Page 3 of Finding Fate

Isabel grabbed her bright pink folding chair and colorful, flip flop print, beach tote from the bed of the old Ford. She turned to look at the beach, her eyes skimming the light, golden colored sand for an open space away from flying volleyballs.

“Hey, Izzy, are you lost?! Haven’t seen you around here in a while,” a familiar tenor voice called out from behind her.

She turned around, rolling her eyes at her friend as she grinned. “Ha, ha, very funny, Jet,” Isabel remarked as her sister’s boyfriend strolled up next to her at a casual pace, wearing his usual khaki shorts, Hawaiian print shirt, and flip flops ensemble. She’d been dying to update his wardrobe for years.

He had just popped a piece of spearmint gum into his mouth and held out the pack to offer her one. She smiled a thank you and folded it into her mouth, throwing the wrapper in her bag. “Just thought I’d get in some beach time when I don’t have to babysit,” she told him.

“Jeez, Izzy… don’t complain. Your job is lying around all day playing with little kids every summer while the rest of us slave away at real jobs. If you resent babysitting so much, maybe I should tell my mom to check into daycare prices…” Jet said as he winked one of his ocean blue eyes at her to let her know he was teasing.

“Annie’s at work, I take it?” he then asked. She nodded. “Right. Maybe I’ll get to see her tomorrow then. I had a split shift today.” Isabel looked up at her sister’s boyfriend. His short, black waves disheveled with the breeze, and his dark Grecian skin made darker from his time in the sun. He was cute, but she and Annie definitely had different tastes.

Isabel shook her head. “Why don’t we go out tonight? It’s teen night at Benton Hall, remember?”

“Ah, dancing,” Jet grinned mischievously, “My girlfriend’s biggest foe. Sounds like a plan.”

“Awesome,” she grinned in return.

“Yeah, I’ve gotta run, though, or I’ll be late for work. See if you can convince Annie to wear something nice!”

She gave him a look at his odd request, but Jet just winked and took off. “Interesting…” she thought as she stepped onto the beach, letting her toes sink into the sand. She pondered what it might entail as she found a safe spot to relax, spotting Tucker already talking to what had to be a couple of tourist girls not too far away. She gave him a quick wave, ignoring the weird twinge in her gut, and unfolded her chair to settle into her latest paranormal romance novel.

* * *

“Anyway, here’s my number,” the curvy redhead said flirtatiously as she typed the digits into Tucker’s phone. “I’m here through the weekend.” He nodded, his attention diverted as Izzy waved, and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

“I’ll give you a call,” he said with his practiced ladies’ man smile. Her friend started to drag the girl away. Feeling strangely grateful, Tucker headed towards Izzy.

She was completely absorbed in her book by the time he reached her. He stood back a few feet at first, not wanting to disturb her, his mind wandering to consider the twins.

Striking features with emerald eyes and long brunette hair, they had the same short tempers, and both were crazy smart, stubborn as hell, and loyal to a fault. You couldn’t deny that they were identical, but he’d never be able to mistake them. It was crazy how different the girls could be if you knew them.

Annie was a tomboy, athletic, tan, and raring to go. She could talk to anyone and wasn’t afraid to tell you exactly what she thought. Izzy, however, was a girly girl with creamy white skin that you’d almost never catch without makeup. She could stand her ground, but was mostly reserved unless you got her on the dance floor.

Tucker grinned inwardly at the thought. She definitely wasn’t a party girl, but she could out-dance every person he knew. She could also out-burn all the redheads in his family if she wasn’t careful.

Noticing the slight pink tinge already forming on her shoulders, Tucker finally got her attention. “Hey, Izzy, I think you forgot your sunscreen.”

Startled, she jumped to find Tucker’s cocky grin staring down at her from well over six feet above. Her heart skittered, at the surprise of course. She refused to entertain any other reasons. She loved her friend to death, but she was pretty sure he’d always be a ladies man. That was trouble she did not need.

“Not funny, Tucker,” she scolded. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

He just grinned wider. “No, seriously, you’re starting to burn.”

“Crap,” she muttered, looking down at her shoulders. She reached for her sunscreen and swung her legs off the chair and onto the hot but comforting sand so he could sit next to her.

Tucker took the offered seat, hoping she wouldn’t notice his body’s reaction to watching her silky, white legs. “What is with me today? It’s just Izzy. I see her all the time. Maybe I am a little overheated,” he thought.

She started rubbing the lotion into those legs, and he swallowed… hard. “Got any water?” he asked roughly.

She glanced at him, “Yeah, there’s a couple in the bag.” He grabbed one and was halfway through sucking it down when Izzy turned, pulling her hair aside to reveal creamy, lightly freckled shoulders and asked, “Hey, could you get my back? I’ll probably burn just walking back to the truck later if I don’t get it.” It took all Tucker had not to choke on his water.

“Um, yeah,” he cleared his throat and grabbed the lotion. For all his skills and practice with girls, he’d never felt more awkward. This was Izzy, yet every bit of male inside him was keenly aware of her skin under his touch. He shook his head, trying to regain focus as he realized Izzy had been talking.

“But hey, I talked to Jet a few minutes ago. We agreed on Benton Hall for tonight. You need to be there in case there’s no good dance partners.”

Tucker grinned, “Yes, ma’am, but you know you could train a few other guys to dance well, too.”

She shrugged. “I’ve tried. You’re the best.”

Strangely, his chest swelled at that, along with a certain part of his anatomy as his mind flipped to an image of her dancing against him.

He shot up, tossing the sunscreen down. Izzy looked up at him, startled. “You should be good,” he said, his eyes quickly scanning the beach for an escape. He spotted a few of the guys from school starting a volleyball game nearby. “Catch you later, Izzy,” he said, taking off.

She waved and laid back with her book, choosing not to dwell on Tucker’s odd behavior. He’d be sure to have a girl on his arm by tonight anyway.

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