Page 6 of Her Maine Squeeze

Was Oz going to ask me to the prom? For longer than I could remember, I’d been in love with my brother’s best friend. Was there a chance that he liked me back?

Oz rolled onto his side to face me, and I rolled over to face him. Our bodies were just inches from each other, and I could feel his breath on my face.

“I wish you could go with me,” he whispered.

“You do?”

He nodded, reaching out to tuck a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “I want to rent a vest that matches your dress, and buy you a corsage, and dance to every song, and—” He licked his lips “—kiss you goodnight.” His voice was hoarse.

My breath caught in my throat. I licked my lips, too, and Oz’s eyes followed the movement. A shiver rolled down my spine. If my body reacted like that just when helookedat my lips, how would it feel if he actuallykissedthem? I took a deep breath to regain my senses. “I thought you were going to the prom with Lauryl Myracle?”

He rolled away from me with a sigh. “I am.”

Anger flashed through me. He didn’t mean anything he’d just said. He was just teasing me. Leading me on. “You’re a jerk, Oz Green.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why would you say all that?”

“Your brother is my best friend. He wouldn’t like it if I took you to prom. But I want to, and I wanted you to know. Okay?”

Tears burned the backs of my eyelids, but I held them back. Because I knew it was what he wanted to hear, and becauseI couldn’t deny Oz Green anything he wanted, I whispered, “Okay.”

We were quiet again for several minutes. Finally, Oz broke the silence. “Lindy?”

“Yeah?”

“When we’re older, I don’t think it’ll matter as much what Luke thinks. Things will be different then.”

“How old are you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Thirty?”

Thirty wasancient.My mom and dad were only thirty-eight or so. It was hard to imagine being that old.

“So,” Oz continued, “let’s make a pact, okay? If we’re both single when we’re thirty, we’ll marry each other.”

I laughed. “Sure, Oz. For my thirtieth birthday, buy me a diamond ring.”

In my heart, I made a silent vow that I’d marry Oz someday—even if I had to wait until I was an old lady to do it.

Chapter Five

I’m tempted to closethe door and lock it. I can just hide from Oz forever… right? As I’m standing at the door, tempted by the lock, I spot him through the glass. He’s walking toward me with a big smile on his face. There’s a quilt draped over his arm.

I step outside, holding the picnic basket. “Good thinking on the blanket. That doesn’t come with the basket—though maybe I should consider adding it.”

“You could charge more,” he points out.

I laugh. “I charge a lot already. Speaking of which, I expect you to pay me for this.”

He grins. “I’m good for it.”

“So, I’ve heard. You’re a big-time architect in San Franscisco. You specialize in earthquake-resistant skyscrapers, right?”

We begin walking toward the harbor, falling into step beside each other.

“We call them seismic structures,” he says. “I enjoy it, but I’m ready for a change. I’d like to focus on smaller-scale projectsnow. Lately, I’ve felt my heart being pulled back here. I think it may be time to come home.”

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