by Rachel Magee
She had gotten her foot out of the boot and was massaging her ankle when he walked out of the water and plopped down on the sand next to her. “You’re going to need to ice that.” He pointed to her ankle.
“You don’t think one-footed sand volleyball was what the doctor had in mind when he said to take it easy at the beach?”
He chuckled and ran his hand through his wet hair. “Probably not. But then again, if he’d known the girls didn’t stand a chance without your ace serve, I’m sure he would’ve approved.”
“Georgia had us training for such occasions. We take breakfast-making very seriously.”
“Apparently.” He stood up and offered her a hand to pull her up. She kept all of her weight on her good ankle, and he helped her hop down until they were standing ankle deep in the water. “Hey, I gotta head back to the house to welcome the investors, but as soon as I get them settled, I’ll be back.”
“Always working an angle, aren’t you?” she joked.
“No rest for the wicked.” He leaned over and brushed a quick kiss across her cheek, causing her pulse to quicken. It was the kind of instinctive move a doting boyfriend would have done before he walked away. In fact, Paige had seen him do it before to the handful of girls he’d had very brief relationships with. But he’d never done it to her.
She wanted to be proud that he thought to do such an intimate gesture so naturally, a tiny display of affection that would sell their fake relationship to any onlooker. But the truth was the only thing she could think about was how the kiss still lingered on her cheek and how the sensation seemed to shimmer through her.
She hopped deeper into the ocean as she watched him jog down the beach in the direction of Lane’s parents’ beach house, dipping her hands into the cool water to keep from reaching up to touch the place where his lips had grazed her cheek. Clearly, it had been far too long since she’d been kissed.
As soon as Aiden got far enough around the bend that she couldn’t see him anymore, she dove into the water to swim the rest of the way to the sandbar. If all went well, her dry spell would be a thing of the past soon enough. Until then, she needed to shake off whatever was making her thoughts scatter anytime she saw attractive men like Aiden Pierce.
By two o’clock that afternoon, Aiden was more than happy to take a break from the business side of things to drive an ATV down the beach to deliver an array of water toys to the wedding party. Jacob Merrick had become more demanding than usual this weekend, and it was starting to annoy him. Ever since they started working together five years ago, their partnership had been equal. Sure, they both had their strengths. Jacob had money and influence that came in handy when making big deals, but Aiden had the ideas. One did not work well without the other. That was why, as far as sales and everything else, their partnership had always been fifty-fifty.
But this weekend, something had shifted. Maybe it was the fact that they were staying at Jacob’s house. Or perhaps it was because he was the father of the groom, hosting a huge destination wedding for his only son. Or maybe it was the staggering amount of money this single sale was going to make them. Whatever the reason, Jacob seemed to see Aiden as an employee this weekend. Someone he could order around.
Well, tomorrow, as soon as he was in charge of the meeting and selling all the investors the beauty of his grand creation, Aiden would be back in the driver’s seat. Until then, his plan was to stay out of Jacob’s way. At the moment, the best way to do that was to volunteer to drive the ATV to deliver the pile of beach toys Jacob had purchased for the “kids” to play with.
Aiden didn’t even bother to remind him that the “kids” were the same age he was.
The area in front of the condos had gotten more crowded since he’d left earlier that morning. It seemed like every one of the wedding guests in town was there. Well, everyone except for the investors and their wives. They were hanging out in rented cabanas with a full wait staff at the private beach near Jacob’s house.
He pulled the ATV up to the dunes next to the staircase and waved Lane over to meet him.
“A gift from your dad. He thought y’all might enjoy playing with these.”
Several members of the wedding party including his sister came over to help unload the six standup paddle boards and oars and carried them down to the water. Paige, however, wasn’t one of them. She sat under the pop-up canopy, her ankle still free from the walking boot and propped on the cooler in front of her.
“I brought you something.” He pointed to the bright yellow tandem kayak that had been at the bottom of the pile. “I thought you could use a beach toy that took the pressure off your ankle.”
A huge smile lit her face as she pushed herself up from her chair and hobbled over to him. “You’re a godsend.”
He loved the way her smile didn’t stop at her lips. It reflected in her eyes, shone off her face, lit her entire body. Her smile had always had the power to brighten a dark room, but this weekend in particular, it seemed to have a different effect on him. Seeing her awe-inspiring smile made him feel like he had the ability to conquer the world, much less wow the four moneymen staying at the rented house a half mile down.
He drank in the feeling, selfishly hoping to harness some of its confidence during their time together. “If you carry these, I’ll carry this.” He handed her the double oars.
“Deal.” She grabbed the paddles and used them as a sort of crutch as she waited for him to heft the massive boat off the cart. The sea kayak wasn’t too heavy for him to carry, but it was large and unwieldy and took some concentration to haul it through the soft sand to the water’s edge.
“You sure you got it?” Paige lifted a questioning eyebrow as she watched him struggle.
“Nothing to it.” He readjusted it halfway down the beach, his breathing more rapid than it had been after his three-mile jog this morning.
