Page 24 of The Deal Maker
“I go buy ice cream every morning.” I try to keep my expression neutral, innocent. Three sets of eyes swing my way.
“She’s bugged because you’re supporting her store?” King asks, his eyes narrowed on me like he doesn’t believe me.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. A timeshare salesman hurt her grandma years ago. I don’t know the whole story. But she’s decided to hate me on principle, I think.”
Coop grins. “This is going to be good.”
The fanfarefrom the mob starts to disappear and there are fewer and fewer people standing in the town square. King, Georgie, and Coop all headed out to take care of their businesses and get them ready for life the next day. It’s then that Maggie sees me.
She walks over to me like a storm cloud, her eyes narrowed and her lips set into a deep frown.
“How are you allowed to sign up for the scavenger hunt?” She stops about an inch away from me and I relax after having braced myself for impact.
“What do you mean? I signed up like you probably did.”
She lets out a huff and says, “I mean that you’re the one giving away the prize. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
I shake my head and say, “I’ve already talked to the big boss. The board wants me to keep the excitement alive for this hunt.”
Maggie rolls her eyes and then closes them. I’m not educated in the art of breathing, but I’m sure her extended silence is because she’s trying to keep her temper under control.
“So we’re going to win this trip.” It’s all I can come up with at the moment.
“I’d rather die than go on a trip with you.”
And then my habit of laughing at inappropriate times decides to surface. I do everything I can to keep the smile off my face.
“That’s within your right. I’d love to take a vacation on my own. So we’ll win it and you can stay here and run your shop.”
She straightens, and while she looks a bit taller, she’s still about a foot shorter than me. “Absolutely not. We win and I get the trip. You’re just supposed to share the excitement for the hunt, right?”
She gives me a small smile and I hate that there’s a small sliver of attraction there. I may not have a great record of dating, but I know the kind of woman I’m looking for. Small and spiteful are not on that list.
“How about we agree to disagree right now? I’m sure we’ve got a lot to do to prepare for the hunt.”
Maggie shakes her head. “You mean practice for it? How would we know what to do? The scavenger hunt starts tomorrow morning.”
“It’s not that hard to test out some skills. Maybe we should go build a wheelbarrow or something. That might give us an indication of if we can work together.”
“I’ve got too much to do tonight.” She turns on her heel and walks away.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” I call out after her, grinning when she shoots me a glare.
I don’t know how much fun I thought I was going to have, but this is going to be epic.
THIRTEEN
MAGGIE
I didn’t sleep last night because all I could see when I closed my eyes was Duke’s smug face after he said he’d take the vacation. I don’t know why I care about it so much now, but my competitive side has emerged after a very long slumber. Maybe it’s because I don’t want him to win it and then gloat.
On the other hand, I thought about pulling out of the race, not sure I can handle hanging out with Duke for that much time. Even ten minutes with him will be more than my patience can handle.
The rational side of me decided against it though. I need to do this for my own sanity. If I can benefit from a getaway and not be humiliated at my cousin’s wedding, I’ll be that much better for it.
I wasn’t ready for the strange ping of my phone as I brushed my teeth this morning. Picking it up, I swipe to see a small palm tree icon at the top of the screen.
I click to get into the Beach Town app and see a screen that says, “Your first challenge awaits.”
