Page 28 of Cheyenne

At one point, she spotted a group of yellow-and-blue fish and immediately thought ofFinding Nemo.She pointed at them, turned back to Micah, and saw him give her a thumbs-up.

As they ventured farther, he pointed out orange-and-red fish with longer bodies. She returned the thumbs-up, marveling at the schools of fish sticking together near the reef. The water was surprisingly shallow in some places, and she was careful to keep her legs up so she wouldn’t kick the reef.

Cheyenne was lost watching the marine life when Micah signaled for her to wait. He dove, shocking her—how did hemanage to hold his breath for so long? When he surfaced, he held up a medium-sized spiral shell.

He pulled out his snorkel and grinned. “I got you a shell. A souvenir you can take home.”

Her heart squeezed at the gesture, and she felt the sudden, silly urge to cry. It was just a shell, but it was such a sweet, innocent act. No guy had ever done something like that for her—except maybe her brothers. “Thank you,” she said softly. On impulse, she swam forward and hugged him awkwardly.

He smiled, unfazed. “I’ll hold on to it. Let’s keep going.”

Micah secured the shell in his pocket, sealing it with Velcro, and they continued exploring the reef.

After some time, a man on a motorized board signaled them. “Open snorkeling is over! Head back to the boat.”

Hand in hand, they swam back. When they reached the boat, Micah was just as patient as before, helping her remove her fins while they were still in the water.

She would’ve offered to help him, but he had his fins off in one smooth motion. She wanted to ask him about becoming a SEAL and all the details of his training. But she shouldn’t—he was embarking on a huge commitment in his life, and she was going to law school. This tentative friendship was just that: a friendship, nothing more.

This trip wasn’t supposed to be about hanging out with a gorgeous guy. She’d planned to come with Samantha, but instead, it had turned into something entirely different. And she liked it.

After returning their gear, they grabbed towels and went back to their seats on the boat. A crew member handed out boxed lunches, and they ate together, laughing and talking easily.

Cheyenne found herself sharing more than she expected—telling Micah about the ranch, her brothers, Montana State,and how she was glad to be graduating soon. She talked about waitressing to save for this trip, losing her mom at birth, and the heartbreak of losing her dad a couple years ago. Micah listened intently, asking the right questions and even holding her hand at certain moments.

When the crew member came around to collect their trash, she suddenly realized, “I haven’t even asked you about yourself.”

Micah smiled and gestured to the back of the boat. “My back’s a little stiff. Want to sit back there?”

The captain’s voice came over the speaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be heading back shortly. If you need drinks or snacks, feel free to grab them. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the sun.”

Cheyenne followed Micah to their new seats, pulling a towel over her head to shield herself from the sun. She draped her dress over her legs, not wanting to get burned.

“So,” he said, turning to her, “tell me about the creeper next door who you’ve been out with twice for dinner.”

Cheyenne was slightly annoyed, but she could understand how the whole thing looked to Micah. “Look, it might seem strange to you that I’ve gone out with him twice, but it’s not.”

“Huh. You just met the guy and you’re hanging out with him at night. Yeah, that’s strange. Do you like him?”

Cheyenne couldn’t believe he’d asked that. “Are you asking so you can report to Trey and he can report to my brother?”

Micah looked caught. “No.”

“Then why do you care?”

Micah scoffed. “Are you really going to make me say it?”

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, and the chemistry between them ratcheted up. “Say what?”

Micah leaned into her, his lips almost touching hers. “I like you, Cheyenne. I didn’t know that I was going to like you, and Ifeel like a complete idiot for telling you, but … just tell me now if you’re into Eli. Because if you are, I’ll back off.”

Holy cow, he’d just said it. And his lips were so close to hers.

Micah, as if sensing this might be too much for her, pulled back. “Sorry, I’m not usually this intense. I …” He ran a hand through his hair and shifted so they weren’t so close. “I’ve been telling myself that I can’t do a relationship because I’m about to become a SEAL, so this is weird for me. But never mind.”

Compassion filled her. There was no way he could have prepared for a situation like this. After all, Trey was the one who’d asked him to check on her. How could he have known this spark would happen between them? Because there was definitely a spark between them, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

She let out a long breath. “You are confusing me.”

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