“If you say so.”
He struggled a few more yards. Had the beach gotten wider? He didn’t remember covering this much sand when he drove the four-wheeler up it. Sweat poured off his forehead.
“Knowing when to ask for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.” Paige pressed her lips together in a way that looked like she was trying to stifle a laugh.
“I’m not sure asking an injured person to carry something applies.”
Paige shook her head. “I only have a sprained ankle. Check this out.” She tossed the paddles into the boat and picked up the back part. “If I balance the back for you, you can carry most of the weight from the front.”
He shifted around to the front. He still wasn’t convinced he carried most of the weight, but the last fifty yards were easier.
“Thanks,” he said as he set the boat in the shallow water. The waves lapped at the front and he stood to admire the gulf sparkling before them.
She stepped into the ankle-deep water next to him. “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect beach day.”
He motioned to the front seat of the kayak. “Get in. Let’s put all that hard work and perfect weather to good use.”
She eased herself in and started paddling as he pushed them off. They stayed in the deep water in front of the sandbar and headed in the direction where the sandbar faded away. Several of the paddle boarders had gone past the sandbar and were exploring the deeper water on the other side. Many of the other wedding guests were gathered in the ankle-deep water of the sandbar about twenty-five yards off the shore to watch.
“We’ll be back.” Paige waved as they paddled by, picking up speed as they went. Aiden didn’t miss the way Brody looked at Paige as they passed, or the way he glared at him.
“Seems like phase two of your little plan is working,” he said.
“Today’s success has less to do with me and more to do with a certain someone who refuses to do anything too beachy.” He noticed that she didn’t even turn to look at Brody. “He tried
to get her into the water earlier and she told him she didn’t swim in the ocean. There are too many sea creatures in it.” She looked back at him and giggled. “To be fair, though, I’m not sure her bikini was made to get wet. My mom sent me a similar one once with a warning label that said ‘do not fully submerge in water.’”
“At that point, is it even considered swimwear?”
He heard a chuckle. “Par for the course when it comes to Gwyneth Blair.” At the mention of her mother’s name her back straightened and some of the pep seeped out of her voice. In the eight years he’d known Paige he’d never met the woman, but her physical reaction to her mother’s name made him curious. What was she like?
He was about to ask when Paige changed the subject. “So where are we headed?”
“As far toward the horizon as you want to go,” he said. “In full disclosure, I do have a selfish motive for our little boat ride. I wanted to go over some of the details about tomorrow.”
She twisted around in her seat and raised an eyebrow. “You hijacked my boat to get my undivided attention?”
“I whisked you away on an adventure that would ignite your imagination and thought we might find a few minutes to chat about business stuff.” Plus, he needed to get away, and being around her always made him happy. Which was a completely normal reaction to a friend, wasn’t it?
She balanced her paddle on her lap and looked around. “At least it’s a scenic business meeting.”
He took in the beauty surrounding them. Their paddles moved through the water in a slow rhythm, alternating from side to side. A warm breeze blew and the sun danced on the soft waves. It was the most relaxed Aiden had felt since he arrived at Jacob’s house. “Maybe I should hold all business meetings in a kayak.”
Paige nodded. “Not a bad idea. I think the paddling could help some of my brides work out their wedding planning aggression.” She flashed a smile over her shoulder. “But back to your thing, I confirmed the cabana this morning. It should be set up and ready by eleven. I spoke with the caterer yesterday after we got here. They’ll arrive at eleven-thirty and will set up in the clubhouse kitchen. They’re bringing a staff of two. One will do most of the food and plate prep and one will serve.”
She rested her paddle across the boat and spun around in her seat to face him. “I didn’t even think to ask if anyone had any dietary restrictions.”
Aiden scanned his memory of their short meeting together. “None that I know about. Should I ask?”
“That’s up to you. The caterer is going to make the recipes from Cedar Break that you requested. But just to give you a heads-up, he loved the brisket taco. He asked if it would be okay if he added it to his own menu. I told them they’d have to talk to you about it.”
It always caught him off guard when people raved about his recipes. They weren’t anything special, just something he thought sounded good. In fact, the barbecue brisket tacos, the most popular item on his menu, were something he threw together in the kitchen one afternoon because he was hungry. He brought some out for a few of his buddies to try and the table next to them tried to order it. It was such an off-the-cuff invention that he had trouble telling his head chef the correct measurements to recreate it.
“It’s just a recipe.” And if he did his job well tomorrow, he wouldn’t need it much longer. The thought settled on him like a gray cloud. He dug his oar into the water, trying to push the feeling behind him.
“Still, be prepared at some point to speak with them. And Hadley and Ciera are going to help me put the centerpieces together. I brought some of the things we use at the resort that will give it the same vibe as Cedar Break with a coastal twist.”
“I have no idea what that means but it sounds good.”
“There’s a TV screen that you can sync your computer to if you need it for a presentation. The manager said he could help us with that when we get there. So, looks like we’re all set on my end. How about your end?”
