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“The important people know the truth. It’s just … a very small circle.”
She stands and scoots around the table, leaning down to press a lingering kiss on my lips. “I’m saying there’s more to you than meets the eye, Mr. King,” she says. “I’ll be right back. If our server returns, order me a coffee to go? That is, if a place this fancy has to-go cups.”
They don’t. But they do have stainless steel travel mugs for sale, so I have them add one to the bill. It’s filled with fresh coffee and waiting for Sadie when she returns.
After dinner, we head over to Waterfront Park where Sadie forces a grumbling German to take a picture of us in front of the iconic pineapple fountain that Charleston is known for.
“If you didn’t destroy my phone and take Ben’s, you wouldn’t have to do this,” she tells him through a smile.
“This must be the part where being a SUCS agent really sucks,” I murmur in Sadie’s ear.
She groans, then giggles. “That’s terrible.”
“Terrible? No. We should really be making way more SUCS jokes,” I tell her. “I mean, they’re pretty much begging for it with that name.”
“Are you done?” German demands.
“Just a few more,” Sadie says, her voice dripping with sweetness. “If you don’t mind.”
He clearlydoesmind, and Sadie makes him take at least a fewdozenmore, likelyonlyto annoy him. But I’ll be glad when he sends them all to me later. I also don’t mind posing with Sadie in my arms. Any excuse to touch her.
“Enough,” German finally grumbles, and we wander a little further away from him, testing the limits of our government chaperone.
“I think it’s kinda funny that our relationships with our fathers are so similar,” Sadie says. She turns and leans her back against the railing at the edge of the short pier that extends over the Cooper River. If it were light out, we could look across the water and see where the Cooper merges with the Ashley River, then flows out to the open waters of the Atlantic. But it’s late enough now that we can only see the flashing lights on Fort Sumter—the civil war era fort that sits in the middle of Charleston Harbor.
I nod, remembering the brief encounter I had with Sadie’s father when he came for his mother’s funeral. Our interactionwas minimal, but I learned enough from Jake to trust that my first impression of the man was dead-on.
Genevieve was right to leave her inheritance to her granddaughters instead of her son—he would have sold and ducked out of town before the ink was dry on the deed transfer.
“Jake told me your dad called Eloise last week,” I say. “Is he going to be a problem for y’all?”
Sadie shakes her head. “Not at all. Weirdly, he and his wife seem pretty happy, though I’m sure her very deep pockets help with that. Lo said he just seemed like he wanted to connect.” She shrugs. “I’m not holding my breath, but we’ll see how it goes.”
“Do youwantto connect?”
“About as much as I want a double root canal,” she answers quickly. “But Lo will make it happen.”
I nod. “That seems to be her way.”
Sadie steps toward me, her hands lifting to the front of my shirt. “Your button came loose,” she says as she fixes it.
When she finishes, she presses her palms flat against my chest, looking up like she’s almost nervous to be touching me. She shouldn’t be—I’ve been dying to touch her all night—but everything still feels so new between us. Like every touch, every moment is weighted double.
I move my hands to her waist, resting my palms on the swell of her hips, and lean down, brushing my nose against hers. “I’m having a really nice time,” I say, my voice low.
“Best date ever,” she says, her exhale fanning across my cheek. It’s hands down the best date I’ve ever been on, but honestly, it doesn’t even feel fair to make the comparison. Something tells me Sadie will always be the best everything. Best date. Best kiss. Best conversation.
Besteverything.
“So, does that mean I get a second date?” I ask.
“The night’s not over yet. You’ve still got time to screw it all up,” she teases, booping me on the nose.
The problem is—I’m honestly afraid I will.
Behind us, lightning flashes, lighting up the harbor, and there’s a low warning growl of thunder. I look up at the starless sky as a cool breeze picks up, tossing Sadie’s hair across her face.
“We should get back to the boat if we don’t want to get caught in the rain,” I say, but my eyes drop to her lips.
