Page 16 of Summer Ever After
I spin around so he can’t see my annoyance, but by the time I get to the door, he’s there, holding it open for me with another one of his mesmerizing smiles.
Walker
Jane Hayes.
She was always a cute girl, but the woman version of her is definitely more than cute. Beau Palmer could do a lot worse than her. That’s for sure.
“So when do you leave?” She stops in front of her golf cart and faces me.
“I’ll probably be here a few weeks. I’m staying at my mom’s house. They’re headed to Eur?—”
“Europe,” she finishes for me. “I know. I talk to your mom more than you do.”
Her digs about my family are warranted. I should’ve been better about visiting Sunset Harbor over the years, but once I started to stay away, it was easier to keep that trend up than to come home, so I did. It’s not like I never see them. My mom and Stan try to hit some of my bigger golf tournaments.
“And Tala just had a baby boy, your nephew named Lucas. He’s three months old.”
“Yeah, my mom sent me a picture. Cute kid.”
“And Capri is working like crazy. She just?—”
I place my finger over her lips, stopping her midsentence. “Jane, you don’t have to give me a rundown of my family. I might not come home, but I do talk to my mom. She keeps me very well informed about my sisters, minus the nephew. I thought the picture she sent was of a girl.”
Jane’s hand wraps around my wrist, pushing my arm away.
“I’m kidding.”
She steps back toward her golf cart like she means to drive off the second pleasantries are over—not surprising since she never liked me much.
Jane is Capri’s friend, and growing up, I was a jerk toCapri—not always, just once my dad died and my life was uprooted to Sunset Harbor. I took my anger out on my little sister. She was an easy target, and I was immature. So I can’t really say I blame Jane for her cold shoulder.
She drops her purse on the bench seat of her golf cart—another sign she wants to leave as soon as possible. “Is your back okay now? The surgery went well?”
My mouth presses into a smile. “Look who follows my career. I wouldn’t have taken you for a groupie.”
“I don’tfollowyour career. Someone in your family mentioned that you had back surgery. I was just trying to be nice. That’s all.”
“Well, my back feels fine. Even seems to be strong enough to handle thrusting. Thanks for asking, though.”
Her eyes narrow in response to her tailormade joke. “Yeah, I figured it felt fine based on how you pounded your golf club on the ground and snapped the head off at your last tournament.”
“See, you are a groupie.”
“Not a groupie. It was the number one trending thing on Sports Center.”
Am I embarrassed? Yes. But I deflect.
“I like to keep things interesting.” My grin pushes wider.
“Yes, you do.” She stares at me for a few seconds before dropping into the front seat. “Well, I guess I’ll see you in another ten years.” The cart jerks into reverse the second she turns it on.
“Looking forward to it, Jane.”
She gives a little wave, like the one when I first saw her tonight. “Goodbye, Walker.”
I watch her taillights until they disappear.
Jane Hayes.
