Page 39 of The Run Option

I chuckle at her sass. “I’m good to hang out if Willow is, though I think I’ll need more than just ice cream after playing.”

“There’s a place nearby with some old-school diner food, like burgers and shakes. It’s not as good as the food in Coastal Cove, but it’s still good,” Ellie says.

“That sounds good to me,” Willow answers when I look down at her.

“Awesome! We pulled the Bronco up over here. It’s on the other side of the bus.”

I raise my brows. “You drove the Bronco outside of Coastal Cove?” I ask Miles.

He shrugs as if he really had no choice. “I can’t say no to those brown eyes.”

I chuckle at my friend’s changed ways. There was a time when Miles didn’t want anything other than to be the best golfer in the world. Now he’s let in not just friends, but a future wife and her family too. I’ve gotten plenty of photos of him playing with Ellie’s nephew and relaxing with friends at the beach. All things he never used to make time for but now he can’t get enough of.

“Don’t laugh, I’m sure you’re the same way. You carried Willow out of a party, so that’s something.”

I wrap an arm around Willow’s shoulders and draw her closer to my side. I look down at her. “I did do that. She didn’t feel like walking in her heels anymore, so I swept her off her feet and carried her out. Like a knight in shining armor.”

She rolls her eyes. “I twisted my ankle,” she corrects. “I’m not a diva.”

Ellie smiles as she looks between us. “I like you already. Except, I’d totally make Miles carry me just because my feet were hurting.”

“You have made me do that,” Miles says and she giggles.

“Oh yeah, I forgot.”

He shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his lips. “You’re lucky I love you, Red.”

Her smile widens. “I know.”

“Red?” Willow questions.

Miles’ grin turns into a smirk. “It’s my nickname for her because–”

“Of my hair,” Ellie interrupts, shooting him a look. “Do you two have nicknames for each other?” It’s clear she’s changing the subject, but it doesn’t bother me.

We start walking to the car, and Willow answers for me.

“He calls me Lo,” she says in a quiet voice.

“Aw, that’s a cute nickname,” Ellie says, throwing a sparkly smile over her shoulder as they walk ahead of us.

“Please tell me you don’t call Jason, King. I wish that nickname would die. Every time it’s spoken, his ego inflates a little more,” Miles says.

Willow laughs. “No, I don’t call him King. I don’t think I could say that with a straight face.” She looks up at me, her expression turning shy. “Sometimes I call him Jase.”

I blink in surprise at the new nickname. I thought she’d just say she doesn’t have a nickname for me. Or maybe make a joke about calling me obnoxious.

“I like that better than King,” Ellie says, still laughing at Miles’ joke.

“Me too,” I say, just loud enough for Willow to hear. Her tentative smile grows a little. My heart grows with it. After the stress of this morning and the intensity of the game, her giving me this nickname is like coming home to a warm meal after a long day. It’s pure comfort and joy.

I tug her closer, ignoring the pain in my bruised side when she wraps her arm around me in return. The pain is worth it to be close to her. I’d go through much worse to have this moment.

Chapter eighteen

Jason Kingsley

“Shaw and Sutton are both mad that you didn’t tell them, by the way,” Miles says as we walk down the shore. After eating our fill at the diner, Ellie suggested a night stroll on the beach. She made sure to tell us that this stretch of beach is not as pretty as Crescent Beach in Coastal Cove, but that she thought it was still worth seeing before we left. When Willow’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, I couldn’t say no.

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