Page 37 of Here & Now

They turned away from the water and trudged through the sand to higher ground. He paused at a flat spot where the sand was packed down from someone who’d been there earlier.

“Is this okay?”

“I should have brought a towel.”

“We can keep walking.”

“No, it’s fine.”

They sat close, without touching. He brought his knees up and folded his arms around them, mostly to prevent himself from reaching for her.

She unzipped her purse, one of those crossbody types, and took out a small spiral-bound notepad and pen.

“How official,” he teased.

“I always carry one with me.” She opened the notepad to a blank page and clicked open the pen.

“Ask away.”

And she did. She covered everything from how long he’d lived on the island—his entire life—to his family and how he’d acquired the business. He hadn’t talked about himself this much in a long time, but she seemed to hang on every word, jotting down notes in her quick yet legible penmanship.

While her head was bent over the notepad, he took the opportunity to study her, admiring her casual beauty. He so wanted to trace the freckles on her shoulders, or better yet, lean over and kiss them…

Finally, she closed the notepad, clicked the pen shut, and tucked them into her purse. She lifted her gaze to his. “I think that’s it.”

“Are you sure?” He didn’t want the interview to be over. Correction—he didn’t want this night to end.

She nodded. “If I forgot something, I could always knock on your door, right?”

“Right.” Oh, how he’d love it if she knocked on his door for a different reason.

“I guess we should get going, then.”

She stood before he could think of an excuse to stay longer. He rose, and since she was facing away from him, he noticed the sand sticking to the back of her shorts. Unthinkingly, he reached out and started to brush it off.

Startled, she whirled around. “What are you doing?”

“The sand,” he said, pointing to her butt.

“I can get it.”

She brushed off the rest herself. Then they retraced their steps down the beach and back to the parking lot. She’d gone quiet again, and he wondered what she was thinking about.

They paused at the car to put on their flip-flops and then got inside. As they were driving away, he said, “While you’re here, if you need anything, anything at all, just ask. I’m only a stone’s throw away.”

She glanced at him with a mixed expression, like she wanted to trust him but didn’t. He hoped she was becoming more comfortable with him, but he could tell she was still wary. After what she’d been through, he didn’t blame her, though he didn’t want to be lumped into the same category as her idiot ex-boyfriend.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

That wasn’t very promising, but it was better than a flat-out rejection.

She soon pulled into her driveway and shut off the car. For the last few minutes, he’d racked his brain, trying to come up with a reason to spend more time with her. His logical side told him to leave her alone, that it was enough for one night.

When they exited the car, his logical side crumbled. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

She furrowed her brow. “This wasn’t a date.”

“I know that.”