The grey cloud got darker, dimming his mood along with it. “I need to finish up the presentation tonight, but selling them on what makes Cedar Break special shouldn’t be hard.”
Paige nodded. “It’s a great place. It’ll be weird not seeing you in it.”
“Time to move on.” It’s what he did. Develop a great idea, sell it to the highest bidder, then move on to the next adventure. He never stayed anywhere long enough to get bored. Usually the sale of his business came with a light and airy sensation. Usually it was freeing. But right now he couldn’t shake the strangled feeling that arrived every time he thought of dealing with the investors, which had to be because he didn’t feel ready for the presentation. Right?
“Time for something bigger and better,” Paige said, but he couldn’t tell if her voice was serious or sarcastic.
“Yep. Bigger and better.” Except…
“Oh, Aiden! Look!” Paige’s excited voice interrupted his thoughts. She pointed her paddle at the water ten yards away to their right side. A pod of five or six dolphins swam near the surface, their heads popping up then disappearing below the water in what looked like a playful dance.
She rested her paddle across her lap and sat very still, watching the wildlife. Her face softened and every part of her from her eyes down to her fingertips looked like it was smiling.
Aiden glanced back at the beach to see if anyone else had spotted the beloved sea mammal, but they were farther away from the shore than he’d realized and the stretch of beach they were near was mostly vacant. As far as he could see, they were the only two people around.
The dolphins swam closer until the entire pod was no more than seven or eight feet away from them. One jumped out of the water in a perfect arc, cutting back into the water so smoothly that it hardly made a ripple.
“Aren’t they magnificent?” Paige’s face was filled with wonder and Aiden had to agree. He’d only seen dolphins in an aquarium, never in the wild. Here, swimming freely in the ocean, they seemed bigger, grander, more relaxed and more playful all at the same time. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
Several of the dolphins raised their heads above the water to look at them and Aiden could have sworn they were smiling. Their kind, dark eyes looked directly at them, and they made a clicking noise as if they were introducing themselves.
“Well, hello, darlings. It’s lovely to meet you, too,” Paige’s voice purred in a calm, soothing tone which seemed to coax them a little closer. Another one jumped, and this time he was so close, Aiden could see the soft pink of his belly.
Two dolphins broke away from the rest of the pod and swam right up to them. One positioned himself only inches away from their kayak. He’d looked big when he was several feet away, but right next to them he seemed massive. His long, sleek body was slightly longer than the kayak. The other dolphin swam under them and popped out right in front of them, staring at them over the bow.
“Aren’t you some handsome boys.” Paige sat perfectly still, with her hands clasped in her lap, but looked completely at ease. Completely comfortable.
Aiden had felt more comfortable when there was a nice six-foot barrier between them. Now, they had the big, burly club bouncers of the dolphin pod flanking their boat. Everything was copacetic at the moment, but he wasn’t sure what would happen if the bouncers decided they needed to enforce a rule. They could easily flip the kayak with one nudge and they probably weighed north of six hundred pounds.
The thought caused Aiden’s pulse to pick up and he eyed the big guy swimming next to him. “We’re all friends here, right?”
Paige laughed, a tinkling sound that rippled over the water. It caused the one in front of them to lift his head and smile at her. Aiden didn’t blame him. Paige’s laugh made him want to smile, too.
“Of course, we’re all friends. Aren’t we?” she said to the sweet, smiling face in front of her. The big guy next to them glared at Aiden.
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“But they’re protecting something.” Her expression turned more serious and she looked out to study the rest of the pod. “Do you have a baby with you?”
Aiden scanned the group as well. What he’d thought was a pod of six had now grown, and he counted at least ten. And that’s when he saw it. It was so precious it could have softened the hardest heart. “Yep. A tiny one, right there next to its mom.”
The tiny dolphin stayed just below the surface. He was hard to spot because he hovered close to the front flipper of the larger dolphin Aiden assumed was his mother.
Both of Paige’s hands went to her heart and she made a muffled cooing sound. “Oh, Aiden, have you ever seen anything so adorable in your whole life?”
As if the mother had heard her, she swam a little closer, showing off the calf. The baby couldn’t have been more than three feet long and had a sort of clumsy newness about him. Aiden wouldn’t have been surprised if he was only a few days old.
“What a treat,” Paige whispered. The mistiness in her eyes glistened and joy glowed around her. Aiden agreed. This moment was a treat. And what was even more surprising was the realization that there wasn’t anyone else he would’ve wanted to share it with.
They sat there like that for at least ten minutes with the waves gently rocking them, encompassed in a bubble of wonder, escorted by a pair of large dolphins while they watched the rest of the pod play in the water next to them.
Finally, Paige turned her attention to their escorts. “What a precious little baby. Thank you for sharing him with us.”
The one in front popped up, smiling right at them as if to acknowledge the compliment, and then both escorts joined the others and the whole pod disappeared into the darker waters.
She reached back and covered his hand with hers. The warmth of her touch flowed through him, which caught him off guard. He stared at her hand in amazement for a moment before looking up at her. The peaceful expression on her face washed over him, too.
