Page 68 of Spring Tide

Bentley joins me to greet her at the front door, his tail whipping back and forth in excitement. He’s always antsy for visitors, but he’s taken a special liking to this girl in particular.

It seems as though we all have.

With one final deep breath, I pull the door open to find that familiar, heart-stopping smile. Harper’s cheeks are pulled tight, freckled and rosy from the late-afternoon sun. She’s wearing another simple green sundress with some strappy sandals. Her hair is a mixture of wild curls, two thick braids framing either side of her face.

She’s absolutely stunning, as usual.

“Hi,” I mutter. It may be pathetic, but it’s all I can manage to squeeze out at the moment.

“Hi!” Her eyes spark as she glances down, the forgotten bouquet hanging limply beside my thigh. “Are those for me?”

“Oh, uh, yes.” My hand juts forward to pass them off. “Peonies.”

“I love them.” She brings the flowers to her nose, grinning as she sniffs them. Beaming, she lifts both arms, leans onto her tiptoes, and slowly wraps them over my shoulders. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. You look beautiful, by the way.”

“You too.”

I shake my head, one corner of my mouth lifting into a lopsided smile. “You ready to head out?”

“Is Taylor home? I want to say hi before we leave.”

“Yeah, she’s just in her room studying. Why don’t you head back there, and I’ll grab our stuff for the car?”

“Meet you out front in five.” She presses a small peck to the side of my jaw, prancing off down the hall, stopping to greet Bentley with a few quick pets.

I rake my fingers through my hair, attempting to suppress the full-out grin that’s taken residence on my face.

It takes me a few minutes to gather up the basket of food I picked up earlier, plus a small cooler of drinks and some blankets for the beach. I pat Bentley on the way out the door before I move to toss the items in the back of my trunk. In case Harper gets cold tonight, there’s an extra sweatshirt waiting for her in the back seat.

She rounds the corner as I finish propping open the passenger door. Her fingers interlock with mine before she asks, “So where are we headed?”

“I thought we’d go to Amber Isle to watch the sunset. I packed some food and stuff. If that’s cool?”

“Food and stuff? Like for a picnic?”

“You could call it that.”

“Then I will. Luca Reynolds is taking me for a sunset picnic on the beach. How lucky am I?”

“It’s nothing elaborate, Harper.”

“No, but it’s perfect.”

With one final squeeze of my hand, she tucks herself into the passenger seat of my Subaru. I’m tempted to kiss her again as the lingering sunshine strikes the side of her cheek, but I’m not sure if we’ve reached that level of casual intimacy yet.

Are you allowed to kiss someone unprompted on the first date, simply whenever the mood strikes, or is there some kind of unspoken etiquette to follow?

Fuck it.

I duck my head, grazing my lips over hers. There’s the tiniest flush of heat in her cheeks when I pull back, a slight curve to her lips, and it all makes me wish I kissed her for just a little bit longer.

* * *

We takeour time finding the perfect spot on the beachfront, yards away from any lingering tourists. It’s still warm for an October evening on the coast, but there’s a slight breeze that kicks up our blanket as we flatten it over the sand. While we settle in next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, I grab our basket of food.

“You hungry?” I ask, a small shiver racking my body as she leans against me.

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