CHAPTER NINE
Reeling from the sight of that woman in his arms, Sophie skimmed the perimeter of the dance floor looking for her friends. But she wasn’t really seeing anything.
The woman had obviously felt comfortable—familiar—enough with Ryan to throw herself at him. It made her wonder if they’d spent time together.
What does it matter? That’s who he should be hanging out with. Come on, he’d just unleashed a whole tirade about not wanting to take care of someone, check in with them…all the things she wanted. Needed. As attracted to her as he might be, this was just the wrong time for them to be together.
And she needed to stop caring about a guy she couldn’t have.
All this angst and doubt was too reminiscent of her time with King. As close as she’d felt to him when they were alone, she’d always wondered what he did in their time apart. King was charming and charismatic. Their shared history—well, honestly, their shared isolation within their families—had forged a bond between them. But when he was at large in the world, he was everyone’s buddy, a spontaneous, impulsive guy. And, truthfully, when he’d dumped her to go to the Olympic trials, she’d been devastated. For an occasion so momentous, when she’d been with him every step of the way since they’d become friends as kids, it had sucked to be dumped right then. And it had driven home how much she’d lived on the periphery of his world.
So, to be so close to Ryan, so trusting that she’d let him touch her intimately in public, and then to see him with some other woman—well, it just had peripheral written all over it, didn’t it?
Sophie didn’t want to see her friends after all, so she texted to let them know she was back at the resort. Too restless to go to her room just then, she headed for the beach.
She needed to stop obsessing over some guy she met on spring break. She’d come to this resort to deal with her family issues, her future. Last night she’d gotten good information from Barry, and now it was time to figure out the next step. She’d already sent messages to her brothers to see if they were a hundred percent on board with Abby’s plans.
Surely one of them would side with her. It seemed impossible that all four of them wanted to sell Crazy Hearts. They’d grown up in a house filled with framed photos dating back to the eighteen-hundreds. History mattered to the Valentines.
From the framed sepia-toned photos her mom had hung on the walls, Sophie had conjured up images of a kitchen, an iron stove, her grandma pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven.
Originally, they’d been round cookies with a raspberry jam thumbprint. But when the family bakery had hit on hard times, her grandmother had the fabulous idea to take advantage of their last name and turn a staple into a special Valentine’s Day treat.
Her heart seized at the idea that her grandma’s cookies would become a Nestlé product.
But the offer? Honestly, how could her siblings turn down that kind of money? They wouldn’t.
At least they couldn’t sell it without her consent. Which was great—it gave her a sense of power—but, really, it put her in a terrible position. Withhold her consent and keep her siblings from a payout of a hundred million dollars or go along with it and lose her family legacy?
And she was worried about seeing some guy she’d met yesterday flirting with other women? A guy who, after this week, she’d never see again?
Heading down the walkway, toward the ocean, she ignored the text that had just come in from Ryan. She needed to call her sister, tell her to put a hold on her talks with Nestlé while she did a little more research. Sitting on the edge of a chaise, she smoothed the skirt of her dress, as she waited for the call to connect.
“Hey, Soph.”
The baby screaming in the background and her sister’s exhausted voice made her question the timing of her call. “Not a good time?”
“There’s no good time. Let me hand her off. Just a second.”
Sophie waited. Maybe she should talk to her sister another time. On the other hand, it had to happen now so Abby could deal with Nestlé right away.
She dreaded Abby’s reaction.
One hundred million dollars.
“So what’s up?” Her sister sounded on edge.
But it wasn’t about the money. She had to keep focused on what truly mattered. “Not going well, huh?”
“I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do. I feed her, change her…I mean, God, what does she want?”
“Is she colicky?”
“It’s not like she’s drawing her legs up. She doesn’t seem to be in actual pain. Nothing I do calms her down. I’m officially the worst mother in history.”
“The worst mother wouldn’t care. She’d leave the baby to cry it out, and you’re not doing that. You’re a good mom. Besides, it’s a phase, right? It’ll pass. She’s not going to be crying like this when she’s twelve.”
“I know. You’re right. So what did you need?”
“Maybe now’s not the best time.” On a good day what she had to say would set her sister off.
“Soph…” She drew the word out like she was at the limit of her patience. “Spit it out.”
“Okay. Well, I don’t want to sell Crazy Hearts.”
“I know that.” She bit each word out.
“I talked to Barry.”
“You what? Why would you talk to our lawyer?” But before she could say anything, her sister blew up. “You’re going to take us to court?”
