Page 8 of To Have and to Scold

“Come here,” I say quietly. “Youarecold.”

“I’m not! I’m fine.”

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

She raises a brow. “Look at Billy quoting Bill Shakespeare.”

“I’ve learned a thing or two.” I laugh, which is nice. It’s been a while.

She sticks her chin out, the breeze catching her hair again, so that it whips her face. She tucks a lock behind one ear. “Oh, yeah? What else have you learned in your long life?”

“Twenty-eight isn’t long,” I say. “I’m still foolish. Foolish enough to fall prey to cute golden retriever puppies.”

She gives a fake gasp. “You didn’t! Tell me you didn’t fall prey to a puppy. That’s the oldest trick in the book.” She squeezes her fists tight next to her face. “They’re so cute with their warm bodies and their big doe eyes and then pretty soon, they’ve weaseled their way into your heart and you’re beholden to their every whim for the rest of their lives.”

“Wow. Did you follow me with a hidden camera five years ago? That’s exactly what happened.”

She drops her head back and giggles. “My assistant at work has a golden retriever.”

“And work is…?”

She pushes against my chest. “I’m not falling for that.” She tilts her head and tries to read me. “Tell me about your golden retriever. My mom’s allergic so we couldn’t have a dog growing up.”

I huff out a breath. “He’s the most dramatic dog you’ve ever seen. High maintenance. He’s got halitosis, something fierce. And he fakes injuries. I’ve taken him to the vet three times when there wasn’t anything actually wrong with him.”

“Sounds like he’s been good for you. Keeps you on your toes.”

“Something like that.” Even though he’s difficult sometimes, I owe Ace a lot. With Chloe leaving, my parents in Africa, and Elliott unavailable most of the time, he’s been my homie.

She wraps her arms around herself, her expression dissolving in concern.

“You don’t have to accept my very warm hug.” I hold out my hands but take a step back. Don’t want to be a creep. “Just letting you know it’s available.”

“That’s nice of you. But I sort of think my mom would kill me if she heard I was hugging a stranger on a beach in North Carolina.”

“That’s it!” I snap my fingers. “You’re a professional cuddler.”

“A what?”

“People get paid to give hugs to people in need. It’s actually a thing,” I insist. “Non-sexual hugs. Just for a person’s general well-being.”

“How do you even know all this?”

“My neighbor had to make a poster for school about the weirdest jobs in America. He gave me the speech and everything.”

“That’s kind of cute.” She looks past me again, so I turn my head to see what she’s so worried about.

“Don’t look!” she hisses, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to her. A waft of her fruity scent makes me think of Georgian peaches and piña coladas.

“Why? Is a mama sea turtle about to attack?” I tease.

“It’s just…” She sighs, her gaze narrowing. “Look. I used to date this guy, okay?” She’s whispering now. “And then suddenly I wasn’t but my cousin was, you know? It’s complicated.” She chews on her thumbnail, hesitating. “And they’re right over there.”

Oh wow. Complicated is right. “I take it you didn’t know they’d be here in town?”

She swallows hard. “I didn’t have a clue until I saw them eating at the diner. I’m just surprised, is all. I should have known it was a possibility since he’s been here a lot with his family.” She’s trying to act casual about it, but I can tell it’s more than just a simple surprise. Her eyes are hollow, like maybe he didn’t treat her well. And I guess if he started dating her cousin right away, he didn’t.

“That sounds rough,” I offer.

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