Page 26 of Cheyenne

He couldn’t help it—he laughed. She reminded him of a dog trying to shake something off its head.

She glared at him, then laughed too. “I guess I’ll have to get used to it.”

The line moved forward, and they gathered their things and boarded the boat. Somewhere in the background, the guide shouted instructions about their route, safety tips, and the snorkeling area, but it was nothing Micah hadn’t heard before.

They settled onto a bench near the back, placing their gear to the side. Micah couldn’t help but notice her scent—a mix of mango, strawberry, and maybe lemon.

Why was he noticing how she smelled?

“Sorry for snapping at you earlier,” she said, breaking his train of thought. “I’m just nervous about the amulet, and now I’m nervous about snorkeling.”

Micah smiled. She looked so effortlessly beautiful, in a girl-next-door way. “That’s okay. I didn’t mean to say the wrong thing.”

She shrugged, leaning back. “It’s so gorgeous here. I can’t believe I’m on this trip.”

He leaned back, their shoulders brushing. It was a light touch, but it felt significant. “The ocean is beautiful.” He chuckled and shook his head.

She nudged him. “What? Are you laughing at me?”

“No. I was just remembering the first time I came to South Port. My mom brought me here after my parents’ divorce. She ended up marrying Trey. Long story short, he taught me how to surf on that trip. I was so nervous and terrible at it back then.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “I’m nervous to snorkel, surfing is probably way harder. But probably not for someone like you.”

“Hey, it’s hard for me.”

“Right, Mr. Biceps.”

He cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t always have these guns.” He flexed.

She laughed. “Show off.”

He grunted. “Sorry.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He laughed.

“You guys love showing off your huge muscles.”

He pointed at her. “If you’re flattering me, it’s working.”

She laughed. “You tough guys take everything as a compliment.”

He scoffed. “Okay,Miss Rodeo Queenwith your long blonde hair and girl-next-door looks, I’m sure you get a lot of flattery from guys?” He paused, clearing his throat, then said, “Speaking of that, why don’t you tell me more about the guy next door you went out with last night …”

Cheyenne’s eyebrows rose. “Subtlety is not your strength.”

“Guess not.”

She eyed him, then smiled, her cheeks turning pink. “I’ll let that ‘rodeo queen’ comment slide because there was some kind of compliment in there.”

Neatly avoiding his question about that Eli guy. Touché.

“Note to self: She’s good at deflecting flirts but not great at taking compliments.”

Her blush deepened, and she looked away. “Anyway, it must’ve been weird for you—moving here, seeing your mom remarry, starting a whole new life. Where were you before?”

The conversation flowed as he told her about Colorado, his family, and how his mom and Trey’s second-chance romance was like something out of a movie.

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