“Calm down. Of course I’m not taking my family to court.”
Abby swore under her breath. “I do not need this right now.”
No, Sophie suspected she didn’t. That didn’t change the fact that she had to deal with it. “But I am going to see what I can do to make all of us happy.”
“I’ve gone over this with you. Selling processed food is a thing of the past. We’re looking forward. We’re taking this company into the future.”
And Sophie heard the unspoken words. With or without you. And that just hurt. “I get it, Abby. I know where you’re coming from, but I want to look into this a little bit more. I want to talk to everyone, see where everyone stands.”
“I know where we all stand because there’s nowhere else to stand. One hundred million dollars, Sophie. We’d be stupid to turn that away for any reason, let alone a product that no longer fits our brand. We’ll never get another offer like this so, trust me, we’re definitely on the same page.”
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to talk to our brothers and hear their perspectives. But I’m letting you know I’m going to do everything in my power to keep Crazy Hearts in the family.”
“What does that mean, exactly? If the four of us want to sell it, then that’s what’s going to happen. We make the majority.”
“Right, but in this case the majority doesn’t matter. As I said, I talked to Barry. We need one hundred percent agreement of the beneficiaries of the trust in order to sell any part of the company.”
“Oh, my God. Why are you doing this? You don’t even work here. And, I’m sorry, what were you before you decided at the last possible second to become a business major? Oh, right. A dance major. And before that, I’m pretty sure it was photography. And then before that? English Lit, if I remember correctly.”
Every word hammered her deeper into the cushion of the chaise, making her feel smaller and flakier and more immature.
But deep in her gut Sophie knew she was right. And she wouldn’t let her sister bully her. “I’m telling you the terms of the trust. I’m not talking about my life choices. But you need to know that I’m going to look into my options.”
“There are no options, Sophie. Crazy Hearts is an old school product with a shrinking market.”
“Well, it can’t be that bad if Nestlé wants to buy it.”
“This is a strategic deal for them. They’re giving us some of the value they expect to create. It’s a stupid offer, one we’ll never get again, and I can promise you every one of us is in perfect agreement.”
“You’re talking about money. I’m talking about preserving the very foundation of the company. The history. I’m sorry, but I’m not giving my consent to sell Crazy Hearts.”
“Do you even hear yourself? You want to hold this company back because of sentimental value. It’s a good thing you’re talking to me right now because I can’t imagine what kind of response you’d get from our brothers.”
“I’m not trying to hold you back. I’m holding onto our family legacy. Of course I get the business side of things. I’m not stupid. But I think I can find growth in Crazy Hearts.”
“You don’t work here, and you don’t know the marketplace at all. And the bottom line is they’re giving us a stupid price, and there’s not a chance in hell we’re turning it down.”
If Sophie blocked the deal, they’d have no choice. But she didn’t need to say that. Not yet. “I’m not stopping you from changing our brand. I’m on board with organic products and environmentally-sustainable production facilities. That’s all great. But I’m not giving my consent to sell Crazy Hearts. That’s why I’m looking into options. And one of them is me buying it from you.”
“You don’t have a hundred million dollars.”
She knew her sister was exhausted, but she hated the condescending tone. “I don’t have to have that much. I can simply block the sale, remember? But I’m not a bitch, and I don’t want to alienate myself from you, so I’ll see what kind of offer I can make that will satisfy everyone. But that’s just one option. When I get home I’ll look into others. It’s possible one of the guys will want to run it with me.”
“No offense, Soph, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay.” She kept her voice pleasant, even though she wanted to tell her sister exactly what she could do with her attitude. Bullying her into going along with their plans might’ve worked when she was a kid, but it didn’t work now.
Or maybe she’d never cared about anything enough to fight for it. But they weren’t selling Crazy Hearts. No matter how much Nestlé offered.
An image of her great grandma, her gray hair in a bun and a white apron wrapped around her belly, smiling into the camera popped into her head. Whether she’d actually met the woman or not, that grandma was real to her. She could feel the heart of that woman. And she wouldn’t destroy the legacy her great grandparents had started.
Sophie could hear the baby wailing, and her sister let out an exasperated growl. “Look, I really can’t deal with this right now.”
“Okay.” Sophie took in shallow breaths, fisting the material of her skirt. “You get back to the baby. We’ll talk more when I get home.”
But thanks, once again, for shoving my nose in the fact that it’s the four of you against me.
Tossing her overnight bag into the backseat of the Jeep, Sophie glanced to the clear blue sky. Another perfect day on Santa Granada. She couldn’t wait to explore more of the island. And, frankly, to get away. She needed a chance to clear her head.
