Second First Kiss

“Oh, that, too, I guess. But his devotion rooted years before that.”

Sage wasn’t following. “I think I must be missing something.”

“Stop the boat!” Tyanne hollered. “Jasher! Don’t tell me you and Sage haven’t done a total timeline rundown of your feelings for her.”

Jasher didn’t stop the boat. In fact, he seemed to be pressing the throttle harder than before. Had he not heard the banshee-like summoning from his cousin?

He lifted an earphone. Oh, right. Ear protection. “You say something, Ty?” Then he reverted his attention to driving the boat. Tate was behind the boat edging on his kneeboard. “You can have a turn in a couple more rotations, okay? Tate called first dibs and wanted ten loops.”

Tyanne turned on Sage with all teeth showing in a grin, even back to some of her molars. “See? When he’s focused, he stays focused. Just like how he’s zeroed in on you.”

This might be getting uncomfortable. “He’s a nice guy. And an incredible surgeon. I agree with you that he’s got great focus. You should see him in the O-R.” And the linen closet.

“Come on, girl. You know you want to ask me more about what I’m not-so-subtly hinting at.”

True, but she also might not want to be told Jasher’s secrets. She might want Jasher to tell them himself, in a time he wanted to reveal them. “Trust me, I’m not the only woman who’s ever been on his mind. We’ve had a few chats about dating history.”

Although, Jasher’s additions to the conversation had been sketchy at best, now that Sage thought about it. A few women who wanted to date a doctor but didn’t like the schedule of a doctor. No one serious. Right?

“Fine. I can see why he likes you—and not just for that crazy-sexy bikini you have on under the life jacket.”

Ugh. This swimsuit. It was from back when she was a B-cup. Sage tugged at it reflexively.

“It’s also because you’re the type of girl who doesn’t take my well-baited hook.” Tyanne leaned back against the railing of the boat, hanging on as Jasher swung them past the curve on the west side of the pond. “I won’t push, but I will just say he was grateful.”

For the kissing booth kiss? Weird. “Grateful.” She tilted her head.

“Yeah, you know. For attending his dad’s funeral. He said you were the only teenager who showed up.”

His dad’s funeral. “Oh.” Sage scraped her memories. Funerals came and went for the daughter of Erica Everton, funeral-hopper, obituary-clipper, the modern-day equivalent of a professional mourner. “I probably went with my mom. She likes attending funerals, sharing grief, bringing a casserole.”

“Well, you may be downplaying your role, sweet Sage, but suffice it to say, it meant something to a thirteen-year-old boy who’d just moved to town and lost his dad in the same year.”

The boat slowed as Jasher released the throttle and cut the engine. He whipped off his hearing protection earphones. “Okay, ladies. Who’s next?”

Tyanne took a turn, and Tate took the wheel of the boat, leaving Sage with Jasher.

They sat side by side on the bench, facing backward and watching Tyanne spin and skid back and forth over the wake of the boat as Tate kept it at a steady seventeen miles per hour.

“You like Tyanne.”

“Yeah.” Sage shrugged. “Can’t help it. She’s pretty cool.”

“I hope she didn’t tell you any of my deep, dark secrets.” He rested a warm hand on her thigh, sending tingles up and down her leg.

What could Sage say to that? “Nothing dark, anyway.”

Jasher cough-laughed. “Oh, great. What did she say?” He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his life-jacketed chest.

Nothing Sage shouldn’t have already known. What kind of person attended someone’s dad’s funeral and then forgot about it? A lame one, if not an outright bad one. But since it hung in the air between them, she’d better speak. “She reminded me that I’d gone with my mom to your dad’s funeral services.”

Jasher closed his eyes. His temple flexed, and his clenched jaw wobbled. “I see.”

Clearly, he knew what other dots Tyanne had connected for Sage during the conversation. “It’s cool, Jasher. It’s not a big deal.”

His voice was barely audible over the whine of the outboard motor. “It was a big deal to me.” He slid closer, his hand on her hip. “It was why I had to kiss you at that fundraiser.”

“Oh?” Sage wince-chuckled. “All this time I’d been under the impression you did it on a dare from Danny Dooley.”