Page 71 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

She stared at him as determination rolled through her.

After an awkward moment, he crammed his phone into his pocket. “Fine. I’ll come, but I refuse to have fun.”

“We’ll see about that.”

They walked through the store’s double doors, and she breathed in the welcoming smell of books mixed with coffee. Everleigh turned toward the front counter and spotted Callie Lewis, the owner and manager of Beach Reads. With short-cropped brown hair, large red glasses, and a distinctive voice, she always reminded Everleigh of Annie Potts’s character in the originalGhostbustersmovie—one of Alana’s favorite childhood films.

A familiar pop song sang through the speakers, and Everleigh bopped along with the music while they wandered through the stacks. She spotted a sign for adult coloring books, found the book she wanted, and did a little dance as she picked it up. When she turned, she found Cade smiling at her, and her pulse stuttered.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re cute when you dance.”

Heat infused her cheeks. She set the book down, took his hands and started swaying back and forth. “Like this, you mean?”

His smile flattened. “I don’t dance.”

“Come on, Cade,” she sang. “Don’t be such a sourpuss. Loosen up.” When he still refused to dance, she pulled her phone out. “Let’s take a selfie instead.”

“Why? We’re in a bookstore.”

“Exactly! Bookstores are some of the happiest places on earth.” She held her phone up in front of them. “Lean down by me since you’reso tall,” she instructed, and he did as he was told. “Say cheese, Cade,” she said, then snapped the photo and dropped the phone into her backpack.

“You and your selfies,” he muttered, shaking his head. But the ghost of his smile remained on his lips, and his compliment echoed in her mind.“You’re cute when you dance.”Happiness bubbled through her, but she tried not to let it boil over. Soon she would be back on the road, and Cade had made it clear he was a loner. Still, she found herself wondering:What if our circumstances were different?

Shaking off her ridiculous thoughts, she paid for the book, and together they walked out to his motorcycle. “Ice cream?”

“I’m good,” he said.

She pointed to the pizzeria. “Pizza?”

“Everleigh, it’s eleven o’clock, and I’m still full from breakfast,” he said. “We had a deal, remember?” He pointed to the strap peeking out from behind her shirt. “You wore your suit for a reason, right?”

She nodded.

“I’ll take good care of you. I promise.” He held his hand out to her.

She allowed him to guide her to the beach, where they walked out onto the warm sand. While it wasn’t as crowded as it had been during the height of tourist season, about a dozen kids hooted and shrieked as they bobbed in the waves. A few families were scattered around the area, sitting on chairs and under umbrellas, and a group of teenagers laughed and jumped in the air during a rowdy game of volleyball. The aroma of cocoa butter hovered over Everleigh, and seagulls soared above them through the cloudless blue sky.

Cade reached over his head and whipped off his shirt, and she tried not to stare at his tanned chest and arms. “Ready?”

No.She gulped air. As she stared out at the waves, her legs began to shake. Fear gripped her as memories of the rip current, the lifeguards, the darkness, the choking, all rolled through her mind.

Cade’s expression became warm, and his hand caressed her shoulder. “Trust me, darlin’.”

Oh, that nickname really turned her to jelly.

“Okay.” The word was barely audible over the cacophony around them. Shaking even more now, she pulled off her shirt, shorts, and shoes.

Cade’s gaze roamed over her, and the approval in his eyes made her heart flutter. He held his hand out to her, and she hesitated before linking her fingers with his. They proceeded to the edge of the water together, and then she released his hands and stopped, frozen in place while the waves rolled toward her. The water kissed her toes and she jumped back, nearly falling backward onto the sand.

“Everleigh.” Cade’s voice was close to her ear and reminded her of velvet. “It’s okay.” He rested his hand on the small of her back. “I’ve got you. I’ll be beside you the entire time.”

She gripped his hard bicep and took one step onto the wet sand.

“Good job,” he said.

She took another step just as a wave crashed, and the water rushed around her feet and up to her ankles. Her body trembled like a leaf in a windstorm.

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