Tequila Rose (Tequila Rose 1)

Quick to change the subject back to something we both enjoy, I tell her, “I see why you love it here.”

“Yeah, the ocean, the sun … the town’s not too bad either.”

I join her when she laughs although I pick up on the dampened tone when she brings up the town.

“Small towns can be rough from what I’ve heard.”

“Every place has its ups and downs but I do love it here.”

“You going to live here forever?”

“Well, I haven’t thought about ‘forever’ yet. It’s hard with—” She stops speaking abruptly but her mouth stays parted, like she realized she was going to say something she doesn’t want to.

“Hard with what?”

“With what happened a few years back. I didn’t tell you … I left that morning, the morning after we met because I had a family emergency and it turned into the worst time of my life.”

“You want to talk about it?”

“No … if that’s okay with you?”

Shrugging to keep it casual I tell her, “I’m happy to talk about whatever you want.”

“You could find out easily, though. You really could find out everything.” Like something’s dawned on her.

“Find out what?”

“Anything really. The town likes to gossip and knows everything.” She gets her confidence back and grabs a drink from the cooler. It takes a moment, and all the while I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. “So what have you heard about me?”

I can feel Griffin watching us, as if he’s a lifeguard on duty and he just knows I’m going to drown out at the helm with her. “I don’t want to hear what the town’s got to say, to be honest.”

“So you haven’t heard anything?” she asks like she doesn’t believe me.

“Nope.”

“I feel like this isn’t second date talk.” Griffin interrupts us, taking up the space to my right, with Magnolia still to my left. I’m tempted to kick his ass overboard.

He continues, “What is second date talk is asking about friends. Like if your friend Renee is single and if she’d like to come sailing … or what her thing is?”

I’m so happy I brought a fifth wheel …

Magnolia laughs and it’s the sweetest sound. “I invited her but she had to decline unfortunately.”

“Ah well,” Griffin says, playing it off well, “maybe next time then.” It’s obvious as all hell that he’s giving us space when he heads to the bow of the ship, looking out over the water as if there’s something to see there. The shoreline does look gorgeous, I’ll give him that.

“You want kids?” Magnolia asks me out of nowhere.

I can’t help but to think about her daughter. I almost bring her up, but I bite my tongue instead and think of how to answer her. “I do. I want a big family.”

“How big?” she asks and Griffin’s comment about appropriate second date talk comes to mind, but this isn’t really our second date.

“That would depend on a lot of things, I think. I’m an only child and I know I want at least two, maybe three … maybe more.”

She only nods, sipping her beer and staring out at the water.

I would ask her how many she wants, but she scoots closer to me, close enough that her forearm touches mine and I’m too busy enjoying the moment to break it up with questions that won’t change a damn thing about what I want from her.

There’s something here and I just need to kiss her. She’ll feel it all too, as soon as she lets me kiss her.

Magnolia

“I’ve got a little burn, but it’ll tan over.”

Back at the pier, our legs dangle over the ledge. The trees behind us offer a bit of much-needed shade after half a day on the boat.

I need a nap after spending all day soaking in the sun. More than that, I need Brody to kiss me. All the little touches have added up. A girl can only take so much.

“Not as bad as Griffin’s,” Brody says with a smirk. His friend is going to be hurting, that’s for certain.

“Where’d he go?” I say, already turning around to see if I can spot him. The piña colada water ice drips out just slightly from the bottom of the paper cone in my hand, so I tilt it back as I search him out, gathering the last of the frozen treat.

“He’s heading out to get dinner with his family, I think.”

I’ve learned a number of things in the last few hours. More than half were about Griffin. The man can talk and Brody was more quiet than anything. Observing, scooting closer to me and then I did the same.

It’s probably a good thing Griffin was on that boat with us, to be honest.

“Now we’re all alone,” Brody practically hums, bumping his shoulder against mine and I have to laugh. There are about a dozen people behind us at the Ice Shack. Alone, we are not.