Page 59 of The True-Blue Romance

Joey sighs loudly, pulling back to meet my gaze. “What happened?”

I duck my head to avoid his too-knowing gaze. “I don’t want to talk about it yet. I really just want to have this weekend with you. I want to forget about everything but you. Okay?”

Joey squeezes my arms hard while letting out a resigned sigh. “All right. But you’ll tell me?”

“I’ll tell you. Now where are we going?”

Joey kisses the tip of my nose before turning on his heel and disappearing toward the bedroom. “Colby let me borrow his beach house for the weekend.”

“Wait, really?”

“Come on, let’s pack and hit the road. It’s a four-hour drive.”

I’ve never moved faster. We shoot boyish grins at each other as we haphazardly throw clothes into one suitcase. All that I need is underwear and a swimsuit, nothing else matters. I just want Joey and the beach for two days without any other thoughts. We end up taking my work truck since it has a full tank of gas, that way we don’t have to stop for gas until we get to the beach.

I put on an old-school country playlist, we lower the windows, and then we hit the road. Despite the craziness of the afternoon, the air whipping over me makes everything better. So does Joey’s hand, which is tangled with mine. For two days I can forget the decision I have to make—all the decisions in the future. I’m not a soon-to-be orphan this weekend, I’m Joey’s man. The only thing that would make it better would be if Savannah was with us. Before school starts back up, we’ll have to take her into the city for the theme parks. Maybe I’ll even splurge on a night at a hotel to make it easier on all of us. We haven’t done that since Savannah was in preschool.

The four-hour drive to the beach cottage flies by with highway speeding and Martina McBride on the stereo. Somehow nothing can feel bad with that combination. At least not for me. The scenery outside changes from oak trees and moss to brush and marsh, and the scent changes to the warmth of the saltwater brine floating in from the ocean.

We park in front of the beach cottage and hop out, hurriedly walking to the front door. Joey laughs a little as he struggles with the keys, one hand on the door, the other holding the suitcase, and I’ve strangely never found him more attractive than in that moment. I can’t help but grab his face to kiss him when we push through the front door. Joey smiles against my mouth, tasting like every good memory I’ve ever held on to.

“Come on, let’s go to the water before the sun sets,” Joey says.

Joey drops the suitcase in the kitchen, then drags me out through the back doors. I’ve only been here once before, and it was with the entire group then. I like the peace that washes over me as I head toward the water with only Joey beside me. The warm saltwater breeze blows over us, ruffling Joey’s perpetually wayward hair. The sun is probably thirty minutes or so away from setting, making the entire horizon glow amber and burnt orange.

“God, it’s crazy how good the beach makes me feel,” I say, voice full of awe.

“You’ve always loved the water.” Joey squeezes my hand and tugs me closer so he can kiss me softly—the type of kiss that makes me curl my toes into the wet sand. “I like seeing how much it relaxes you. When we’re fishing, at the springs, the beach, I don’t care. I just like that smile you get on your face.”

“What kinda smile?” I ask, genuinely curious.

Joey’s eyes wrinkle with the depth of his smile. “Like nothing bad has ever happened to you. That’s how I always want you to smile.”

“Ugh, shut up.”

Joey chuckles and kisses me again, just a little peck. “Let’s look for shells.”

We hold hands and scour the private beach for shells. High tide is coming in, so the good shells aren’t in yet, but the shore will be dotted with them in the morning. The best part is just getting to hold Joey’s hand as we walk the shore, no question in my mind how much he loves me.

The sun kisses the horizon just as Joey and I turn to take in the sunset. He knocks his shoulder into mine, his scent mixing with the salty ocean breeze. Just as the sun dips below the horizon, I close my eyes and breathe it all in. Everything’s going to be all right.

“Come on, let’s eat something and get cleaned up.”

“Can we go for a night swim?”

Joey’s eyebrows wing up in surprise. “I’ll think about it. Now come on.”

Joey tugs me back toward the house, and I let him because I don’t want to argue with his plans. He always has my best interests at heart. The sky turns purple behind us as we reenter the beach house. The dark wood floors and light blue and white accents are settling and soft against the dunes outside. Joey leads me to the island, using his hand on the small of my back to urge me to sit. I can’t help but watch him as he rummages through the refrigerator, a thoughtful look on his sweet face.

“How’d you get food here?”

Joey snorts. “The minute I asked Colby to borrow his house, he set up a grocery order for us.”

“What if I’m not hungry yet?”

Joey sends a confused look my way. “Did you eat lunch?”

“No, but I want something else first.”