A twenty-four hour reprieve from Ryan O’Donnell.
She waved to the concierge, who’d arranged the car for her overnight trip, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Sliding the key into the ignition, she looked for the gear shift and then startled when she saw the car was manual transmission.
Oh, no. Quickly shutting off the engine, she got out of the car. “Sir? Excuse me?” She caught him right before he entered the lobby. “I’m so sorry, but I don’t drive stick.” She held out the keys.
The older man cocked his head. “Excuse me?”
“It’s a stick shift. I only know how to drive automatic transmission.”
“Ah. I see. Unfortunately, this is the only car left today.”
“But I can’t drive it.”
“I’m so sorry about that, ma’am.”
“No, I mean, I have to have a car.” Frustrated, she glanced around, but the only other cars under the portico were a van and two idling cabs.
“I can check for availability tomorrow, if you like.”
“No, I need it today. My reservation’s for tonight in La Marca. I can’t miss it.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”
Dammit. “There must be something we can do. I lucked out and scored a last-minute reservation at Très Palmeras. I have to get there.”
He pulled up the paperwork in his hand, scanning it. “I see no mention of automatic transmission.”
Well, no, she hadn’t specifically asked for it. It would never have occurred to her. “I didn’t know I had to specify.”
“We only have five rental cars. Three of them are manual, ma’am. Again, I can see if an automatic is available for tomorrow.”
“No, thank you. I need to get there tonight. Can I hire a car service?”
“To take you to La Marca? I’ll check, but it will be hard to find anyone who’ll go that far. Not with the festival this week.” He started to go.
“Wait, could you possibly give me a quick lesson?” How hard could it be?
He looked like he was going to tell her no, but then he sighed and said, “Let me see if Jorge can help you.” He strode to the valet station and spoke quietly with the attendants. Three heads turned to her. One of the guys snickered. And, of course, that was the one who jogged over to give her a lesson in manual transmission.
“Hey.” He stuck out a hand. He couldn’t have been older than eighteen. “Jorge.”
“Hi. Sophie.” They shook. “Thanks for helping me.”
“No problem. Okay, let’s do this.” He gestured for her to get in the passenger seat.
Settling in, she focused on his instructions.
“See how there are three pedals instead of two? This one on the far left is the clutch. It’s what you’ll use when you’re shifting gears.” He motioned to the center console. “And this is the gearshift. To start, you’ll put your foot on the brake, then your left foot on the clutch. Then, you’ll shift into first.”
After detailed instruction, she switched places with him. One attempt resulted in a stalled engine. The second attempt ended in a horrible screeching sound.
The guy gave her an apologetic smile. “Hey, man, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back to work.”
No, no, no. “I understand.”
He reached for the keys.
But her hand shot out to guard them. “Wait. What’re you doing?”
“I’m signing you out of the car.”
“No. I’m still going to go.”
“You can’t drive it.”
“I will. I’ll keep practicing. I’ll get it, you’ll see.”
Jorge looked back to the valet station, clearly unsure. She hated to put him in a bad position, but she was going to figure out how to drive the Jeep. He gave a deep sigh. “Okay, let’s try this one more time.”
She made it about halfway around the golf course, stuttering and stalling, when the car jerked and died. Sweaty with frustration, she smacked the steering wheel with her palm. “Dammit.” Some golfers nearby froze, watching her. “Sorry.”
Just beyond them, she noticed a group of three guys and two women. Ryan, wearing aviators, khaki shorts, and a white Polo shirt, stood out among them. His height, his stance, his presence, made him the focal point on the green.
And he was watching her. Lowering his head, he rested a gloved hand on top of his golf club. Around him the others laughed, all clearly flirting with each other.
When one of the women took her position to swing, her hips gently swaying as she sized up her shot, the tallest of Ryan’s friends came up behind her. He wrapped his body around hers, as if to give guidance. But then he grabbed her hips and did a sensuous dance with her. The woman dropped her club and turned in his arms to give him a kiss.
Laughter rang out across the golf course.
But Ryan never took his gaze off Sophie. God, did he look good. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d touched her in the town square the night before. He’d been wild with need, yet totally in command. That was hot.
Okay, focus. Once she got manual transmission down she could leave the resort and not think about Ryan O’Donnell anymore.
Ready to give it another go, she started the engine, put her foot on the clutch, and drew the gear shift down to first. The car lurched forward, and she slammed on the brake. It stalled again.
