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He laughed a bit too loudly and put his hand on my shoulder. Ah. I wasn’t that funny. “Then you’re my snowboard instructor. What a nice coincidence. I can tell we’re going to have a great time. I’m Dave.”

“Nice to meet you!” I turned to the others in the group. “And you?”

The others introduced themselves, and Dave kept popping up at my side. Whenever I turned, our eyes met.

Objectively speaking, he was gorgeous. He met all the criteria for a male model. However, his attention made me uncomfortable. He didn’t seem to understand that I wasn’t interested. But maybe I had misread him, and Dave was only an intense person who liked to flirt.

While everyone boarded the buses and the remaining luggage was stowed away, I checked to see if we had left anything behind. On the way out of the garden, I saw Ruben rushing toward us.

“Lucky you’re still here. You forgot your phone.” He waved it around and, slightly flustered, I patted my pockets. “You’re right. Thank goodness you saw it.”

He came toward me in an open, fluttering jacket, with red cheeks and tousled hair. My chest got warm. I lit up, excited, and deeply relaxed all at once. Ruben was all that to me. I wanted to wrap him up and take him with me.

We stood facing each other, somewhat indecisive, as I put my phone away. I wanted to kiss him. But considering all the guests watching us, that might not have been the best idea. On the other hand, I had to show him how much even this brief interaction with him meant to me.

I leaned toward him and tugged on his jacket lapel. With a smile, he took a step toward me.

“Hey, Shane, did you . . . ” The voice behind me tore Ruben and me from our moment, and I turned to Dave.

He stared at Ruben. “You’re here?”

“What are you doing here?” Ruben snapped.

“Are you coming too?” Dave asked with equal animosity.

I swiveled my head back and forth between the two of them as if watching a tennis match.

“No!” Ruben glared at Dave.

“Nah, you’d better stay in the pantry.” Dave laughed spitefully, and Ruben stood straighter.

“Do you two know each other?” I interrupted the duel.

“No!” said Ruben, while Dave replied, “Sure.”

I raised my eyebrows. Ruben pressed his lips together, and Dave grinned at him suggestively.

“Rusty, Rodney, Rudy, and I know each other.”

I took Ruben’s hand, and his eyes locked with mine.

He shook his head, and Adriel called out from one of the buses, “Are you ready?”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Ruben shook his head again. “You have to go.”

“We do have to go, and we’re going to have a lot of fun!” Dave said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I took a step away and shook it off.

“Text me,” I whispered in Ruben’s ear and kissed the corner of his mouth.

He gave me one of his personal smiles and pushed me away. “Go on. Have fun.”

“We will!” Dave remarked.

Irritated, I turned to Dave. What the hell did he mean by that?