Page 25 of Seaside Cowboy's Fairy Tale

Chapter Seven

TEX SLIPPED INTO HISdriver’s seat and followed her small car. Intuition told him she fought an inner struggle over how to respond to his suggestion of dates. Were they even dates? His eyes narrowed. He couldn’t be mistaken about the attraction in her eyes. But she was fighting it.

Was her heart broken in the past, as his had been? Or did something in her history prevent her from revealing her identity?

His insides went cold as he changed the lane after she had. Could she have been sent by one of his competitors? Could it be Fred Sersen? He’d done something like that in the past. Instructing a beautiful woman to weasel out Tex’s secrets.

Oh no. As everything in Tex protested that possibility, he clenched his teeth. But then Cinderella would’ve had a believable story concocted not to raise his suspicions. Still, he’d followed his heart instead of his mind once before, and he’d lost big time.

Doubts roiled him, but he kept driving. He’d just seen her, and he couldn’t wait to see her again—soon. The road to the beach seemed way too long. He couldn’t turn back. But he’d have to be very, very careful.

Minutes later, they stood on the beach surrounded by amazing beauty. But he only had eyes for the beauty right in front of him. It took all his willpower—and he usually had plenty of it—not to reach out and tuck a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear. He was standing on the white sand, but he might be standing in quicksand with her.

“It’s gorgeous here, isn’t it?”

The air was even more humid here and saltier, as well. Seagulls seemed to greet them, squealing and careening through the sky. Whitecaps of foam topped the waves as they reached toward an endless cerulean above, but she peered at the distant sails as if searching for something far away.

“Gorgeous, indeed.” He kept looking at her, half afraid she was a mirage ready to disappear. He wouldn’t even know where to look for her.

Her lips curled up as if she understood the meaning of his words, and an adorable blush pinked her cheeks. In simple worn-out clothes and footwear, her face clear and makeup-free, she didn’t try to appeal to him or anyone else, which made her more appealing.

She kicked off her sneakers and picked them up. “I live close to the beach and yet rarely go on it. Shame, isn’t it?” She waved at the seagulls, then turned to him. “In a way, you and I are two birds of a feather. We work too much and allow ourselves to feel too little.”

He flinched. She summed it up so well. “We have our reasons. But it doesn’t make it better.”

“No, it doesn’t.” The wash of the ocean nearly drowned her soft words. She lifted her face to the sun and closed her eyes.

Whatever the outcome of this rendezvous, he’d never forget her. Maybe he’d always remember her this way—her blonde hair flowing in the air like a ship’s pennant, her white T-shirt flapping in the wind like a sail, and her arms spreading like a bird in flight. He almost reached into his pocket for his phone to take a photo, but that would feel intrusive.

Yes, she was beautiful like a mirage, a surreal mystery, and yet she felt more real than anyone he’d ever met. His rapid heartbeat accompanied the ocean’s rumbly pulse.

This must’ve been the only place she’d felt free as a little girl, away from her stepmother and stepsisters’ abuse. The beach was where he’d felt free as a child, too. Away from his father’s abuse. The ocean accepted everyone equally.

She opened her eyes, and their gazes met and held. Busted for staring, he didn’t apologize by voice or facial expression. Women like her were meant to be looked at, to be admired and cherished, whether she realized it or not.

Then she ran to the water and splashed. “The water feels so good!”

“Oh yeah?” He took off his shiny leather shoes and rolled up the cuffs of his black slacks. He should’ve worn a T-shirt, but oh well. He also rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

Warm sand wrapped around his toes. When was the last time he’d gone barefoot in public? He must’ve been a teen then.

He’d achieved everything he wanted, but now what? He’d never realized the worst part about having dreams was when they came true.

He walked to the water and let the tide lap at his feet before getting close to her. “You’re breathtaking.” Considering how she’d reacted to his previous compliments, he shouldn’t shower her with them. But he couldn’t help himself.

She tilted her head. “Even when I don’t knock the wind out of you by tackling you to the ground?”

He laughed. “Even then.”

Then she splashed at him, and he jumped back, resulting in a splash of his own around him.

“Watch out!” He sent sprays of water in her direction.

She squealed, shielding her face, then laughed.

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