She frowned back at him. “You’ll go in the hot tub with me?”
He hesitated, then gave a curt nod. “Tomorrow.”
“Today.” She folded her arms across her chest with a grin.
Beckett reached out and tapped her nose. “Don’t push it, kid.”
Bo and Morgan climbed back onto the boat, laughing about the entire thing, which they’d watched from afar. Richard played the video and Mel put an arm around Presley, telling her how great she was.
Presley looked around at this group of strangers and couldn’t believe she’d been dreading this trip. It wasn’t just Emmett’s signals she’d ignored. She’d disregarded her own. The world, like this group of people, seemed open and ready for Presley to explore in a whole new way.
She didn’t want to think about the end of the trip, but she knew that when it came, she might not be the same person who’d shown up slightly broken. While it had seemed like the worst thing at the time, now she could put herself back together however she chose.
Fifteen
Gray didn’t put up any sort of fight when Beckett said he’d take the boat to Smile. After spending the morning with Presley, after staying awake thinking about the way she felt against him, he needed some space. If he didn’t get away from the delectable feel of Presley’s mouth, the sweet scent only she carried, and the way her laughter made him feel like a different man, he was going to end up with a broken heart. Which made zero sense, since he’d only known her for two days.
He’d briefly thought, when he realized his attraction to her got stronger by the second, that he could propose a short-term thing. After a couple of nights exploring the insane chemistry between them, she’d leave, and he’d go back to figuring out his life. But the only thing he’d figured out was that where Presley was concerned, he couldn’t get close to her without wantingmore.And not just physically. If he let himself dive in, telling himself he could deal with temporary, he’d end up wanting something that couldn’t happen. That would only make him even more unsure of where he was headed than he was at this moment.
Presley was the kind of woman who made a man commit one hundred and ten percent. Obviously not the idiot she’d been with, but any guy with a brain. That couldn’t end well for him. Not with a woman who was gone in a week.You kissed. She didn’t propose marriage.Maybe he was blowing the feelings out of proportion, but he couldn’t stand being the one left behind again.
He’d had a taste of that when his high school sweetheart had moved away, wanting bigger, better, and all-around more. Smile was where Beckett wanted to live out his days. He loved walking through townand saying hello to people he knew. He liked that neighbors and friends counted on him. He didn’t know everyone, but it felt like everyone knew him, and for a guy who spent most of his adult life being single, it made him feel less alone. Like he had a purpose. Sure, people knew the bad stuff—the shit he’d done in high school, like trying to pull a senior year prank only to have it blow up in his face. Too many people knew that he’d proposed to his high school girlfriend, thinking it would get her to stay. It was hard to date in a place where rumors flowed like coffee at Starbucks. Hell, it was hard to live in a town that didn’t have a Starbucks. But he loved it here.And yet, you’re considering leaving.He’d always assumed he’d grow old in Smile, but it occurred to him, between Brian’s offer and Presley Ayers, that maybe he was being shortsighted. Maybe he needed to rethink his plan. Be braver. But not because of love.
Look what love had done to his siblings. They were different versions of themselves, and maybe that was great in some instances, but not necessarily in others, because in the core of who he was, a fling wasn’t for him.
Beckett wanted a home, a partner he could share a life with. That life included the lodge for as long as Gray was determined to make a go of it. What it didn’t include was falling for a woman on the rebound.
With everyone settled, he grabbed his duffel, like a coward, and headed for the speedboat. He was on it, ready to pull out, when Mr. Dayton stepped on the dock, moving quicker than usual. None of the other guests had been interested in leaving the lodge grounds.
“Hang on, son.” The old man came his way, a duffel in his own hand. He held it up. “Wasn’t sure how long you were leaving for so I came prepared.”
Speaking of things he didn’t have time for. “Mr. Dayton, I’m actually staying over on the mainland tonight. Tomorrow as well.” He needed to get some things done or the opportunity would slip away. He should definitely say bye to Presley, but he knew if he got too close, he’d ask her to come with him. Or stay just to be with her.
“Fine by me. I like to mix it up.”
Beckett stared at him. What was he supposed to do? “Where will you stay?”
Mr. Dayton smiled and reached a hand out for Beckett to help him aboard. “Don’t you worry about me, Beckett, and for God’s sake, call me Bernie. I never have trouble finding a place to hang my hat.”
Laughing, Beckett helped the man aboard. The sun was holding steady in the sky, but the air was cool, and the world felt quiet. Beckett loved that feeling. As he started to back the boat out of its slip, he saw Presley coming out of his cabin. Jilly would move her back up to the lodge tonight. The AC issue was an internal spliced wire. Easy fix if someone knew what they were looking for. Beckett felt uncomfortable with the fact that he’d considered putting off his trip to the mainland if Presley had to stay in his cabin alone. The sun caught her hair as she tipped her head back and looked up to the sky.
The spot right below his ribs tightened.
“She is a looker. Sweet girl, too. Funny. Reminds me of my wife. Makes me miss her more,” Mr. Dayton said, following Beckett’s gaze, then sitting in one of the padded seats.
Space. That’s exactly what he needed. From everyone. He needed to sort through the list of things weighing him down right now. He should have known the quiet wouldn’t last. This old man really did have Ollie beat for most talkative.
“What are you tending to on the mainland? You have a job? You kids are running yourselves ragged.”
Beckett kept one hand on the wheel as he adjusted his ball cap. “I have a few errands to run. I work at a sporting goods store, but I’m on vacation. It’s hard taking over a business, but we’ll get there.” He didn’t really want to get into specifics. Gray wanted to make a go of it, so that meant they’d do what they could to help him.And if you told them about your choices, they’d help you make one.One major life decision among them felt like enough for now.
“Beautiful place. Someone didn’t appreciate it before they gave it to you,” Dayton said behind him. His voice easily carried over the wind.
Beckett didn’t disagree with that understatement, so he just nodded.
“My family owned it a long time ago,” Mr. Dayton said after an unusual spell of quiet.
Beckett’s hand slipped on the wheel, jolting them a little. He gripped the wheel but looked at the old man. “What?”
