Page 29 of Seas the Dating Coach

His large hand rubs at his beard scruff as his gaze drifts out over the bay. “Yeah.”

AJR’s “Bang!” is the only sound between us for several beats. I’m not unaccustomed to silence. I tend to spend most of my day with just the whisper of my playlists in the background, but Finn being silent feels…odd.

He takes a large breath, straightening and drawing my attention to his wide shoulders. “What can I do to help?”

“With what?”

My gaze lazily traces from his strong deltoid toward the dip between his collarbones, barely peeking out of his collar. What would it be like to slip my fingertips into that subtle notch?

“With your secret ess-dray ollection-cay.” The slight quirk at Finn’s mouth as he speaks Pig Latin tells me I’ve been caught staring. I snap my attention to the muddled strawberries in my drink.

“Umm…nothing?” I jostle the ice in my cup before glancing up. “Be the person who knows, I guess? The secret has been eating me alive. I share everything with Brynn, but lately…”

My stomach twists. I haven’t just been keeping this collection from my sister because I want her to have a day off. A small part of me knows that if I let Brynn in on my plans, she’ll take over. Her strong, take-charge personality wouldn’t allow her to stand by helplessly. And this is something I have to do on my own.

I owe that to myself.

At least I won’t have to keep this strange agreement with Finn to myself anymore. Our unlikely friendship will be all over town by morning—that’s how the Wilks Beach gossip mill works. When Brynn asks me about it, I can finally explain how Finn is helping me to win Atticus’s heart.

“It’s just hard for me to keep secrets,” I admit.

Finn dips his chin, his grin softening. “I’ve noticed that. Once you start talking, you’re an open book.”

I wrinkle my nose.

Finn slides his hand off the edge of his armrest so his fingertips graze my forearm. “That’s not a bad thing.”

My shaky inhale would have been audible had Izzy not returned to the mic at that exact second. “Who’s ready for round two?”

“I…um…” I bring my drink to my lips to break the electrifying contact.

My traitorous body’s reactions are out of control. Seriously! This is getting ridiculous.

Atticus. We like Atticus.

Speaking of Atticus, Finn’s earlier suggestion would be more than helpful since I’venever beenon a first date.

“Could we practice first-date conversations? Like you suggested?”

A shadow passes over Finn’s eyes, but it’s gone in a blink as his charming smile overtakes his face. “Sure, gorgeous.”

thirteen

Finn

“My Girl” kicks off the second round, and though I’ve never attended music bingo, I instantly see its appeal. Patrons can quietly check off their squares while continuing to chat, drink, and play yard games. Having seen Vivian tapping her fingertips on the arm of the chair, happily sipping on her new cocktail while politely smiling at those who wave at us, it’s obvious why she comes here every Tuesday.

“You should bring him here.”

That sentence feels like a punch to the kidneys, but at least I kept the man’s name out of my mouth.

“I should?”

No. You should only be here with me.

I ignore the unhelpful internal objection and let my gaze sweep our surroundings. “It’s a perfect first-date place. You’vegot enough activities to occupy your time but not so much distraction that you can’t get to know each other.”

That idea makes my neck pinch, so I keep instructing—like a goodcoachwould. “I’d avoid all the taboo date topics—money, your exes, politics, negative experiences.”

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