Page 33 of Blame It on the Bikini (Ocean Shores #4)

Chapter Seventeen

Lexie positioned herself near the end of the parade route, her camera ready as the procession of classic cars made their way down Ocean Boulevard.

The noon sun was brilliant overhead, and she could hear the rumble of engines long before she could see the cars themselves.

She was joined by Josie and Margaret, who were very close to Frank, as well as Kaia, who'd grumbled that she had nothing better to do, and her brother, Ben, who was apparently also a fan of old cars.

"There!" Josie pointed excitedly as Frank's restored Mustang came into view. "The car looks so good!"

"I never would have imagined that piece of old junk that I saw a month ago could look that good," Margaret agreed.

Lexie raised her camera and snapped several shots as the Mustang rolled past. Frank was grinning behind the wheel, clearly in his element. Grayson sat in the passenger seat looking handsome and relaxed, happy to be cruising Ocean Boulevard in a Mustang with a man old enough to be his father.

As the car passed their group, his gaze met hers, and she felt the familiar flutter in her chest that she'd been trying to ignore all week.

"That car is a work of art," Ben said. "I helped Frank source some of the original parts months ago, but I wasn't sure he could pull this off."

"I didn't know you were also a vintage car enthusiast, Ben," she said.

"My brother and I had to put our first car together with parts we found at a junkyard." Ben's expression grew wistful. "Some of my best memories."

"And some of my worst memories," Kaia cut in. "You two would never let me help, and every time Dad came home and saw what you'd done, he'd brag about you for hours. It was so annoying."

Ben laughed. "You didn't want to help. You had no interest in that car."

"True. But I didn't like the attention you got from Dad." Kaia turned to her. "Ben and my brother were always my father's favorites."

"Not so," Ben said. "Dad had a soft spot for you, and you could weasel your way out of punishment with just a smile." He pointed to an old Thunderbird now crossing in front of them. "Look at that beauty."

Both she and Kaia dutifully obeyed, but now that the Mustang was turning into the field that had been transformed into a parking lot for the show, she had lost interest in the parade. "Let's check out the cars up close."

"Good idea," Ben said.

Josie and Margaret followed behind them as they walked two blocks to the field where rows of vehicles were lined up, their hoods popped open to display pristine engines.

Food trucks lined the perimeter—a taco stand, a gourmet grilled cheese booth, and an ice cream truck with hand-painted signs advertising homemade waffle cones.

A DJ played hits from the seventies and eighties, and families spread blankets on the grass while kids ran between the cars and the food trucks with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

They caught up with Grayson and Frank, who were talking to a group of five or six men. Frank was in his element, answering questions about the restoration process. Grayson seemed content to chat with the other men gathered around the car.

As Josie and Margaret headed off to get drinks, she shot photos while Kaia looked at her phone and Ben wandered down the line of cars.

"This is boring," Kaia said a moment later.

"I think it's fun to see all these old cars restored."

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"Kaia," Ben called out as he moved quickly back to them. "Come with me. I want you to meet a friend of mine."

Kaia groaned dramatically. "If this is another one of your cop buddies who thinks talking about horsepower counts as flirting?—"

"Hey, at least my friends aren't stalkers and don't have ex-girlfriends showing up at their doors in tears," Ben shot back. "Your track record isn't exactly stellar, sis."

"Okay, fine, I haven't been lucky in the dating department," Kaia admitted. "But that doesn't mean I need you playing matchmaker."

"I'm not setting you up, just asking you to say hello. There he is." Ben tipped his head toward the tall, dark-haired man coming around the back of a '67 Corvette.

Lexie watched Kaia's expression transform from boredom to interest.

"Seriously?" Kaia asked. "Maybe I underestimated you, Ben."

"You always do," he said.

Lexie smiled to herself as Ben walked Kaia over to his friend.

Since the last thing she wanted was for Grayson to see her standing alone, watching him like some lovesick teenager, she decided to get some ice cream.

