Page 3 of Go Away, Darling

My heart stopped.She remembers.

I ran the towel over my hair. “It is you, isn’t it? Olivia?”

She nodded slowly, pulled her sunglasses down and let them lay against her chest so I could see her gorgeous brown eyes and the light smattering of dark freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks.

“Chris?” She asked again, putting her hands up to emphasize her shock, or maybe it was excitement. Then as if she were suddenly jarred into action she grabbed a bowline and looped it around one of the cleats on my boat, binding our two vessels together, then climbed over into my boat.

“I can’t believe it!” she whispered. “You’re not on TV.” She made a square with her hands.

TV? Moron...she watches you play ball.

I looked down at my bare chest, wet trunks, feet, and the water dripping all over the deck. “Nope. I’m right here. How the hell are you?” I wanted to hug her but was that the right thing to do? Or was that too forward? She climbed into my boat, so maybe?

I took a step and wrapped my arms around her. I just meant it to be a quick, friendly squeeze, but then she hugged her arms around my waist, her hands going flat against my skin and I froze. The contact of her hand on my bare back wasn’t sexual or inappropriate in any way, and yet...I felt that touch everywhere. My chest ached and my first instinct was to pull her tighter against me until the ache stopped.

We stood like that—frozen together—for what I estimated to be longer than appropriate. But hell if I’d apologize. Instead I took a breath and laughed. “I’m taller than you now.”

Her shoulders moved as she laughed too, looking up at me but not letting me go.Interesting.“You aremuchtaller than me now.”

I couldn’t help but stare at how beautiful she’d become. I mean, I knew I had a wild crush on her when I was a kid, but this was something else altogether. I let my eyes drift over each of her features individually. Nose, lips, delicate chin and ears, manicured brows, freckles, eyes. God, her eyes.

Mesmerizing.

And the warmth of her body against mine felt too good. I stepped back before things could get weird and tapped her Mantas hat. “I like this.”

She looked up and blushed. “I’m a fan.” She shrugged, crossed her arms over her chest.

I didnotstare at the way it pushed her breasts up in her pink bikini, but I did note them in my peripheral vision. I had excellent peripheral vision, which was part of what made me a good pitcher. You had to have a death wish to steal when I was on the mound.

But we were talking (and not about her breasts or my excellent peripheral vision.) “Really?”

She shrugged again, the blush turning her cheeks even pinker. “The Mantas are our local team and they’re having an amazing season, thanks in part to you.”

It was my turn to blush. I loved what I did but I had never gotten very comfortable with compliments. I’d rather just work hard and see the results for myself. Hearing a beautiful woman sing my praises was a lot to handle. “Ummm…it’s a team effort. Obviously. Cuz we’re a team.”

She chuckled softly at my babbling. “Christopher Robin, you took my advice, didn’t you?”

I froze again, but this time for a very different reason. Hearing my old nickname called up all kinds of old memories, but it also felt like Olivia was throwing up a wall, reminding me that I was a kid several years younger than her. A kid who belonged on the other side of the imaginary wall from her.

It made me angry and I wished for an imaginary sledgehammer to destroy the imaginary wall.

“What advice is that?”

Her eyes drifted over my whole body like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “I told you to never change.”

“I was ridiculous.”

She laughed and sighed and I really liked the way her whole body moved like it was a part of the way she spoke. “You were never ridiculous. Overly full of yourself…”

“I thought I could get anyone to do anything with a smile.” I was such a cocky kid.

“And it worked most of the time.”

I let my gaze drink her in. “Not on you.”

She paused and I felt her withdraw. I hated it and I wished I could quickly rewind time and take back my words, even if I meant them. “Yes, well, that was a long time ago.” She hopped over the hulls, back into her boat.

With every moment she moved further away from me and I felt a desperate, primal need to close the gap, as if allowing her to leave was somehowwrong.But of course I couldn’t stop her from leaving. We were strangers and she came on a different damn boat. “I don’t know anyone,” I blurted, looked at my feet, cleared my throat. “Uh, what I mean is, when baseball season is over, if you don’t mind, could you maybe introduce me to some people?”

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