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter in the end. They’ll go off and have their date at the wedding, and if they click, they click, if not, there was no harm done.”

Maggie wasn’t so sure Ciara was right, but there wasn’t any point in worrying about it now. If they were in trouble for a little snooping and match-making, she couldn’t see what the complaint would be. Regardless of the outcome, she’d made herself clear. She had more important things to do than stick her nose in where it didn’t belong.

CHAPTER 23

The sun had barely risen when Luke carried keys and paperwork to the Powell Water Sports jet ski kiosk. The early morning was his favorite time on the beach—quiet, peaceful, a perfect place to think. His brother, Joshua, usually manned the kiosk at this hour, but Luke had taken over today, hoping the solitude would help him sort through everything on his mind.

He leaned against the counter, staring out at the waves as they gently lapped against the shore. But instead of the usual calm the Gulf water brought him, Luke felt a knot of tension in his chest.

His mind kept circling back to his recent conversation with Katie Wright. He liked her—maybe more than he should, considering how little time they’d spent together. The logical part of him knew it was too soon to feel this way, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

His anxiety only grew with the realization that he’d missed the RSVP deadline date for Meredith’s wedding, and now had to call her to let her know he was coming to the wedding and bringing a date, if it wasn’t too late.

The thought of making that call churned in his gut like an unsettled sea. Meredith had moved on quickly—too quickly, it seemed—and that made the situation awkward for him. Questions still lingered in his mind about the timing of everything.

Now, he was about to reinsert himself into her life, if only for a brief moment, making him wonder whether deciding to go to the wedding was a mistake after all.

The idea of explaining Katie to Meredith felt like stepping onto thin ice. It wasn’t that he regretted asking Katie; in fact, he was eager to spend more time with her. But the whole situation felt fraught with potential complications.

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to focus on something else—anything else—but the looming conversation. The beach, usually a sanctuary for his thoughts, offered little solace today.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a text from Becca:

I’m coming down to the beach, Need to catch up with my favorite brother :-)

Luke couldn’t help but smile. Becca had always had a way of knowing when something was bothering him. He looked up and saw her already making her way down the beach.

“How is it that you’ve been home only a few days and you’ve already got a tan?” he asked.

Becca laughed. “Just lucky I guess, What’s got you manning the kiosk today? Trying to escape from something?” she teased.

Luke chuckled, though it was a bit forced.

“Just needed some time to think.”

Becca raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying his nonchalant tone. “Thinking? That sounds serious. What’s on your mind?”

Luke sighed, leaning against the counter. He knew there was no point in hiding it—Becca would drag it out of him sooner or later. “It’s about Meredith. I have to call her today.”

“Meredith? Your ex, Meredith?” Becca asked, her curiosity piqued. “Why do you need to call her?”

Luke rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension knotting there. “I missed the RSVP deadline on the wedding invitation. I need to let her know I’m coming—and that I’m bringing Katie Wright.”

Becca’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, hold on. You missed the RSVP? Tell the truth, that was no accident, dear brother. You missed the date on purpose because you weren’t going to answer it.”

He nodded and smiled. “I know, you’re right,” Luke groaned. “I’ve just been busy, and I didn’t want to deal with it. But now I have to make the call, and I’m dreading it.”

Becca looked at him, her expression a mix of sympathy and amusement. “Well, you’ve certainly made things interesting. So, Katie agreed to go with you?”

“Yeah, she did,” Luke replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But we’re keeping it casual. We both agreed it’s not really a date—at least, not officially.”

Becca rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Luke. It’s a date, admit it. You like her, don’t you?”

Luke hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I do. But I don’t want to rush things, especially with Meredith involved. It’s already complicated enough.”

“Well, if you ask me, you’re overthinking it,” Becca said, crossing her arms. “Just call Meredith, let her know what’s up, and then focus on enjoying the wedding with Katie. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.”

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