“Oh, man,” Jorge said. “Look, I’m sorry, but I really have to get back.”
“I know you do. You go, and I’ll keep at it. I’ve almost got it now.”
“I’m not sure they’re going to want you driving it, you know?”
Perspiration prickled under her arms, and she cut a look toward the golfers. Tossing his club on the grass, Ryan jogged toward her.
She had to get out of there. “You go. I’ll get it right, I promise.”
Jorge jumped out of the Jeep, watching Ryan approach. “Is he gonna help you?”
If saying yes was the only way for Jorge to leave her with the car, she’d pretend. “Yeah, he is. He’s a friend.”
“Okay, then. Take it easy.” And then he took off.
A quick glance across the vibrantly green course showed Ryan nearing. Hell and damnation, she did not need an audience. She had to block everyone out and just calm down.
Okay, what had he said? Step on the clutch and the brake, put the car into first…oh, awesome. Movement. The car jerked forward—jerked again—but continued moving forward. What the hell was she doing wrong? She had to get it in second, but when she tried shifting it made that horrible screeching sound.
“Stop. Just stop.” Ryan reached into the car and cut the ignition. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Driving.”
He gave her a dull look.
“They gave me a stick shift. I’ve never driven one.”
“I see that. Jesus, Sophie. You’re killing the car.”
“Do you know how to drive a stick?”
He stood there with his aviators and Lord of All Things Mechanical smile.
“Of course you do. Well, do you think you could teach me?”
With his broad chest right at eye level, he gazed down at her. “I’m in the middle of a game.”
“All righty then. Please move along so I can figure it out on my own.”
“Why the hell would he let you take out a car you can’t drive?”
“Because I’ve almost got it.”
“So you’re not actually stalled here?”
“Yes, I’m stalled, Ryan. That’s why I asked for your help. But if you don’t want to teach me, then go back to your game.”
“I don’t have time to teach you how to drive a stick.”
Ignoring his presence, she started the car, stepped on the clutch—
“Ryan.” In a loose silk blouse, breasts bouncing, the brunette from last night hurried toward them. “You’re up.” When she reached them, she hooked her arm through his and smiled at Sophie.
Ryan pulled away. “Hey, Carrie. This is Sophie.”
“We met last night.” Sophie smiled.
Carrie cocked her head. “I don’t remember.” But then she gave an apologetic smile. “I think I was pretty wasted.” She reached for Ryan’s hand. “Come on. It’s your turn.” And then she gave a pleasant wave to Sophie. “Nice to meet you.” She tugged on Ryan’s hand, but he pulled free.
“I’m helping Sophie with something, so I’ll have to catch up with you guys.”
The happiness slid right off the woman’s face. “Everything okay?”
“She needs help with her Jeep.”
Carrie leaned toward the window. “Anything I can do?”
“No, thanks,” Sophie said. “It’s not that big a deal. And it won’t take long at all.”
“It might take long.” Ryan gave her a hard look.
“I’m a quick learner.” Sophie held his gaze in challenge, and sparklers went off in her chest. God, this was crazy, this snap-crackle of connection. She almost felt embarrassed by her body’s reaction to him—until half his mouth curled, making her realize he felt it, too.
“Okay, well, hurry up.” Carrie’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before she turned and left.
Sophie reached for the key in the ignition.
“Move over.”
“Excuse me?”
Tearing off his sunglasses, he stuck his face into the Jeep, forcing her to lean back. “Move over. I’m getting in.”
Struck by all that masculinity, the scent of sun-warmed cotton, soap from his shower, and whatever shampoo he’d used, it took her a moment to answer. He was a formidable presence, and the energy rolling off him overwhelmed her. “You can teach me from the passenger seat.”
“I’m not going to teach you. I’m driving you.”
“You can’t drive me to the other side of the island.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to get twenty minutes down the road, stall out, and then what? You’ll be stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere by yourself.”
“Why are you staring at my mouth?”
His jaw clamped shut. “Because I fucking love your mouth. I can’t stop kissing it, remember?”
Heat rushed up her neck, burning her cheeks. “Yes, I remember. That was very rude of you to bring it up.”
His arms reached over his head, hands clutching the roll-over bar of the Jeep. “Move over, Soph.”
“This isn’t a good idea.”
“It’s happening.”
“I’m not coming back until tomorrow.”
His nostrils flared, but he remained silent.
“And you don’t want to see the volcano.”
“Not really.”
“I’m not missing the waterfall with magical properties.” She gave him a meaningful look.
