Colby sprinted to get the nice snorkels and face masks—the ones he kept for himself in a small box in the beach-side gazebo.

LaChelle’s mother gave him a wink. Even she, somewhat new to their party, could see how he felt. Was he so transparent? Would that help or hurt with Regan? And really, what kind of future would they have when he didn’t plan on leaving Paradise Island until the following June—just before hurricane season?

Nope. Nope. He was just going to enjoy whatever time he was able to spend with her. He’d been patient for years. This didn’t have to be the end of the beginning…He just desperately wanted this trip to be the beginning.

“You’re fast,” Regan said as she joined him. They left the small group of wedding-goers behind them.

He chuckled. “Yeah, you would be surprised by that. I didn’t…uh…move much when I was in high school.” Hopefully this would be another baby-step to changing her perception of him.

“When did that change for you?”

He’d worked hard on his body in college, but now he was in the best shape of his life, not from the gym, but from hours of hard work repairing docks, sanding old trim, painting...the list went on. “College.”

“Had to impress the ladies, huh?” she teased.

Their steps matched as they moved up the beach. He was only an inch or two taller than her, making their strides almost the same. “I think I just got to the point that I couldn’t keep up with people I liked being around, you know? I wanted to keep up.”

She nodded.

“And you…” he trailed off. “You gave up dance. I used to love going to your recitals.”

“Liar.” She scoffed.

But he had loved watching her fluid movements.

“Hurt myself a few too many times, and I had the strength and dexterity for yoga. There are worse ways to help pay for your education.”

“There are.”

“How did you manage?” she asked.

He’d managed by creating a few small task list apps that people loved, followed by COLLEGE LIFE, which had set him up for life, if he wanted. “App programming.”

“Cool.” Another perfect smile lit her face. “I use a few of those.”

“Most people do.” He chuckled.

She pulled in a long breath before slowly releasing it. “Always comes back to the breath.”

“That a yoga thing?” he asked.

She turned to face him, her dark eyes wide and open. “It’s a life thing.”

So many things he wanted to learn about her. Everything, really.

“We can start here, if you like.” The chatter of the people behind them had long since drained away. This long, curved stretch of beach had been one of the main reasons he’d bought the island. This, and the nurse sharks that lived in the harbor like lazy dogs. “There’s an old shipwreck, not impressive, but the coral grew up around the bones of what’s left.”

Regan’s face lit up as she placed the mask over her eyes.

“I know you’ve been traveling, so when you’re tired, just let me know.” He set his mask. “The trip from Chicago to here can be brutal.”

She nodded, and then started for the water and after just a few steps, jumped in, her lean body floating on the surface. As much as a part of him would have loved to watch Regan from the shore, he wanted to show her something he loved.

As they moved over the coral, the colorful fish darting around underneath them, Regan squealed again and again, her voice echoing in the snorkel. She grabbed his hand and would point to something she found particularly interesting. Each time, his body quaked with their touch. He led Regan to a hole where an octopus lived. They floated in the gentle waves together—far enough out that the water broke closer to shore.

Even when the ocean floor grew farther away, Regan didn’t pause, just continued to follow as he pointed out interesting formations. Her frantic movements and continued yelps of excitement gave him hope that she’d enjoy this trip far more than she thought when she first agreed to come to a wedding that she couldn’t actually want to see.

As much as he wanted to play in the ocean with her for hours, he knew they’d both get burned if they stayed in the water. And he had to play host. The thought of rejoining the guests kicked up his nerves. At some point, someone was going to let it slip that this was his island, but for now, he was going to enjoy winning Regan over without the tainting that his money would inevitably cause.

Colby let Regan and Kylee walk ahead of him on the sandy trail back to the front side of the island.

“I’m so tired.” Kylee’s arm draped over Regan’s shoulders, and he smiled at the closeness they shared.

“You two met in college?” he asked.

“Just after,” Regan answered. “So this was the first time she met your sister.”

“Gotcha.”

“Can we sleep for like…days?” Kylee whined, but even Colby could read into her tone that she was teasing.

His main mission was not staring at all the skin he could see on Regan’s back. He was failing miserably. He knew about Regan’s relationship with Matt, but had she had any other serious boyfriends? Was she seeing someone now, it just wasn’t serious enough to bring them? He hadn’t even considered that possibility. Once she’d agreed to be his date, nothing else had mattered.

“Wedding soon,” Regan answered. “But you can sleep until then.”

“And you don’t want to miss dinner,” he said.

Kylee’s head rested on Regan’s shoulder. “I’ll be missing dinner.”

“I’ll just grab something real quick for the both of us,” Regan said. “How does this work, for like…money…I didn’t see a restaurant?”

“The island isn’t quite set up with a restaurant yet,” he said. “The bride and groom pitched in with the owner.” Was that a good enough cover-up?

They reached the boardwalk, and Colby stopped. This might be it for spending time with Regan for the day. How could their day together be over already?

“What do you know about the owner?” Regan asked. “Well, and how did you end up here?”

Kylee sniffed.

Colby’s heart sprinted. “I found this place through a friend.”

“We can sleep now?” Kylee asked.

Regan tossed him a smile over her shoulder, and he did his best not to grin like an idiot. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’l be here,” he said.

She nodded once. “Thanks again.”

“There’s…uh…some snacks and stuff in the fridge from the…uh…wedding party…” He was stammering like a kid again. Colby squared his shoulders. “If you need anything, just let me know, okay? I’m living in the Harbor House.”

“Thanks,” she said, her eyes locked with his. “Good to see you again, Colby.”

His throat swelled. She was still looking. How many times had he hoped she’d look at him this way? “Me too. See you tomorrow, or maybe tonight if you come down for food.”

Kylee and Regan walked up the boardwalk to their room, and the energy bouncing around in Colby made him know there was no way he was going to get a good night’s sleep. She was there. She was looking. And it was only day one.