by Teri Wilson
He made her sound like Wonder Woman…in a cardigan. “Their dad is actually really helpful when he’s not traveling.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re still friends?”
“Friendship was never really our problem.” Jenna and her ex had always gotten along. They still did. He’d simply woken up one day and decided he didn’t want to be married anymore. “He wasn’t home much. He was very into his career, but at the same time didn’t understand why I wanted to be an author. I don’t think he considered it a real job. We just had very different views on life. I wish I had figured that out sooner.”
Lucas’s smile turned tender. “But then you wouldn’t be here.”
And here wasn’t such a bad place to be. It was pretty amazing, actually. “That…is very true.”
“Don’t worry, I have a feeling that your sequel is going to be even better than your first.”
Were they still talking about her book? Because is felt more like they were talking about her life.
A shiver coursed through her. She couldn’t tell if it was due to the gentle ocean breeze or the company.
“Here.” Lucas gathered his jacket off the back of the bench where they were sitting and offered it to her.
“That’s okay. I’m fine.” She wrapped her sweater tighter around her frame.
“I know you’re fine, but I’d still like to give it to you. If that’s okay?” His expression was so earnest, she couldn’t say no.
“Okay.” She swallowed. “Thanks.”
He draped his jacket over her shoulders. It smelled like salt water and beach glass. Midnight tides and kites flying against a summer sky. Like Lucas.
She breathed deep. And as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the moon rise high over the water, as brilliant and blue as a sapphire, she thought about now nice it felt to finally let someone in.
Even for just a little while.
Later, after they’d walked home with waves lapping at their feet, they climbed the stairs of the beach house and stood between their two screen doors.
“Well, this is me.” Jenna nodded toward her half of the patio.
Lucas glanced at his side. “It looks like your neighbor is a real slob.”
She laughed. “Yeah, but his dog is really well-behaved, so there’s that.”
Their eyes met, and the air between them suddenly felt thick with meaning. It made it hard to breathe…or think…or imagine anything other than rising up on her tiptoes and kissing Lucas’s cheek.
She took a preventative step backwards, shrugged out of his jacket and returned it to him. “Thanks for this, and for tonight. It was fun.”
His eyes glittered in the moonlight. “It was.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, you will see me tomorrow.” The corner of his mouth hitched into a grin. “Not that you have much of a choice.”
Right. He was still her next-door neighbor. Tomorrow everything would probably go back to normal, even though a tiny part of her wished it didn’t have to.
“True.” She nodded. Maybe that part wasn’t as tiny as she wanted it to be. “Okay…”
“Okay. Well, um. Good night.” He turned to face his door.
“Good night,” she said.
And then everything started to move in slow motion as he turned back around and walked a tiny step toward her. Her feet inched closer to him before she even realized what she was doing. He was going to kiss her. The warmth in his gaze and the little sparks of electricity bouncing between were a dead giveaway.
A long time ago, when Jenna had come to Tybee as a little girl, her grandfather told her about beach wishes. He said that if she wrote a wish in the sand, the tide would carry it away and someday, when the time was right, the wish would return to her, fulfilled. Thinking about kissing Lucas felt fated somehow, as if the entire summer had been leading up to this moment…as if she’d written it in the sand all those years ago.
But as their lips drew closer, Lucas’s arms were suddenly around her, pulling her into a tender embrace. It was a hug, not the kiss she’d wanted so very badly.
Jenna closed her eyes. There was that smell again, like endless summer. Only this time it was paired with sweet warmth and just enough disappointment that a lump formed in her throat.
When they stepped apart, all she could do was whisper. “Okay, bye.”
“Bye,” he murmured. “Good night.”
She turned toward her half of the duplex but glanced over her shoulder in time to see Lucas disappear behind his screen door and let out a wistful sigh that sounded as if he had a few beach wishes of his own.
Then they went their separate ways—her on one side of the fence and him on the other. But Jenna’s heart lingered in the space in between.
Chapter Twelve
Ally knocked on Lucas’s door bright and early a few days later, as had become her routine over the past few weeks. He stumbled toward the patio, yawning as usual. Was it his imagination, or did she show up earlier and earlier every time?
“Leash, please!” She grinned up at him and held out her hand.
He held up a finger and disappeared back inside for a few minutes while she waited. Once Tank was all decked out in his shell collar and Lucas had put on a fresh hoodie and pair of board shorts, he clipped the leash to the dog’s collar and walked him outside to meet Ally.
“Come on, boy.”
Tank practically strutted to the patio. He’d started looking forward to his morning walks with Ally. It was cute, albeit somewhat surprising, considering that Lucas still heard her peppering Tank with commands as they disappeared over the dune every morning.
Ally lit up with excitement when she saw them coming, and Lucas couldn’t help but smile. Warmth filled his chest as Jenna’s words from the night before came back to him.
She really likes you. They both do.
He pushed the screen door open, ignored Ally’s outstretched hand and stepped out onto the deck.
“Wait.” Ally glanced down at Tank and then back at Lucas. “Where are you going?”
