Page 3 of Fore-Ever Yours

My computer dings from an incoming email. It’s from one of the firms I applied to that’s in a bigger city, about an hour away. My eyes quickly skim the email as they thank me for my interest but regret to inform me that they’ve decided to move forward with a different candidate.Anotherdead end. My shoulders slump, and I shut my computer. I wasn’t particularly invested in this job, but rejection always stings.

I take a bite of my donut instead. A little pick-me-up after disappointing news. The rich cocoa flavor is the perfect pair to my minty drink. It takes me back to the mornings I would spend here studying whenever I’d come home for a weekend.

I stretch my arms over my head and roll my neck when my elbow knocks into something solid. I lift my head to see a paper coffee cup airborne.

“Oh, no—” I twist in my chair, arms reaching out to catch it, but it’s too late. It lands right in my lap.

I let out the breath I was holding when I realize it’s empty. Thank goodness.

“I am so sorry.” I look up, and my stomach does an ungraceful flip.

He’s unfairly tall, broad shouldered, with deep green eyes. Brown curls spill from his baseball cap, a small patch on the side reads “Pebble Beach” in faded thread.

“No, that’s on me.” A deep voice mutters.

I scramble to hand him the cup, but in my haste, I knock my own drink off the table—right onto his pristine, white, expensive-looking sneakers.

My jaw drops. “Oh my gosh.”

“It’s cool,” he says, a half smile sneaking out as he nudges his cap lower. “They’ve survived worse—like wading through Augusta’s rough when I misread a break.”

Misread a what?

“Let me get some napkins.” I take a frantic step forward—right into the peppermint latte puddle, white Converse and all.

Time slows. My arms flail. This is it.

Maybe I’ll hit my head hard enough that I’ll get short-term memory loss. Then I won’t have to remember this embarrassing moment. The moment when I met a devastatingly handsome man and then made a complete fool of myself. I’ve read enough romance novels to know this is not how a meet-cute should go.

Right when I’m sure I’m about to hit the floor, strong arms wrap around my waist. My heart jumps into my throat as I’m pressed up against a solid chest. I blink, trying to make sense of what’s happening.

I look up to find the same deep green eyes staring at me with an amused twinkle. Then I’m enveloped in the most ridiculously amazing scent—woodsy and fresh. Ugh, he even smells good.

“Whoa,” he murmurs. “You okay?”

The question seems to hang in the air between us for what feels like an eternity. His arms are still wrapped around me, and I can feel the warmth from his touch seeping through my sweatshirt.

I tear my eyes away and compose myself. “Yeah, I think so. I’m sorry about…everything.”

He drops his hands from my waist. “Really, it’s okay. No harm done.” He looks down at his stained shoes and laughs again. “Guess I needed a new pair anyway.”

I bite my lip, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and something else—something warm and fluttery.

“Let me pay for those,” I blurt out.

He raises an eyebrow. “My shoes?”

“Yes.” Although, they might cost me everything in my savings. It was a paid internship, but very minimal.

He chuckles, a warm sound that fills the air between us. “No need. It was my fault to begin with. I should have been paying attention. But I do owe you a new coffee.”

Ashley appears next to us with a stack of towels in her hands.

“You guys okay over here?” Ashley flashes me a knowing smile as she hands us towels.

“Yeah, just my clumsy self.” I nervously chuckle. “I should probably wear a warning sign.”

“Caution: May cause spontaneous coffee showers.”

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