Page 20 of The Dangers of Daydreaming

“I’m taking notes on the area and how a visit to the beach might fit in. You know, there are characters inAnne of Green Gableswho visited the beach, even if it wasn’t a prominent location. One little boy had imaginary friends down here. He talked to Anne about it, and they bonded over their overactive imaginations.”

“See? You don’t know what you’re missing out on by skipping half of our tours.”

She gaveme a dry look. “Oh yes, I could totally fit in the potato museum. It was a hugely helpful addition to my plans.”

I stifled a laugh. “Yeah, well, we are hitting some antique shops in a few days. That is all about visiting history and the past; I bet your clients would love something like that. And even if they didn’t, I imagine you could phrase it in a way that they would think it was their favorite stop on the tour.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I overheard your call. You do a great job painting the ideal vacation.”

“It’s not that hard.” She shrugged. “Once you know the logistics of each trip, it’s easy to spin it all into one great story. Hopefully, the outcome is as fun as the daydream.”

“What’s your favorite vacation you’ve ever been on?”

She didn’t answer immediately, worrying her lower lip as she watched the ocean's gentle waves. “I have yet to have a good vacation.”

“What do you mean?”

Her eyes met mine, and their magnetic draw pulled me closer. I came to stand beside her, the tide just barely missing our shoes.

“I’m cursed.”

My confusion must have shown because she crossed her arms defensively.

“No, seriously. Every trip I go on starts or ends horribly. Or the whole thing is terrible, like my trip to Italy, where we accidentally booked a single room in this old man’s apartment for the week. He smelled like cigarettes and alcohol and just stared at us as we went in and out every day. And that was one of the more tame situations the curse has thrown at me.”

“Well, nothing bad has happened this—” I stopped, remembering the events that had gotten her to stay at the inn. “Personally, I’m not too mad about your curse this time around.”

“It might not be done yet. I could get eaten by a shark the moment my toes touch the water.”

My nostrils flared at the attempt not to laugh. “Fancy a dip?"

“I’m going to choose not to take offense at your obvious desire to be rid of me.”

The laugh won the battle. “Sorry, I just never took you for the superstitious kind.”

“It’s not superstition. It’s a fact. I could list something terrible that happened on each and every trip I’ve been on. My mom loves to travel, so I kept at it, but in the end, it caused me too much anxiety. I take little trips around Utah every now and again. Much less dangerous. Why are you looking at me like that?” She narrowed her eyes at me.

I lifted my brows, trying to wipe the expression from my face. “No reason. Just thinking it’s no wonder you don’t know how to have fun. Most people, even on a work trip, make time for some fun.”

“Hey, that’s unfair. I would say I know better than most how to have fun. I don’t have to leave my house in order to do it; I don’t need some exotic location to enjoy myself.”

I inclined my head, conceding the point. “But still, you should enjoy some of what the island has to offer while you’re here. Come with us on all of our tours, and when the group has off days or short days, I can take you anywhere else you need.”

She looked at me, eyes piercing.

I watched her, just waiting, letting the lazy sound of waves fill the air.

Finally, she spoke. “What’s your angle, Finn? You never seemed to like me much in school. You can’t tell me that after one or two conversations, now that we’re adults, you suddenly want me around.”

I snorted again, almost laughing out loud. “Lucy Sinclair, I had a massive crush on you in junior high. I didn’t know how to show it, but I can promise you, I liked you more than enough. And I enjoy your company now too, is thatso bad?”

Her brows lifted, and her mouth parted. It was as if I could physically see her processing the information. I let her process, secretly enjoying watching her brain work through the apparently shocking information.

I guess I really was terrible at flirting. Was I any better now?

She shifted her gaze to the water and danced her toes away from the encroaching tide. Somehow, in the movement, she put about a foot of extra space between us. “Okay fine, I will join you on all of your tours. But for now, I do have work to do.” She kicked a rock into the ocean, watched it sink, then spun on her heel and started back up the beach toward the path. I fell into step beside her.

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