Page 16 of The Bro Date (Best Bros Forever #2)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

TOBY

I wake up to the mouthwatering smell of bacon and something sweet. “Mmm,” I moan to myself, rolling over and stretching my arms above my head while arching my back. The smell is so delicious, it’s luring me out of bed before eight on a Sunday.

“Breakfast for the third morning in a row?” I ask with a yawn as I stroll into the kitchen.

“Now that I don’t work so much, I have more time.” Shane shrugs, and I wish I could hug him, but Jake and Spencer are sitting at the island, inhaling all the bacon.

“I’m not complaining. This is amazing,” I say, grabbing a plate. “Save some bacon for me, assholes,” I joke, taking my own handful before it’s gone.

Shane is busy at the stove, adding more pancakes to the platter. He grabs a pair of tongs and serves two piping hot, round flapjacks to Spencer’s plate. The next two are for me, and they’re shaped like hearts.

“Aww. How sweet,” I say, trying to laugh it off and fight the blush threatening to take over. It’s a simple gesture, but it shows that he cares, and I don’t take that for granted.

Jake’s next, and Shane slaps two oddly shaped pancakes onto his plate, and I have to do a double-take at what I see.

“What the—” Jake’s brow’s scrunch together, and he tilts his head slightly.

I press my hand to my mouth, holding my plate with the other.

“Eat a dick,” Shane taunts good naturedly.

“ Ahahaha! ” Spencer howls with laughter, nearly falling off of his barstool.

“Alright. Alright. You got me, you got me,” Jake concedes with a grin. “But Ima still eat these. Should I start with the balls or the tip?”

“Oh my lord above,” I murmur under my breath, scurrying off to the dining room table while Jake eats his phallus-shaped pancakes in private.

“So, what do you want to do today?” I ask Shane with a big smile, cutting into the fluffiest and cutest pancakes ever. I’m so happy the catering job is working out well and allowing him more free time to enjoy life.

“I already made plans,” Shane says casually, taking another bite without looking up.

My smile drops, and a sharp pang jabs my heart. I guess the kiss was too much, and the butterfly date wasn’t as epic as I thought.

Shane must see the spiraling despair on my face because he quickly corrects himself. “For both of us.”

Oh, thank God.

“Another date?” I ask hopefully, my stomach fluttering with excitement and anticipation.

What did I do to deserve these surprises?

I guess the more accurate question is, what did I do to deserve Shane? Because he is the best man I have ever met, and he doesn’t need to take me on a date to prove it. I’ve known for ten years. Shane is my person, and I hope that never changes.

“You didn’t think I’d stop after one date, did you?”

A small smile tugs at my lips, and I shrug. I didn’t place any expectations on whatever is going on here; I just keep reminding myself that Shane is straight.

“So where are we going?” I ask, finishing off my last piece of bacon. “Will you tell me this time?”

Shane nods. “Yeah. We have to pack accordingly, so I kinda have to. We’re going to Driftwood Beach.”

“No freaking way!” I shout in excitement. I’ve heard it’s like another world out there, and I’ve always wanted to go.

“Yup. That’s why I’m up so early. I wanna get there during low tide. It’s the best time of day.”

He’s so thoughtful and so prepared. I fucking love being his passenger princess.

A narrow, sandy path cuts through the salt marsh, leading us from the parking lot to the ocean. It’s close to a mile walk, but as soon as the palmettos thin out and we step onto the beach, my jaw drops in awe.

It was worth it.

“ Whoa. It’s like an ancient tree burial ground. This is so cool.”

I feel like Simba when he finds the elephant graveyard, or like I just stepped onto an alien planet. It’s otherworldly here, and I can’t believe I’ve never seen this place before.

Weathered trees and broken driftwood for as far as the eye can see, their twisted, gnarly-looking carcasses littering the sand for miles. The wood is smooth and gray, polished by the sea and exposed by years of erosion.

It’s heavily protected here, so we can’t take anything home from the beach, even the shells. It’s against the law and comes with a hefty fine, but man, is this an incredible place to visit.

“Would you look at the size of ’em,” Shane murmurs, just as mesmerized as I am. He ghosts a hand over a large tree lying on its side like it was ripped straight from the ground and flung across the ocean. Some are buried deep in the sand and barely poking out.

“A sand dollar! Shane, look!” I shout with pure excitement, pointing down to the white disc-shaped creature that’s been dead for God knows how long.

The seashells are so beautiful here, and it hurts my collector heart not to be able to take any home with me. One of my favorite things to do growing up on the beach in Crescent Bay was shelling in my own backyard.

As we explore the beach, comfortable and enjoying our date, I slip into a fond memory from the past.

“Hey, wanna collect seashells?” I ask with a big, excited smile. It’s one of my favorite things about living right on the beach, and I’ve never had someone to go with me before. Sometimes it’s not very fun being an only child, but now I have a best friend.

Shane shrugs like he doesn’t really care either way, continuing to stare lifelessly at the TV in my bedroom.

“Do you not like the sand or something?” I ask hesitantly, or maybe he’s afraid of the water.

