Part 6 (1/2)
”No you don't want to go, or no you aren't together?” Tansy seemed unfazed by Sarah's blunt answer.
”Both.”
Tansy giggled. ”Oh. You looked like you're together, and I overheard you talking about how you needed something to do. But, whatever, maybe we'll see you at dinner? Do you have plans for tonight? Dennis and I have no idea what we're going to do, but who knows?”
Sarah tried to smile, but her lips just wouldn't stretch that way yet. She needed more coffee. Logan picked up the ball.
”We just met here, though we're not here together, is what Sarah meant. Your invite is very kind, but I think we just want to wing it, and maybe we will see you later, but let's just see what happens.”
Tansy twinkled at him happily. ”Oh, that sounds perfect. If you two have just met you need time to get to know each other. You have a great day now!”
Dennis never uttered a word, not that he had had a chance, but he smiled before guiding Tansy from the room, his arm draped around her shoulders.
”Dodged that bullet.” Sarah continued eating, relieved.
”They seemed very nice, if energetic,” Logan offered diplomatically. ”But I want you to myself today.”
Sarah swallowed the rest of her croissant and reached for a handful of grapes, not so much hungry as forestalling the inevitable.
”I thought you might have taken off by now. You still want to do something?”
He seemed mildly surprised. ”Of course. I wouldn't have ditched you. No way.”
”It was rude of me to be late.”
”Yes, so now you owe me.”
She felt her back stiffen reflexively, and she took her gla.s.ses off, meeting his eyes directly. He was amazing-looking, and obviously a nice guy, but she wanted no confused expectations.
”No. I don't. I don't owe anybody anything.”
A small crease formed between his eyes, and he put his hand up in a staying motion. ”Hey, back down. I was just goofing around-I don't care that you were late. You're right, you don't owe me anything, and I'm sorry if that came off wrong. Let's just find something to do and have some fun, okay?”
Sarah sat back in her chair, feeling like a moron, but nodded. Fun didn't seem likely, but she was willing to try anything once.
5.
SARAH PEERED DOWN at the blue water rolling gently under her boat, a seventeen-foot, bright yellow kayak. At first she'd had her doubts, but now that she was in the thing, it wasn't too bad. She could go forward and backward and, since she didn't intend to fall out, that was all she needed. For a city girl she was a decent swimmer. Though she hadn't spent much time in open water, she did laps at the pool several times a week. It was a habit she'd gotten into during her stint at the police academy. at the blue water rolling gently under her boat, a seventeen-foot, bright yellow kayak. At first she'd had her doubts, but now that she was in the thing, it wasn't too bad. She could go forward and backward and, since she didn't intend to fall out, that was all she needed. For a city girl she was a decent swimmer. Though she hadn't spent much time in open water, she did laps at the pool several times a week. It was a habit she'd gotten into during her stint at the police academy.
The boat was, to her surprise, very steady in the water; even rocking it with her hips didn't tip it easily. She tested the kayak again, learning the boundaries as the instructor, Jim, had advised. Jim paddled easily among the people in the group, correcting and encouraging them. So this was the guy Ivy had the hots for.
He was cute enough. Though his granola-eating hippie looks weren't Sarah's style, he had a nicely toned body and a pretty face surrounded by s.h.a.ggy blond hair. He was a flirt, too, and had smiled at her a little too much during introductions, until Logan had put the kibosh on that. Sarah watched Jim show a young brunette how to hold her paddle correctly; things weren't looking up for Ivy.
After she and Logan decided what to do, she'd simply donned a bathing suit top and shorts. Logan looked like a professional in his s.e.xy, skintight black-and-green neoprene top and shorts. The suit fit so tightly that little was left to the imagination. If this was what men wore when they wanted to get a woman's attention, it was working.
Sarah had nearly stumbled when she'd met him downstairs before they'd left for their day on the water. She was glad most of him was hidden below the deck of the boat, or she would probably have missed most of the lesson. The attraction between them was hard to fight, but she was determined to try, since she knew it was bound to end in nothing but frustration.
As it was, the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he expertly guided his boat was distracting enough. She imitated his movements, trying to draw her boat around in a graceful arc through the water as he did so effortlessly. Normally she was very good at physical things, but this was taking some getting used to.
”No fair. You've done this before. How come you agreed to a lesson when you obviously know what you're doing?”
He grinned, and her heart foolishly skipped a beat.
”Well, you haven't done it before, and lessons are good refreshers for anyone. Besides, I don't know these particular waters, and it's always good to get some advice from someone who does.” He nodded toward Jim. ”Ocean waters can be tricky.”
Sarah agreed, listening while trying to gauge the wind and the water, and how both were trying to thwart her novice attempts.
Logan spoke encouragingly. ”Don't muscle it so much. You're trying to force the boat to go where you want with your arms. Don't use your arms, use your midsection, and keep your paddle more or less rotating in the same position. See? You don't have to force it.”
He demonstrated, and she studied his movements carefully, then took a deep breath, doing as he said, and felt lighthearted-a feeling she wasn't particularly used to-when her boat swung gracefully to the left.
”Excellent!”
Nearly blus.h.i.+ng under his praise and warm regard, she chastised herself silently, feeling like a goof. Concentrating, she practiced the move several more times, in several directions.
It really was kind of neat, she thought. Since she was living down here now, it was probably a good idea to learn to do more things on the water. Having had the resources of New York City at her disposal, she was often at a loss in Norfolk, a nice but much smaller city. Swinging her boat around, then paddling it backward and stopping, she smiled. Maybe she would buy one of these things.
”You're doing great. A natural.”
It wasn't Logan who spoke to her this time, and she looked up to see Jim smiling at her in blatant admiration. Logan was oblivious, talking with an older man about something or other a few yards away. Sarah regarded Jim calmly.
”Thanks. It takes a little work, but I like it.”
”You're picking the moves up more quickly than most. You're ready for the next step, learning to get in and out of the boat.”
”I already did that.”
He laughed, never letting his eyes drift from hers. ”No, I mean you have to fall out of your boat, and then get back in.”
”Why would I want to do that?”
”So if you fall out, you can get back in.”
Sarah frowned. ”I won't fall out.”
But Jim was resolute, shaking his head. ”Part of the lesson. You can't really go anywhere away from sh.o.r.e if you can't get back in your boat, or help your partner get back in his. Rules of the road, so to speak. C'mon, it'll be easy. I'll work through it with you.”
Sarah looked toward Logan, who was still caught up in conversation, and sighed.
”Okay. What do I need to do?”
After a few times dumping out of the boat-though she still wondered who the heck threw themselves out of a boat that wasn't on fire on purpose-Sarah started to get her bearings. She felt like a drowned rat by the fourth time, but she could exit her boat and crawl back in, both with help and by herself.
As she hauled herself up and over for the last time, she was pretty sure Jim was checking out her b.u.t.t-just as he'd slid his hand a little too far up her calf when he'd helped her in the time before. She'd had enough lessons for the moment and looked for Logan as she settled back in the c.o.c.kpit of her boat, soaked and ready to do something else.