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M aria was still teasing her, giving her sultry bedroom-eye looks, wiggling her eyebrows, and licking her lips.

And Endy couldn’t help but giggle. When she’d rushed into the pro shop late for work, walking a little gingerly and bowlegged, her friend had immediately guessed what Endy had been doing the night before.

Endy carried a basket of clean towels to the table near the front door. “I’ll never be able to look at a waterfall another way,” she said, laughing. “What’ll happen if we find ourselves at Niagara Falls?”

Maria joined in laughing. “And he wants to see you again. Endy, I’m so happy for you.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” replied Endy. “I mean, a guy like Sebastian must have a million girls chasing him. Why would he want me?”

“Maybe you’re the one in a million, amiga ,” said Maria. “Anything can happen, right?”

Endy’s lips pulled up in a hopeful smile and she shrugged.

“Sure, anything can happen.” She picked up an empty box near the front desk and looked around the pro shop.

The tables were neatly arranged with stacks of Whisper Hills logo merchandise, white towels, T-shirts, visors, and water bottles covering every inch.

Ready to start the day, she pulled out her keys and walked to the shop’s entrance just as the telephone gave a shrill ring, breaking the quiet of the morning.

Endy went on and unlocked the building’s front door, pushed it open, and looked over the vast grounds surrounding the racquet club.

It was another sun-filled day with ultramarine-blue skies, the pro shop was organized and running smoothly, and she’d just had a night of incredible sex with a guy who had already said he wanted to see her again.

Endy breathed in deeply, a satisfied smile on her face, then turned and headed, still a little gingerly and bowlegged, for her office.

“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Maria exclaimed, rushing up to Endy.

“That’s the kind of thing you say that makes me worry,” replied Endy as she walked back into the pro shop from the hallway.

“?Ay!” Maria said. “Don’t look!” Maria stepped in front of her, blocking Endy’s view to the patio overlooking the large Stadium Court. Endy tried to step around Maria, who mimicked Endy’s movement, essentially blocking her.

“Maria, what are you—”

The door to the pro shop opened, and a stunning twenty-something woman drifted in, her long, wavy, copper-red-brown hair framing her model-like face and her thin, athletic body looking perfect in a pure-white Fila tennis dress.

She stilled, then removed her sunglasses, orienting herself. Spying Maria, she smiled, her teeth bright and flawless. “Hi, I have a reservation on Stadium Court and I’m just checking in. My name is Sloane.”

“Sloane,” Maria repeated with a nod, her eyes wide. “Sloane Stewart.” The telephone in the pro shop rang, but Maria remained rooted to where she stood.

“Did I hear Sloane’s voice?” asked Joel, walking around Endy in the hallway. He grinned and, within four strides, had Sloane in a big embrace. “Man, you look fantastic.”

“Fight on,” she replied, smoothing her tennis dress over her hips. “How long has it been? Five, six years?”

“Something like that,” replied Joel. “Glad to see you’re still playing.”

“Oh yeah. I’ll be playing until I’m ninety.” She laughed smoothly. “I’m just branching out at this point.”

“Right, can’t wait to talk more about that with you and Daniel this afternoon. Do you have a name for it yet? Or are you just going with Junior Tennis Academy?”

“Coming up with the funding was easy compared to coming up with a name.” She rolled her eyes, her thick eyelashes fanned out. “We already have financial backing for a full five years but are still working on what to call it.”

Sloane walked toward a clothing rack and pulled out a white-and-navy Lacoste tennis sweater.

“This is super cute.” She turned over the price tag.

“And only $220, huh.” She looked at Maria, who had not moved.

“Can you hold this for me, and I’ll come pay for it when I’m done playing? Just put it under my name, Sloane.”

Maria swallowed and nodded. “I know.”

Joel grinned. “Put it under her other name, Shorty .”

Sloane lifted an eyebrow. “You’re not allowed to call me that,” she said. “Only one person has that privilege, and I just about marr—”

The pro shop phone rang shrilly, and Joel walked behind the front desk. “When you guys are done hitting, come back up here and I can drive us in the cart over to Daniel’s office,” he said before picking up the receiver.

“Sounds good,” Sloane replied, shifting her tennis bag on her shoulder. “Is Sebastian already on the court?”

“Uh-huh, he’s on Stadium Court,” Joel said with a pointed glance at Endy, who was still hidden behind Maria. “He’s waiting for you.”

Sloane slipped her sunglasses back on. “Best not to keep Sebastian Hall waiting,” she replied with a soft laugh.

“Oh please,” said Joel. “You used to keep him waiting all the time.”

“That was before,” breathed Sloane. A sly grin played at her full lips. “ This time, I’m going to make sure he can have me whenever he wants.”

From behind Maria, still hidden from view, Endy watched Sloane and Joel.

She raised her hand to her mouth and gnawed at her thumbnail.

Who was this stunning friend of Joel’s? They seemed very familiar with one another, like old friends, and from how she’d greeted Joel in the typical USC way, Endy could only guess they knew each other from college.

And why did her name sound so familiar?

Suddenly, Endy’s heart missed a beat when she realized that this was the Sloane that Joel had mentioned before.

The Sloane that Sebastian had been engaged to.

Endy felt a dull ache in her stomach as she moved to the clothing racks in front of the pro shop windows that overlooked Stadium Court. Her hands were busy moving the hangers, but her eyes followed Sloane.

Sloane had walked—no, glided—onto the court and air-kissed the other two players.

But for Sebastian, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and given him a thousand-watt smile as she ran her hands through his hair.

The same hair that Endy had been grabbing at five this morning—for the third time.

Endy coughed and rolled her neck, hearing a crunching sound from her tight muscles.

Obviously very comfortable with Sloane, Sebastian rested his hand on her waist as they talked with their heads leaned in close, their shared tallness perfectly perfect.

They looked exquisite together. Even when they walked to their positions on court, they stepped in time. And the easy swing of their racquets while they warmed up was poetry in motion. It was evident that Sloane and Sebastian had spent a lot of time together as a doubles pair—and as a couple.

Also, what was Sloane referring to when Joel had asked her about a junior tennis academy and meeting with Daniel? Did Endy hear correctly that they had full funding for five years? How could it be that easy when Endy couldn’t even come up with the $25,000 she needed for Picklers?

Maria cautiously approached Endy, and they stood together watching Sloane warming up her serve. “Cover the front desk for me. I’ll go out and slash her tires.”

“It’s okay, Maria,” lied Endy. “She’ll probably be gone tomorrow.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to move away from the window.