It was absurd, really, how much Kyle liked sitting on the boardwalk on Tahiti Beach across from this uptight blonde girl, watching her eat the double-scooped waffle ice cream cone. She’d only wanted one scoop, but he’d bought her two. He’d bought himself two as well. Now, they were sitting outside the shop on chairs on a boardwalk next to the beach. People around them were laughing and chatting.

They ate in comfortable silence. Since her concession to go on the Jackson date and their breakaway on the freeway, they hadn’t talked much. Ice cream dripped down the side of her cone, and she turned her mouth sideways to lick the drippings.

Kyle cleared his throat and stood, feeling like his face was on fire. “I’ll get you napkins.”

When he came back, she took them and was actually smiling.

“She smiles.” He sat, and the metal chair almost toppled over.

“Hey, I actually smile a lot.”

He sputtered, then coughed. “Bull.”

She laughed and leaned back, looking happier than he’d ever seen her.

Note to self: feed this woman mint chocolate chip ice cream frequently. He caught himself. Why was he taking notes? Even though technically they were only eating ice cream, he counted this as another date, but he wouldn’t mention that part.

He couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Hey, why did you say I was Prince Charming back there? That made no sense.”

In between licks, she said, “I do smile, but … I just guess I don’t smile that much at men. I don’t really want to talk about it. The Prince Charming comment was something Carrie said the first night I met you.” She rolled her eyes and waved a hand in dismissal. “Nothing.”

“Hmm.” Clearly, it was something, since she’d brought it up. He had figured she might want to talk about it a little, but he wouldn’t press it. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked, trying not to give her too much attention. He focused on his ice cream so he wouldn’t scare her off.

It was funny for him to think about a new strategy with her. Most women who hung around him wanted all his attention. In fact, Russell had told him in one of their “not sessions” that it was too easy for Kyle to get women.

Too bad none of them meant anything. He felt bad about that. It just hadn’t been the same with anyone since Cassidy, which made him feel vulnerable.

Kennedy pushed some of her hair over her shoulder. After the car ride with all the wind, her hair had been swept back in an attractive tangle. “I guess we can talk about this trip that I still can’t believe I randomly won.”

“The universe plays with us sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” She focused on her ice cream. Scrunching up her nose, a look of regret washed over her face. “Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up your ex-fiancée. I was trying to impress Ray Ray, and look what the universe did to me.”

It surprised him how easily she apologized, but the interview had still gone below the belt. “It’s fine,” he said, schooling his expression to a neutral one. “Not like it hasn’t been in the papers before.”

Her eyes met his, and he saw something in them—sadness. “I am sorry.”

It made him uncomfortable, and he didn’t want pity. “It’s fine. Let’s talk about this date.”

“Trip,” she corrected.

“Right.”

“You talk about it since it’s you who keeps wanting to go on it. And I don’t know why you want to go out with me so bad.” She sounded a bit defensive.

He thought about her arm and what Russell had said about her parents. He tried to be deliberate with his words. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re a talented, fun woman.”

She snorted.

Not liking that she didn’t sound convinced, he looked up from his ice cream. “You are.”

“According to Russell, you can have your pick of women, and Carrie would agree.”

“Russell said that, did he?” He would have words with Russell later.

She pointed at him. “See, this is exactly what I’m talking about. Why would you, a kinda hot older guy, want to go out with me?”

“Hey! Kinda hot?” He pretended to be hurt. “And I’m not that much older.”

She giggled, and he instantly felt better. He figured if he could make this girl giggle, then he was doing something right. “Okay,” she said, “you may be way hot, but how old are you?”

Self-consciously, he cleared his throat. “I’m twenty-nine.”

She coughed. “I’m twenty-two.”

He grimaced. Seven years. Maybe it was quite a spread. “It’s not like you’re under eighteen.”

Kennedy sputtered. “Wow, so that’s your standard? As long as she’s at least eighteen?”

“No.” He sighed. It was stupid, but it struck a chord. “Does age matter that much after eighteen?”

With a chuckle, she licked the ice cream off her lips and checked her phone. “When are you taking me home?”

“Just chill,” he said, bothered that she hadn’t answered his question. “We’ll get you home to pack in plenty of time to pack.”

“Fine.”

“Is there anything particular you want to do in Jackson?” Kyle wanted her input, because he honestly didn’t know much about her except she loved to surf and she wanted to be a radio DJ. Which he thought was cute.

“Are you really gonna be that guy?” She scrunched her face and winced.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I get the sense you’ll tell me what I’ve said that has repulsed you so intensely.”

“Intensely?” Her lips curved into a smile.

Unable to stop himself from smiling when she smiled, he tried to put on a serious face. “Yes. You just acted like I was some horrible ogre for asking you what you’d like to do.”

She sighed and finished the waffle cone.

