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“When I was busting my ass, looking like a fool trying to surf, I saw this beautiful redhead sitting on the beach and thought she might be less brutal than the waves kicking my ass. I’m starting to think that maybe I was wrong.”
“Oh.” He wants me to introduce him to Laurel. “My sister’s name is Laurel. She’s over there playing volleyball or roasting marshmallows.” I point out the area where she and her friends are all hanging out.
He glances over to the group of teenagers laughing and having a good time, searching her out. “I didn’t know there were two of you,” he says.
“Two of us?”
“Mind if I sit down?”
“Here?” I ask for clarification, but he’s already plopping down in the sand, so close I could reach out and touch the droplets of water sliding down his smooth skin.
“You’ve been here for a while, right?” he asks, making my face burn. Of course he noticed me sitting and staring at him.
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Not really,” I reply since I brought a lot of snacks.
“So I can’t take you to dinner?”
“Dinner?” I repeat in surprise as I look at him, waiting for the punchline, for him to say he’s kidding.
Before that happens, Laurel yells, “Are you bothering my little sister?” As if she would actually care if someone bothered me.
“I think I might be,” the guy says as he gets to his feet.
“Hey, I’m Laurel.” She holds out her hand while practically batting her eyelashes at the shirtless, sexy boy.
“I’m Barrett. Nice to meet you.”
“You look hungry. We’ve got burgers and s’mores if you’re interested.”
The guy, Barrett, looks from me to my sister before he says, “Yeah, I’m starving, actually.”
“Then let’s go!” she says as she grabs his arm to steer him over to her friends, easily touching him when I couldn’t even imagine laying a finger on him.
“Are you coming?” he asks me over his shoulder.
“No, thanks.”
“She’s not very social,” Laurel tells him as they walk away from me, leaving me feeling even lonelier than before.
Hours later, when I’m lying in bed tossing and turning, thinking about my conversation with Barrett, I finally begin to wonder if there’s a small chance he could’ve been talking about me when he said “beautiful redhead.” At the time, I assumed he meant Laurel and did everything but shoo him away like a bothersome fly.
God, I’m an idiot, because it doesn’t matter now. Laurel bragged about him asking for her number on the way home and said he’s coming to see her at the local pool where she lifeguards tomorrow.
Knowing my luck, Laurel will probably marry him and have his babies just because she can, and then I’ll be forced to watch them live happily ever after.
CHAPTER ONE
Barrett Fulton
Five years later…
Ifucking hate shopping.
There’s not much I can’t order online, but when it comes to shoes, and in particular my boots that I’ll spend hundreds of dollars on and wear for years, I unfortunately have to venture out into the world to try them on until I find the perfect fit.
