Page 81 of Summer Kisses

"You find something?" Dalton asked.

Cooper's lips pressed into a tight line. "Nothing we can't deal with."

"You think I should get the place?" Dalton asked.

Cooper gave him a tight nod. "I think you should go for it."

"If Cooper gave his seal of approval," I said, "I have to agree. We're not going to find something better than this."

"You're on the beach here too. When your baby is older, they'll love being so close to the water," Cooper added.

"Can you grab Ivy?" Dalton asked Cooper.

"Sure thing." Cooper disappeared inside again.

Then Dalton turned his attention to me. "You and Hazel are the real deal. Hold onto her."

My brow furrowed. "Why are you saying that?"

"You were hesitant about moving off the island with her. But if I were you, I wouldn't want to lose her. You're not going to find another Hazel."

"You're right about that." I'd thought I could at some point, but you couldn't replicate our history, our friendship, or our chemistry. It was the perfect combination, and I'd be a fool to screw it up. I couldn't help but think I was already messing things up the last two days by not reaching out to her to apologize and explain myself.

Cooper and Ivy returned.

"I heard you're interested in this place," Ivy said excitedly.

"It's perfect for me and for the baby."

Ivy grinned. "Let's talk money."

Cooper waved me over, and he led the way into the house so that Ivy and Dalton could discuss the offer in private. "You didn't find any issues, did you?"

"Nah. Just the usual updates. We could still find something underneath all of this. You know how that goes."

"Yeah, you never know for sure what you're getting into." I couldn't help but think it was the same with relationships. You think you know what you're doing, and then it explodes in your face. I thought it would be easy to convince Hazel we were the real deal, but she had reservations, and I couldn't blame her. I hadn't been all in with her. I'd been holding myself back.

I needed to talk to her.

"Everything okay between you and Hazel?" Cooper asked as he fiddled with the faucet while sneaking glances outside at Ivy and Dalton.

"I need to talk to her and clear the air after what happened at our parents'."

Cooper looked over his shoulder at me. "You haven't done that yet?"

"I never said I was an expert at relationships." And especially not fake engagements. But then again, who is? I was bound to screw up. I just hoped it wasn't permanent.

"Ivy said there's an article online about the library, and how a local construction company is funneling money there because of a certain fiancée."

"That's a mischaracterization of the situation."

"One of the reporters who came to the library didn't want to talk about how good the program is; they wanted to find some dirt."

"Dad's going to be even more mad. But what I don't understand is why anyone would care?"

"I think it has something to do with the article that was in Elena's magazine, and the poll that went viral about us being the most eligible bachelors on the island. Our names were in the news before."

I groaned. "Dad hates negative publicity."

---