Page 76 of Clumsy in Love

“It’ll mark you as an out-of-towner. And a target.”

She nodded but couldn’t help herself. A woman with a small child in a stroller sat across from them, and Holly waved and made faces at the baby, who returned a gummy smile. Someone had lugged a cello onto the train, making Holly’s suitcase seem insignificant.

Once again above ground, they walked another few blocks to a tall brick apartment building.

“This is me,” he announced. “Thought we could clean up and drop your stuff.”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “That would be great.”

They rode the elevator to the fifth floor, and he unlocked his door. “It’s not much. But it’s home. My sisters crash here a lot. You can stay in the room they did up for themselves.”

Holly made herself at home in the guest bedroom and took a quick shower.

While he showered, she did a little light snooping. Nothing drastic, just peeking in the cupboards and perusing the bookshelves. Down the short hall, his bedroom door was ajar. A quick gander couldn’t hurt. On her way past the bathroom, she heard him singing softly in the shower and chuckled.

His room was sparse. Neat, but basic. A bed, a dresser, two nightstands. She inched open the door. On his dresser, the arrowhead she’d given him lay atop a crumpled copy of “Bear Safety: How not to Get Killed in the Woods.” It made her smile.

Back out on the street, he hailed a cab, which drove them to the waterfront. They got out and headed toward the marina.

“What do you think about a water tour?” he asked, leading the way to the dock.

“It’s a beautiful day. That sounds fantastic. You mean like a charter boat?” She looked around, only seeing personal vessels and a few houseboats.

“Actually.” He pointed to a mid-sized fish n’ ski boat. “That’s my girl.”

“Ship Happens?” She laughed at the stenciled lettering on the back.

“That was her name when I bought her, but it fit, so I kept it.”

He jumped aboard and held out a hand to help her on.

“Thanks. Do you go out much?”

“Hardly ever.” He shook his head. “I got her on a whim years ago, thinking it’d be good to get away every once in a while.”

“In my experience, boats are either very relaxing or very frustrating.”

“I can see that.” He rubbed the dashboard. “Please start, baby.”

The engine sputtered to life, and he smiled. Holly untied from the dock and gave them a shove. She used the hair tie on her wrist to make a ponytail as they chugged out of the marina. Once they cleared the no-wake zone, he hit the gas and sped down the river. When they got as close to Liberty Island as was allowed, he slowed and cut the engine. The Statue of Liberty rose majestically into the blue, cloudless sky.

“She’s so beautiful,” Holly said reverently, snapping a photo with her phone.

“She is,” Cole agreed. But when Holly looked back, he wasn’t looking at Lady Liberty. He was staring right at her. Gulp.

“Is it hot?” she asked, fanning her face. “Or is it just me?”

“It’s hot.” He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The wind rustled his hair. The sun bounced off his broad shoulders. And water flooded her mouth.

“Can you put some sunscreen on my back? Holly?” he prodded when she didn’t answer.

She snapped her jaw shut. “Yeah, sure.” Touch him? He wanted her to touch him? His broad, naked, muscular body? This was a bad idea. A terrible idea. Where was the lotion?

He handed her a tube of sunscreen and turned his back to her. She squirted a dollop of white goo into her hands and gingerly started rubbing. His muscles tensed under her fingers. Shedidn’twantto compare him to Rick, but her mind went there anyway. Not that there was any comparison. Cole crushed him by a landslide. He was just so big. And muscly. And hot. The sun must be a hundred degrees. Hoo-boy.

The whole scenario was apt to go sideways fast if she didn’t get herself under control. Climbing him like a tree right under Lady Liberty’s nose—not to mention all the tourists surrounding her—seemed sacrilegious. She took a few last hasty swipes. That’s about all she could take of having her hands on him.

“Oh. Kay,” she said. “You’re done.”

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