“I’ve only been to the beach once, so I don’t really know.”

“But you’ve lived here longer than me. How have you only been once?” My brows crease, and I tilt my head in confusion, trying to understand how that could be possible.

“My mom works at the flower shop all the time and stays with her boyfriend a lot. I don’t really get to do anything but watch TV.”

Sadness tugs on my heart, imagining him home alone all the time.

I know exactly how that feels. “My parents are always working, too, but now we have each other,” I tell him with a smile.

“We can make our own fun. Come on.” I grab his hand and attempt to pull him up from the couch.

It doesn’t really work since he’s so much bigger than me, but Shane stands up, nonetheless.

“Roll up your jeans and take off your socks. We’re going to the beach. ”

Shane came over for dinner and met my parents a couple weeks ago, and now my mom said I can have him over whenever I want on the weekend.

I’m pretty sure she’s just happy I have someone to keep me busy so she doesn’t have to, but that’s okay because I feel the same.

And I definitely didn’t tell her Shane was held back a year, or she probably wouldn’t be so welcoming.

In fact, I know she wouldn’t. My parents expect nothing short of straight A’s, so they wouldn’t understand someone else’s struggles.

“Let’s go explore!” I shout, grabbing Shane’s hand again and tugging him across the porch and down the small boardwalk to the private beach in my backyard.

A sense of excitement fills me when I step onto the soft, fluffy sand that’s nice and warm beneath my bare feet. I feel a sense of peace out here with nature that I can’t really explain.

We find a dried sand dollar and a couple really cool intact whelks. I spread a towel down, sitting on it with Shane, and looking at our collection, when a flock of birds lands nearby.

“Look, pigeons!” I say excitedly, getting up slowly and tiptoeing over to them.

“Shhh. Walk very slowly or you’ll scare them,” I whisper to Shane, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a handful of birdseed I poured in there before we left the house.

I toss some on the ground, attracting the birds to me. I hold my hand out, keeping it still while they slowly peck their way over, eating right out of my hand until it’s all gone.

Looking up at Shane, I block the sun with my hand. “What?”

“I’ve never met anyone as nice as you. Even to pigeons.”

“Pigeons are really smart, actually. Humans domesticated them thousands of years ago, using them for communication until the telephone was invented. Then they were cast back into nature with no survival skills of their own. People give them a bad rap, but they’re just trying to adapt to their environment and live, just like the rest of us. ”

“How do you know all that?”

I shrug. “I didn’t have any friends until I met you, and I like to learn. Want to feed them?”

Shane squats down next to me, and I pour some birdseed into his hand, giggling when he looks a little squeamish as a pigeon gently pecks at his hand. I dump the rest of the seed on the sand for them and stand up. “Come on. Let’s find some more shells. We can make friendship necklaces.”

We lose track of time exploring the beach, and my stomach growls loud enough to be heard over the waves, alerting us both to the fact that it’s already lunchtime.

“Guess I’m hungry again,” I laugh, pressing a hand to my belly.

“Good thing I packed a picnic.”

“Oh my God, no way. You did?!” That literally sounds so perfect right now.

“Yup.”

We start the mile-long trek back to the parking lot, and by the time we get there, I’m fucking famished, but I keep the urge to complain at bay.

Shane opens the tailgate and lays out a thick blanket before grabbing the cooler from the backseat. “We have chicken salad sandwiches, kiwi-pineapple fruit salad, and chips. Nothing fancy.”

“It’s absolutely perfect, Shane. This whole date has been. Thank you. ”

Luckily, we’re in the shade, so we get comfortable in the bed of the truck and dig into our food, completely drained by the sun and the sea.

“ Mmm, ” I hum, devouring half my sandwich in just a few bites. “So good,” I murmur with my mouth full, washing it down with a swig of orange soda.

When I glance over at Shane, he quickly looks away, and I practically preen like a horny peacock. I don’t say anything, of course, enjoying the feeling of power it gives me. I try the tangy fruit salad next, and close my eyes at the cool, refreshing flavors.

I could eat Shane’s food for the rest of my life.

After we finish eating, we lounge in the back and rest our bellies. I’m so content and comfortable that I nearly drift off.

“Ready to hit the road?” Shane suddenly asks, hopping off the back of the truck and holding his arms out, offering me a hand.

I take the help and wrap my arms around his neck, sliding down his bare chest. Our sweat mingles, and my skin tingles where it touches his.

My poor heart is beating so fast you’d think I was running for my life instead of being held in the arms of a beautifully strong man.

Shane pauses for a second before he sets me down, staring deep into my eyes, then flicking his gaze down to my lips.

The rest of the world melts away at this moment, and it’s just the two of us.

Kiss me!

I shout the words at him in my head, too insecure to voice them out loud.

Indecision flickers in his dark eyes before he sets me on my feet and turns away instead. With a deep sigh, I steel my resolve and try not to let the lost moment ruin our date.

Persistence and patience are key here.

Today has been one of the best days I’ve had in a really long time, and there’s something completely magical about being here with Shane.

I think I’m falling for my best friend more than I thought was ever possible.