“Didn’t like dick?” Pete offers.
I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, I guess that works.”
“At first he was hurt, but I think in the end he accepted he would rather have her in his life than lose her out of some false sense of pride.”
I lean over the railing. “I’m glad they worked it out. I’m just not sure if what happened to them applies to our situation. Ivy can’t help who she is. I’m not sure Justin is willing to look past some of my choices. There’s a difference.”
“Maybe,” he says, pulling me against his chest. The pair has finally gotten out of the water and started up toward the house. Whit and Nick stay out in the water. “But if he’s this scared, you can bet you mean a lot more to him than he’s willing to let on.”
Justin follows the two women down the boardwalk with a towel wrapped around his waist. We’ve steered clear of one another all afternoon, but now he comes over and Pete whispers in my ear, “Give him time,” and walks off with the girls. When Justin gets within touching distance, I avert my eyes from his broad shoulders and chest. I also do my best to keep my eyes away from all his hot parts. Like the area between his belly button and his towel, or his biceps. Or really anywhere at all. Why did he have to be so good-looking?
“Sure you don’t want to try?” he offers, holding up his board.
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Maybe next time,” he says, passing by me so close that his hip brushes against mine.
I raise an eyebrow. Next time.
Justin Hawkins may not be done with me after all.
By the timethe sun starts to set, everyone has pink cheeks and shoulders, even the year-rounders.
“Need any help?” I ask Anita as she and the other moms shower their kids off outside. She gives me a grateful smile. “Take Sibley up to Bobby, please? I’m going to rinse off once everyone clears out.”
“Sure.” I take a fresh-smelling Sibley up to her dad, passing her over the porch railing. “Da,” she says, smiling and grabbing when she sees him.
Like a local, this time I brought clothes to change into after the long day. I make it to the shower just as Anita turns off the water and gets out. “Perfect timing,” I say, passing her.
“Hope there’s still hot water left.”
The shower can only be described as rustic. The door latches with a rusty eye-hook, and wooden boards with wide slats make the floor. The walls are made of a wavy, cream-colored, plastic material that provides enough light but also a sense of privacy. I say sense, because I can easily hear the others laughing upstairs and the roar of the ocean in the distance. Anita was right, there’s not much hot water left, but it doesn’t matter. It’s still warm out and my skin needs cooling. Paranoid about so many people around, I step under the water in my bathing suit. I’ve got shampoo in my hand when I hear a knock on the door.
“Yeah,” I call out.
“It’s me.”
I see Justin’s bare, tan feet under the door.
“Um…I’m in here?”
“Can I come in?”
I unhook the latch and open the door. The rusty springs holding it to the wall groan. He’s standing on the other side, looking guilty and I ask, “What? Is this some kind of last chance booty call or something?”
“No, I just need to rinse off—thought you may let me share the last of the not-so-hot water.” He holds his hands up innocently. “Anyway, you’re the queen of the booty call, not me.”
I push the door open enough for him to slip inside.
“You’re not even naked,” he scoffs.
“There are a lot of people around. I’m afraid one of these walls is going to blow away with the next strong wind.” I step back under the water and wet my hair. He also steps in, lifting his face into the water. He takes the bottle of shampoo off the small bench and pours some in his hand. Instead of washing his own hair, he bumps me out of the water and starts lathering mine.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” He continues, scrubbing and massaging my head. I want to protest but it feels nice. He pulls me into the water so my back is to his chest and rinses us both of us. When he wrings my hair out and washes the soap off my arms, I blame the chill of the water for the goose bumps.
I turn around and see he’s washing his own hair now. It takes half the time and he uses the extra soap to wash his face and body.
