Page 41 of Now or Never

“Good,” she said, running her hand up and down his arm. “I was hoping we could catch up.”

Adam moved his arm out of reach. “I’m actually kinda busy right now.”

She slid her gaze to Chelsea for a split second, then back to him. “Okay,” she said. “Come find me later. I’m on the huge white swan.”

She turned and walked away, but when he turned back to Chelsea, she’d already taken off toward the parking lot.

“Wait,” he said, trying to follow.

She didn’t stop.

“Chelsea!”

She turned around but kept walking backwards. “I gotta go. I’ll see you around,” she said, then turned again and picked up speed toward her car, leaving him standing in the ankle-deep water, wondering why he’d ever thought it was a good idea to make the festival on a weeknight in September.

thirteen

“I’m okay!”

Chelsea winced as Ben hit the ground, and his bike landed on top of him. He was so used to falling at this point that he was reassuring her he was okay while still in the air. Chelsea jogged to him and pulled the bike off him. She started dusting off the dry sand, but he was already taking the bike from her and mounting it again.

“He’s okay?” Jae asked, coming up and passing a coffee to Chelsea.

Chelsea took a big swig of coffee. “Yeah. His determination is admirable.”

They watched as he hobbled on and off the bike down the beach as the sun got a little higher in the sky. It was an enormous hazy ball hanging low over the lake, still shaking off the pinks and purples of sunrise.

“This beach is so beautiful,” Jae said. “It must be even better from a boat.”

Chelsea smiled, remembering the afternoon she’d spent at Float Fest. “Next year, you’ll have to come, too. We’ll get a babysitter for Ben. Or you can go on your own.”

Jae cocked a brow. “Not a chance I’m going without you. I’m pretty sure Natalie will drown me.”

Chelsea burst into laughter. “She’s not a murderer.”

“She hates me.”

“She doesn’t. She’s just . . . standoffish until you get to know her. And she’s protective. Like Charlize Theron’s character inMad Max: Fury Road.”

Jae sipped her coffee, unconvinced. “I’d roll the dice with her if it meant being on a boat with those guys. God, those videos you took,” she said, adding a low whistle. “The things I would let them do to me . . .”

“Them?”

“Yup. All of them. All at once.”

Chelsea nearly snorted out the sip of coffee she’d taken. “If you’re including Ethan in that, then you probablyshouldworry about Natalie.”

The mental image of the guys on the boat came back to her mind, but she could hardly see anyone but Adam. He stood out from the crowd, at least for her. But she knew she wasn’t the only woman who felt that way. The stunning brunette who’d thrown herself at him was obviously suffering from the same affliction.

If it were just his looks that she liked, she’d get over it. But she was starting to get to know him and realizing he was so much more under the surface. He was kind. And smart. And caring.

The type of guy who would make a good partner.

And a good dad.

But he had no interest in being anyone’s partner or having kids. He was only interested in being her friend and casually sleeping with stunning brunettes.

Chelsea let out a sigh she hoped would go unnoticed and searched down the beach for Ben. He was headed back toward them on his bike, with his feet pushing him along like Fred Flintstone.

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