I tightened my grip on the golf club and focused on the hole. It couldn’t be so hard, right?
Steady. Steady. Swing.
“Ahh!” I shrieked. “I did it!” Like it was second nature, I launched myself into Caleb’s arms.
“That’s my girl!” He beamed with pride. It didn’t seem like he realized what he said. Or maybe he did, and I shouldn’t be interpreting it the way I was.
How I longed for that to be true. To be his. For him to be mine.
Focus, Grace!
Caleb gave me one more squeeze before lining up his form to putt the golf ball.Move over, pro golfers.
Just as the club swung into motion, Caleb’s wrist jerked and the ball went in the opposite direction of the hole.
“Fuck,” Caleb muttered.
“What happened?” I questioned, confused because he usually had such good focus.
He moved his wrist in a circular motion. “My wrist. It locks up on me from time to time. Must be from all those dirty martinis I make.” He laughed.
I elbowed him. “Well at least things are fair now.” I gripped his hand in mine, pulled his wrist up, and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on it.
“More like an unfair advantage,” Caleb muttered as he stroked my cheek and looked into my eyes, a twinkle shining in his.
After four more holes and more mishaps by Caleb, I was ahead.
I needed to make this hole and Caleb to miss his, and then I’d be the winner.
Lining up with the proper form, I looked across the pond that was in between me and my chance at claiming victory. I said a silent prayer and swung. The golf ball rolled at a fast pace as it tumbled downhill. Then, as it steadied onto the flat part of the AstroTurf, it slowed to a painful pace. It looked as though it was barely moving. I cringed, hoping it didn’t stop right in front of the hole. Just as I thought it was going to stop, a gust of wind passed and it gave the ball the boost it needed.
“Oh my God!” I jumped up and down.
Caleb chuckled at my little performance, and I heard applause from behind me. A little boy was watching and decided to clap for me. Sweet.
“Your turn!” I shoved Caleb in the direction of the hole.
“Okay, okay.” He laughed but obliged and set up his shot.
He was a sexy fucker—I’d give him that.
Caleb swung the club faster than he had the other times. The golf ball glided along the hill, but it curved and went in the direction of the bridge. Slowly it rolled down, down, and into the water, landing with a splat.
“I can’t believe it! I won!” I gasped in disbelief.
Caleb held out his hand for me to shake as he offered his congratulations. Ignoring the gesture, I leaned in for a kiss because everybody deserved a celebratory kiss.
“Yeah, you won’t be kissing me after I eat those fucking snails,” he said with a chuckle, his smile breathtaking.
Yep, I’d definitely won, and it looked like at more than just mini golf.
CHAPTER 13
Grace
The heatof late August in Grand Haven was a far cry from the scorching summers I’d known in the city. Instead of being trapped between skyscrapers, Grand Haven offered lazy breezes drifting through leafy trees, not to mention the quiet that surrounded the air. Blindly, I followed Jena through the farmers’ market. I had made going to the bakery a ritual, during which I found out that Jena was Ms. Kenzie’s daughter. She and I hit it off one afternoon when she sat at my table and filled me in on the people in town. She couldn’t believe I hadn’t visited the farmers’ market in the two weeks I’d been in Grand Haven, so she invited me to go with her. She was practically bouncing with excitement, her enthusiasm for this small-town tradition becoming infectious, but I was still skeptical.
I had lived my entire life in New York City, where people rushed from one place to another and every day was a blur, one bleeding into the next. I had no idea how this slower pace appealed to me, but I couldn’t help but become enchanted with this tranquil little market. There were rows of stands with fresh fruit and homemade jams, flowers in vibrant displays, and the scent of local honey lingering in the breeze.
