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“Hey, Faye,” I called out.
My best friend looked over at me and replied, “Yeah?”
I stood up from the lounge chair and walked in her direction. “Do you still have those boogie boards from when I went with you to the beach last summer?”
She nodded. “Why do you ask?”
Smiling, knowing she would think I was crazy, I answered, “I just thought of something that might be fun to do.”
Faye rolled her eyes. “I’m not even going to ask. The boogie boards should be somewhere in the garage.”
I let out a laugh, loving that she’d finally just gotten to a point where she accepted that this was who I was right now. The girl seeking a bit of adventure. Considering the real reason I was feeling that way at the moment, I figured it was best not to elaborate. If she knew I had a crush on her cousin, Faye hadn’t let on. Knowing she might use that against me at some point, I preferred to keep her in the dark.
A few minutes later, I’d managed to locate the boogie boards in the garage. Just as I was about to head back out to the pool, I heard, “You know we’re not at the beach, right?”
I spun around at the sound of the voice I hadn’t forgotten over the last month and felt a rush of relief move through me.
Jesse was standing there, and his eyes had scanned me from top to toe. The gesture left me speechless as a shiver ran over my bikini-clad body.
When his gaze was focused on my face again, he noted, “I realize you’ve got the proper attire for using one of those, but I’m not sure what you plan to do with them in a backyard pool. There really aren’t any waves.”
There was something about Jesse that had rendered me barely able to speak the first time I’d met him. I’d spent the better part of the day today—not to mention over the last week—desperately hoping to see him.
So, I needed to seize the opportunity. It could be another month or more before I’d see him again, and I didn’t want to spend that time regretting my choice not to take advantage now.
“How good is your balance?” I asked him.
Jesse tipped his head to the side, a puzzled look washing over his face. “I won’t be winning any medals as a gymnast or dancer any time soon, but I’m always up for a challenge.”
Without thinking, I grinned and said, “You’re my kind of guy, Jesse.”
He smirked at the insinuation. “Is that so?”
Horrified by what I’d said, I clarified, “Well, yeah, you said you’re always up for a challenge. I’m the same way, and I like to try new things.”
“So, what are we trying today?” he asked.
I held a boogie board out to him. “Let’s see who can balance on the board longer in the pool.”
Jesse took the board from me. “I might be far too distracted to actually win this one.”
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Come on.”
With that, Jesse and I made our way out to the backyard and over to the pool. Ten minutes later, we’d had a whole tournament set up, and everyone was giving it a try. By nature, I’d become a competitive person, but in this realm, I was even more determined to do well. I wanted to impress Jesse.
At one point, he and I wound up being on the boards at the same time. Once I felt steady on the board with the perfect stance, I trained my eyes on his and stared him down.
His lips twitched, clearly noting my intimidation tactics.
A moment later, seemingly out of nowhere, he went down. I stood, tall and victorious, grinning down at him when he popped up out of the water.
“Jesus, you’re tough,” he grumbled.
“I try,” I told him. “Okay, who’s next?”
Looking around, I didn’t see any takers. That’s when Faye declared, “I think Jesse’s the only one willing to go against you. Maybe we should try some kind of team sport.”
