Page 16 of A Shore Fling

NINA

T he beach is already buzzing by the time I plant my chair in the sand next to Willow and Ginger.

Seagulls fly overhead, crying out to one another, while toddlers run toward the water and shriek as the incoming tide chases them.

Someone near us has soft rock playing, and it’s the perfect complement to a day spent relaxing with new friends.

“Okay,” Willow says, adjusting her oversized aviators. “You’re officially late.”

“There’s no such thing as late when you’re on beach time,” I correct, kicking off my glittery flip flops and settling into my chair. “And I brought margaritas for you two, so technically I’m a hero.”

With a dramatic eye roll, Ginger accepts the plastic water bottle I poured the beverage into. “This better be accompanied by a full recap of last night.”

“It will,” I say, handing Willow hers. “Jeez, Ginger. I thought you were the nice one.”

Willow snorts. “It’s all an act.”

Ginger shakes her head. “Don’t believe a word she says about me. I’m an angel.”

“As long as you don’t piss her off. If that happens, you’re screwed.”

Ginger shrugs. “I only get angry when it’s deserved.”

“So back to last night. Spill the details,” Willow orders.

I take a long sip of margarita to prepare myself. “It was going fine. Until I poisoned him.”

Both women sit up straighter. I’ve got their attention now.

“I’m sorry, what?” Ginger grins. “You poisoned him?”

“Well, not on purpose.” I explain about the lemon bars, the allergic reaction, the Benadryl, and how Travis ended up knocked out cold on my couch all night.

By the time I finish, Willow is laughing so hard she has to take off her sunglasses to wipe her eyes.

“Oh my God.” She presses a hand to her stomach.

“That man is never going to live this down. Travis Thorne, taken out by a lemon square.”

“To be fair, it was a healthy lemon square,” I clarify.

“He’s going to be so mad we know,” Ginger says. “He hates looking even slightly off his game.”

Willow fans her face with a magazine. “You don’t understand.

That man has been in charge since he was like fifteen.

Old ladies call him when their cars make weird noises, he keeps the harbor and boat yard running better than anyone before him, he’s on the town’s board of selectmen, and you brought him to his knees with a baked good. ”

“And not even one of the more popular ones,” Ginger adds, laughing.

The way they speak about him is comforting to me. They’ve known him since they were young enough for skinned knees and braces, which means their high opinions of him hold value.

“Sooo anything else interesting happen?” Willow asks. I hesitate just a beat too long.

She lets out a gasp and grabs my arm. “Oh my God. You kissed him, didn’t you?”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” I protest. “It was brief. He was kind of out of it. Honestly, it might not even count.”

“But you kissed him,” Ginger says with a huge grin.

“It wasn’t something I thought about beforehand. His lips were swollen, and I kissed him to make them feel better.”

They both silently stare at me.

“What?” I ask, slightly unnerved.

“You like him,” Willow says, looking smug as hell.

“I barely know him.”

“But you want to know him,” Ginger adds.

I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out.

I settle for shrugging and digging my toes into the warm sand.

Before they can press me further, a shadow falls across us.

I glance up and spot a small group of guys from the next row of sunbathers.

One of them is tall and tan, with sun-bleached hair and the kind of easy smile that tells me he’s used to getting his way.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he says, flashing us a toothy grin. “Do you mind if we join you?”

I catch the glances Willow and Ginger exchange. These guys seem harmless enough, but we don’t want company.

“Actually, we’re having a girls’ day,” Willow says politely.

“You sure? We brought beer,” another guy pipes in, hoisting a small cooler.

Willow opens her mouth to answer when a larger shadow passes over us as Travis and his brothers appear, all broad shoulders and dark scowls.

I don’t know if they’ve done this before, but they fall into position like it’s not the first time. Travis flanks my side while the others fan out behind him, forming a very unsubtle wall of brotherly muscle.

The other guys take one look at them and start backing away. One of them is quick to mutter, “We were just leaving.”

“Good idea,” Travis says, not even trying to sound friendly.

As they scurry off, Willow lets out a low whistle. “Well, damn. That was efficient.”

Ginger nudges me and whispers, “Your knight in shining board shorts.”

Glancing up at Travis, I raise an eyebrow. “Was that necessary?”

He shrugs, folding his arms over his chest. “I didn’t like the look of them.”

“They were just talking.”

“They were circling like vultures,” he says flatly.

I roll my eyes, but I’m fighting a smile. “They couldn’t have been all bad. They offered to share their beer with us.”

He sets up his chair beside mine and then opens his cooler. “I have beer and great snacks. Chips, salsa, grapes, peanut butter pretzels, and Funyuns.”

