Page 27 of The First Best Man

Oh, God.

Once Tucker settles back onto the seat beside me, I turn the cart around and head back toward town. Halfway there, I turn left and take the same route we took out here, skirting around the island so we can head back in from the opposite direction.

We still have a while before the game officially kicks off, and while we want to win, we don’t want to accidentally come across another team hiding their own flag. That would be cheating. So I drive slowly, and we spend some time admiring the deep blue waters of the Pacific, the sandy white beaches, and the large homes dotting the coastline.

The conversation between us is gentle and easy, and my nerves about the game and possibly winning settle quickly. I’m determined to focus on enjoying the day, and Tucker makes it nearly impossible not to. He’s just so much fun.

I’ll have plenty of time to worry about tonightafterwe win.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tucker

We parkedthe golf cart back at Kate’s house and set off on foot to make it easier to slip around town unnoticed. Kate and I are currently hiding in the side yard of the Errant Heart, praying Miss Ginny doesn’t notice us and unintentionally reveal our position.

Kate’s bouncing on the balls of her feet, an adorable pixie grin on her face, when the blast of the fire truck’s horn echoes around us. I bend over and pick up the bag of water balloons, carefully pulling the strap over my head so the bag settles against my hip. It’s heavy, but not so much that I can’t run with it.

“Let’s go,” Kate whispers, cracking open the gate and poking her head through to scan the area before pulling it wide enough for us to slip through.

Like two criminals in a slapstick comedy, we hurry down the street taking long steps with our heads swiveling back and forth, searching for either of theother teams. Kate slips into an alley between two buildings, and I follow her. We press our backs against the brick wall, and she tries to catch her breath while I lift the bag of balloons to relieve some of the pressure on my shoulder for a moment.

I’m sure we look ridiculous. No doubt about it. I’m alsonotsure I’ve ever had this much fun.

It’s been like this since the moment I got to Bush Monkey Isle and met the woman beside me. I haven’t had much opportunity––or let’s face it,desire––to act silly like this since I was a kid. Working in the corporate world and slinging seltzer to twenty-somethings doesn’t leave much room for hunting fictional monkeys or building sand huts.

Or sneaking around town with a bag full of water balloons with a desperate desire to use them.

I don’t know if Kate does shit like this in her everyday life, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she did. This woman is an irresistible ray of sunshine. One I’m quickly becoming addicted to.

“Okay, there has to be a flag hidden around here somewhere,” she whispers, snapping me out of my thoughts. “There’s no way Blaine will agree to traipse all over the island, so she’s probably guarding their flag while sending Sam out to hunt.”

I nod in agreement, bowing to her expertise. She knows this town and these people much better than I do, obviously. I might be able to predict what Logan might do if he were on his own, but with Penny’s influence, Kate is, by far, the expert here. Plus, she knows every nook and cranny of this island, so I’ll simply follow as she leads the way.

“Let’s check the Grill first. They’d think they’re pretty smart, hiding their flag in my own restaurant,” she says, then slips out of the alley.

I can’t stifle my laugh when she starts moving like a cat burglar again, and when she looks back to find me copying her gait, she gifts me with a bright smile.

Worth it.

We slip in through the front door of the Grill, which is still unlocked even though the place isn’t officially open to the public yet. We keep our eyes and ears peeled as we search the entire dining room, then I check out the men’s room while she heads into the ladies’ to do the same. When we meet back out in the hall, we both shake our heads. Nothing.

After a quick look around the kitchen, we give up and head through the back door so we can skirt around the building, remaining hidden from the Midtown Square across the street. It’s a large plot of grass with an intricately carved gazebo in the center where the townspeople have celebrations and gatherings of all sorts. Being a weekday, it’s pretty deserted with only a few people walking dogs and chasing toddlers across the lawn.

I lean back against the wall for a moment while Kate continues her perusal of the area. I don’t miss it when she stiffens, then thrusts a hand behind her and wiggles her fingers. Catching on without missing a beat, I pull a balloon from the bag and place it in her palm. Pulling it in front of her, she holds it gently for a moment, rocking back and forth before bending her knees and leaping out onto the sidewalk with a banshee’s scream.

Rearing back, she throws the balloon, and I stepforward just in time to see Logan swerve the golf cart he’s driving out of the line of fire, barely saving Penny from being struck. Penny immediately flips around, balancing on her knees on the seat while digging her own balloon from their bag of ammunition.

Before she can even think of throwing it, I grab Kate’s hand and drag her away, back behind the Grill, across the alley, and down another block. We end up behind Miguel’s, squeezed in the small gap between the restaurant’s back wall and a large dumpster. Kate’s breathing hard, and so am I, but we both freeze when we hear the whir of a golf cart heading in our direction.

The cart passes by, and we barely take a breath until the sound fades away. Kate lets out a quiet laugh, and I do the same. My laughter dies as I realize how close we are. Our bodies are pressed against each other in the tight space, and Kate feels so damn soft against me. Unable to resist, I lift a hand and push an errant strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

I don’t miss the way her breath catches or the way her pupils dilate as she stares back at me. Fuck, I want to kiss her so badly. Ineedto.

But before I can make a move, she shakes her head, chuckles uncomfortably, and slips out of our little hidey-hole.Damn it.As much as I wanted––no,needed––to kiss Kate, she made the right choice. I can’t go there. Not with her.

No matter how much I want to.

As we sneak around town looking for our rivals, she whispers in a nervous, fast-paced chatter for a while before finally settling back into an easy, fun rhythm.Then she quiets, turning a bit introspective before pulling me into another alleyway.

---