“There’s nothing to tell,” she mumbles, and I wish I could see her face; maybe then I’d have a shot at reading what she’s thinking. “I called and got the number for the officer who was the first to show up and spoke with him. He told me that they took the little boy to the hospital just to be on the safe side, but he was released a couple of hours later.” She goes quiet for a minute, then turns to look at me. “So you just moved back to Tennessee?”
“I did.”
“Do you know anyone who goes by the name of Mike who kinda looks like you?” she asks while her eyes scan mine.
“Not that I can think of. Why?” I ask, her question catching me off guard, or maybe it’s the way she’s looking at me—like she’s searching for a lie.
“Just curious.” She shrugs one shoulder, then turns away from me and starts to speed up.
“Do you know a guy named Mike who looks like me?”
“I do.” She shakes her head, then sounds disgusted when she continues. “Or I did. We don’t talk anymore.”
I open my mouth to ask her who this Mike guy was to her, but I stop when she gasps, “There’s dolphins!” She points at the water just off to our right, and sure enough, two dolphins are gliding along with us through the wake the jet ski is creating.
“They want to play,” I tell her, and she turns to look at me with wide eyes. “Speed up just a little.”
“I don’t want to scare them away.”
“You won’t. Just trust me and go a little faster,” I urge, and she bites her lip, then nods and spins around.
As she starts to speed up, both dolphins twist around each other while traveling through the water keeping up with us, and jump on occasion. I listen to her laugh, the happy sound doing something to my insides. We drive like that for a while, with both dolphins chasing us, so when we slow to a stop, I expect them to take off. But they don’t, instead hanging next to us in the water just out of reach.
“They are so beautiful.” She turns toward me, and fuck, with her lips tipped up in a bright smile and the sun shining down on her pretty face, the urge to kiss her has my gaze dropping to her full lips and my hand balling into a fist.
Like she knows what I’m thinking, her cheeks darken, and she tugs her eyes off me and leans over, putting her fingers in the water.
“Don’t fall in.” I grab hold of her hips and use my weight to keep us from tipping over.
“I’m not going to fall in,” she says as one of the dolphins nudges her fingers with its beak.
“They like you.”
“I wish I could swim with them.”
“You can,” I tell her, and she peeks over at me. “But if there are dolphins in the water, there are probably sharks.”
“Stop it,” she gasps and pulls her hand out of the water, and I laugh, then grab her wrist when she smacks my chest. “You’re so mean.”
“A little.” I smile, and she rolls her eyes, then pouts when the dolphins both take off into deeper water.
“It’s time to take the jet ski back anyway,” I tell her, pointing out that everyone is headed back to shore.
“Darn.” She turns, grabs the handles, and drives us toward the beach. When we arrive, I help her off the jet ski, then watch as the guy who was helping her earlier comes over as we take off our life vests.
“Did you have fun? I saw that you ran into Bruce and Edwina, the dolphins that are always out there.”
“Is that their names?” She laughs.
“It’s what I call them.” He shrugs and smiles at her.
“They seemed really friendly.”
“They are. In the evenings, I go out into the water and swim with them. I get off at five; you can join me if you want,” he offers, and I narrow my eyes on him.
Is he seriously trying to pick her up when I’m right fucking here?
“Oh.” She glances up at me quickly. “That’s really sweet, but I’m here with my cousins, and we have plans tonight.”
“That’s cool. I’m off tomorrow. I could meet you then.”
“Bro.” I shake my head at him when his gaze comes to me before it drops to May when she steps between us, holding out her life jacket.
“Thanks. Sadly, I head home tomorrow, but I really appreciate the offer.”
“That’s cool.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Maybe next time you’re in town.”
“Yeah, maybe,” she agrees softly before giving him her vest. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too, babe,” he says as she walks away, and I stare at her ass as she goes, then look over at the guy, finding him doing the same before his gaze comes to me. “Good luck with that, dude.”
“Shut up.” I shove my life jacket at him and take off after her. I know I shouldn’t be pissed, but that’s exactly what I am. Pissed that she would even entertain that guy, pissed that she caught Troy’s eye, and pissed that she’s leaving tomorrow—two days before I’m supposed to head back home.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“So what’s you guys’ plan for tonight?” I hear Willow ask as I catch up with the group that is now heading up the beach toward the houses.
“I was thinking we’d go into town for dinner around seven, then maybe go out and find a bar to hang out at after that, if you girls want to join us,” Carlo says, and Willow looks at her sister and cousins, who all nod or shrug. All except May, who has her eyes on her feet in the sand while Troy says something that makes her smile.
“Cool, then we’ll meet you guys out front at around 6:45,” Willow says, and all the girls break away to join her and say a quick goodbye before the four of them walk toward their house. I don’t know what the other guys do, but I watch May go while trying to come up with a plan to get her alone.