Page 12 of Cheyenne

You’re a good man. Have fun this week.

He texted back an emoji and kept walking, unable to stop himself from getting close to those condos again. For good measure, he walked to the area of beach where he would have a line of sight to the condos. He didn’t see anything or anyone.

Wait. He did see the douchebag. Eli was coming out onto the porch and seemed to be talking to some other guy. Nothing could be heard from this far out, but it didn’t strike him as suspicious.

Micah hated that he felt protective of Cheyenne. He turned away and decided to jog back to the inn.

CHAPTER 5

Cheyenne

Cheyenne walked toward the pier at the public beach, anticipation coursing through her. This would be the first time she had ever gone parasailing. It was exciting—a small thing, maybe, but something she had wanted to do for a long time. Samantha wouldn’t be there to experience it with her, which dampened her excitement, but Cheyenne knew she had to follow through.

Micah Stone’s face flashed in her mind, uninvited. It was so arrogant of him to assume she’d want him to come just because she had an extra ticket. Sure, she’d called earlier and found out the ticket was nonrefundable, but she was confident there would be a group of people she could enjoy the experience with. She didn’t need him.

As if reading her thoughts, Samantha called just as Cheyenne reached the check-in point.

Cheyenne paused and answered. “Hey. I wish you were here with me.”

“You’re telling me,” Samantha said, a note of regret in her voice. “I’m with Grandma, and I’m grateful for that, but I hatethat I’m missing parasailing. Is it as beautiful out there as I’m imagining? FaceTime me.”

Cheyenne pressed the FaceTime button without hesitation. Instantly, she was face-to-face with her best friend. “I love you so much,” Cheyenne said.

Samantha pouted. “I love you too. Show me everything.”

Cheyenne turned the camera around, starting with the parasailing booth. “I haven’t checked in yet, but that’s probably the boat we’ll take out next to the bigger one.” She showed Samantha a sleek boat tied up at the dock.

Samantha groaned. “I wish I was there!”

Cheyenne felt a pang of guilt for having thrown herself a pity party the night before. “I wish you were here too.”

“Oh my gosh, look at that beach! It’s stunning.”

Cheyenne smiled, flipping the camera back to herself. “We’ll come back, I promise. But I need to check in now, okay? Love you.”

“Right, don’t miss parasailing because of me. I’ll pay for the ticket next time,” Samantha said with a laugh.

Cheyenne shook her head. “No way. Take care of your grandma. Bye!”

“Love you too. Bye!” Samantha ended the call.

Cheyenne tucked her phone away and let out a small sigh. Guilt still lingered, but she didn’t know what else to do.

Just as she looked up, someone stepped into her line of sight. “Hey. Are we ready to parasail?” a familiar voice asked.

Startled, Cheyenne met the piercing brown eyes of Micah. “What are you doing here?” she asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.

Micah crossed his arms, his broad shoulders on full display. “Come on. These tickets are pricey. Sell me the ticket, and we’ll go together.”

Cheyenne narrowed her eyes. “Is this because someone sent you to babysit me?”

Micah shrugged, unapologetic. “Yep.”

At least he was honest. “Well, you’re not coming,” she said flatly, walking past him without looking back.

When she reached the check-in counter, she gave her name to the attendant.

The man frowned and glanced around. “You’re supposed to have someone with you. The other group canceled today, and we can’t take solo passengers—it’s a liability.”

---