Page 27 of Something Blue

“What’s wrong?”

He sank deeper into his chair. “Nothing. Sit down. He’s coming this way.”

It took all the willpower she had not to turn toward where they were standing. The seconds ticked slowly until she heard the squeak of footsteps as they squished in the wet sand.

“Hey! Do you guys have plans tonight?”

Sadie finally lifted her head at the sound of Chase’s voice. Both he and Piper stood over her. She squinted as she looked up. “Tonight? Honey, do we have any plans?”

“I dunno, honey,” he said, drawing out the last word.

What? Two couldn’t play his game?

Andy cleared his throat. “We came straight to the beach, so we might need to—”

“Want to go out with us tonight? Catch up?” Chase asked.

Piper smirked. “Yeah, come. I’d love to hear how you two met.”

“We can do that,” Andy said before she could respond.

“We can?” she mouthed to him.

“Where should we meet?” he asked, looking away without answering her. “I’m up for anything.”

Sadie frowned as the two men agreed on a place. Did Andy have a plan he wasn’t sharing with her? Either way, spending extra time with Chase seemed like a bad idea. She was trying to move on, not let her feelings rekindle and grow.

* * *

Andy was quiet the rest of the day, only offering nods or grunts when necessary. It unnerved Sadie. He was the one who’d agreed to double with the unlikely match.

On the way back to the room, Sadie stopped midstep and turned around. Andy had been following a few steps behind her since the beach.

“Did I say something wrong? Are you mad we’re going out tonight?”

Andy glanced up and met her gaze. “No. Maybe the sun took it out of me,” he murmured, raising the towel around his neck and dabbing at his damp face. “A shower will help.”

“You can go first,” Sadie offered once they were inside. She needed a minute alone to think.

“Okay,” he said, “but only because I won’t take long.”

While he showered, she sat on the back porch and reviewed her conversation with Chase. When they were younger, her mother had doted on Chase, always bringing treats to the beach or taking him with them to dinner. Maybe that’s why when he picked Piper, she’d felt betrayed. She stood up and sighed. Thinking about it hadn’t helped, and she was even more frustrated with the way things had turned out.

She passed Andy in the hallway, and her eyes lingered on his chest. He wasn’t exactly chiseled, but he took care of himself.

She coughed and moved to the side. In the shower, she took her time washing the sand, sunscreen, and sun from her skin. Afterward, she pulled her hair back and carefully toweled it dry, patting at it like Rolando had suggested. The ends of her hair started to twirl. Professionally straightened hair didn’t stand a chance in humidity. She pulled it back into a ponytail to keep it contained.

She dressed in one of the outfits Rolando had picked out. It was a yellow sundress with a pillowcase pattern that tied at her shoulders with black bows. The hem barely reached her thigh. She matched it with a pair of black flip flops. With a touch of the lipstick he’d included in the makeup bag applied, she put little silver hoops in her ears.

When she walked into the front room, Andy was leaning against the back of the couch, staring at his phone. She took a minute to check him out. His hair was styled to the side and his skin glistened with a new tan. Only the tops of his feet had gotten a little sunburned. He wore a preppy outfit—black golf shirt with a collar and a pair of black and white checkered Bermuda shorts. He’d smartly chosen a pair of leather sandals that didn’t touch his toes.

She looked down at her dress and back at his. They were going to look like a bouquet of sunflowers. She grabbed her purse off the table and walked to his side.

“Man, you weren’t lying. The sun is totally—” Andy’s mouth dropped open as he looked up from his phone. He quickly closed his mouth, letting a small smile start on his lips. “You look amazing in that dress.”

13

Andy

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