Page 6

Chapter2

“She loves me,”Ted sighed, breaking into my thoughts as he collapsed, soaking wet, onto the chairbesideme.

“How do you manage to come away from that encounter thinking shelovesyou?”

He folded his hands behind his head and grinned up at the sun.“I canfeelit.”

My skin tingled, drawing my attention across the pool.Colt had packed up his laptop and slung a towel over his shoulder, but his eyes were on me as hesaunteredaway.

I can feel it, too.“That’s ridiculous, Theodore.Shehatesyou.”

“She loves me.Shewantsme.And she shall have me—any which way sheprefers.”

He was insane.“Just remember, noses can be fixed.”He may be harmless but I wouldn’t blame her if she clocked him intheface.

He sighed.“I promise if she says no again I’ll leaveherbe.”

“Goodboy.”

“And you.Did you enjoy your shrimpcocktail?”

I glanced at the still uneaten food and plucked one from the rim.“I don’t like being set up, but considering I have a date in an hour I won’t have time tobemad.”

Ted hooted and fist-pumped the air.“I knew it.What did you think?Does he have a twang?One of those deep, rough cowboy voices likeEastwood?”

This was probably why Ted was my best friend.He was a man eight-five percent of the time, but that last fifteen?He was all girl.It was theperfectmix.

“No twang but his voice is rough and little on the deep side.He has goodrumble.”

Ted leaned forward on his hands and batted his eyelashes, his voice falsetto.“And you were all swoony when he flashed thatdimple.”

Well, there was that.“I told him my name wasAnnie.”

Ted dropped the Gossip Girl act.“Good.Stick with that.It’s saferforyou.”

“Do you really think anyone here is going to out me?”There was only one way on and one way off this island, and all of it went through resortsecurity.

“No,” he said carefully, “but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt you to have to answer those questions.It will bring up all those things you came here to forget.Be Annie with the cowboy.It’s not like you two are starting some sort of love affair that will turn into forever,right?”

I felt a little ache at that possibility being wiped right off the table before we even had a meal together.“No.This is vacation fun and nothing else.”But it didn’t mean I liked being told I had limits.I fucking hatedlimits.

“Then go get dressed up for your date and stop worrying.Is this a habit now?Do you worry abouteverything?”

“No.”

“Good.”

Then my stupid phone vibrated on the table between us.Ted snatched it right out from under my hand.“Ah, ah, ah.Careful.”

“It’smyphone.”He’d been big brothering me the entire time and it was gettingannoying.

“True, but you shouldn’t even have the cell service on.Airplane mode is the only way to properly vacation.You’ve forced meintothis.”

I rolled my eyes but secretly loved him for it.“Just tell me if it’sLonnie.”

I was waiting for my agent to call with word on my next project.Or at least what I hoped would be my next one.I scheduled a big blockbuster part to follow my four grueling months of shooting an overly artsy piece in the hopes they would balance each other out.A little street cred for my acting, a little box office shine formyname.

But then my family drama happened and suddenly the studio was no longer interested in working with a liability with questionable talent, like me.Thank goodness for Ted.His production company was just beginning casting on their epic Western family saga and since he had pull, he’d pushed my name to the top of the list forthelead.