CHAPTER 18

Cassie flipped herlong, wavy hair over one shoulder. Then the other. Examining the effect in the mirror. She’d brushed it till the copper and honey-colored highlights danced with every turn of her head. She wore a pale green sundress with a sunflower pattern. The hemline fell to mid-thigh, which she knew showed off her long legs. She rarely wore dresses, but she wanted to tonight.

“What do you think?”

Angel sat beside the mirror, gazing up at her.

“Will I do?”

Angel gave a short bark and Cassie laughed.

Meeting over coffee and the beach party was one thing, but tonight she and Wade were going on a real date. She actually felt a little nervous, and turning away from the mirror, she started pacing in an attempt to shake it off.

She still had a hard time believing she’d agreed to go on a date with a cop. But in reality, she’d stopped thinking of him that way. Through her interactions with him, and hearing the stories from his grandfather, Wade had transformed into a real person for her. A kind-hearted, caring man. And a very, very good-looking man, Cassie noted, watching from the window as the object of her thoughts got out of the car he’d just parked in the Wainwright’s driveway. The loose curls of his sunlit golden-brown hair were combed neatly back from his face. And his muscular frame was out of uniform. Instead, he wore nice-fitting khakis and a dark blue short-sleeved shirt that fit snug against the well-defined six-pack she’d had the pleasure of witnessing at the beach party.

He had a bouquet of brightly colored flowers gripped tightly in one hand and a small brown bag in the other. He bounded up the staircase to her door and knocked.

Angel trotted straight to the door. But Cassie made herself slowly count to ten before swinging it wide.

“Well, hello!” she said.

“Hello, yourself.” He grinned back at her.

“You clean up pretty nice there, Riley.” He was clean-shaven, and Cassie admired the strong line of his jaw.

“So do you.” His gaze swept over her in appreciation, lingering on her legs. She let him in and turned her face slightly so he wouldn’t notice the self-satisfied smile on her face.

Once inside, he thrust the blooms toward her. “These are for you!” he said.

“Uh...thank you!” She reached out a tentative hand to accept them. Then buried her nose in the bouquet of purple hyacinths, burnt-orange tulips, and creamy white daffodils, breathing in their light, sweet perfume. Never before in her life had anyone brought her flowers.

She walked over to her kitchen area and rooted around in a cupboard for something to put the flowers in, finally settling on an oversized drinking glass.

“And this is for you.” Wade looked down at Angel, who was prancing around excitedly at his feet. “You can already smell it, can’t you?” He smiled and pulled a large frosted cookie out of the brown paper bag. It was in the shape of an ice cream cone, with colorful chips on top of the “ice cream” frosting.

“Oh no!” Cassie cried out. “I know we let Angel sample your treats at the beach party. But I read that it’s not great to give a dog too much people food.”

Since nobody had stepped up yet to claim Angel, Cassie felt a greater responsibility for taking good care of the pup.

“No worries,” Wade replied, squatting down to let Angel sniff the cookie.

“I made it myself and the ingredients are all doggie safe. Stuff like peanut butter, whole wheat flour, and the chips are made from yogurt.”

Cassie watched as Angel gave Wade’s hand an appreciative lick before taking the treat and lying down right there to enjoy it. She held it between her paws and made them both laugh when she started licking the top of the ice cream cone.

Cassie marveled at how much Angel’s attitude toward Wade had shifted from their first encounter. Somehow, he’d managed to worm his way into the little dog’s heart. Cassie was aware that there was a relevant metaphor lying in there somewhere with regard to herself, but she gave herself a mental slap to stop from analyzing it too deeply.

“Your place is great,” he said as he stood back up, looking around the tiny light-filled space. A ceiling fan circled slowly overhead. And although the studio apartment was really one giant room, she’d artfully used furniture to divide the space up.

“Thanks, I like it,” she said, filling the makeshift vase with water. It was the very first place she’d ever been able to call her own, and she was proud of it. “I’m grateful that Rachel and Mark were willing to rent it to me at such a low price. That’s how I’ve been able to afford the classes I’m taking at the community college.” She set the glass in the center of her small dining table and adjusted the blossoms. “Speaking of Rachel and Mark, would you be willing to meet them for a minute before we leave?”

She felt a little strange asking, but both Rachel and Mark had expressed a strong interest in meeting Wade. And they rarely asked for anything. So Cassie had acquiesced. Besides, they’d agreed to watch Angel while she was out.