“I thought I’d tag along today, if that’s all right with you?”
She gasped and then beamed at him. “Are you kidding? Yes!”
“Here you go.” Lucas handed her the leash. Tank followed the transfer with a swivel of his furry head. “Lead the way.”
“Awesome.” Ally skipped down the stairs with Tank bobbing faithfully alongside her.
They crossed the dune over the worn path where the sand was loose, surrounded by sea oats swaying in the gentle morning breeze. The ocean was crystal clear, bright and shimmering. At this early hour, the only other people on the beach were serious runners and fishermen looking for a morning bite.
Lucas followed Ally’s lead as she turned toward the quieter end of the island, where most of the sea turtles typically came ashore to build their nests and lay eggs. The sand farther up near the dune was marked in spots with wooden stakes and bright yellow tape, protecting the places already visited by nesting turtles. Come autumn, the beach would be crawling with tiny, fragile hatchlings making their way to the sea.
Now, all was quiet, save for the gentle swish of the waves coming ashore and Tank panting softly at the end of his leash.
“Mind telling me where we’re going?” Lucas asked.
“Right here.” Ally stopped near an empty wooden swing facing the water. “Sit down. It’s his favorite spot.”
As far as Lucas knew, Tank had never batted an eye at the swing before. But he was willing to give it a go. “Okay.”
“It took him a while to warm up,” Ally said.
Warm up for what? Lucas lowered himself onto the swing and nudged it into motion with his foot. “He’s not really a morning dog. Or a trick dog, for that matter.”
Ally smirked, then pointed at Tank and said, “
Sit.”
Tank obediently plopped his rear on the ground in a perfect sit position.
Lucas’s mouth dropped open, and before he could recover from the shock of what he’d just seen, Ally kept going.
“Shake.” She held out her hand and placed his paw in it.
It was astounding…and one of the cutest things Lucas had ever seen.
Ally wasn’t finished though, because of course not. She wasn’t the kind of kid to do things halfway. If Lucas wasn’t careful, she’d probably have Tank whipping up chocolate chip cookies.
“High five,” she said, and Tank dutifully obeyed.
Ally stood primly, head tilted just so, as she shot Lucas a look that said, See?
He stared at his own dog, bewildered. “That’s amazing.”
“He just didn’t know what he was missing.” She bent and gave Tank a scratch behind his ears, then she pranced in a happy circle while the pup scampered and leapt after her.
So it was as simple as that. Tank had been set in his independent doggy ways, perfectly content on his own, until a relentless charmer moved in next door and turned his life upside down.
Why did that scenario sound so familiar?
He just didn’t know what he was missing.
Maybe the kid had a point.
Jenna held the door open for Maureen as they stepped into one of the cute mom-and-pop gift shops on Tybee’s Main Street.
“I told him no hot tub until he finishes the porch.” Maureen made a beeline for a rack of breezy sundresses while Jenna browsed through gift items on the tables up front.
She picked up a picture frame decorated with coral and put it back down. “You think that will work?”
Maureen let out a laugh. “The man wants a hot tub.”
She had a point. Ian had been talking about building a deck with a hot tub in their backyard in Savannah for months. It was only a matter of time.
Jenna considered the assortment of knickknacks until she spotted a table with a neat row of colorful ties for sale in the middle of the shop. Aha!
She picked up one of them—silk, the color of aqua-hued beach glass.
Maureen’s eyebrow rose. “So you’re buying a gift? For Lucas? From the kids?”
They’d already been through this. That’s why Jenna had wanted to go shopping while Ally, Nick and Grayson were busy at day camp. She should have known Maureen would press for details. She’d been wearing her matchmaker expression all morning.
“The kids want to give him something for good luck since he’s coming over for dinner,” Jenna said as casually as possible.
She’d asked him this morning when she’d returned from dropping Nick and Ally off at summer camp and found Lucas sanding his surfboard on the deck. The invitation had popped out of her mouth before she could stop it.
“Wait. What?” Maureen’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “When?”
Jenna shrugged one shoulder. “Tonight.”
Maybe if she acted completely nonchalant about the dinner, Maureen wouldn’t make a thing of it.
Jenna was wrong, of course.
Maureen gasped out loud. “I can’t believe we’ve been hanging out for over an hour and you’re just telling me this now?”
“It’s not a big deal.” But it felt gigantic.
“Hello? You’ve barely dated since your divorce,” Maureen oh-so-helpfully pointed out.
Which was exactly why Jenna didn’t want to overthink dinner. Otherwise, she’d be a nervous wreck. The last time she’d eaten in front of Lucas, she’d mangled a crab. Who knew what would happen next?
“Yeah…well. I’ve been a little busy,” she said.
“For the last four years?” Maureen deadpanned.
“Yes.” She put the aqua tie back and considered a pink one, refusing to meet Maureen’s gaze.
Jenna knew she meant well. Other than her kids, Maureen was her closest confidante. Still, the truce with Lucas was still new. Who knew if it would even last?
“It’s okay to feel excited,” Maureen said.
