Without a second thought, he went to them. As he approached, Brooklyn smiled softly at him while he mouthed that he was sorry. They would have to speak about what happened later, when Brystol wasn’t around, and he hoped by then he’d have a few answers from Graham.
Bowie took the spot next to Brystol, looked at his watch, and pointed to the sky. “Your father loved fireworks,” he said to her. “Watch.”
And as if on cue, the sky lit up with red and blue sparks. Everyone oohed and aahed. Bowie wasn’t interested in the fireworks, though; he was studying the women next to him as they watched the display. He knew that they were going to change his life; he just couldn’t figure out how.
When the fireworks ended, Carly called for Brystol. She told her mom and Bowie good night, gave Luke one last pat on his head, and ran toward her grandma.
“I think we’re being set up,” Brooklyn said to Bowie as she watched Simone, Carly, and Brystol disappear into the darkness.
“Want to go for a walk?”
She did but didn’t want to come off as eager, so she pretended to think about it for a moment. Bowie, it seemed, had other ideas. He stood and reached for her hand. “What about Luke?” she asked.
He held up his other hand, showing her Luke’s red leash. “He’s hooked up. It’s too dark for him to run around without supervision.”
Brooklyn took his hand but let go as soon as she stood, then wiped the sand off the back of her shorts and fell in step next to him. They walked until the dry sand turned wet and then turned toward town.
“A setup, huh?”
She shrugged, but there was a good chance he couldn’t see her. The moon wasn’t overly bright, and there were very few bonfires on the beach at the moment. “I think this whole thing is a setup. She wants me to stay, mostly for Brystol, and I think Carly feels that if I’m back with all my friends, the decision will be a no-brainer.”
“Is it?”
“No, it’s not. I’m confused, especially when it comes to you.”
“Why is that?”
She stopped in front of him and searched for his eyes. “Are you married?”
She expected him to take a step back, to put some distance between them, because she was sure she’d called him out on this little tidbit. Not that he had to tell her, but she felt like it was something he should’ve said to her by now, but he surprised her by stepping forward and placing his hand on her hip, just above the waistband of her shorts. His fingertips pressed into her skin, causing her to shiver.
“I’m not married, but I was. Our divorce will be final in a few months. They day I saw you, my world spun on its axis. I met my ex at the diner only to find out she was giving up her claim to alimony because she was getting remarried. We haven’t been separated nine months, and she’s already engaged to another man. At first, I was pissed because she’s been taking my money, all while she’s with this other guy, and then I realized I was going to be a free man in three months, so all was okay. The day became gradually better when I got the call about the inn, and as much as I wanted to be angry that you came back, I couldn’t be.”
“Okay,” she said quietly. Divorced, she could handle.
“Okay, what?” His hand moved from her hip to her hair, where he gently pushed the loose strands behind her ear.
She shook her head, unable to come up with a proper response. She couldn’t make a commitment, not to him, and not to living in Cape Harbor, and she didn’t want to waste Bowie’s time with the back-and-forth going on in her head. However, denying her feelings for him was becoming harder and harder.
“You’ve been flirting with me.”
“And you have with me.”
She couldn’t argue with him there. “You’re easy to be around. Our relationship—the one we had before.” She paused and gathered her thoughts. “Sometimes it feels like we could have it again if we tried.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to rush into anything and then leave, and I don’t want the opportunity to pass by either.”
“You’re not staying?”
Brooklyn held her head high and said, “I don’t know yet.”
They stared at each other, both lost in the darkness with the waves pushing toward the surf. They were at a standstill, neither of them moving until Bowie cupped the back of her head and pulled her toward his lips. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away.
“Don’t. Don’t do that.”
“Why not? What the hell are you so afraid of?”
She sighed. “You. I’m afraid of what you represent.”