“Funyuns!” I squeal. “I haven’t had these since my college days. I didn’t realize they still made them.” I snatch the bag from the cooler, hugging it to my chest. I aim my most pleading look at him. “Can I open them?”

“You can eat every single one if you’d like.”

I tear into the bag, pop an onion ring into my mouth, and groan. “Mmm. Why are these so damn good?”

“It’s the preservatives and seed oils,” Drew chimes in.

“I’m not even mad about it. These might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“It’s all empty calories,” Drew says.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no real nutritional value from eating them.”

“My youngest brother is the family health and fitness nut,” Travis explains.

“You all look like you live at the gym,” I say.

“Yeah, but my proportions are more balanced,” Drew brags.

Reed grins. “It’s a good thing no one can see your tiny?—”

“Hey,” Travis cuts him off. “There are ladies here.”

Willow mutters, “Since when does that matter?”

Reed grins. “I was going to say brain.”

“Do you offer personal training sessions, Drew?” I ask. Maybe he can whip me into shape while I’m here. I’d probably hate every second of it, but I’d be proud of myself for trying something new.

Drew lifts his head from the back of his chair, glancing over. “Yes, I do. Are you interested?”

“No, she’s not,” Travis cuts in before I can answer, and the words are like a slap. I’ve had men speak for me my whole life, but not anymore. My time here is about making changes, and I intend to follow through.

I tap Travis’ arm, firm but calm. “Please don’t speak for me.”

He meets my gaze, noticing my scowl, and his expression softens, shame flickering across his face. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”

“It’s okay. I’m a little sensitive about it. My family… Well, it’s complicated.”

“Don’t brush it off to make me feel better. I overstepped, and it won’t happen again.”

A small smile tugs at my lips. “Thank you for understanding.”

“And thank you for telling me. I’d rather know than keep getting it wrong.”

His quick apology and how seriously he accepted my boundary catch me off guard in the best of ways. There was no defensiveness or dismissal of my feelings. He showed me honest respect, and that impresses me more than I expected.

I take a sip from my bottle and then pop another onion ring in my mouth. I hold up the bag and give it a little shake. “You made my day with these.”

“I thought seeing me with my lips swollen like implants gone wrong would’ve done that,” he says.

“Well…” I pause for effect. “Just kidding. I was worried about you and pretty freaked out.”

“I wouldn’t have known. You held it together really well.”

“You didn’t seem concerned, so that helped keep me somewhat calm.”

“Let me see those beautiful lips, Travis,” Willow calls out.

Travis glances at me, his mouth forming a flat line. “You told them?”

I shrug. This must be what it feels like when someone gets caught cheating on an exam. “They knew you were coming over and asked how it went.”

“We forced the details out of her.” Ginger hurries to my defense.

His left eyebrow rises. “I bet.”

Willow throws a grape at Travis and it hits his chest. He tosses it in his mouth, chewing exaggeratedly. “Don’t be a jerk to Nina because you’re embarrassed.”

“I’m not being a jerk, and I can be upset she told you two.”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s not like she took pictures and showed us.” Willow’s gaze moves from Travis to me. “You didn’t happen to get pics, did you?”

Biting my lip, I hold back the rising laugh. “No.”

“Dammit.” Willow snaps her fingers. “You should be thankful I wasn’t there. Had I been, your brothers would already have future blackmail pictures.”

The group of us laughs, even Travis, though he tries to hide it behind a long pull of beer.

He shifts beside me, stretching his legs out in front of him, drawing my attention to his muscular calves. His arm brushes mine for a second, and my stomach jumps. Actually, it’s more of a twitch, but he’s the catalyst for it.

Willow and Travis go back to their easy chatter, tossing jokes and grapes at each other and over me like a fruity version of dodgeball.

Still clutching the now half-full bag of Funyuns, I watch the waves roll in, grateful for the ocean breeze and the low buzz of conversation around me.

It’s easy here, and welcoming in a way I’m not used to.

I can just exist without worrying about expectations or being judged. I can be myself, and that’s enough.

I glance at Travis out of the corner of my eye.

He’s just a guy hanging out with family and friends.

We’re not even throwing barbs at each other much.

I didn’t expect that. Although last night it seemed as though things shifted between us, I can’t definitively say what it was.

Maybe we bonded over Benadryl. Whatever it was, I’m grateful for the change.

He catches me looking and lifts one eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head, smiling a little to myself. “Just surprised you’re still here and haven’t stormed off.”

He smirks. “I’m saving my dramatic exit for later. Gotta keep things unpredictable.”

“Right,” I say, popping a final onion ring into my mouth. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your brand.”

He chuckles under his breath, and I feel it more than I hear it, humming in the air between us. Maybe we’re not exactly friends, but for the first time, I’m starting to think we’re not just opponents either.

Whatever this is… I want more of it.