“Unfortunately, yes. Rhiannon’s son caught a fever yesterday, so we’ve been a bit short staffed.”
“Now I feel even worse.”
I peered up at him, using my hand above my brow to block out the sun. “Why?”
He leaned in closer, his shoulder bumping mine as he did. “I’m the reason you spilled.” I gasped and jerked my head back. He jumped away from me, and he laughed as he raised his hands in front of him like he thought I might hit him. “Woah!”
“What are you talking about?” I stopped in my place, though something tugged at my stomach as he continued on for a few steps. When he stepped back toward me, the sun glinted off his eyes, making them sparkle.
“I was playing with that little boy that zoomed through and tripped you up. He was getting bored waiting for his breakfast, and his mother looked like she could use some help. I sat down about two seconds before you spilled. Only intended to sit for a minute and catch my breath.” He took another step closer, smiling down at me as he did. “Then you stole my breath away.”
I rolled my eyes, pushing gently at his chest. “Oh, please.”
He caught my hand, his fingers twisting into mine. “I mean it. I came back tonight to ask if I could take you out to dinner. You know, to make up for…” He motioned to my head with his free hand. “For all of this.”
Cringing, I touched my sticky hair. “That sounds great, but…”
“You want to wash up?”
With a nod, I glanced away. He let our hands drop, still entwined with each other, swinging them gently between us.
“What if you can do both?”
My attention swung back to him, to the easy smile that clung to his lips. “Explain.”
“What if we go to the beach first? You can rinse off in the ocean, then we can hit up the Farmer’s Market and get something to eat.” His smile grew. “I’ll even take you to see The Mighty Shauns. They’re playing down by the boardwalk tonight as a part of the Summer Festival series.”
Warmth raced through me, and a smile tipped the corners of my mouth. I bit down on my bottom lip, and he tugged at my fingers.
“Come on. I got tickets to see them. Come with me.”
“Tickets?” Laughter bubbled up my chest. “They play for free.”
“I know! The tickets were impossible to get!”
“Oh my God. You’re crazy.”
“Maybe a little.” He leaned closer. I couldn’t get enough of his smile. The way it lit up his face. The way his eyes sparkled like the sea. “But I had to try, Mysti. Something about you just… feels right, ya know?”
I did know. I’d known it since I fell into his lap this morning. Since I first saw that gentleness in his sea-green eyes.
Hope rose in my chest, and I gave him a nod. Gave him a smile. And the smile he gifted me in return was so wide, so beautiful, that I never wanted to look away.
“I’d love to go with you.”
He bounced on his toes, tucking his lip between his teeth. Tugging at my hand, he jerked his head toward the red Jeep parked a few spots away, the top covered only by the surfboard strapped over its bars. “Hop in. The faster we get there, the better.”
“Because of the smell? Or because it gets busy?”
He scrunched his nose, but didn’t say a word. I swatted at his chest with my free hand as he laughed. But as I raced after him and buckled myself in, I was laughing too.
That hope that’d been squashed this morning surged in my chest.
That feeling of rightness was a tangible thing.
Like this could be my second chance at a happy life.