Page 18 of Playing It Forward

“Careful,” I warn. “One of these days I’m not going to save your ass when Brock goes after you.”

Tanner waves away my concern. “As if he can catch me.”

We file out of the room past Coach Knox. I avoid his gaze, but I can’t miss how he’s studying me. I barely resist the urge to rub my shoulder.

This season is not beginning the way I’d hoped.

Chapter 7

I was doing perfectly fine until a certain quarterback showed up.

Terri

“Thanks for helping out with the Mermaid Lagoon Races this year.”

I smile at the mayor. “Of course. The money we raise is for children without families.”

Her face softens. Lana knows my history. How I arrived on the island after my mother died. How strongly I feel about ensuring kids don’t grow up being shuffled from house to house with a garbage bag as their luggage.

She pats my hand. “Still. I appreciate you taking the time. It must be busy at the resort with all those young strapping men to cater to.” She waggles her eyebrows.

I giggle. Lana is a die-hard flirt. “I thought the third husband was sticking.”

She sighs. “Ronald is wonderful, but I can always look.”

Looking is all I’ll be doing as well. I’m not risking my job over some football player. No matter how deep blue his eyes are. Or how much I want to lick the dimple on his cheek. Or how much I know those broad shoulders are strong enough to lift me up and—

Lana’s squeal cuts through my thoughts. “I need to know what that face means.”

Mermaids save me. Mayor Lana is the biggest gossipmonger on Smuggler’s Hideaway. The entire island will be debating which Steel City Seal I’m sexing up before the end of the day.

I open my mouth to set her straight but snap it shut again. Denying involvement with a football player will convince her of the exact opposite.

I tap my clipboard instead. “We need to get the mermaid tail booth set up and they’re not finished raking the bottom of the lagoon yet.”

“Terri!” May waves to get my attention. Speaking of the lagoon bottom.

“Sorry. Duty calls.” I rush off with my fingers crossed Lana will forget all about whatever face I was making.

“What’s up, May?” I have to shout since she’s in the middle of the lagoon on a paddleboard. I’m surprised she’s not on a surfboard since she’s the surfing instructor at the Hideaway Haven Resort and lives for the waves.

Her hand dips into the water and pulls out a sparkly bikini top. “What do you think? Trash or treasure?”

My nose wrinkles. It’s a used bikini top. Easy answer. “Trash.”

“Yes!”

She jumps up and down on the paddleboard. If she were me, she’d fall off and be splashing around in the water. But she’s May, the incredible surfer who can balance one legged on pretty much any surface. Trust me. I’ve seen her balance one legged on a barstool while drinking shots of moonshine.

She sticks her tongue out at the old smugglers across the lagoon. “Told you it wasn’t treasure!”

The old smugglers never help out with the actual cleaning of the lagoon. But they always show up to ensure any treasure found in the lake doesn’t get thrown away.

I still say the mannequin leg should’ve been dumped. But no. It’s in a display case at Barnacles & Barnyards instead. The thing terrifies the kids who visit the petting zoo. Especially since the teenagers who work there in the summer claim it’s haunted.

“Are you nearly finished?” I ask May.

She throws the bikini top over her shoulder before paddling my way. “I’ve been done for ages, but the old smugglers were bored.”