Seventeen
Cami
“Y ou’re a pro at this.” Evan threw a wave and a smile at the crowd gathered under the pavilion at the marina. She thought he did a pretty good job on his own of capturing fans. It was that killer smile of his and the dark smoldering eyes .
They were quickly approaching the judges’ table. Kyle slowed the boat, stalling it by the pilings .
Cami spoke through her teeth, smiling widely. “Lots of practice in Nashville.” Her wrist moved back and forth. She wasn’t sure how much people could see of them in the dark, but she kept waving and smiling anyway .
“What’s that?” Cami saw a group of kids at the edge of the boardwalk throwing something toward them .
Evan leaned forward over the railing, watching whatever it was skimming the top of the water .
“Are they throwing rocks?” She held her breath. She thought everything was going well until now. Had they turned on her ?
“No.” He shook his head. “Not rocks. It’s boughs of mistletoe .”
“What?” Her voice squeaked .
“I think they want me to kiss you .”
Her heart pounded in her chest. The boughs kept splashing in the water around them. Did he know her stomach was doing somersaults? Did he have any idea how heavy her lips suddenly felt? Was he going to do it? Was he going to give in to the taunting requests of a bunch of kids ?
Evan didn’t give her much time to think. He scooped her up in his arms and his lips crashed into hers. His mouth was warm despite the cold circling them. He tasted like peppermint. She sighed as he broke away .
“I think they stopped throwing things,” he whispered .
She nodded. She was completely off-balance now and had to grab Evan’s arm to steady herself. That kiss had tipped everything off its axis. The boat rocked gently .
“Kyle’s pulling us into the slip. Ready to go?” he asked .
All she wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and get lost in another kiss. She didn’t care anymore who was watching. She didn’t care if mistletoe was involved or not .
“Yes.”
“I need to stop by the judges’ table and watch the rest of the boats come in. We can head to the oyster roast as soon as this wraps up. The guys know this takes a while .”
She nodded, understanding Evan had responsibilities tonight. They had passed by oyster roast when they rounded the point on the way in. Cami had seen the small fire pit from the boat. She couldn’t make out how many people were at the party .
Kyle cut the engine and tied up the boat .
“Thanks so much.” Cami shook his hand as Evan helped her to the dock .
“Sure thing, Miss Cami. It was nice having you aboard tonight. Think you two might make this an annual thing ?”
She saw the crease on Evan’s forehead .
“Thanks, Kyle.” His voice was gruff .
She sighed and followed Evan to the end of the marina where the judges could watch the boats and give them a score based on creativity and wow factor. It wasn’t that Evan was unkind, but something about his abrupt answer made her uncomfortable. Every time they found their own rhythm. Their own tiny piece of happiness, something from the outside blew in and made them start over. She was determined that wasn’t going to happen tonight. This town could pressure them all it wanted. She knew they had Christmas magic, and she’d hold on to it no matter what. She was still earning everyone’s trust, and that included Evan’s. She wasn’t going to let something as small as grapevine gossip put him in a bad mood .
“Who do you think is going to win?” she asked as they approached the table .
The judges sat under a propane heater. They drank hot cider and checked off each boat on a clipboard as it sailed into view .
“I’m not sure. There were some elaborate floats this year .”
She leaned toward his ear. “I’m slightly partial to the gingerbread house .”