Page 42 of Starlight Bay

“If you’ll do it, so will I.”

“That sounds like a dare.”

“Maybe it is.” She tipped her chin at me. “And you don’t seem the type to shy away from a dare.”

“Oh, I’m not.” I met her eyes with a level, steely gaze, then smiled.

“It’s on then. We’ll see who can crack that lobster faster.”

I shook my head. “I’ll do it, but this seems like an unfair race. You’re a local; I’m venturing you have way more experience than me.”

“But you’re really good with your hands.” She winked at me, my mind instantly flashing back to the patio last night, heat surging to my groin.

“True.” I flashed her a grin and she blushed, the desired effect.

The waiter reappeared, taking our order and whisking away the menus, then we were alone again, the waves lapping against the dock pilings. The sun sank even lower, striping the sky with bands of yellow, orange, and pink.

“So, is it just you and your sister then?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Lana nodded, swirling the wine in her glass. “My dad passed away when I was in high school, in a freak plane crash. My mom sank into a deep depression and moved out to California, joined a collective. She seems fine now, but I don’t really see her much. It’s mostly just me and Beth.”

“I’m sorry, Lana,” I said, stroking her hand. “That’s tough.”

She nodded, staring out at the water. “It’s okay. Beth and I are fine. We have our friends here and they’re like our family. What about you? Do you ever talk to your ex?”

I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat. I hated this conversation and it inevitably came up; one of the main reasons I didn’t date.

“Not really. It’s fine—it’s not like we were a match made in heaven or anything. Hudson’s mom and I dated for a short time and then she got pregnant. She was on birth control but apparently forgot to take it quite often. We got married and she had Hudson, then she ran off with the guitarist.”

“Grant, I’m so sorry,” Lana said, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand.

I shrugged. “We probably shouldn’t have been together at all, to be honest. And Hudson came out of that, so I’m grateful. I do feel bad for Huddy, though. He never even knew his mom.” I took a breath, staring out at the ocean. “I should have done better by him. But what can you do?”

“It’s not your fault,” Lana said, jumping to my defense.

Sweet, but untrue. Of course it was my fault. I got Hudson’s mom pregnant and she wasn’t someone who wanted a child.

“It’s water under the bridge,” I said, clearing my throat and taking a sip of water. “Nothing to be done about it now.”

Lana patted my hand just as the waiter appeared with two huge silver domes.

“Here you go,” he said, placing one dome in front of Lana, the other in front of me. He proffered plastic bibs for each of us, tying them around our necks, then disappeared down the dock, back into the boathouse.

“Bon appetit,” Lana said, grinning, her eyes glinting in the soft flickering light of the lantern. The sun had fully set now, the sky a deep indigo.

“Game on,” I said, my tone challenging. We both raised our silver domes and I briefly hesitated, the stalk of the lobster antenna turning my stomach ever so slightly. Lana dove straight in, so I couldn’t afford to wait.

Not gonna lie, I was impressed by her lobster cracking skills. She disassembled that sucker in about four minutes flat, beating me handily. I couldn’t admit defeat that easily, so I made a big show of cracking the claws, pulling every last vestige of meat out, but she totally won.

“Well, that was disgusting and delicious, all at the same time,” I said, wiping my face and sitting back in my chair.

Lana threw her head back, laughing, her melodic voice floating over the water. “Decent showing for a city boy, but I have a lot to teach you.”

“I’m up for it,” I said, grinning. “This won’t happen often, but I cede the win to you.”

“Thank you,” she said, clapping.

“Do you want dessert?” I asked, finishing the last sip of my wine.

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