Page 48 of A Summer Mismatch
Oh geez. She’d never live that down. “Rather than mystery, I think she prefers to call them romances with a body count.”
That made him snort laugh. “Please tell me you’re serious right now. I want that to be true more than anything ever.”
“It’s really a thing,” she admitted gleefully.
“Now that’s a romance I’m interested in.”
“The movie’s about to start,” Smitty called over to them gruffly.
“I think that’s our signal to stop talking,” Logan whispered. The sun had gone down while they chatted, and the lights inside the pool had been turned on, so the water glowed turquoise-blue. Strings of white lights hung over the bar and patio, and inside the pool, people floated around while the movie was being queued up.
She glanced around for Cameron and found that rather than sitting on his tube, he was inside of it, with his arms hanging over the top of it, a huge smile on his face as he looked at the screen.
While Logan helped Amelia into her floaties, and then into a tube, Julia pulled her cover-up off and stepped into the refreshing pool. Cameron had the right idea about how to do this, especially with how hot the day had been. The cool water felt good on her legs and body, and she let her arms hang over the sides of her inner tube.
Logan floated closer to Julia once the movie started and his foot nudged hers under the water.
“Thank you for coming,” he whispered.
It had been a stressful day, but it was good to be here. She felt relaxed for the first time in… well, since the last time she saw Logan, actually. Instead of feeling like she was overburdened with weight, being with Logan made her feel lighter. Like she could float among the stars starting to sparkle in the sky above them.
He reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers. Their hands were hidden between the tubes, and she was certain no one could see, but it still gave her a little thrill of rebellion.
The Little Mermaid‘s opening notes rang out followed by the cheers of children—she wondered if there were more children than usual since this was a kids’ movie—and she and Logan let the water float them away from the crowd.
They remained close enough to keep an eye on Leo, Amelia, and Cameron, but far enough away to talk quietly without bothering anyone.
Logan told Julia about everything going on with his sister, Willow, and her heart went out to those kids.
Once they started talking, it was like they couldn’t stop. They told each other about their childhoods, about their friends and where they went to college.
He had countless hilarious stories of working with animals, and she had just as many for the things her students had said and done over the years. Every once in a while, their snickering was too loud, and was met by glares of some of The Palms residents.
Julia would apologize and try to insist they watch the movie, but Logan could coax her into another conversation with just one word.
The movie played as they talked, never letting their grasp on one another go, never letting the other float away.
And something clicked for Julia, in the same way their hands seemed to click perfectly together.This is right.Her heart swelled, and she gave in to the impulse to lean over her tube and kiss his cheek.
His eyes lit with fiery surprise.
“I guess when I fall for someone, I go big too,” she whispered with a shrug.
He looked as though he were biting back a smile that was just too wide to be fully suppressed. She suspected she had the same look on her face. She couldn’t believe she’d just kissed him. Yes, it was on the cheek. And yes, it was in a totally public place, and not even the first time they’d kissed.
But it felt like a heart-racingly huge deal.
Somehow, Logan managed to pull her tube even closer, and his grip on her hand was even firmer. She relaxed into this sense of belonging.
She looked around the pool to check on the kids, just as King Triton destroyed Ariel’s cave of treasures for falling in love with a human. He was angry but also devastated and betrayed. Her heart wrenched as she connected a little too personally with the storyline.
She tore her gaze away from the screen and connected with Smitty’s stormy glare that made her catch her breath. Logan lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingers while he watched the movie, turning Smitty’s eyes even darker.
Perhaps star-crossed wasn’t so far off after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Horace
