Page 91 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

He saw the glint in her eyes. "You Coles are very competitive."

"We are."

"Okay, then. Let's beat them." He'd enjoy taking a win from Jake MacKenzie. He might be a great guy, but right now, Jake was way too close to Lizzie. Not that Justin had any right to think that way. He was leaving on Sunday. And Jake lived here. Jake and Lizzie would be together, in whatever way they wanted to be together long after he was gone. But he didn't want to think about that.

While Chelsea and Lizzie headed for one board, he and Jake wound up next to each other.

"Gotta warn you," Jake said. "The Cole sisters like to win."

"Chelsea mentioned something about that," he said. "You first."

"All right." Jake took aim and then tossed his bag onto the opposing board. He came very close to the center hole, but didn't make it in.

Justin was up next, landing his bag a few inches from Jake's. They were tied.

Jake's next bag sailed through the center hole and Jake gave him a proud smile. "I just raised the bar."

He took an extra second and then tossed, feeling an immense sense of joy when his bag also landed in the hole. "And I just met your bar," he said.

And then it was up to Chelsea and Lizzie.

Both were good, but Lizzie managed to sink the bag on her second time for three points, while Chelsea was just short.

He had to smile as Lizzie did a little happy dance around her sister, while Chelsea gave her a disgusted look.

As the game went on, they stayed very close in points. Jake had clearly played a lot of cornhole in his life, hitting the hole two times more than Justin. Lizzie was also able to best her sister, and Justin and Chelsea ended up losing.

"Good game," Jake said.

"You, too." He stepped back as the next two teams lined up.

"Sorry, Justin," Chelsea said. "I was definitely the weakest player in that round."

"I was right there with you."

"Whereas I was great," Lizzie said with a laugh, and then exchanged a high-five with Jake. "You weren't bad, either," she told her partner.

"That was fun. Who needs another beer?" Jake asked.

"I do," Chelsea said.

As they wandered away, Lizzie gave him a happy look. "Did you have fun?"

"I would have had more fun if I won."

"Jake is one of the best cornhole players in Whisper Lake."

"I got that feeling. And I'm more than a little out of practice."

"You held your own."

As she looked up at him, he had to fight the urge to put his arms around her and kiss her. But it wasn't easy.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's been too long since I kissed you."

Her eyes lit up. "We said later…"

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