She took his arm, the rightness of the gesture surprising her. “Where are we going?”
He headed back toward the parking lot. “A tour on the Hudson river. I borrowed a boat from a friend. We can see the city, go around the Statue of Liberty too.”
That sounded amazing. But—
“Josh, I really need to tell you something.”
“We’ll talk after the boat ride. I just want to show you a good time. Have you ever seen the city from the water?”
She hadn’t. By car, helicopter, and plane, but not by boat. She shook her head.
“It’s a blast,” he said. “You’ll love it.”
She dropped her hold on his arm. “We should talk—”
“Later. Okay?” He stopped and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I do want to talk, but first I want to have fun.”
She met his warm brown eyes, already melting, but she still needed to do the right thing. “I’m just not sure if we should go on another date. I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Just give me a chance. One boat ride. You can do that, can’t you?” He leaned down and peered at her under her cap. “Do you have somewhere you need to jet off to?”
She laughed. “No.” Jenny probably didn’t jet off anywhere.
“Then it’s settled.”
She caved. Mostly because she longed to be Jenny with Josh one last time. And he was so set on taking her on a boat trip. Besides, he’d already borrowed the boat. It wasn’t like they’d be hooking up.
He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Lucky for you, I’m an expert boat guy. Captain, I mean. You can call me Captain.”
She laughed. “I remember how modest you are. You’re also an amazing big brother—”
“The best. And expert paddleboarder.” He grinned unrepentantly.
“Okay, but if I get wet, you’re going to be called something much worse than foxy.”
“Don’t you dare call me cute.” He raised his lip in a snarl. “Kiss of death.”
“I just might.” She pulled out her cell, smiling. “Hold on.” She quickly texted Hailey where she’d be and then she fell into the joy of being Jenny.
The boat ride was amazing or maybe that was the company. The boat was a light speedy craft made for six people at most. But it was just them. Josh was at the wheel and she stood next to him, enjoying the view, the sunshine, and fresh air. He had sunscreen, snacks, and drinks on the boat. She was glad she’d worn a cap to keep her wig in place and the sun off her face. They waved to the Statue of Liberty and to a few other passing boats. They ate trail mix and drank lemonade. She felt drunk with happiness. The exhilarating freedom out on the water, finally being with Josh again. He didn’t kiss her or touch her more than a hand squeeze. It was just pure fun with no heavy expectations.
Of course, eventually they had to go back to shore and face reality. But for the next three hours, she was Jenny and it was glorious. Finally Josh pulled back to the dock and tied up the boat.
He helped her off like the gentleman he was. “I was starting to think I was never going to see you again. I’m glad you came today.”
“Me too.”
“You hungry? There’s this great Irish pub. We could grab a drink and some dinner and talk.”
“Perfect.”
The pub was near the waterfront and crowded. Josh got a big welcome from the bartender, who came out from behind the bar to give Josh one of those guy handshake hugs. She gave the man a shy Jenny hello, careful to keep her head down, tilted away from the crowd. They were shown to a back booth away from the noisy bar. The lighting was dim and made it feel cozy. Within a few minutes they had two beers and a basket of chips.
They talked easily, picking up right where they’d left off. Josh was warm and funny, giving her the whole hilarious story of Hailey playing basketball. By the time they finished their meal, she was dreading goodbye. She didn’t want the day to end. And she still needed to explain that they couldn’t see each other again.
As if he sensed her darkening thoughts, he reached across the table and took her hand. “I want your number.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I want to see you again.”
She never gave out her number. Only a select few had it—her family, a few work people, Hailey, and Julia. She took a deep breath, knowing she finally had to end things.
“Josh, I had a really fun time today. And I just want to be clear…” She swallowed over the lump in her throat. She really hated hurting him. “Hailey told me you don’t usually have a second date. And I really enjoyed it, but—”