Page 9 of Reluctant Chemistry
CeCe clickedGalleryon the menu bar, and as she scrolled down the page, there he was—tight black T-shirt and corded biceps—nuzzling his handsome face into the neck of a chestnut beauty of the equine variety. He looked younger in the shot, maybe around twenty, but there was no mistaking that jawline. And while he’d worn his hair a little longer back then, it still held the same shape, had the same highlighted strands.
Of course, his wasn’t the only photo on the site, and in amongst the array of horses, buildings, and random people, an older man smiled back at her. Judging by their similar features, he had to be his father. CeCe studied Luka’s picture again. She loved uncovering layers to people’s stories; it piqued her interest.
Eyelids heavy, she let the iPad fall to the bed and her thoughts drift. What if she’d had the courage to ask him out for a drink yesterday? Would they be at the pub now, dancing to some country band, constructing the prologue to each other’s stories?
On her nightstand, her phone vibrated. She lifted it and read the text.
Molly:Home safe?
CeCe:Yep. Thanks for tonight. It was good to catch up.
Molly:I went to the pub after you left.
CeCe:Good night?
Molly:Night’s not over yet!!! I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Remember to Google that rabbit hole guy.
CeCe:Done. No murk detected. Stay safe and sweet dreams.
Molly:You too. xoxo
4
Sandwater Bay
The day was a scorcher, far too hot for clothes, and at the knock on his front door, Luka lowered the David Baldacci novel he’d found in the SAR office and sighed. He’d not had any visitors since arriving in Tulloch Point, but maybe it was a group of kids fundraising for a school project. He grabbed the lavalava from the bed and wrapped it low around his hips as he strode across the room.
When his visitor knocked again, Luka turned the dead bolt and opened the door to find CeCe Dobson standing before him and a classic Kombi van parked in his driveway. Dressed in frayed cutoff denim shorts with a white T-shirt bunched into a knot at the front, she clutched a brown paper bag in one hand and a peace sign key ring in the other. His sight flicked briefly to her long legs and tanned midriff before he could stop himself.
She pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head, where they disappeared amongst her curls. She smiled, her eyes wide. “Sorry to rock up without calling first, but…”
“Come in.” He held the door open, catching a trace of her perfume as she stepped past him and into the hallway. It was the same scent that had been on his mind since the night they met. “How did you know where to find me?”
CeCe shrugged. “Small town and all that.” She offered him the bag. “I bought you this—as a thank you.”
Luka pulled out the bottle and studied the label.
“Merlot gets a bad rap sometimes,” she said, “but this one’s from an organic vineyard in Clifton Falls. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I know it. We lived all over the place when I was growing up, but my family home’s in the Rata River Valley. Thank you for this.” He put the wine on the counter. Took a deep breath.
“Really? I love that area. How long are you here for?”
“Just until Easter.”
CeCe nodded, then glanced around the room, taking in his unmade bed, the book lying face down on the nightstand, and his jeans puddled in a heap on the floor. When she turned her attention to him, he smiled. She seemed young, maybe late teens, but she sure knew how to give off interested vibes.
“Anyway, I should let you get back to your day. I just wanted to thank you for your knight-in-shining-armor gig. It was most gallant of you.”
Luka chuckled. “I’ve been called many things, but never gallant. Would you like a drink?”
A silence ensued. “Actually,” she said with a slow smile, “I’m going for a swim. The first of the new year. You want to come?” Hazel eyes held his gaze.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen. Nineteen in May.”
CeCe played with a lock of hair, twisting it around her finger. Feathers fluttered from her earlobes, and leather sandals with beads along the bridge of her foot added a hippy vibe. “If it matters,” she continued, “I could lie and say I’m twenty. You?”
