Page 39 of Now or Never

Chelsea tipped her chin up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Adam snorted. “You tripped me.”

“I slipped.”

“And you bunted.”

“I’m just not a very good hitter.”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “And IknowJane threw you the last rubber ducky.”

Chelsea’s shoulder lifted and dropped. “I can’t help if people want to help me.”

They made it back to his boat, and everyone was waiting for them. They hugged and congratulated Chelsea as she beamed from ear to ear.

She looked so happy.

Her dimples were so pretty.

Her eyes matched the lake.

“You look pained.”

Adam blinked away from Chelsea to Max, who was standing in the kitchen area prepping some burgers.

Adam ignored him, bent to the cabinet, and pulled out two towels. “I’m fine.”

“You’re white-knuckling it,” Max said, then looked pointedly at Adam’s hands. “Literally.”

Adam looked down at his fists in the towels and ordered himself to relax. He shook his head but didn’t say another word, knowing how bad a liar he was.

He walked to Chelsea and passed her a towel, disappointed when she wrapped it around her body, covering up.

“I’m going to make a video of this,” Chelsea said, wiping her hands off to make sure they were dry, then taking her phone from her bag. “I wish I had my drone. Can I go upstairs?”

Adam nodded, watching her turn and climb the stairs. She was up there for a minute or two, then came back down.

“I need a shot of the guys jumping into the water,” she said. “Will you do it?”

Adam smiled. “Sure,” he said without even thinking, wondering whether there was anything she could request that he would say no to, and coming up blank.

“Antonio, Max, would you help me out? Ethan, you too!”

Chelsea gathered them up, had them each take off their shirts and stand on the edge, backs facing her.

“I’m going to count down. Then everyone jumps together.”

“Is it going to be three, two, one, jump, or three, two, jump on one?” Antonio asked, as Ethan took off his glasses and handed them to Natalie.

“Three, two, one, jump.”

“So we’re counting down from four,” Ethan said.

“Fine,” Chelsea said. “Three, two, jump on one.”

“That seems wrong to me,” Max said with a smile.

“Okay, then. We’ll do four, three, two, jump on one. Everyone happy?”

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