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“So...” Taryn said, and Shelley knew what her cousin was going to say even before the words, “give me the lowdown on the hunky male options,” left her mouth.
Just then Shelley spotted an older man being pushed in a wheelchair down the beach by a tall, exotic-looking blonde. A golden retriever padded alongside them. Perfect. Teasing Taryn was more fun than trying to convince her cousin that men weren’t all they were chocked up to be.
“Actually,” Shelley said, “I see one of the local men right now. He’s got a golden retriever, and he’s heading up the beach.”
“And?” Taryn sounded excited. “I need more details.”
The old man said something that caused the blonde to stop pushing the wheelchair. He patted his legs, and the dog put its fluffy paws on his knees and stuck its muzzle toward him. The man held its head with both hands and kissed it on the top of its snout.
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Shelley whispered.
“Sweet?” Taryn made a sound of disgust. “Sweet is not exactly alpha material. I was hoping you were going to say how sexy he was.”
Shelley laughed. “No, definitely not sexy. But he just stopped to kiss his dog, and it was really sweet.” She watched the woman turn the wheelchair around and head back the way they’d come. “Anyway, I’m here for a solo honeymoon, not to scope out the hunky island men, remember?”
It had been ages since Shelley had been close with a man. Most of the guys she met reminded her of her father—all business. Finding someone who wasn’t afraid to live life and had a mind of his own was like playing an impossible game of Where’s Waldo? She was done with that whole disappointing scene.
“Come on, Shell,” Taryn replied, clearly undeterred. “No one on Rockwell Island knows you, so why not cut loose, meet a guy, and get a little wild for a night or two? You usually throw caution to the wind, but not when it comes to guys. Why not live a little?”
“Because all the men I’ve ever met wouldn’t know how to go with the flow if a good time came with a map.” Shelley sipped more champagne. “Besides, I am cutting loose. The resort left champagne in my cottage, and it is delish. I think I’m going to take a walk on the beach now and dip my toes in the water.”
“Okay, but be careful of sharks.”
“I’m almost positive that sharks don’t swim in the bay, but if I meet any on land, I’ll definitely let you know.”
“Steer clear of those, but promise me you’ll have some fun. Go skinny-dipping or do something crazy, okay? And if a great guy does happen to come along, at least think about giving him a chance.”
After hanging up, Shelley took another sip of champagne. She probably should have eaten dinner, but it was almost nine p.m., and she was far more interested in exploring the island than eating. She watched the woman and old man move farther down the beach, and then she headed off in the opposite direction.
The last thing she wanted this week was to think about men. A solo honeymoon meant Shelley could enjoy the things she wanted, exactly how she wanted them, without being told where to go and what to do by anyone. Taryn knew that, but she still had hope that the right guy was out there somewhere.
Shelley wasn’t holding her breath.
But skinny-dipping? That sure sounded like fun...
QUINN ROCKWELL PACED across the plush carpeting in the resort suite with his cell phone pressed to his ear and his other hand pinching the bridge of his nose as he listened to his business partner lay into him about leaving Annapolis.
“We’re on the brink of the merger of a lifetime, and you leave town with nothing more than an e-mail telling me you’ll be in touch?”
Richard Bailey had been Quinn’s business partner since day one. After graduating from Stanford, he and Rich had set out together, bound and determined to build a shipping empire to rival all others. Rockwell Bailey Enterprises, RBE, was a leader in the industry, and the impending merger with Capital Freight Management would solidify their untouchable stature. Both Rich and Quinn wanted this merger, and they wanted it bad. But for Quinn, it wasn’t just building the business that was driving his crazy hours and laser focus on the merger. He hadn’t talked with Rich about the feeling he’d been fighting lately, that he was spinning his wheels running their company. They were more successful than ever, and he should have been happier, more satisfied with his life. Quinn hoped this merger would bring back the excitement he’d felt in the early days of building RBE.
“You know this is a huge inconvenience to me, Rich, coming back to the island where I grew up.” And couldn’t wait to leave. “I’m not here because I want to be.”
