“Give me a do-over? Let me buy you a drink, or a burger or something?”
“They don’t have burgers here,” Traci informed him. “Just greasy nachos, which I don’t recommend.” She tilted her head and appraised him. He had too-short dark hair with a silver streak, and a strong jawline. There was something about him—he was appealingly vulnerable. Not her usual type at all, and definitely not a regular at Pour Willy’s.
“Maybe we could go somewhere else to get a drink, and maybe some food too?”
“Like where? They roll up the sidewalks in this dumpy town right about now.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Right. Of course. What about the Saint? The Verandah doesn’t close for another hour yet, from what I hear.”
Her spirits perked up. “So… you’re a member there?”
“Yeah. I am. What do you think?”
“I’d love to, but they’ve got really strict rules out there—about the staff consorting with guests. And it’d be just my luck to get caught.”
“Oh. You work at the Saint? What do you do there?”
“Lifeguard,” Traci said.
“That’s cool,” he said. “Well, I wouldn’t want to get you fired, but I think there’s a way around the rules. What about… if we goto my bungalow? I can call ahead and order dinner to go. You can stay in the car, and nobody has to be any the wiser.”
“Your bungalow? Youowna house out there?”
“It’s been in the family for a while,” he said, sounding apologetic.
He blushed again. Traci’d never been with a guy who blushed before, and she had to admit it was kind of a turn-on. That, combined with the fact that he owned a house? At the Saint? Wait until she told Shannon.
“Let’s go.”
“Just like that? What about your friend? Won’t she be worried about you?”
She narrowed her eyes. “How’d you know about my friend? Have you been stalking me all night?”
“What? No! I mean, I saw you with that other girl, earlier, is all. I’m really not a pervert.”
“Which explains why you were lurking outside the bathroom at a bar. Textbook perv move. Next thing I know, you’ll offer me some candy if I’ll get in your car, and next month, my picture will be on milk cartons and billboards.HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL?”
His face turned an even brighter shade of crimson. “Oh my God! I keep making things worse. Never mind. I’m leaving now, before you report me to the police.”
He turned to go, but Traci reached out and caught his hand. “Hey, wait up.”
“You still want to leave with me? After all that?”
Traci laughed and linked her arm through his. “You’re not smooth enough to be a pervert. My name’s Traci, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Hoke.”
She willingly climbed into his Jeep, which was parked outside, and it wasn’t until they pulled up to the gate at the resort, and the security guard stepped outside and snapped to attention with a respectful “Evening, Mr. Eddings,” that Traci realized she’d accidentally managed to get herself picked up by Hoke Eddings, whose family owned the whole damn place.
Wait ’til she told Shannon.
CHAPTER 16
Olivia placed her suitcase into the trunk of her car and slammed the lid, guiltily enjoying the stricken look on her mother’s face.
Shannon had watched, silently, as Livvy packed up her stuff. She stood, stone-faced, as her daughter made trip after trip out to the car.
“Okay, that’s it,” Livvy said, returning to the living room. “Gotta get going. After move-in I’ve got orientation and training, and I’m working the dinner shift tonight.”
