Page 14 of The Wedding Driver
“Anytime. I’m always here for you if you want to talk.” Tayla stood, pulling her sister in for a big bear hug. “I really want things to work out for you and Foster. I know I sometimes don’t act like I do when I tell you to go find someone else, but now that you’ve got the ball rolling, I hope he can get past all his shit. He’s been through a ton and you’ve given him lots of time and space to heal. But he can’t keep hiding from life, and that’s exactly what he’s doing while you’ve stood still in yours. It’s time.”
Tonya nodded.
“Call me later?”
“I will.” As Tonya made her way toward her car, her pulse kicked up a notch. Butterflies filled her gut.
She had a date.
With Foster.
Her life was going to change no matter how things turned out.
* * *
The ride up the lake was quiet. The morning sun shone bright in a cloud-free sky. There wasn’t any breeze rolling off the mountains, but a fair amount of chop formed from all the boats.
Foster chalked up the silence to the immediate awkwardness between him and Tonya the moment she showed up at his place and they stood at the doorway staring at each other. He knew it would be like that, and he did his best to ease the weirdness by getting right in the boat and heading north.
However, now that they were in front of the picnic island, his heart pounded like a hammer. “I can’t believe how busy it is up here today.” There wasn’t even a free dock, and four other boats were waiting to park.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Tonya said. “I’m not surprised it’s this busy considering last weekend was so chilly.”
“How about we go see if there’s a room over in Paradise Bay, and we can just hang out there?”
“Sounds like a plan.” She smiled, adjusting her sunglasses.
He maneuvered the boat around the others waiting and headed toward the east side of the lake. Once he was up to speed, he boldly lifted his arm and rested it over the back of the seat. He wanted her to know that he did acknowledge that this was indeed different from any other time they spent together. Yesterday, they declared today would be a date, yet it hadn’t felt that way. He ran his finger across her bare shoulder. That should help move things along.
As soon as he approached the mouth of the bay, he lifted his arm and slowed. Luckily, there were three buoys left.
“Do you mind grabbing a bowline and tying us up?” he asked.
“I can handle that.” She climbed up on the bow of the boat.
He groaned as he watched her climb across his boat in nothing but the tiniest pair of jean shorts and a white tank top with her hair pulled up in a messy bun. It had been years since he even allowed himself to view a woman as a sexual creature. That was his punishment for leaving his daughter with a drug addict to go meet his girlfriend.
He’d been a selfish prick.
It didn’t matter that his marriage was over. Or that he and his wife hadn’t been in a good place since their daughter had been three. If ever. He was a cheat and his family deserved better.
In his mind, he was just as at fault as his ex-wife.
But no one ever talked about that.
Tonya glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “All set.”
“Thanks.” He shut off the engine and offered her a hand. “Why don’t we set up some towels on the stern and enjoy the sun for a bit, and then we can take a swim.”
“Sounds refreshing.” She helped him lay out a couple of beach towels over the back end of his boat, which really wasn’t made for lounging, but they’d make do.
It was only ten in the morning, so he figured it was too early to pull out the wine. But he reached into the cooler and snagged two waters and a bowl of fruit. “I cut up some strawberries. I know how much you love them.”
“Oh, my God.” She dug in with her fingers and plopped a plump one in her mouth. “These are so good.”
All he could see were her lips. And all he could think about was kissing them.
Thank God he’d kept his shades on so she had no idea he was staring at her mouth. But he had to wonder if she could hear his heart pounding against his chest. It beat so fast it hurt.