The ice cream truck had a decent line, mostly families with children debating between rocket pops and ice cream sandwiches.

While she was waiting, she checked her phone for any emails, but thankfully, all was quiet on the work front.

As someone slid into line behind her, she lifted her head, her heart jumping into her throat when she realized it was Grayson.

"Good day for ice cream," he said.

"It is. I'm surprised you didn’t wait for me to leave, though. You've been avoiding me as much as possible."

"Didn't we just chat yesterday when you showed me your photos?"

"Because you were with Frank, and I had to walk by you to go into the complex," she said dryly. "Otherwise, you've been avoiding me."

"It's been a busy week."

"Don't." She held up a hand. "It wasn't just work, and you know it. You backed off after our night in Joshua Tree. I know you had business to deal with, but I think you used that as an excuse not to see me."

For a moment, she thought he might deny it. Then he tipped his head in agreement. "You're right. Part of it was work, but part of it..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how to juggle everything and everyone."

"This isn't really about juggling, is it?" She stepped forward as the line moved. "It's not about finding time," she added. "It's about whether you want to make time. And you have to decide if that's what you want to do—or not."

He didn’t answer, and the line shifted again, placing her at the order window. "I'll take a mint chip," she said.

"Rocky road for me." Grayson put a hand on her shoulder as he slid a ten-dollar bill across the counter.

She didn't bother to complain since he could certainly afford to buy her ice cream. A moment later, with their cones in hand, they stepped away from the truck.

"So, rocky road," she said as he licked his cone. "Seems like an appropriate choice."

He grinned. "I didn't realize that until I said it, but it was the perfect choice." He paused. "I heard what you said, Lexie. And you're not completely wrong. But it's not as simple as wanting to make time."

"I think it is."

He was quiet for a moment, studying her face, as they both ate their ice cream. Then, he said, "Let me ask you something. What do you want from this? From us?"

The question caught her off guard with its directness. "I don't know," she admitted.

"So you want me to know when you don't know yourself?" he challenged.

She felt heat rise in her cheeks. "That's not fair.

I haven't been avoiding you. I wanted to spend time with you to see where things could go.

But clearly you did not. Which is why we don't even need to have this conversation.

You know what you want; you just don't want to say it.

But I'd rather have someone tell me the truth than ghost me. "

"I wasn't trying to ghost you. It's just complicated."

"I am very aware of how complicated it is. We have a huge conflict of interest. But this isn't about the building, it's about us."

He gave her a long, serious look, then said, "I do care about you, Lexie. I'm just afraid we can't both get what we want. That we're headed for disaster."

"We've been heading toward that cliff this whole time, and it hasn't stopped either one of us, because we have an undeniable connection."

"We do, but the edge of the cliff is getting closer."

"I know. Our time is running out. But the worst part of this past week hasn't been wondering what you're going to decide about Ocean Shores; it's been not being able to talk to you at all."

"How can we talk when we're on opposite sides?" His voice carried a note of frustration.

"I don't know, but I think we should."

He was about to say something when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, frowning at the screen. "This is about work. I didn't think I would hear anything until Monday. I'm sorry, I need to make a call." He paused. "I do want to talk to you, Lexie. I just can't do it now."

"I understand. Go. I'm going to catch up with my friends."

She watched him walk a few steps away and make a call, his free hand already running through his hair in that gesture she'd come to recognize as his stress tell. She could see him nod, his posture stiffening with each word he was hearing.

She stood there with her melting ice cream cone, watching the man she was falling for disappear back into his other world, and wondered if he would actually come back to finish their conversation, or if this was just how it would always be between them.

Maybe it was better if she didn't wait around to find out.

Since Kaia and Ben were talking to Ben's friend, and her aunt and Margaret were with Frank, Lexie decided to head home.

She didn't know what was going on with Grayson, but she knew that she couldn't keep waiting for him.

In fact, as she walked home, she realized that was the first time she'd admitted to herself that she was waiting. And she didn't like it.