Chapter Sixteen
“Do you mind if we take the golf cart? There’s a cargo box in the back where we can put your crutches.” Porter watched me traverse the front porch steps. He kept his hands out, ready to catch me if needed.
I took my time down the steps. I didn’t need any more embarrassing moments in front of him. “That’s fine.”
The weather was beautiful. Warm sea air and sunshine engulfed me. I’d missed it. I watched Porter watch me, and I missed him too. I didn’t know what that meant. His mom’s questions bounced around in my cerebrum. Did I still love her son? Or a better question would be, did I ever stop loving him? That thought had me pausing on the last step as if some sort of epiphany hit me. I shook my head, hoping that would help shake off the crazy thought.
Porter stepped forward ready to act, mistaking my pause as something to be worried about. Believe me, it was.
“You okay?” He restrained himself from touching me. From the way he flexed his hands, I would say it wasn’t easy for him.
“I’m good.”
His eyes roved over my body, especially my now bare legs in shorts. Natalie had helped me freshen up. She and I had different ideas about what that meant. I meant changing my clothes and maybe throwing on some lip gloss. Instead, I was treated to a makeover and sea salt scrub on my legs. They were smooth and shiny now. And I don’t know what she did to my eyelashes, but they never looked so long. And the eyeshadow she used had my eyes looking greener than ever. She brushed and smoothed out my strawberry-blonde hair before tying it up in some sort of fancy knot. I think if I’d tried to do that, I would have hurt myself. I’d never been so pampered. She even put some homemade salve on my ankle and re-wrapped it for me.
Porter stood right below me, making him eye level with me. Our faces came so very close. “You are good . . . and so beautiful.”
My heart went into arrhythmia again. “I’m not sure how I feel about you saying things like that.”
He wasn’t deterred. He moved in so close I could feel his warm breath. I wanted to swim in it.
“Maybe if you returned the compliment, you would feel better about it.”
He got an eye roll and a smile. “Or I could hit you with one of my crutches.”
“I probably deserve it.” He was using intimate tones.
I could only nod. My voice got caught in my throat. I cleared it out. “We should go.”
He didn’t move. He continued to take me in. “I like it right here.”
“That’s because you aren’t standing on crutches.” My underarms were aching.
“Right.” He stepped back giving me room to step down. “Sorry. I’ll stare at you in the golf cart.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“You have no idea.”
I followed him to the waiting cart on their brick paver driveway. “I’m not falling for any of your cheesy lines, by the way.”
His laughter rang in the air. “You say that now, but I think you are going to be impressed with my lineup. Do you see what I just did there with lineup?”
“No. Could you explain it to me?” I tried to keep a straight face. Not to brag, but I had an above average IQ.
He stopped and thought for a second, let down I didn’t get his play on words, until my mouth betrayed me and twitched.
“Are you teasing me, Holland Reeves?” He edged closer, ready to pounce on me.
I backed up. “I’m on crutches.” I leaned on the left crutch for support while holding up the right, warning him to keep his distance.
Mischief danced in his eyes. “Your smile is not intimidating at all.”
“Can we go?” I was half terrified he would take me up in his arms and half longing for it.
A debate raged in his eyes. He finally breathed out, “Fine, but admit it, you kind of like me.”
I lowered my crutch. “Where’s your scientific evidence to support your hypothesis?”
His laugh floated out in the salt air. “Your science speak turns me on. So does that smile of yours.”
I pressed my lips together.
“You don’t have to admit it; I know.”
I’m glad one of us knew.
I did my best to take in the scenery on the short drive over. The outdoor scenery, not the handsome man driving at a snail’s pace. I had a feeling he was stalling to meet with his dad. Or it could be how many times he glanced my way.
Taking the cart allowed us to go the back way into the hotel. They had built a wide wooden path between their home and the resort. It was surrounded by dunes and beachgrass, otherwise known as ammophila breviligulata. Why I knew that, I don’t know. Okay, I did, but it was embarrassing. Only I would spend an hour researching beachgrass for fun. And maybe I told Porter once upon a time that it grows rapidly, producing a hundred clumps per clump annually. He’d laughed and kissed me.
“What are you meeting your dad for?” I decided I needed to think about something else besides kissing Porter.
His brows knitted together. “He didn’t like the suggestions I made for the social media campaigns. I’m not surprised.”
I felt myself wanting to reach out and comfort him by rubbing his neck or resting my hand on his leg. Bare leg. He was back in cargo shorts just like I remembered, except he looked better now. Probably a good idea to keep my hands to myself.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me how difficult your relationship with your dad was?” I knew there was some tension, but it obviously went way beyond what he ever let on to.
The golf cart screeched to a halt. He threw his arm across me to lighten the impact of the sudden stop. Not realizing where his hand landed. My wide eyes darted down.
“Sorry.” His hand dropped, but let’s just say I wasn’t sure how sorry he was from the smile he gave me. I’ll give him credit for not lingering.
I shook my head at him. “I’ll remember that move for future reference.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “I’m pleading fortunate accident.”
“How do you plead to my inquiry?”
He looked past me at the rough waves crashing against the shore. It was a red flag kind of day. His breaths were slow and steady. “There were so many things I wanted to tell you, but I felt like I would come off as a spoiled rich kid. I never wanted you to see me that way. And after everything you dealt with in your life, it seemed inconsequential in comparison.”
I hesitated to touch him. My hand inched forward and back several times before I reached across the small space between us on the bench seat and rested my hand on his. It was like a homecoming. “Porter.”
He stared down at our hands before he met my gaze.
“I never once saw you that way.”
He wove his fingers between mine and held on like a covalent bond, tight and strong.
Internally I started listing the atomic weight of each element, trying to process all the sensations coursing through me. Hydrogen: 1.00794, Helium: 4.003. . .
Porter gave my hand a squeeze. “What do you have going through that head of yours?”
“The atomic weight of each element,” I admitted, embarrassed.
His smile warmed me. “Holland, I missed you.”
“Why didn’t you contact me?” Flew out of my mouth.
His smile disappeared. “I thought about it every day.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.” I thought of all his vlogs and pulled my hand away.
“Hey.” He took my hand right back. “I like that hand, Facebook stalker.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right. Because you just pulled the names Honey and Skipper out of thin air.”
“I was looking for some good stripper names once and what do you know? They popped up.”
His laughter could be heard all through Paradise.
“Don’t you have a meeting to get to?”
“This is much more enjoyable.”
“You and I have different ideas about fun.”
He gave me the most seductive look. “That’s not true.”
“You don’t know me anymore,” I stuttered.
He leaned in closer. “I know you enough to know that,” he used his free hand to run a finger down my neck, leaving a trail of . . . of . . . what were those called? I couldn’t think. He landed on my favorite spot. “If I kissed you right there, you would enjoy it.”
All at once I wanted him to make good on the threat in his eyes to do just that, but at the same time, I thought this was going too fast. I had thoughts and even feelings to sort out. I pulled away for real this time and rubbed the spot.
“I’m sorry, Holland.”
“Don’t be.” I felt as if I couldn’t catch my breath.
He groaned. “I know you don’t believe me, and I have some explaining and groveling to do, but I missed you, every part of you. And just so you know, they weren’t strippers.”
“Uh-huh.”
He laughed and took off.
I was going to need that seatbelt Natalie suggested.