Page 99 of Until August

“Are you talking about the job? Or us?” She searched my face for the answer, and I schooled my features so she wouldn’t find it there.

I opened my mouth to respond, then shut it again. I didn’t know the answer. I didn’t even know what we were or how long we could go on like this.

The last I knew, we were just hooking up, no strings attached. Now she was implying there was an us.

Not like we could plan a future together, even if that was something we wanted which I wasn’t sure we did. Like most things in my life, it was all up in the air.

“Let’s just take it one day at a time. But before you go… let’s see what you’ve got under this little outfit, Honey Bun.”

“Honey Bun?” She pulled a face. “That’s the worst nickname ever.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“I very much doubt that. Just for that, you’re not going to see anything.”

“You wanna bet?”

She slipped past me and made a dash for the door. I caught her before she could turn the doorknob and leave. She let out a little squeal when I spun her around, caging her in with my body. Lifting her arms above her head, I pinned her hands to the wood. “Fight me, Honey Bun.”

“You’re the worst.” But she was laughing and didn’t put up much of a fight.

When my lips crashed against hers, she kissed me back, and I briefly entertained the notion of persuading her to stay long enough to test my new mattress.

But as much as I wanted to take advantage of the situation, I knew she had somewhere else she needed to be, and I had to respect that.

Plus, I had a few things to take care of before our meeting.

So I opened the door and ushered her out with a kiss goodbye and a promise to meet her at noon.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I parked at the marina. I was hoping to see ‘the captain.’ As I made my way to his boat, the dock swayed and creaked beneath my feet, and I spotted him talking to a man whose back was turned to me.

When I stopped next to them, I reintroduced myself.

“August Harper. Sage’s dad.”

Sam nodded. “I remember.” He gestured to the man with longish brown hair streaked with blond—a chilled-out surfer in a faded orange t-shirt and board shorts. I recognized him from the beach. Travis’ best friend. “This here is Shane Wilder.”

Shane smiled like he was happy to see me. “Good to finally meet you.”

“Same,” I said out of habit more than anything. Not sure why he would be so interested in meeting me.

After we shook, I focused on Sam and got down to business. “I’d like to take Sage out on your boat on Saturday. He wants to go snorkeling. Any chance you can fit us in?”

Sam stroked his jaw. “I’m fully booked on Saturday. I might have some spots open on Sunday.”

“Sage is leaving for Hawaii on Sunday. So it has to be Saturday.”

“Sorry. Can’t help you,” he said gruffly.

I scanned the marina, feeling desperate. I’d take my son out on a boat for his first snorkeling experience if we had to drive all the way up the coast to do it. But I knew it would mean more to him if we left fromthismarina. “Do you know anyone else who could take us out?”

“Come on, Sam,” Shane said. “Don’t be an old curmudgeon. You can fit them in. Think how much it would mean to Sage to go out on a boat with his dad.”

I side-eyed Shane. Why was he going to bat for me? He was Travis’ friend and didn’t know me from Adam.

Sam cursed under his breath. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do. But you’ll have to get down here by seven-thirty on Saturday morning.”