Page 44 of Swept Up In You

“What am I getting myself into pup?”

Belle turned into Taylor, licking the side of her face.

“Go get the girl, huh? We’ll see.”

Chapter Sixteen

Why Sam thought it was a good idea to have Taylor over for dinner, she had no idea. She rechecked everything was in place for the third time and looked over at the clock. At the rate she was going, she’d have driven herself crazy by the time Taylor actually arrived.

She’d never been this nervous for a catch-up before, not with friends, or even dates. She was the person who’d talk anyone’s ear off at the shop. Why did this feel so…big? She held her fingers up to her pulse. Her heart was already racing.

“This is ridiculous,” she said under her breath as she tucked a corner of her jumper into her jeans.

She’d gone with her favourite outfit tonight—an oversized sage knit that popped against her leggings and grippy tennis shoes. The whole thing was comfy, cute and movable around the boat. She was missing her usual sailing gear already, but she’d wanted to feel a little dressed up for the night ahead. She was so excited to show off Manny out on the water, and take him for a run since she’d finally finished up the electronics, well, sinceTaylorhad finished them.

She checked her weather app again. It was a warm day for late September, and she was thankful there was a light breeze tosail out on, one that would drop off by the time they anchored for dinner.

Her phone buzzed, letting her know Taylor was here.

Her stomach dipped as she grabbed her keys and headed out.

Walking up to the gate, she spotted Taylor waiting on the other side, almost stopping at the sight. It was the most dressed up she’d seen her. The chinos and muscle-fit shirt hugged all the right places, highlighting her athletic frame. She’d even managed to tame her messy hair with a neat side part which made Sam want to mess it up all over again.

She hit the button to open the gate and to let her in. Taylor whirled around at the sound.

“Hey.”

She was greeted with a huge smile as Taylor stepped forward, and they sunk into an easy hug. Sam was hit with a tantalising mix of fresh shampoo and Taylor’s signature sandalwood scent, which ran a little more woodsy tonight. Elevated. She had to stop herself from diving in closer and making a fool of herself.

“You ready?” Just like at mini-golf, she didn’t give Taylor a chance to reply before she wrapped her hand around her wrist and dragged her down the pontoon. She’d been waiting long enough.

The weather was just as idyllic as Sam had hoped. The wind gently whipped at her long hair as they glided out past the rocks to one of her favourite spots just out by the coast. From the viewpoint she had in mind, they’d be close enough to see the cars driving along the Esplanade, all the way down to the jetties near where Taylor lived.

The only sounds were from the water lapping at the sides of Manny’s hull as they cruised along and a light flap or tink from the sails overhead. Sam couldn’t have asked for better conditions and she thanked the universe it had aligned tonight to show this off for Taylor.

Taylor looked over at her then. She’d taken off her shoes, rolled up her cuffs and sat off the edge of the boat taking in all the sights. She looked relaxed, her chin resting on her hands as she leaned over the railing. What was it about this woman that had her so captivated? She was someone Sam felt so completely at ease with, yet her stomach swirled like the water below. The anticipation of the unknown both scared and excited her equally. She hoped tonight would help her find some answers.

With a little direction from Sam, Taylor made the perfect deckhand as she helped Sam drop the anchor and pull down the sails when they reached their destination. Now that they’d arrived, Sam felt like she could finally chill a little. But first, dinner.

They moved to the front of the boat. It wasn’t glamorous by any stretch, but it did have the most room and best views up top. Taylor laid out the blanket while Sam brought out their first course.

“You can’t have a boat dinner without a charcuterie board. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I threw on a bit of everything.” Sam carefully popped the board down between them. “Now, I’ve got red, white or beer in the fridge below. What do you want?”

“Wow. This looks amazing, Sam.” Taylor eyed the board she’d stuffed with fruit, nuts, cheeses, meats and crackers, picking up a grape to pop in her mouth while Sam tried to not watch too closely. “So good!” Taylor said, mouth full. “Also, I’d love a beer, thank you.”

“Coming right up.”

Sam poured herself a white and passed Taylor her beer before sitting down next to her on the blanket. Taylor tipped her bottle towards her. “Cheers.”

She clinked her glass, offering Taylor a shy smile alongside it. “Cheers.”

“Well, this is nice.” Taylor leaned back with a sigh, resting her arm against the skylight hatch as she crossed her legs.

“You look very relaxed there.”

“Oh, I am.” Taylor grinned. “So, do you do this a lot?”

“Sometimes. I like sitting up here to eat in Summer, or getting out the blanket and reading a book over an afternoon. It’s so nice when there’s literally no one around—no tech, no people, just the sound of the water or the odd gull.”

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