“No.” His lips twitched. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
When she didn’t budge, he finally looked her right in the eyes and gave her the most searing look she’d ever seen. The heat, the intensity, ignited a flurry of explosions in her chest. Holding her gaze, he said, “I think you know I’m going with you.”
She may have been a lot of things, but she wasn’t a game player. And she loved the idea that he wanted to be with her. “Okay, but just to put it out there, I don’t need you to drive me. If I really can’t drive this car, I’ll find someone to drive me. The car services might be busy because of the festival, but I’m willing to pay whatever they ask. I don’t need to be rescued.”
“No, but I do.” He sighed. “Are you going to move over or do I have to pick you up and toss you into the passenger seat?”
Why did that idea send a thrill shooting down her spine?
He looked at her. And his restrained expression drew a smile to her lips. “One…two…”
“As hot as it sounds to be manhandled, I’d probably just wind up with a gearshift in my butt, so I’m going to pass. Plus, I just can’t see myself coming out looking all that attractive sprawled over the seat.” She opened the door, jumped out of the Jeep, and then stood before him. “You know this probably isn’t a good idea, right?”
The intensity of his gaze thrilled her. “Buckle up.”
Warm island air blew her hair around her face. As they traveled up the mountain, Sophie watched the land between the road and the ocean grow wider, the cliffs higher. Thunderous waves crashed against the shore. If she’d been alone she would’ve stopped a while back to walk down to the sand and experience them in all their powerful glory.
Ryan hadn’t spoken much since they’d left the resort, leaving her to babble on. She couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. “Second thoughts about coming with me?”
“None.”
She smiled at the certainty in his tone. But then…why so quiet? “Missing your golf game?”
“Golf’s boring.”
“Okay. Regretting time away from your friends?”
“My friends are swapping drinking stories.”
Then what was troubling him? Oh, whatever. She wasn’t a mind-reader. If something was bothering him, he could spit it out.
She turned her attention back to the map she’d printed out. Since there were no road signs to get to the falls, she had to watch carefully for the landmarks. They wouldn’t see the path to the waterfall until they’d driven further inland.
After another mile of quiet, she couldn’t take it anymore. “What’re you thinking about?”
“I’m not.”
“You’re not thinking?”
“Nope.”
“Who doesn’t think? You’re driving along, but you’re not thinking?”
“Nope. I’m just enjoying being with you.”
Warmth flooded her. She looked away from him, letting it spread through her, thick and sweet as caramel. He’d seemed at peace when they’d first started out and she’d told him about the island, the superstitions. She’d even told him about her conversation with her sister. He’d gotten angry at Abby’s attitude, and she’d appreciated his support.
Up ahead she noticed a stand of trees. “Here we go. It’s getting more wooded. We’re close.” She read the information she’d printed out. “Pretty soon we’re going to see a big rock with some graffiti on it, and then we enter a forest.” She leaned into him, their arms brushing, as she reached for the control panel.
“What’re you doing?”
“Reseting the odometer.” She looked for the button. “The path’s exactly two point four miles from the rock.”
He batted her hand away, leaned forward, and hit the button.
“Awesome. I can’t wait.” She gestured to his lap. “You can go in your shorts.”
“That’s okay.”
“Oh, you have to go in. The water has magical properties.”
“So you said.”
“You don’t believe in it?”
He shrugged. “I believe telling people water has magical properties is a great way to get tourists to come out here and spend money. Do they sell it in bottles in roadside kiosks?”
“Well, hello to the itty bitty cynic who lives inside you. Does he come out often? I don’t think I’ve met him before.”
He slowly leveled her a look that said he wasn’t amused.
So she met his with one of her own. “This isn’t a tourist attraction. The islanders actually believe in it.”
“And a tourist guide book told you that?”
“I didn’t buy a tourist guide book.”
“You learned it from an islander?”
“I got it from the Internet.”
And then that serious face blew wide open with laughter. “Okay then.” And that right there was the man she’d fallen for.
And, yep, no doubt about it. She’d fallen for this complicated, moody, sexy man. “You can fester in your cynicism. I choose to believe in magical properties.”
“And what do you hope to get from the magic?”
She quickly turned away from him. “I don’t know.”
“Wait, did you just blush? Are you…embarrassed?”
“Just drive the freaking car. I’m not embarrassed.”
He took his foot off the accelerator, shifting gears. “Not until you tell me what you want the magic for.”
She shoved his thigh. “God, Ryan. I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I want to meet the man of my dreams and drive off into the sunset in a convertible. I want to find my passion and earn a living out of it. What does anyone want?”