“Sure!” he said. “I’d love to meet the people who helped transform you from your old life of crime,” he said with a grin.

“Har, har,” she said, putting a hand on one hip. “If you’re done making jokes at my expense, we can go.”

At the top of the steps, he presented her with the crook of his arm, and with a bemused expression, she took it. They descended the staircase together and strolled toward the main house. Angel acted like the guide as she padded along in front of them. Cassie tapped at the side door and then opened it, calling out her usual, “I’m in the house,” but both Mark and Rachel were already in the kitchen, seated at the table in front of the bay window. They had cups of tea in front of them and goofy looking smiles on their faces. It was obvious to Cassie they were trying very hard to act casual.

“Hi, guys,” Cassie said, trying to ignore how intently the couple was staring at Wade. “Um...this is Wade Riley. Wade, these are Mark and Rachel Wainwright.”

Angel scampered over to receive her due attention from the couple before going to investigate the doggie toy box they’d placed in the kitchen for her.

Wade crossed the dark, hardwood floor to shake hands with them both.

“Would you like some tea?” Rachel asked.

So much for a quick greeting, Cassie thought, observing the teapot on the table and two additional cups and saucers set in front of them. Cassie recognized it would’ve been really awkward to refuse. Wade didn’t hesitate, however. “Sure,” he said, taking the open seat beside Rachel. Reluctantly, Cassie pulled out the chair next to Mark and sat down.

As Rachel poured them each a cup, Mark removed his glasses and rubbed the lenses with the bottom of his shirt, looking thoughtful. Cassie groaned inwardly. That’s what he always did when he was about to launch into some long-winded spiel. Rachel was watching her husband, too, and she quickly said, “So, Wade, Cassie tells us you’re a police officer and you’re working to figure out what happened to that package that was stolen from her.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wade said. “We thought we had a lead—actually, Cassie helped us find it,” he looked at Cassie and smiled, “but so far, it hasn’t panned out.”

“That’s a shame. But you’re not giving up, I’m sure,” Rachel said, taking a sip of her tea.

“Oh, no, ma’am!” Wade said, and took a drink from his cup. Cassie watched in amusement as his mouth turned down slightly at the bitter taste. Mark and Rachel drank their tea strong. “Um... Do you have any sugar?”

“Oh, of course! I’m sorry.” Rachel jumped up and went to the cupboard, pulling out a container. She poured the sugar into a small serving bowl, selected a spoon, and brought everything back to the table with her.

Mark cleared his throat. “So, Wade, tell us a little bit about yourself, aside from the fact that you’re a police officer. For instance, do you have any family in the area?”

“Yes, sir,” Wade replied, stirring several spoonfuls of sugar into his tea. “My brother and his fiancée live here in Whispering Pines, as well as my grandfather and new step-grandmother. I also have a younger brother who lives in Grand Rapids.”

“Ah, good, good,” Mark said with a nod. “Did you grow up in Whispering Pines then?”

“No, sir. I was raised in Grand Rapids. My brothers and I spent most summers here, though, living with our grandparents. We all love this area.”

“We do, too. We do, too,” Mark murmured, taking a sip of his tea. He set down the cup. “So, what are your plans for this evening?”

“I’m taking Cassie to Oasis on the Water for dinner.”

“Oooh, I love that place!” Rachel said.

“Yes, a very nice place,” Mark acknowledged, then leaned forward, his bespectacled gaze locking with Wade’s. “Tell me, Wade, do you ever drink and drive?”

“Mark!” Cassie exclaimed.

“It’s all right, Cassie,” Wade said with a small smile. “It’s a fair question. And anyone who cares about their child would ask it.”

Cassie felt her heart flutter at being referred to as Mark and Rachel’s child. In truth, over the past years, she’d grown to feel so. Although the couple had three grown children of their own, they all lived out of state. And the two of them had demonstrated to her over and over again how much they loved and cared about her.

“To answer your question, no, sir,” Wade said. “I would never drink and drive. In fact, I don’t drink at all.”

“Oh,” Cassie, Rachel, and Mark all said together in surprise. Angel, who had been busily gnawing the life out of a small stuffed cat, also stopped and looked at Wade.

Mark recovered first. “Well, that’s good, that’s good.” He nodded slowly. “So tell me, what sort of things do you like to do in your free time?”