He was happy she’d eaten all of the ice cream. How many of the women he dated would ever have an ice cream cone, let alone a double waffle, and eat it all? He found it refreshing. “Why is it so awful to ask?”

She swallowed and bopped her head from side to side. “It’s a trip, but since you keep insisting it’s a date, I’ll tell you. Carrie, Jenna, and I all talk about how we go out with these guys, right?”

He furrowed his brow, picturing a line of guys at their apartment door with flowers and candy in their hands waiting for a date with them.

“You get to the car, and they ask, ‘What should we do?’” She said it in a really horrible imitation of a male voice.

He frowned and thought about dating from a girl’s perspective. Had he done that? Probably, maybe too often. “Hey, it’s not like I’m not flying you to Jackson, but we’ll have the whole day before the all-stars event.” He snapped his fingers. “How come the pressure to plan dates is always on the guys?”

“Because you asked.” She looked kind of superior about the whole thing.

Finishing his ice cream, he crumpled the napkin that had held it and reached out for her. “I have ideas. I told Ray Ray the main things.”

A real smile appeared on her face. “Good,” she said, plunking her own napkin into his hand.

“Good,” he said, standing and easily tossing the napkins in the trash. “Walk with me for a sec. I need to do a bit more of research on you before I drop you off at your apartment.” Yes, he liked this because he got to spend more time with her.

“O-kay.”

Gesturing to the beach, he said, “Let’s take our shoes off and walk on the beach for a bit.” He flashed her a smile. “I have to get to know you so I can develop the perfect trip for you.”

Not moving for a second, she crossed her arms. “Is this where you get me to divulge some highly classified secret?”

He found this funny, since he’d had to tell Ray Ray the mission was classified today. “Yep. In fact, that’s the truth. I was sent on a mission to get all this classified information you have.”

They left the sidewalk and started down the sand toward the ocean.

Her lips quirked into a smile. She shook off her flip-flops and picked them up.

He took off his flip-flops and reached out. “I’ll hold them.”

“Just because I have one hand doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own shoes.”

He swiped her flip-flops anyway. “Just because you can hold them doesn’t mean I don’t want to do the gentlemanly thing and hold your shoes. You could just say thank you.”

“Oh, that’s what you are, are you? A gentleman?”

Sputtering, he wondered for a moment why he was even messing with trying to date this girl. She had such a chip on her shoulder. Then he thought of when she’d started giggling in the car earlier when all the horns were honking. It’d been the most beautiful thing he’d heard in a long time. Honest, raw, truthful. Not the silly patronizing laughter from the women he usually dated. He never knew if their laughter was real or not. “Yes, I am a gentleman.”

“Hmm.”

They fell into step down the beach. His feet sank into the sand, and the waves barely reached his feet. “Not that you’re a lady.”

“Pshh. What are you talking about?”

He scoffed. “As I said earlier, you left me dancing in the middle of that Sloane Kent song. That was not nice.”

Regret washed over her face, and she was quiet for a few moments. She sighed. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Not saying anything, he focused on walking next to her. He leaned in. “Is that lemon?”

Her head jerked her head to his. “Are you seriously smelling me?”

He roared out a laugh at her horrified reaction. “Yes, woman, that’s what men do. They smell women.” He widened his eyes. “It’s how we decide if we want to eat them.”

Narrowing her eyes, she stepped a bit away from him. “It’s a lotion I use.”

He stepped closer. “I like it.”

She laughed. “You’re … blunt.”

“Russell would say I come on too strong when I want something.”

Kennedy stared at him, startled and confused. “Why would you say that?”

“Because I’m clearly chasing you, girl, in case you didn’t notice.”

“You … you’re …” She trailed off, slowed to a stop, and looked out to the ocean. “You’re different.”

He stood next to her, looking out too. “Why?”

Silence reigned for a bit, and he wondered if she was going to shut down, as was the pattern he’d gotten from her.

After a while, she turned and stared into his eyes. “My last boyfriend,” she said sarcastically, “seemed like he was really into me too. But one day he told me that he just couldn’t get over the fact that I only had one hand. He just couldn’t live with it.” She scoffed. “Like I’m some cripple, ya know?”

Ouch. Kyle’s heart softened. This woman was brave and fierce, but at the moment, she was so fragile. He just wanted to hold her, but he knew she didn’t want that. He’d discovered that sometimes people just need to be heard and validated. “I’m sorry. That guy was a jerk.”

She blinked and looked up at him. “You’re right. He was.”

He waited for a bit before taking her hand. “In my experience, some people with great disadvantages in life will do more than others who seem to have everything will ever do.”

Her lips turned up. “I like that.”

“It’s about time you liked something about me,” he said. She frowned at him, which made him smile. This girl was tough, and he liked a challenge. “I plan to sweep you completely off your feet during this trip, so be prepared.”

Carefully, she pulled her hand back. “The only thing that sweeps me off my feet is a surfboard.”