“I love your body, so cut it out.”
“I’m not going to stop eating. Besides, if I lose weight, I lose my boobs.”
“I love your boobs.”
She laughed. “Really? Huh. I didn’t get that.”
“I thought your passion was Crazy Hearts.”
“I’d like that to be my business. But it’s not my passion.”
“But you love the business so why do you need more?”
“I don’t love business at all. I love that my great grandma and grandpa turned a favorite cookie into a Valentine’s Day treat that millions of people enjoy. It makes me happy to go into the store and see a whole display of Crazy Hearts. It makes me smile when I see faces light up when people eat one. But I don’t make them. I don’t dig my hands into dough and knead it and roll it out and cut it into hearts.”
“What do you love?”
“I like travel. I like food. I like cooking. Dance. Reading. Hanging out with my friends.”
“So drive a food truck and dance while you cook and read recipe books with your friends.”
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
He smiled. “You’re twenty-one. Why do you think you have to have all the answers?”
“Says the man whose future is completely set.”
His features froze. The humor drained out of him completely. And then one second later he slipped his impassive mask back on.
This man needed to let it all out. “If you couldn’t play ball, what would you do?”
“I’m playing ball.” His flat tone told her the topic was not open for conversation.
“But let’s say—for shits and giggles—that you weren’t going to. Let’s say the League of Ball Players got shut down in a nation-wide steroid sting—”
He shook his head like she was crazy, but she ignored it. “And you were forced out on the street, suitcase in hand. What would you do?”
“I’m a business major with a computer science minor from Mich U. I could get a job.”
“Oh. Well, then. That’s exciting. Who wouldn’t give up the Yankees for a job.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “I write apps.”
“You…apps? Like Twitter?”
He cracked a smile. “Yes, exactly.” He gave her a deadly serious look. “I invented the Internet.”
“Okay, smart ass. Guess what? I’m not a computer science major. Explain.”
“You want to get baseball stats? I’m working on an app for it.”
“Have you made any money on them yet?”
He shook his head, looking uncomfortable.
“Well, do you have anything ready to go?”
He nodded. “I’ve got one out there, but it’s free. I did it for a class project.”
“So…? What is it?”
“At school, you know how there’s food at every meeting? Every department has luncheons or breakfasts, every committee meeting…food everywhere right? Well, at Mich, once the meeting’s over, anyone can come in and polish off what’s left. So I made an app to let people know when and where to find the free food. There’s so much free food on campus, you’d never have to pay for a meal plan again.”
“That’s so cool. I love that.”
His smile told her all she needed to know.
“You love it, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“You love the challenge.”
The smile faded, and he looked caught. Why was it so hard for him to face the truth?
“Is baseball still challenging?”
“Of course. Well, maybe not right now. But it will be. Going into the majors is a whole other level. It’s much tougher.”
“Nothing you can’t handle.”
“Probably not, no.”
“And you’ve spent your life doing it, so…”
“Sophie.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going pro.”
“Of course you are. I’m just thinking how lucky you are to have something to do when you retire. That must be the biggest issue for professional athletes. Figuring out what comes next.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“What does the odometer say?”
“Two point one.”
“Yay. I’m so excited.” She reached into the back seat, unzipped her travel bag, and pulled out a towel. “I only brought one towel, but we can share.”
“I’ll wait by the Jeep.”
“You trust me to go all by myself into those deep, dark woods? To get near a body of water by myself? Because, Ryan, I didn’t bring my water wings.”
One half of his mouth kicked up, and she absolutely loved that she could make him smile.
She nudged him. “You’re not losing interest in me already are you?”
“No.” The word rang out like a shot.
She smiled at his intensity, trying hard to ignore the zing in her chest. He had no idea how passionate he was. He really didn’t. “Well, good. Then you better come with me. I’d hate for a merman to yank me down and whisk me off to his underwater castle.”
He slowed the car, edging onto the shoulder of the road. Leaning forward, he looked into the woods for a path. “Is that it?”
“Must be.”
He eased into a stand of trees and cut the engine.
Her bare thighs stuck to the leather seat as she got out of the car. “Oh, it’s beautiful here.” The air smelled so fresh, like pine, a hint of ocean, and sun-baked earth. “I’m so excited.” She turned back to find him leaning against the Jeep, watching her. She motioned for him to join her.
He pushed off the Jeep, blew out a breath like he was so put-out, but fell into step beside her.
“You know, I’m thinking those magical properties might do you a world of good.”