Oh my gosh! What is this? The third degree! Cassie thought. Then another thought entered her head. She realized that this was the first guy they’d met since the string of deadbeats she’d dated in high school. In fact, Wade was the first “nice” boy she’d ever introduced them to. That thought made her feel a little strange.

“Well, sir,” Wade said without missing a beat, “I do a lot of hiking and mountain biking. I also love doing things out on the lake, like fishing and boating. Recently, I’ve been getting into windsurfing.”

“Mhm, mhm.” Mark studied Wade through his dark-rimmed spectacles and took another sip of his tea.

“I also like baking,” Wade said.

“You do?” Rachel said with surprise.

“Yes,” Wade smiled. “I started baking when I was a kid. My Nana taught me. Between my brothers and I, I was the only one who really liked it. I did a lot of baking for my family when I was growing up. And for the holidays, everyone counts on me for the pies, breads, and pastries.”

“Do you ever watch the Great British Baking Show?” Rachel asked with interest, leaning forward.

“Yes, ma’am!” Wade responded, a dazzling smile lighting up his whole face. Cassie watched the transformation, wishing it would happen more often. “I love that show!”

“Me too!” Rachel said. “Did you see the latest season?”

“For sure,” Wade said.

The two of them then launched into a deep discussion regarding the intricacies of bread proofing and their favorite challenges presented to the bakers. Cassie looked at Mark and crossed her eyes while he suppressed a grin.

After a few moments, Cassie cut into their chatter. “Look, guys, this has really been great. But Wade and I don’t want to be late for our dinner reservation.”

“Oh, of course, I’m so sorry,” Rachel said, throwing up her hands. “Please go. And have a wonderful time!”

Everyone rose from the table and walked to the side door. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Wade,” Mark said, extending his hand. And Rachel being Rachel, opened her arms for a hug, which Wade entered into willingly.

“Cassie told me really nice things about you both,” Wade said. “And it’s been a pleasure meeting you. I promise to take good care of her.”

“I’m sure you will,” Rachel said. Cassie didn’t think Rachel could smile any wider. Mark gave him a nod.

Cassie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again. The door closed behind them and they walked together toward Wade’s car. As soon as they were out of earshot, Cassie turned on him. “Yes, sir? Yes, ma’am? Take good care of me? Why are you so formal?”

“Guess I was just raised right,” he said with an arched look. He walked with her to her side of the car and opened the car door for her.

She tried to recover her surprise at this old-fashioned display of chivalry. It gave her a strange feeling. No guy she’d ever dated had opened a car door for her, or any other door for that matter, she reflected.

Once she was inside, he walked around the car, got in, and started the engine.

“I thought you said your father wasn’t around much when you were growing up. So, how were you raised right?” she asked, looking at him curiously.

“Pops,” he said, backing out of the driveway. “He was a real stickler for good manners and treating ladies like ladies.”

“Well, that explains the door thing,” she murmured under her breath.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

They arrived at the restaurant, which was right on the lake. Together, Cassie and Wade walked up the boardwalk to the entrance, where Wade once again opened the door for her. Inside, wood flooring gleamed beneath tiny white lights that covered the entire ceiling. There was a small bar with a few stools in one corner of the room. High-backed booths and tables of different sizes were scattered over the floor. Since it was summer, the retractable walls had been lifted to create a free-flowing space that opened up to an expansive outdoor deck overlooking the water. More intimate tables for two lined the edge of the deck, and the railing beside it was also decorated in twinkling lights. Soft candlelight flickered at each table, and the entire space had a magical feel.

As they followed the hostess to their table, Wade whispered, “Check it out.” She looked in the direction he indicated and was shocked to see Brett sitting up at the small bar. He sat at the far end, hunched forward, contemplating the amber liquid in a glass that he slowly swirled in his hand.

“That’s interesting,” she whispered back. She’d already told Wade that Brett had disappeared from work after the arrest. Nobody had seen or heard from him. Cassie hoped he wouldn’t notice them. The last thing she wanted was Brett harassing her on her date. She was still convinced he was the thief who’d stolen Olga’s package from the van. But just now, she didn’t want to think about that.

She put him out of her mind as the hostess seated them at one of the outside tables with a gorgeous view of the water. Dark blue waves gently rolled along the sandy shoreline, and golden light from the lowering sun lit up their foamy crests. Gulls called to each other, floating on the wind currents overhead and walking stiff-legged on the sand in front of the restaurant, picking up treasured tidbits left behind by the day’s beachgoers.

