Hunter
“I’m sorry, sir, but our ‘swim with the dolphins’ excursions are all full.” The short man behind the desk gave Hunter a look that said he wasn’t sorry at all. In fact, his look said that he wished the two of them would get out of the way and let the guests standing in line behind them check into the hotel.
If Hunter wasn’t in such a good mood, this being his honeymoon and all, he might’ve said something to the guy. But being in the Florida Keys with Zoey had too many positives to dwell on missing one adventure.
“I guess that means we’ll have to come back another time.” Hunter nuzzled Zoey’s neck.
She giggled. “I’m all for that. This place is paradise.” Her stunning brown eyes took on a serious note—one he hadn’t seen since before the wedding. “But I’m sure there’s something Tad can do for us.” She smiled sweetly at the man at the desk.
He scowled back. “I’m sorry. There’s simply no available spots on the boat.”
Zoey glanced around at the group gathered behind them at the check-in desk. They’d been at the same airports and all ridden the same shuttle over. She’d made fast friends with several of them, and he had no doubt they’d exchange addresses for Christmas cards for years to come. “Does anyone have a ‘swim with the dolphins’ excursion they’d like to trade for horseback riding on the beach?” She held up their tickets for the excursion like an auctioneer.
“Toot-toot,” Hunter said under his breath, and then he gave his new bride an encouraging wink. These people had better watch out; the Zoey-train was just warming up. They’d seen the horses on the beach as they pulled in—they were as old as the island and as slow as sap. Neither of them wanted to waste time plodding along when there were so many other opportunities.
“I want to ride horses,” said a lady from New York. “But we don’t have the dolphin thing.” Her face fell.
Her husband side-hugged her. “The zip line will be great.”
“I’m afraid of heights,” she countered.
Zoey grinned. “Anyone interested in the zip line?” And the Zoey-train built up steam.
“We’ll take it,” offered a couple of high school grads. “Our parents booked us for the sunset dinner cruise because it was all they had left, but we don’t drink, so what’s the point?”
Zoey grinned. Hunter stifled his laughter. She was in her element—spinning deals—and so darn sexy doing it. “Anyone else want something they didn’t get?”
“I’d like the fish tanks in the lobby cleaned,” offered the manager. “I’ll give away two tickets to the Ghost and Gravestone midnight trolly tour.”
“Ooh!” The two ladies from Utah jumped up and down and waved their hands. “Those are ours! We’ll trade our swimming with the dolphins.” They grinned at each other.
Zoey clapped her hands. “Okay, everyone hold up your tickets.”
People dug them out of their travel bags or the envelopes provided by a tour company. When they were all held up, Zoey began the shuffle.
“Okay, let’s do this.” She handed her tickets to the woman from New York. “I’ll take those zip line tickets.”
The lady squealed and turned into her husband, hugging him tight around the neck. “It’s going to be so romantic! Just like when we met in Hawaii and you saved me from falling into that volcano.”
The color drained from his face. “Let’s hope it’s not just like that.” He patted her back, and she whispered something in his ear that made the color return and then some.
Zoey moved on to the recent grads. “I’ll take that cruise for these zip line adventures.”
They handed them over and exchanged a fist bump with each other and then Zoey.
“I’ll need those trolly tour passes,” she said to the manager, who didn’t bat an eye at handing them over.
Hunter glanced around to see if he was the only one who noticed no one was going to clean out the fish tanks. Nobody seemed to care. He shrugged.
Zoey gave the Utah ladies the trolly tickets and accepted the ones with pictures of dolphins on them. She handed those to Hunter with a wink and turned back to the manager. “I guess that means you’re going on a sunset cruise and Tad is cleaning tanks.” Zoey brushed off her palms and took Hunter by the hand. “Come on, love. Let’s go see our room.”
Hunter walked faster as Tad sputtered about being put to work. He barely contained his laughter when the manager said, “It’s a fair trade,” and walked away from the desk.
At the elevator, Hunter hit the up button, then pressed Zoey up against the wall, kissing every bit of her neck and jaw he could before the elevator dinged open. Zoey sighed into him and pulled him closer.
“Can I just say that I’m glad we’re on the same team?” He kissed the spot on her head where she had the scar from trying to rescue his horse—their horse now.
She laughed. “Me too, cowboy.”
