Page 7 of Fore Better or Worse
“So? You could use a party or two in your life.”
I shoot her a look.
“What?” she says. “This is the first night in forever you’ve done something spontaneous. Something that wasn’t arranged three weeks in advance and color-coded in your planner. Maybe, it’s a sign.”
She has a point, unfortunately. “This feels like jumping out of an airplane without checking if my parachute works.”
“This is nothing like that.” She nudges my shoulder. “Besides, he’s likely leaving tomorrow, right? You said it yourself. He’ll go back to wherever his fancy golf career takes him. This boat will dock in an hour. What have you got to lose?”
I look at my phone again then across the deck at Hays. He’s still there, still gorgeous, and still not my type. But there’s something about the way he looked at me earlier, as if I were genuinely interesting rather than just another face in the crowd.
“I’ll just congratulate him and come right back.” I place my napkin next to my plate.
“Or,” Tabitha says, leaning closer with a mischievous glint in her eye, “you could get over one man by getting under another.”
“I’m not having a one-night stand with a famous stranger I met on a boat two hours ago!”
Tabitha laughs. “There’s a whole spectrum between talking and sleeping together, Leah. You don’t have to cannon-ball into the deep end. Maybe, just stick your toes in the water.”
Before I can lose my nerve or the liquid courage currently coursing through my veins, I stand. “I’ll be right back.”
“I hope you’re not.” Her knowing smile follows me as I make my way across the deck. Then, as if it’s an afterthought, she calls out, “Oh, and if you happen to find out the name of Mr. Tall,Dark, and Handsome hovering behind your birthday buddy, I wouldn’t be opposed to that nugget of information.”
“Tab,” I say, shaking my head with a smile.
“What? I’m just being thorough. You know, in case his friend needs someone to show him around Starlight Bay.” She waves me off with feigned innocence. “I’ll handle the girls. Tell them you’re getting fresh air or something. Take your time.”
Chapter five
Leah
As I make my way across the deck, Hays glances in my direction, a pleased smile curling his lips. He turns back to an animated conversation with his friend. Even from this distance, the man I’m assuming is Rory, is gesturing and speaking in what looks like a warning tone. But Hays just shakes his head with that easy smile and steps off toward me.
His confident stride cuts through the crowd. My pulse quickens. Before I know it, he’s there, with that devastating smile, as he guides me toward a secluded spot by the railing.
“Thank you for the drinks,” I offer, ingrained politeness outweighing everything else at the moment.
“Anytime.”
“I have to admit your covert mission was a success, Hays.”
The moment his name leaves my lips, something shifts in his expression, and I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. But then he clears his throat and leans close enough I breathe his scent again, an unmistakable smell I’ll forever associate with tonight. “You seem to have me at a disadvantage.”
“How’s that?”
“You caught my name, but I didn’t have the pleasure of learning yours, which left me to speculate what it might be all throughout dinner.”
My eyebrows lift. “You’ve been speculating about my name?”
“It’s never a good idea to leave me to my own devices.”
And just like that, I’m at ease again. “What did you come up with?”
He examines my face with an intensity that warms my skin, as if he’s trying to puzzle out a name. Or memorize every detail. Finally, he says, “Leah.”
My jaw drops. “How did you—”
“Lucky guess?” He shrugs it off and tries to look innocent, but mischief dances in his green-blue eyes.