The waitress arrived with two glasses of ice water, and after she and Wade placed their orders, Cassie pulled her attention away from the beautiful view to look at the beautiful man sitting across from her. He was still looking out over the water, a light breeze ruffling his hair. He looked like he’d just stepped off the page of some men’s fashion magazine, Cassie thought. Then he turned his gaze to her and her breath caught. His eyes seemed to shift color with his mood. And right now, they were a warm, whiskey gold as he looked at her. A woman could drown in those eyes, she thought. In fact, she was drowning now. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel as if he was looking through her, and the intensity scared her.

She glanced away and reached for her glass, taking a sip of her water. “So,” she asked, partially to distract herself from her thoughts and partially because she was curious, “why don’t you drink?”

A brief shadow flitted across his face, but quickly disappeared. He leaned back in his chair. “I told you my mother died. But I didn’t tell you how,” he said. “She was killed by a drunk driver.”

“Oh...” Cassie was at a loss. “That’s awful.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said. “But my brothers and I...well, after it happened, we all made a pact that we would never drink.”

Cassie nodded with understanding just as the waitress arrived, bringing their beverages and the hors d’oeuvre they’d selected, a warm cheesy artichoke-and-spinach dip with crispy tortilla chips. They each took a chip and scooped portions of the dip onto their plates.

“That’s kind of like me with my mom,” Cassie said. “Because of her situation, I made a promise to myself to never do drugs. Although,” she added before biting into a loaded tortilla chip, “I ultimately found a better way to get high.”

Wade was chewing and couldn’t respond but frowned in confusion. He swallowed and said, “Get high?”

In that moment, a little flash of the cop was showing, which made Cassie smile. She wasn’t sure why, but she got a lot of pleasure in shaking up Mr. By-the-Book.

“Speed,” she said. “Not the drug!” she hastened to add, seeing his eyes grow wide.

“Ah, your street racing.” He nodded. “How did you get involved in that in the first place?”

“When I was a freshman in high school, my first boyfriend was a junior, and he was already a street racer. He taught me how to drive, how to trick out cars.” She lifted one shoulder. “I had a knack for it.” Cassie pulled at some long strands of cheese, piling them on top of the chip she was holding. “When it comes to people, I don’t always understand them. But cars, they just always make sense to me. Anyway, he let me use his car and I ran my first race.”

“Wait!” Wade choked on the chip he’d just swallowed.

She pushed his water glass toward him, and he took several swallows before setting it back down.

“Are you telling me you were racing cars when you were only like, what...fourteen?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You can’t even take driver’s ed in this state until you’re fourteen years and eight months old,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“Uh-huh,” Cassie agreed with a small smile. “I think you know by now I’m not always the best at following the rules.”

One corner of Wade’s mouth lifted, and he gave a slight shake of his head. But he motioned for her to continue.

“So, anyway, I got a part-time job and started saving all my money to buy a car of my own. I bought my Mustang, gutted it, and rebuilt it, I don’t know how many times. But it’s fast.” Her eyes took on a faraway gleam. “There aren’t many girls who race, you know. And most guys who came up against me were overconfident. I won a lot.”

She took a sip of her water. “I used to race against Brett Oliver,” she glanced in Brett’s direction. He still sat at the bar with his back to them, “and I always beat him.” She couldn’t disguise the pride in her voice.

Wade was looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he said, “So, let me get this straight. You were dating boys and racing cars before you were even sixteen years old?”

Cassie burst out laughing. “Quite honestly, because of the influence of Mark and Rachel, I pretty much stopped racing a little over a year after I started legally driving.”

Wade shook his head. “You and I had very different childhoods,” he said.

“Don’t tell me,” she said with a smirk. “You probably waited to get behind the wheel of a car until you were fourteen years and eight months old?”

“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I made sure my brothers did the same.”

“Gotta stick to those rules, right?” she teased. “Heaven forbid you would ever have considered having a girlfriend before you were sixteen!”

He didn’t respond. But his cheeks flushed, and she watched in astonishment as Wade suddenly appeared unusually focused on scooping dip onto his next chip.

She looked at him closer. “Wait! Does the rule-following Officer Riley have some skeletons in his closet?” she said. “Maybe some naughty pre-sixteen dating stories to share?”

“Nope,” he said with a slight lift of one shoulder and took a bite.

