Page 74 of Summer Ever After
His lips press into a cute closed-mouth smile, as if he knows he has me right where he wants me.
“Fine.” I shrug indifferently. “We can boat around for a little bit.”
In a way, this is me being a good friend to Capri.
She wouldn’t want me to leave her brother alone when he’s having a bad day.
So I won’t.
Once we cross the no-wake buoy, I shift the throttle forward, sending us speeding toward the mainland. A sharp left turn points the nose of the boat to the north end of Sunset Harbor. We pass the nature reserve and circle around the tip of the island, where the resort and golf course are, until we’re on the Gulf side.
Walker rummages through the compartment in front of him, finding a pair of my dad’s old sunglasses to help with the wind. Now, he’s shirtless with sunglasses and wind blowing through his wavy hair. It’s too much for one girl to handle.
I slow the boat to a stop about a mile out from shore, but it’s still shallow enough that I can lower the anchor so we don’t drift. This distance gives us the perfect view of the island from top to bottom.
“It’s crazy how small Sunset Harbor really is.” Walker stands, taking it all in.
“That’s what makes it so great.”
He dips his smile to me. “You never miss a chance to share your island pride.”
“Never.” I kill the engine, letting the lapping water control us.
“It’s hot.” Walker stretches his arms out to the side, and it’s a glorious view of twisting muscles and manly veins. “I think we should jump in the water.” He bends, taking off his running shoes and socks. “You coming?”
I scratch my head as I watch him dive off the back of the boat—gracefully, I’ll add.
He surfaces with a flamboyant yell, flipping his wet hair back from his face. “Get in here, Jane!”
“Okay, I guess we’re doing this.” I tug off my shirt and unbutton my shorts. I assumed I’d be swimming with a man today—just not Walker—so I wore a cute, flattering bikini. My tan looks incredible, thanks to sunbathing yesterday. I’m swim-ready, which gives me some confidence.
“Jane! Jane! Jane!” Walker chants as I step onto the back and jump in.
I know enough about myself to know I don’t come out of the water looking like the Little Mermaid. I’m more of a George Washington kind of girl, with my hair rolled and folded back from my forehead in the ugliest way possible, and there’s usually some kind of wet booger smeared across my cheek that I can’t feel. So I turn away from him, giving myself a second to adjust my hair, and frantically swipe my hand all over my face, clearing away any unwanted green thing before I face him.
“It’s refreshing, huh?”
“Yeah.” I make sure to keep a body-length distancebetween us. This isn’t some flirty swim. We’re just cooling off—a great thing to do when I’m feeling hot over how attractive he is.
“I’m glad Phoenix canceled on you. I mean, he sounds like a total jerk, but I’m glad he canceled.”
“Why? So you can gloat and tell meI told you soabout my summer plans not working?”
“No.” He grins as he treads water. “So I could go on the date with you.”
“This is not a date.” I splash him with a slap of water. “Stop trying to turn every time I see you into a date.”
“I have to, since you won’t put me on your list of prospects.” He gives me puppy-dog eyes. “Jane, what do I have to do to get inside your heart and on your list?”
I’m skipping over theinside-your-heartpart and focusing solely on the other half of his words. “I knew this was just a game to you. Even back in high school, you’ve always loved the chase. Didn’t matter who the girl was—you just wanted to see if you could win her over.”
“That’s not true,” he scoffs. “I was so focused on golf I barely even dated in high school.”
It’s my turn to scoff. “You’re joking, right? You pretty much kissed the entire female student body.”
His lips purse as he shakes his head. “I don’t remember that. I think your information is inaccurate.”
“Okay, what about Olive Belacourt?” She was a year younger than me and the most gorgeous thing at school. “You two were boyfriend and girlfriend and had engagement photos taken.”
