“Harper, hey!” Luna twisted around and shot her a smile. “How’re you feeling? You been drinking lots of water?”
Harper held up a half-full water bottle. “I’ll be peeing like a racehorse before too long, but I’m doing as you ordered. And I feelamazing. Your hands are magic. I’ll definitely be adding that to the article.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Article?”
With a laugh, she held up a hand and shook her head. “I still haven’t gotten an answer yet, but I can’t help but take notes while I’m here. I’ve practically written the whole piece already, but that doesn’t mean Starlight Cove will get the feature. I’m hoping it does, though.”
“That’s great to hear.” Luna grinned.
“Not gonna lie,” Harper said, “there wasn’t a whole lot of love lost between me and this place, but I’m starting to see the appeal again.”
“It grows on you, doesn’t it? The town, I mean. I love it.” Luna smiled, her gaze shifting to mine as she added quietly, “And all the people in it.”
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
LUNA
Was thereanything better than a small-town festival? No, there absolutely was not, and no one could convince me otherwise. Add in the fact that this festival was only yards from the beach, and I was completely smitten.
Brady and I had strolled down Main Street, and he’d surprised the hell out of me when he’d linked his fingers with mine as I’d dragged him into every tent while I sampled all the wares. And then he’d lugged all my purchases around before finally running back and dropping them at the car. We got a few curious glances—none more so than from Beck and Addison when we’d strode up, hand in hand, so he could get his lobster rolls and demand a vegetarian dish for me since I “couldn’t live off funnel cakes alone” and I would just “be hangry later” if I didn’t “eat some real goddamn food”—and I couldn’t even blame them.
The sheriff and the woman he kept arresting? Impossible.
And yet, somehow…not.
I didn’t know what had changed between us—maybe everything. Maybe nothing at all. Maybe our differences were exactly why this worked, just like with my parents. Exactly why whatever was happening between us didn’t feel anything but right.
After a couple hours of mindless wandering, I could tell Brady was getting antsy. He wasn’t exactly a people person, and being the county sheriff meant he knew everyone, and everyone knew him. We couldn’t walk ten feet without someone calling out a greeting or stopping to say a quick—or not so quick—hello. And while I fed off the interaction, I could tell it drained him.
Finally, after the fifth interruption in the past ten minutes, I dragged him toward the beach. “Come on. We need a break.”
“Where’re we going?”
“Thought that was pretty obvious, Einstein.” I swept my arm out in front of us, gesturing to the stretch of shore we were headed toward.
“This part of the beach closes at sunset.”
I gasped, holding my hand in front of my mouth as I widened my eyes. “Oh no! What if we get arrested?”
“Luna…” he said in a low, warning tone.
I tugged him to a stop, tucked my hand into the front of his jeans, and pulled him closer. “Aw, come on, Sheriff. You can play the big, bad cop later. I’ll even let you cuff me.”
“You’re playing with fire, you know that?”
“I’m counting on it.” I reached for his hand again, tugging him along behind me. This time, he came willingly.
It was darker out here, the lights from the festival barely reaching the shore and the waning crescent moon didn’t provide much illumination, so I pulled out my phone, turned on the flashlight, and held it out to guide our way. Once we were far enough away that just the faintest hint of the music and the raucous laughter from festivalgoers reached us, I pocketed my phone, dropped to the sand, and pulled Brady down behind me. I fitted myself between his legs, leaning back against his chest and deeply inhaling the salty ocean air.
I shuddered, the breeze coasting in off the ocean chilling me, and Brady wrapped his arms around me, tugging me close and imbuing me with his warmth.
“If you planned to sit by the ocean at nine o’clock at night this time of the year, you should’ve dressed warmer,” he grumbled against my neck.
“Why would I need to dress warmer when you’re my own personal furnace? Besides, I didn’t know we were going to come out here until I grabbed your hand and started walking this direction. I never plan anything.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Yeah, yeah, you hate it and I drive you nuts. But where’s the fun in planning everything?”
