Page 37 of Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

I’m clutching the towel to my chest, and my legs are pressed together so tightly, but even still, this is so embarrassing. The towel on my head slides and falls off.

“I’m here because Camille gave me the house for the weekend. I told you last night I was going out of town. What are you doing here?”

I move to stand so I can pull the towel down. Vivi’s eyes are so big as she stares at Jonah and me, while his expression is a mixture of confusion and awe. What he has to be awed over, I have no idea.

“Reid told us to take the house this week since they weren’t coming this year, and it was available. Vivi loves the beach.”

If I wasn’t so mortified, I might actually stop and take the time to think about this, but I am, and I need him to stop looking at me.

Both of them.

“Do you mind?” I ask while picking up the extra towel off the floor, clutching it to me, and trying to shrink into myself so they both don’t see anything I don’t want them to see. Not that Jonah hasn’t seen it before, but it’s been a long time.

His cheeks flush red, and being more agile than a man his size should be, he jumps back and grabs Vivi.

“Right. We’ll just be downstairs in the living room.” At that, he spins and walks off with her tucked under his arm. Vivi looks back at me and grins.

Racing to my room, I pick up my phone and fire off a text to Camille.

Did you know that Vivi and Jonah were going to be at the beach house too?

I wait for a response, but nothing comes. No three dots, no call, no nothing. Silence.

I drop the phone on the bed and then myself, facedown, groaning into the comforter.

What are the odds that both of us end up here at the same time? Knowing all of our friends, I’m guessing pretty high.

Peeling myself off the bed, I get dressed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top. I brush my hair, stop to look at myself once in the mirror, and then head back downstairs. Jonah is hauling Molly’s crate inside, and next to the base of the stairs are their bags and a cooler.

“So,” he says, dropping the crate and moving to the living room. His gaze follows me as he sits on the couch, and I sit in a chair opposite him. Vivi has Molly, who is running around and sniffing, checking things out.

“So,” I answer, not really sure what I should be saying or really doing. Am I expected to leave now? I really don’t want to, and the longer we stare at each other, the more my nerves kick into high gear.

He makes me nervous, and I don’t know why. I wasn’t nervous the night we were together, but maybe it’s because so much time has passed, and I’ve thought about him a lot over the years. The reality of him vanished, but the memory became almost dreamlike. And now here he is, staring at me like he’s happy to see me.

Vivi breaks the silence as she wiggles her way in front of me. “Do you want to go to the beach with us? Uncle Jonah promised to help me build a sandcastle but hates looking for shells. We could look for shells.”

I glance at him to try to gauge if he’s on board with this or if he wants me to leave. Do I want him to leave? No. Suddenly, with her invitation and his open expression, I think this weekend will turn into something completely different altogether.

“If it’s okay with your uncle, I’d love to go,” I tell her, and she smiles while squeezing the dog.

Jonah clears his throat and relaxes further into the couch with one arm thrown across the back. “I hope you’ll stay the weekend too. The house is big enough, and Vivi would love the extra company,” Jonah says.

“Just Vivi?” I tease, and as soon as the words are out of my mouth, my eyes widen in panic.

Why did I just say that? This is not how people talk in front of children, and she’s sitting right there, looking back and forth between the two of us. Jonah’s eyes widen too as he takes in my reaction, and then his lips press together in a suppressed grin. “I’d like to stay,” I tell him.

His smile grows, and he lets out a deep exhale. “Good.”

“Yay! I’m going to go change,” Vivi tells us as she sets Molly down and runs off while Jonah and I continue to stare at each other.

His gaze slowly travels over me, and it feels like he’s dragging a feather across my skin. My stomach tightens under his perusal, and then he frowns. His eyes linger on my shirt, turning heavy with remorse and guilt. “I really am sorry I shoved you. I heard her screaming, and I just reacted. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I’d forgotten about that, and my hand involuntarily moves to the center of my chest. It’s not sore, and neither is my tailbone, but my pride might be—after all, this is Jonah Dallmann.

“I’m good. No worries, no damage done, and I completely understand,” I reassure him while standing. “But I’d better go put on a suit. I’d hate to keep her waiting.”

A smile tips one corner of his mouth as he stands too. “I’d better go do the same. Oh, and, Sophie . . .”