“You’re hiding something from me?” she said, giving him a speculative look. “You’re not only doing that eye-blocking thing but you just shrugged one shoulder, indicating uncertainty.”

Wade leaned back in his seat and lifted his eyes to the sky. “Am I going to regret I ever gave that body language talk to your psych class?” he said.

“Probably,” she replied with a smug look. “C’mon, tell me, what’s the deal? Do you have some scary old psycho girlfriend hiding in your past? Or did you once stay out past your own self-imposed curfew and ground yourself? Or, oooh, maybe you forgot to say “sir” to some girl’s dad and got banished from ever seeing her again!”

“I think you’re having a little too much fun with this.”

“Am I?” she grinned.

A slow smile spread over Wade’s features at her teasing, and her heart warmed at the sight.

Then he said carefully, “As well thought out as those suppositions are,” he lifted one brow, “it’s none of those things.”

“Then what?”

Now he was looking downright uncomfortable, squirming a bit in his seat. “It’s just that I’ve...uh...I’ve never actually...”

“What?!” she said, impatient.

“...had a girlfriend before.”

She had just taken a sip of her water again, and now it was her turn to choke. Eyes watering, she put her napkin to her lips and held it there until she stopped coughing. Then she looked at him. “No. Way.” This tall, GQ model boy with his lean bodybuilder frame and gorgeous whiskey eyes. There was no way this guy didn’t have women falling all over him his entire life. “How is that possible?” the question came out in a breath.

His hands cupped his glass of water, and he gave another little shrug. “I dunno. I guess I was focused on parenting my younger brothers until Jake went off to college, and he’s only three years younger than me. Then I just turned my focus onto establishing my career.” He looked up at her then. “Actually, part of the reason I moved here is because Pops and Jake think I don’t have enough of a social life. They think I don’t know how to relax and have fun.”

Cassie recalled what J.P. had said about Whispering Pines being the only place he ever saw Wade relax when he was growing up. She thought of him baking with his Nana, hiking in the woods, and playing on the beach with his brothers. It must have truly eased his burden to let go and let his grandparents take the reins for a while.

“Sounds like they’re probably right,” Cassie said, resting her chin in her hands. “You do seem pretty intense when it comes to your work.”

“I just feel it’s an important job,” he said. “And I want to do it well.”

“And you don’t like amateurs butting in?”

“I told you, I’ve given up trying to stop you from helping us. And I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time,” he added, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. “It’s just that you can be frustrating sometimes. And stubborn. And kind of arrogant. And—”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Why did you ask me out again?”

He laughed.

“But seriously, after that first thing with Lakeside Latté’s camera, I’ve shared everything I found with you guys.”

“That’s true,” he said.

“And talking to Olga, well, I just wanted to make sure she was in the loop. Communication is critical, you know,” she added lightly, licking the salt from one of the tortilla chips off her fingertips. His eyes dropped to her mouth as she did this, and she suddenly felt self-conscious, remembering again that intense moment they’d shared in the hallway of the police headquarters, and then again in the water at the beach party.

The arrival of their entrees rescued her from further contemplation. As they ate, their conversation flowed more easily than she could’ve ever imagined. For all Wade’s stiff, rule-following formality when he was on the job, he actually had a great sense of humor. Plus, she found they shared a number of interests, like outdoor activities and dreams of travel.

As they talked, the flaming sun dipped slowly toward the water, searing a molten path across the waves.

Cassie was having such a good time with him that when their plates were finally cleared away, she realized she wasn’t ready for the evening to end. “Would you like to walk on the beach for a bit?” she asked, surprising herself.

He turned that dazzling smile on her, making her heart race. “Absolutely! Just a sec...” Then he pulled out his cell phone and made a few taps on the screen.

“What was that for?”

He looked up. “Nothing, just checking it off on my list for tonight.”

She looked at him. “You made a list for...you know what, never mind.”

They made their way down the steps off the deck to the sand in front of the restaurant. Cassie took off her sandals and Wade removed his shoes, rolling up the bottoms of his pants. They strolled leisurely along the shoreline, not speaking, just letting the silky waves lap at their ankles. They walked close, their shoulders and hands brushing against each other at times. Cassie felt a ridiculous little thrill each time it happened.

“Here it comes,” Wade said after a few moments.

“What?” Cassie looked up from watching the wet sand squish between her toes.

Wade put his hands gently on both her shoulders and spun her to face the sunset.

