Page 28 of Exes Don't

I follow the directions from my phone and pull up to Dock 117 at twelve-thirty. Fortunately, it’s not deserted or abandoned. There’s a whole slew of people milling about and a giant sign broadcasting the annual Polar Plunge, an event held to raise money for athletes with disabilities.

I step out of my car and flip up the fur-lined hood on my parka, zipping the collar all the way up. It’s a balmy twenty degrees today, but I’m still thanking my lucky stars I’m not jumping into the frozen Bay of Green Bay. I wonder if Anton is. I wouldn’t put it past him, to go all in—literally—rather than to show up at the event for name recognition and moral support.

I stride over to the check-in table, and a woman in giant earmuffs and a Polar Plunge t-sheet worn over her winter coat beams at me. Her sticker nametag reads Lisa.

“Hi there, sweetie. Thanks for coming out. Can I have the name?” Lisa pauses with her finger hovering over her tablet, waiting to check me in.

“Oh no. I’m not—”

“She’s here with me, Ms. Lisa.” Anton’s voice blankets me from behind, and I’m at once ten degrees warmer. I whip my head around to find him striding over from where a group was congregating near the entrance walkway to the Bay.

He makes it to my side, and I offer him a tentative smile, grateful that he saved me from having to explain why I wasn’t jumping. “That’s right.” I turn to Lisa. “Here to document the day. This is such a great event.”

“Lisa has been in charge here for…how many years now, Lis?” Anton asks her.

“This is my tenth.” Lisa beams back at him. “We’re so thankful for all your support, Mr. Bates. Your Majesty.”

Anton hits her with a frown, but it’s as fake as margarine. “None of thisYour Majestybusiness. I’m a plunger like everyone else.”

“You’re jumping in there?” I eye the Bay. There are chunks of ice floating around in the gray-blue water. I shiver.

“Sure am. You are too.” He turns to Lisa. “This is Rose Kasper. She’s the late addition I called you about.”

What the what now?

I hold up my hands and reach one over to still Lisa’s finger as it tap, tap, taps away on her tablet. “There’s been a bit of a misunderstanding, Lisa. Can you give us a minute?”

I grab Anton’s arm and yank him off to the side of the table. “You signed me up for the Polar Plunge?!”

Anton’s voice doing funny things to me aside, my blood has already turned to ice standing out here for the past five minutes. I hate being cold. Absolutely, positively hate it. Anton knows that. Getting into the frozen bay will be the end of me. I won’t recover for the rest of the winter. I’ll become a permanent ice block.

“I knew you’d be game.” Anton crosses his arms. “You said as much in California.”

“I did not,” I hiss.

“You said you’d roll with what I had to do.Thisis what I’m doing today. What better way to get the full picture of my life for your article than to be by my side as I take the plunge?”

“I can think of about a dozen other ways, starting with standing on the dock and watching you jump.” I toss my hands in the air. “I can’t do this.”

“But you’re going to, aren’t you?” Anton’s smiling at me. “Because the Rose I know doesn’t back down from a challenge. The Rose I know wouldn’t leave a good cause hanging. And the Rose I know wants to write this article, and I refuse to answer your questions unless I see you leap off the edge of the dock here today.”

I huff out a breath, and the air is visible in front of me. Because it’s frigging freezing out here. Colder than freezing.

“This is insane.” I stomp my foot like a toddler. “Why didn’t you tell me you had this planned?”

“Would you have come?”

“I—” I cut myself off because…fair point. But still. “I could have at least come prepared. I don’t want to jump in in my jeans.”

“Figured you might say that. Come with me.”

Anton grabs my hand, and I’m so shocked by the feel of his giant, bear-paw palm engulfing mine that I let myself be led to a four-door truck that’s parked over in a reserved parking area. He opens the rear door and points to a duffel bag on the floor.

“You can change in the backseat. Tinted windows and everything. It’s pretty roomie in there, anyway,” he continues with a flame of humor in his gaze. “Both of us could fit.”

I narrow my eyes even as my heart rate jacks up several notches.

“Both of us will not be fitting anywhere, Bates. Especially not the backseat.” I climb up into his truck, and as I slam the door behind me, I hear him chuckle.

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