Page 54 of The Problem with Perfect

I don’t mean for it to sound the way it comes out, but I’m also not expecting the curt way Rusty responds.

“I know what I agreed to, Bellamy.” He sighs, and I can almost feel him bristling through the phone. “When are they leaving?”

“In an hour.”

“Send me the details.”

Before I can even say anything—Thank you, you’re the best, you’re saving my life—he hangs up.

I’m pretty sure the Pruitts keep their boat in the south marina near the resort, but when I flick a text off to Stace to let her know we can come, I also ask her to tell me where they’re docked. Then I push myself out of bed and begin digging through my dresser, looking for a bathing suit.

It only occurs to me right then that Rusty will be seeing me in a bikini, and I’ll most likely be seeing him in swim trunks. I mean, we live near a lake and I’ve known him long enough that we’ve certainly seen each other in bathing suits before, but things feel different now than they were when I was younger.

Rusty’s not just my brother’s friend anymore. He’s a man I’ve kissed, a very attractive man I’ve kissed more than once.

And one I’d like to kiss again if I wasn’t so sure he’d push me away.

* * *

It wouldn’t make sense for Rusty to come get me since my house is in the opposite direction, so we agree to meet at South Bank Marina. When I finally find a parking spot amidst the holiday weekend surge, I spot Stace and Connor almost immediately at the end of Dock 2, loading a cooler and a few bags of stuff onto Mr. Pruitt’s boat. I slowly unload, hoping to delay long enough so Rusty will get here quickly, but he texts to say he needs to swing by One Stop and will be a few minutes late. So, I head off toward their boat on my own.

“Hey, girl!” Stace says, waving with an outstretched arm and a wide smile.

I drop my heavy beach bag at my feet. “Thanks for the invite.”

“I’m so glad you could come. I thought Rusty was coming, too?”

I nod. “He is. He just had to swing by the store. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Stace grins. “Awesome. I’m glad he’s coming along.” She bumps me with an elbow, her voice lowering just slightly. “Maybe Rusty can rub off a little on Connor, huh?”

She laughs at her own words just as Connor hoists himself up off the boat.

“Hey, Bells,” he says, smiling.

I really wish he’d stop calling me that.

“We’re almost ready to go. I’m just gonna run back up to the car for a sec. Forgot my sunglasses.”

He jogs away down the dock, leaving Stace and me behind.

“Come on, let’s get comfortable.” She steps down into the boat, and I hop in after her, putting my bag on one of the seats.

I’m not a huge boat person. I know just enough from living at a lake and being around people who enjoy boating and lake life, and evenIknow Connor’s dad’s boat is really nice. It’s long and sleek and has a canopy thing for shade and seats that are warm from sitting in the sun. Everything shines like it’s brand new, and there are two big engines on the back and a big metal beam I’m pretty sure is for wakeboarding.

“I grew up near the water, but we weren’t really water people,” Stace says, interrupting my thoughts as she plops down in one of the captain’s chairs. “I think I’ve been out on the water like…maybe three times in my whole life, so I have beenbeggingConnor to do this ever since we got here.”

I grin. “Holiday weekends can be a little wild, but lake days are always fun. Nothing feels quite like soaking in that vitamin D, and there’s just something about swimming in the middle of a massive lake like this that’s freeing.”

She rubs her hands together. “I’m not sure I’ll be brave enough to get in the water.”

“What?” I laugh. “Come on, you have to!”

“We’ll see.” But she’s shaking her head no even as she says it. “Maybe if Connor gets in with me.”

I open my mouth to mention that the boat probably has life jackets, but I get distracted when I spot Rusty halfway down the dock and heading our way. He’s wearing a pair of tan board shorts, a loose tank, flip flops, and sunglasses, and he’s carrying a cooler up on one shoulder, a towel flung over the other.

“Damn, the way you look at him is just as awestruck as how he looks at you.”

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