“Oooh.” Cassie marveled at how the sky had melted into overlapping swaths of lavender, peach, and deep pink. “There’s nothing like it, is there,” she said with an appreciative sigh.

“No. There isn’t.” He said the words with such intensity that she turned around to look at him and found him gazing at her in a way that sent flutters through her stomach and left her unable to speak. They stood there, eyes locked. Then slowly, he took a step closer to her. She knew what he was going to do. And she wanted him to do it. She was now only vaguely aware of the whisper of the waves, the soft breeze blowing over her skin. But she was very aware of him. The heat of his body drew her in like a compass to true north, and her skin tingled in anticipation. She tipped her head up, angling her face to his, and closed her eyes, waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

She opened her eyes to find herself standing there alone.

She spun in a circle, searching, and saw Wade running across the sand back toward the restaurant. “What the—” Then she heard what he must have, the sound of voices raised in a heated argument.

Cassie raced after him, coming up short behind him when he stopped at the far side of the restaurant. In the gathering dusk, she could see three people, two men and a woman in the midst of an altercation. One man had the other pressed up against the side of the building, a forearm pressed tight across his throat, pinning him there. As Cassie and Wade walked closer, Cassie realized that it was Brett being held against the wall. And the man holding him there was Zack Barrett! A woman stood watching, slightly behind Zack, hands on her hips.

“What’s going on here?” Wade asked, coming up beside them.

Zack did not loosen his grip on Brett, but turned his head sharply to see Wade and Cassie standing there. A look of shock crossed his features, but he recovered his composure quickly.

“He insulted my girlfriend,” Zack said.

Cassie was surprised. This did not seem at all like the mild-mannered Zack she was used to. He sounded incredibly angry, violent.

“Okay,” Wade soothed, moving in closer. “I get that you’re upset, Zack. But you need to let go of him.”

Brett’s face was deep red as he struggled against Zack’s arm. Brett and Zack’s gazes were locked, like they were each trying to stare each other down.

“I want to make certain that he understands how important she is to me,” Zack said, emphasizing each word carefully. “And I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”

Cassie looked at the woman who was the source of the confrontation. She was tall and attractive. But there was a rough edge to her. And something familiar. Cassie abruptly realized she looked like the woman who Zack had gotten into the car with the day she’d followed him. She must have felt Cassie’s eyes on her and glanced over, meeting her gaze. The rough edge Cassie had observed appeared to melt away, and her face took on an almost embarrassed expression. “I told Zack it wasn’t worth it, she said. “There’s no need to be jealous or anything.” She gave a nervous-sounding laugh.

“Take it easy, Zack,” Wade continued in his soothing tone, he was now standing right beside the two men.

At first, it didn’t look as if Zack would move. But slowly, almost reluctantly, he released Brett, who sagged against the side of the building, rubbing at his neck and gulping in air.

“Are you all right, Brett?” Wade asked.

“What do you care?” Brett asked with a sneer. Wade didn’t take the bait. “Would you like to press charges against Zack?”

Brett’s dark eyes glinted in the fading light. “I don’t know, maybe...” he drawled.

Zack was still staring at him, his expression murderous.

Wade sighed. “Yes or no, Brett?”

“I guess...no,” Brett said, looking sullen.

“Why don’t you both go on home then,” Wade said, his face swiveling between the two of them.

“Yeah, sure.” Brett peeled himself off the wall of the building and sauntered off into the night.

“You good?” Wade asked Zack.

“Fine,” Zack spat out. “C’mon,” he said to the woman, and together they strode off toward the parking lot.

“Well, that was interesting,” Cassie commented. “You definitely know how to show a girl a good time.”

Wade was looking thoughtfully after the two men. Then he seemed to shake off the tension from the moment and looked down at her, flashing his heart-stopping smile in her direction. “Glad to know it. I do aim to please.” Then his face grew serious. “Hey, I’m sorry this kind of...um...spoiled the moment.”

“Oh, no worries,” she said, feeling embarrassed. She looked quickly away, trying not to imagine what she must’ve looked like standing there on the beach, lips pursed, waiting like a fool for a kiss that was never coming. “Actually, I’m kind of tired. And I’ve still got some studying to do tonight. Maybe you should just take me home.”

He looked disappointed but crooked his arm, and smiled down at her. She smiled back and slipped her hand through it, resisting the urge to trace over the hard curve of his muscle beneath her fingertips. Together, they walked slowly back to his car.