Jenna sighed. Could they not have this discussion? Please?
“All right, fine.” Maureen held her hands up. “If it makes you feel more comfortable, it’s not a big deal.”
Jenna nodded. “Thank you.”
“But you still need a new dress.” Maureen grinned and darted back to the rack of sundresses. “What about this one?”
She held up a light blue dress with thin straps and a dramatic navy velveteen leaf design swirling over the bodice and long skirt.
It was very pretty. And very, very date-like.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Jenna glanced down at her striped shirt and cropped pants.
Maureen rolled her eyes. “You can’t wear khakis on a date.”
“It’s not a date. It’s a dinner. With the kids.” Besides, Jenna had lived next door to Lucas for weeks already. She was pretty certain he’d seen her in her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers on a few occasions.
“Tomato, tomahto.” Maureen dangled the dress in front of her.
The shop’s sales clerk appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. “Can I help you find a size?”
“No,” Jenna said.
At the exact same time, Maureen smiled and blurted, “Yes.”
The sales clerk glanced back and forth between them.
“Just try it on.” Maureen fluttered her eyelashes at Jenna. “Please?”
She wasn’t going to give in. If Jenna didn’t agree to try on the dress, Maureen would probably try and wrestle her into it.
“Fine.” She plucked the hanger from Maureen’s grip. “But it’s not a date.”
“No, of course not,” Maureen said, but her smile was triumphant.
And as Jenna stepped into the tiny dressing room and slid its curtain closed, she heard her best friend whispering on the other side.
“It’s a date.”
Chapter Thirteen
A few hours later, the house was clean, dinner was ready, and Jenna was wearing the pretty blue dress.
Maureen hadn’t taken no for an answer. And once Jenna had slipped it on and taken a look at herself in the mirror, she’d been easier to convince. It really was a lovely dress—slim, pretty and a little more glam than khakis without being over the top.
Still, five minutes before Lucas was due to arrive, she decided to change back into her cropped pants and trusty cardigan. Lucas would probably show up in his ordinary surfer uniform of a hoodie and board shorts. She’d invited him over for dinner with the kids. There was a zero percent chance he’d consider it a date, and here she was in a dress with spaghetti straps and her hair freshly blown out and tumbling down her back in thick waves.
What had she been thinking?
She reached to unzip the back of the dress and step out of it, but it was too late. Before her fingertips made contact with the zipper, someone knocked on the door.
It had to be Lucas.
Too late to back out now.
She took a deep breath and made her way to the living room, where she caught her first glimpse of him through the storm door on the patio. At least she thought it was Lucas—she barely recognized the handsome man standing on the deck in a crisp button-down shirt and dark, slim-cut pants. And was that a bouquet of flowers in his hand?
Her footsteps slowed and for a ridiculous fraction of a second, she thought she might cry. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had brought her flowers.
Her hand shook as she reached for the door knob, and when she swung the door open, they stood quietly looking at each other as if for the first time.
“Wow. You look…” She swallowed. “…different.”
Lucas’s gaze turned tender. Reverent. “You look incredible.”
Jenna smiled. Thank you, Maureen. I owe you one. “
Thanks. Come on in.”
Lucas took a step and then stopped. “Oh.” He offered her the bouquet. “These are for you.”
They were wild flowers, as beautiful and free as the ocean, in a mix of vibrant colors—sunny yellow, bright violet, red and hot pink. Jenna couldn’t help but think about the Rice Krispies Treats he’d loved so much.
Rainbow-colored food is my favorite type of food.
It was official. Rainbow-colored flowers were now her favorite type of flowers.
“Thank you.” Joy bubbled up inside her.
Lucas stepped inside and as the sweet perfume of the wildflowers mixed with the balmy sea breeze, she smiled and inhaled deeply.
It’s totally a date.
Lucas had never been on a date with children tagging along before, and he had to admit, it made things interesting. In a good way, though—especially where the salad was concerned.
He poked his fork at the pile of greenery on his plate. “So what have we got here? We’ve got some arugula, figs and…” He glanced at Ally. “…chocolate chips?”
“Yes, they are.” She nodded and took a giant bite of romaine lettuce dotted with semisweet chocolate morsels.
“Ally insisted on making the salad,” Jenna said.
“I see. It’s…” Adorable. “Delicious.”
It actually wasn’t half-bad. Who needed croutons when there was chocolate? Maybe Ally was onto something.
Nick also seemed to have something up his sleeve, although Lucas couldn’t quite figure out what it was. He’d spent enough time with the kid to know when something was on his mind. He finally let loose with it during the chocolate-laden salad course.
“So.” Nick set down his fork and met Lucas’s gaze from across the table. “We have prepared a list of questions.”
Lucas nearly choked on his arugula. “For who? Me?”
“You did?” Jenna’s eyes widened in what looked like genuine horror. It was kind of cute seeing her so rattled for a change.
But not quite as cute as her children grilling him to see if he was good enough for their mom. Ally had even brought a notepad. She pulled it out from beneath the dining table and flipped through its pages.
