Page 63 of Finding Forever

Beth took one before he ate them all. “Tell me about Australia.”

Ryan leaned back. “It was great. Sydney was more compact than I thought, especially around Darling Harbour. The Gold Coast was sun, sand, and lots of walking. I ate too much and overspent my budget, but it was worth it. I’ve started planning my next trip.” Ryan took another chocolate. “You can come to China with me next year, if you like.”

“I’ll think about it.” Beth wrapped both hands around her mug. “You enjoyed having the time off?”

“Yeah.” Ryan rubbed his thumb over the side of his mug. “More than I thought I would. There were no phone calls every five minutes and nothing needing to be fixed before breakfast. But I missed having a routine. Getting up and knowing what I’m doing for the day. Seeing everyone.”

Beth understood. There was comfort in knowing where you were supposed to be.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Finley Point,” Ryan added. “It’ll be interesting to see what’s happened while I’ve been gone.”

“Knowing Dave, half the resort is probably finished.” The words escaped before Beth could think about them.

Ryan looked at her.

Beth suddenly found her coffee fascinating.

“Probably,” he said slowly.

She could feel her brother watching her. It was ridiculous. She was a grown woman. She’d been married and raised a daughter. She should be perfectly capable of telling her younger brother she’d gone on a date.

Except the man was Ryan’s boss. And saying it aloud somehow made everything with Dave more real. Beth placed her mug on the table. “Dave took me to dinner.”

Ryan blinked. “My Dave? My boss?”

Beth frowned. “He’s not your Dave.”

“You know what I mean. Dave from Finley Point?”

Beth nodded.

Ryan stared at her. Slowly, a smile appeared. “Was it a date?”

Heat climbed into Beth’s cheeks. “Yes.”

“Well, that’s interesting.”

Beth waited for Ryan to say something else, but he didn’t. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Beth folded her arms and waited some more.

As Ryan studied her face, his amusement faded. “You like him.”

Beth glanced toward the window. “Yes. And he likes me, so don’t poke fun at either of us. I’ve been trying not to like him, but it’s too difficult.”

“Why?”

She gave her brother a look. “You know why.”

His expression softened. “Because of Jessie?”

Beth nodded. “Partly.” She looked down at her coffee. “I wasn’t looking for anyone. I didn’t want anyone. Then I met Dave at the arts center and we started spending time together and…” She shrugged. “I like being with him.”

Ryan rested his forearms on the table. “A lot?”

Beth tried not to smile and failed. “A lot.”