Page 58 of The Rules

Dylan took a step back, steadying his board. “Look who it is.”

“You going out?” Josh asked, nodding toward the inlet.

“Yeah. Figured I’d explore before dinner.” Dylan tossed a secret look at Dani. “You want a beer, Kit Cat?” He tipped his chin in the direction of the cooler he’d wedged in the sand.

Cat shook her head. “No thanks. I’m saving room for dinner.”

LI-AR!

“Okie doke,” Dylan said, interrupting the look Josh was giving Cat. It was unfamiliar on his face, like maybe they’d just been arguing instead of gazing dreamily into one another’s eyes. They weren’t touching or flirting. Josh had taken a step toward Dylan, turning his back to Cat completely while they chatted about tides.

Dani’s hair stood up. Something was weird. She tried to make eye-contact with Cat, attempting to ask her with one of their best friend facial expressions if she was fighting with Josh, but she wouldn’t look up. She smoothed her blanket on the sand, obviously avoiding Dani’s gaze.

Dani’s shoulders fell. For the first time ever, Cat’s business didn’t feel like her business.

That thought wormed through her brain, leaving knots of hurt and confusion. She turned to Dylan and set her hands on her hips. “You know, I think I will go with you.”

Dylan grinned, licking the moisture from his upper lip, and swept a hand toward the front of the board. “Hop on, Dani-pie.”

Sure, Dylan had given Josh shit about having to entertain a woman all weekend, but taking Dani on his paddleboard trip wasn’t the same. It wasn’t like he was in charge of making sure Dani had a good time, or worried about whether he was paying enough attention to her. That was Josh’s weekend. That was probably why he’d had that look on his face when he and Cat had come down to the water. Things like this were just more fun when you didn’t have someone else to worry about.

But taking Dani for a spin around the inlet was different. Having a passenger meant a better workout, and with her perched cross-legged on the front of his board, he had a perfect view down the front of her halter bikini top while he soaked up the peace and quiet.

Exceptthisquiet—her staring out at the water not saying a word—felt off. He didn’t like it.

“So this is fun, right?” he asked. “I can’t believe you and Cat have never camped out.”

Dani leaned back on her arms, scooting her butt closer to the edge of his board. She let one leg dangle in the water. “We’re city girls, Dylan. Our version of camping was making a fort on Cat’s four-poster bed and sneakingCosmoto read by flashlight.”

“Maybe you two can have a slumber party tonight. Make Josh sleep alone. You can braid each other’s hair or whatever.” He nudged her with his foot. “I could help.”

She shook her head. “One: you’re ridiculous, and two: she would never.”

“Braid your hair?”

“Make Josh sleep alone.”

He chuckled. “True. You want me to ask Josh to have a sleepover with me? I can be your slumber party wing-man.”

She turned over her shoulder to glare at him, but a laugh burst out instead. His own smile exploded.

“That’s a kind offer,” she said, still laughing. “You sure you’re doing it for me?”

“You caught me. I just can’t live without him.” He flicked water at her with his oar. “Really, though. You all right?”

Her face fell and she turned back to the water. “I’m fine.”

He knew that line. Usually that was his free pass to end a conversation he didn’t want to have, but this was Dani and he did want to have it. He honestly wanted to know why she and Cat hadn’t said a word to each other just then on the beach, and why Dani had that sulky look on her face.

He pushed his oar into the water, steering them in a wide arc that followed the shoreline. “How’d you and Kit Cat meet?”

She gave him a look that said he wasn’t being smooth, but she answered anyway. “We both had Ms. Curtis in fifth grade. We were seated alphabetically.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. The best friendship of my life started because my last name started with P and hers started with R.”

Dylan huffed out a laugh.

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