Page 37 of Serenity at Seagrove
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi." He cleared his throat. "You look beyond beautiful."
Luna felt warmth creep up into her cheeks. "Well, you clean up pretty good yourself."
They walked to the restaurant in the evening air. Luna was aware of Archer right beside her, and the way their arms brushed against each other with each step. The Blue Crab sat right on the water, its deck strung with twinkly lights. Their table overlooked the marsh, and they could see fishing boats off in the distance.
"I've been wanting to try this place since I got to town,” Luna said. "Julie says they have the best seafood in town."
"They do," Archer agreed. "They've been around since I was a kid, but don't tell SuAnn I said they have the best seafood. She swears her crab cakes are the best in town. SuAnn has quite a competitive streak when it comes to food.”
Luna laughed, feeling some of the nervousness ease. This was still Archer, the same man who had become her friend and an important part of her life, but tonight felt different.
Their conversation flowed easily over dinner, moving from stories about Archer's golf students to Luna's latest classes. She also talked a lot about growing up and visiting Puerto Rico, while Archer told some stories about Dawson and him that made her laugh. She found herself watching his face as he talked, noticing how the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
"Speaking of golf," he said, setting down his fork, "there was something I wanted to ask you."
"Oh?"
"Well, the Seagrove Golf Classic is coming up next weekend. I wasn't going to go, but I'm feeling a little better about it now and I'd like to attend. It's an annual charity tournament, pretty big deal around here." He paused and looked like he was gathering his courage. "I was wondering if you might be my date for the tournament and for the dinner dance after."
Luna felt a warmth in her chest. "A tournament and a dance? That's quite an invitation."
"Too much?"
"No," she said, "not too much at all. Actually, I'd love to come."
"Great, that's great," he said, a smile breaking across his face. "Though I should warn you, I'm not much of a dancer."
"Well, I'm not much of a golfer, so I guess we're even."
"Well, we could fix that, you know. I could teach you some basics before the tournament, if you want."
Luna thought about being close to him. "I'd like that."
The waiter appeared with dessert menus, breaking the moment between them.
"SuAnn will never forgive us if we don't try the key lime pie," Archer said. "It's the only dessert in town that she admits is better than her own."
"Well, we wouldn't want to disappoint SuAnn."
They shared a slice, and Luna found herself hyper-aware of his every movement—the way his fingers brushed against hers as he passed her a napkin, or how his eyes lingered on her face when she took her first bite.
"Verdict?" he asked.
"Amazing, though again, I don't think we should tell SuAnn that I said that."
He laughed, and it wrapped around her like a warm summer breeze.
When they finished dessert, the restaurant's lights dimmed slightly, and soft music drifted from the hidden speakers.
"You want to walk on the beach before heading back?" Archer asked. "It's beautiful at night, as you know."
She nodded.
They strolled along the beach, close, but not quite touching. The moon cast silver ribbons across the water.
"Thank you for dinner," Luna said. "I invited you, so you didn’t have to pay for it. And also, thanks for inviting me to the tournament."
