He shot her a warning glance, then smoothed his face into a blank look. “It was too dark for a picture in the sand. It was next to the unicorn when I grabbed it.”
She frowned but sat back and said nothing more. Anna shot them a suspicious look, narrowing her gaze and pursing her lips.
Caroline walked to the front of the table. “We have a tie. Anna and Wyatt and Ethan and Delaney all found their objects. So, we need a tie breaker. Tomorrow night. I’ll tell you the game then.”
Delaney heaved a sigh of relief and slumped in her chair.
Anna shot to her feet. “How do we know he really found it here?”
Ethan quirked an eyebrow, his voice low but hard. “Are you calling me a liar, Anna? Do you think I walk around with sea glass in my pocket?”
She swallowed but stood her ground. “Maybe you bought it.”
“Enough,” Caroline interjected. “I’m the judge, and we’re calling it a tie. Do you have a problem with that?”
Wyatt yanked Anna back into her chair and whispered in her ear, low, fast words that had her subsiding with occasional angry glances.
She shook her head. “It’s fine.” But the daggers she shot Delaney belied her words.
Caroline nodded. “Then we’ll have to have one more event. Tomorrow night. For now, it’s a beautiful night. Let’s enjoy it on the patio.”
Everyone stood and strolled out of the room, Wyatt practically dragging Anna.
Delaney hung back, arms crossed in front of her. When the room was empty, except for her and Ethan, she asked, “Where did you get the glass?”
“I found it on the beach.”
“When?”
“Does it matter? We won.”
“It matters to me.” She took a step closer and laid a hand on his arm. “When did you find it?”
“This morning on the beach during my run. Ironically, right where we were looking tonight.” His jaw tightened. “Do you doubt me? Why am I not surprised? You never had much faith in me.”
“Are we going to do this now? It wasn’t you, it was me. Besides, this has nothing to do with the past.”
“Bullshit. It has everything to do with the past. You didn’t trust me then, didn’t trust my love, and now you don’t believe me.” He made a sound of disgust. “You know what? Maybe you were right. This is a mistake, thinking we might have a second chance.”
He stormed out of the dining room toward the patio, toward the murmur of voices.
Why did she always have to screw things up?
* * *
Delaney ran her finger around the rim of the wineglass, the hum from the friction underlying the crackle of the fire in the fire pit. They had started out with idle chitchat after the scavenger hunt announcement, but that had subsided into hushed murmurs, deep thoughts, and sipping Ethan’s truly excellent wine. She had protested the glass of red wine, but he insisted this version had fewer sulfites than other reds. If he was wrong, their night would be much different from originally planned.
Thinking about their night, their kiss, and subsequent fight had Delaney jumpy and tense. She caught Ethan’s questioning stare and realized she’d been staring at him blindly for quite some time. A low chuckle next to her made her turn her head. Brigid had settled in the chaise lounge next to her, wrapped in a blue blanket.
Brigid’s gaze followed her own, and a knowing smile crossed her face. “Are you two back together?”
Delaney automatically shook her head, then stopped. “No, I don’t know.” She sighed. “No.”
Brigid raised her eyebrows. “Doesn’t look like it’s over from here. I don’t even need the fire to feel the warmth out here.”
Delaney glanced at the group of men on the other side of the patio. Ethan scowled, but not before she saw the heat in his eyes. She flushed, ducking her head. But not before catching another look, one intended not for her but for the woman sitting next to her.
“You and Grady seem to be an item. How long has that been going on?”