Page 3 of Tee the Season
I stretch to reach the top of the shelf, grateful for the excuse to turn away from her too-knowing gaze. “Of course. That night meant nothing.”
The words slip out before I can stop them, and Leah’s tone is telling when she asks, “So, no chance of round two, then?”
My thighs clench, but I shake my head. Firmly. “We agreed it was a one-time thing.”
She’s quiet, and when I risk a peek at her, a Cheshire Cat grin fills her face. “Even though you haven’t dated anyone since your…fun?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “There aren’t exactly a plethora of eligible bachelors in Starlight Bay, you know,” I insist, a tad too defensively. “At least, not any I haven’t known since I had braces.”
“True,” she agrees.
“Plus,” I add, waving a hand, “I’m sure I was just another notch on the old belt for Mr. World Traveler. No doubt, he’s had plenty of rounds with plenty of women in plenty of time zones since that night.”
“Actually,” Leah says quietly, handing me up another snowflake, “he hasn’t.”
I still. “What?”
“I overheard Hays on the phone the other day giving Rory shit about being uptight. Asked him when the last time was he got laid, and Rory admitted it’d been, quote,‘a few months.’”
I swallow down the unnamed emotion that bubbles up in my chest. That could mean anything. And certainly isn’t something I should read anything into.
“Maybe,” she adds wistfully, “you guys will hit it off and actually start dating.”
The incredulous look I shoot her is enough to convey my thoughts on her wishful thinking.
“What?” she defends. “Just because Rory is Hays’s caddy and best friend—”
“And leads a completely different life than I do.”
“Hays and I did, too, you know. Before—”
“Sleeping together is one thing; dating is another. Plus, you can travel with Hays when the season starts. I can’t just abandon the bookstore. Or Aunt Mae. She’s the only family I have left.”
“I know.” Leah’s voice is gentle. “But Rory’s a good guy. I know the tour and globetrotting make him seem like a player—”
“And that we had a one-night stand—”
“But he’s not. He’s loyal, honest, caring…”
I scoff. “You’re starting to sound like a dating profile.”
She laughs but doesn’t back down. “I’m serious. You two have more in common than you think.”
Like what? A talent for avoiding commitment?
But I don’t say that. Instead, I check my watch and realize there’s only an hour until closing and the children’s corner doesn’t look nearly as magical as it has in years past.
“So, dinner tomorrow? Seven o’clock?” Leah says, bumping me with her shoulder.
“I’ll be there.” And for some reason, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to wear.
Chapter two
Rory
“You realize it’s going to be twenty-six degrees here tonight, right?” I line up my putt on the rug in Leah’s family room, eyeing the pint glass on its side serving as our hole. A decorated Christmas tree stands in the corner with twinkling lights, and a handful of wrapped presents are already nestled underneath. Six days early. “Meanwhile, it’s a perfect seventy-two back home.”
“Home’s wherever Leah is.” Hays takes a swig of his beer, a dopey newlywed grin plastered across his face. “If she wants to spend the holidays in Starlight Bay before we hit the road for the season, I’m certainly not saying no. Plus, I’ve finally mastered how to make a fire that lasts longer than five minutes.” He gestures toward the fireplace, where flames lick over the logs stacked inside.
