Page 25 of Moonlight Feels Right
And he'd told her next to nothing about his own life. That was definitely a debt she was going to collect on, not just because he owed her, but because she was interested in learning more about him. He'd seemed so one-dimensional before Olivia arrived, but now it felt like he was shedding his protective layers one by one, and she was intrigued to see what else he would reveal.
Saturday morning, after too much wine the night before and too little sleep, Emmalyn woke up with a headache and a grumpy attitude. She took a shower, threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top, then made coffee. She was feeling marginally better when a knock came at her door just before nine. She opened it to find Hunter and Olivia on her doorstep and her mood lifted when her gaze met Hunter's. He was also in shorts and a T-shirt and looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him, his smile warm and inviting, sending a tingle down her spine.
"Good morning," he said.
"You two look like you're ready for the day."
"And we're hoping you'll join us."
"We're going surfing," Olivia put in with excitement. "And we want you to come."
"I'm not a good swimmer."
"We're going to be wading more than swimming," Hunter said.
"Please come," Olivia begged.
She hesitated for another minute, then said, "Okay, I'll come to the beach. But I'll leave the surfing to the two of you."
"It's going to be easy," Olivia said. "Hunter showed me a video, and we practiced on the floor last night."
"Really?" Emmalyn said, the image of Hunter and Olivia practicing together making her heart do a little flip. He was really trying hard to connect with Olivia, and that was impressive. "That was a good idea to practice beforehand."
"I've been known to have a few," Hunter said dryly. "We're going to leave in about twenty minutes."
"I'll put on my suit, and I'll meet you at your place." She was probably making a mistake to spend more time with them, but Olivia would be there, so nothing would happen between Hunter and herself. It was just a day at the beach with friends, she told herself, but she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she went to put on her bikini.
Twenty minutes later, they walked down to the beach together. The sandy area near the surf school was already alive with movement—five kids, their parents, and a scattering of beach bags creating a little semicircle around Liam and a tanned, teenaged instructor named Jack.
"Hey, you made it!" Liam called when he spotted them. "And Emmalyn—finally. I’ve been trying to get you on a board for years."
She shook her head with a smile. "I'm just here to watch, Liam."
"We'll see about that," he replied with a wink. "We start in ten."
They set their things on the sand, and Emmalyn slipped off her cover-up, revealing a modest teal bikini that felt more daring than it looked. She was a teacher, after all, and she was acutely aware of the possibility of running into parents and students on the beach. Still, she felt Hunter's gaze brush across her, lingering.
She flushed, thinking he looked unfairly good in his shorts and T-shirt, the sleeves clinging to his biceps in ways that made her thoughts go in a dangerous direction.
Hunter knelt to spray sunscreen over Olivia's wiggling limbs, coaxing her to hold still long enough to protect her nose and cheeks. Emmalyn watched, a quiet warmth stirring as he gently dabbed her face with careful attention. Whatever Hunter did, he did with a lot of focus to detail.
"Nice to see you both here," Paige said, dropping her bag next to Emmalyn's. "Henry had a great time with Olivia the other night."
"She had fun too," Hunter said, standing up as Olivia dashed toward Henry and the stack of boogie boards.
"She’s a sweet kid. I’m sorry about her dad, Hunter."
Hunter gave a quick nod. "Thanks."
Paige turned her gaze to Emmalyn, a little smirk forming. "So...how was your hot date last night?"
Steven paled in comparison to the man standing beside her now, and she really didn't want to answer that question, especially in front of Hunter.
Hunter apparently wasn't interested in her answer. "I’m gonna help the kids," he said, walking off without a glance.
Her stomach dipped.
Of course he didn’t care. Why would he?
