“Mee mee mee mee mee.” Silver mimics him like an annoyed five-year-old.
All of a sudden, Tyrone tears the sheet in half from one side to the other, doing a good job of silencing Silver’s attitude. He takes one of the strips and tosses it over his shoulder, piquing all our curiosity. “Here, Princess.” Tyrone balls up the second half of the sheet and throws it at Silver, who launches herself off the bed to avoid impact.
“Ugh. Nails,” she seethes.
Tyrone responds with his signature cheesy smile.
I turn my attention back to Colton, and when I do, I glimpse the bright-red markings of a sunburn peeking above his shirt collar. If I remember correctly, the last time his upper body was exposed to the sun was yesterday morning. Did he get burned while out fishing for me? Colton must see me staring because he tugs his collar higher up his neck. He clearly doesn’t want me noticing, so I do my best to act like I didn’t.
“What have you guys been up to?” I ask.
Colton crosses his arms casually over his chest. “Why don’t you come see, Missy Jean?”
Missy Jean?Not Miss Sandy. Not Miss Frizzle. Not even Miss. But Missy Jean.
A ball of light takes residence in my chest as I hear my full name for the first time in years. I have always loved the name Missy Jean, but aside from select formal occasions, everyone calls me Missy for short, except for Mama, who affectionately refers to me as Missy Girl—at least, she used to. Hearing my full name after so many years, it’s like finding my favorite sweater in the back of my closet after thinking I’d lost it for good.
I blow out a slow breath, trying to act unaffected by the way he said that name—my name—with no ire or sarcasm. But then I remember his long absence this morning and my frustration resurfaces. I find myself reluctant to let him charm me, at least not just yet.
Colton quirks an eyebrow, and I realize I never responded to his invitation. I take this moment to relax back on Maria’s sheet, casually fanning myself before playing a game of hard-to-get. “Is it worth it? Because right now, this shade is feeling real nice.”
“Time in the shade or a memory of a lifetime? It’s up to you.” He puts up both hands as if he’s literally weighing out the decision.
I scrunch my nose. “That’s too vague. You’ll have to try harder.”
“It involves a diamond,” Colton says.
My brows scrunch together. “Colton Downing, are you trying to propose?” I say in jest.
Colton scratches his scruff, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “No, a beach proposal isn’t your thing.”
Curiosity suddenly piqued, I sit up. “Oh yeah? And what, may I ask, is my thing?”
Colton tilts his head, and the levity in his face disappears as he looks out, seeing something the rest of us are not. “Stars,” he says.
“What?”
“Stars. If I were to propose to you, it would be under the stars.”
The blood in my veins halts. Stars.
I can feel the others staring at me, gauging my reaction to see if Colton’s hit his mark, but Colton is not done.
“And while the stars on the island are nice, you’d want to be by the mountains, not on the beach … because when you’re by the mountains, it reminds you of your Tennessee roots.”
I am stunned. Speechless. How does he know that?
His eyes weld to mine, and I feel like I’m standing in a room with just him. There’s no island. No game show. Just us. My body feels warm as I remember the way I fit into his embrace just days ago.
“Did I miss anything?” His cocky response is just enough to kick me from my trance.
“Lucky guess,” I say, a little breathless.
“Well.” Colton looks up and nods, bringing everyone back into the conversation. “If you find that you ladies are up for some fun … I promise it’ll be a good time.”
“Is Bill over there?” Maria asks.
“Yep.” Tyrone nods.
