features of his fascinating brothers, both heads turned towards the sea, blocking out everything else.
“No. They have work to do.” I had a feeling I didn’t understand what he meant. From his tone I knew he wouldn’t explain it, at least not yet.
I followed him in the direction of the boardwalk. “Good, then. I’ve worked up a big appetite, and I don’t want Henry trying to steal my ice cream the whole time. Oh, and Ty?” The edge in my voice made him stop.
“Yes, Amy?” His hypnotic eyes bored into mine.
“I want details. Don’t leave anything out.” Then I skipped ahead to the boardwalk trying to ignore the groan that Ty let out. I couldn’t hide the stupid smile on my face, just being with him made me ecstatic.
I followed Ty to one of the many quaint ice cream parlors that lined the beach. The one he picked was tiny. It had a cramped yet somehow homey feeling about it. There were only two rows of booths that were brightly colored with low hanging stained glass light fixtures. The small knick-knacks lined the stores counters, covering all the extra space with an odd assortment of cooking apparel. It was the cutest place I could ask for to have a first date.
He held the door open for me like a true southern gentleman. The girl behind the counter nearly tripped over herself to help us, well, Ty anyway.
I felt smug as Ty ignored her to ask me what I wanted to order. My face flushed red as Ty leaned down close to my ear.
“Hm. I think I’m going to get chocolate with hot fudge. What about you?”
“Strawberry sounds good right now.”
“Ew! Who in their right mind gets strawberry? Chocolate is so much better.” I cringed, pretending to be mortified.
“Well, chocolate may be delicious I’ll give you that.” He took his free hand, grabbing a stray lock of my hair. He smoothed it back in place with the side of his hand. “But strawberry is the closest thing I can get to your hair color in an ice cream. That’s all I can ask for.”
I nearly dropped my ice cream in embarrassment. Stupid Ty. Why does he have to be so dang smooth? As we neared the cash register I reached for my spare cash in my pocket. Ty’s hand instantly caught mine.
“No, really Ty, you don’t have to do it. I was just kidding when I said I would make you pay.” I tried to untangle my hand from his. He didn’t budge.
“Amy, don’ t be ludicrous. I said I would treat. It would insult my pride if you paid. Please just follow this one request.” I rolled my eyes, but I did drop my hand. He just wasn’t going to let it go that I came back, or that I’d done some other thing to him. Ugh. It really gets annoying trying to imagine all the horrible things I could have done to make him keep repeating that phrase.
I found a nice booth and slid in it. I was glad it took Ty a while to pay, it gave me time to figure out what exactly I was going to ask him. At last he strode over to the table, eyes wide with anxiety as he took in my thoughtful expression. My nervous hair twirling habit resurfaced, I had to do something to relieve my nerves.
He sighed before sitting down. Clearly this was not a conversation he wanted to have. It was a conversation I needed to have, to put my nerves at rest. Unfortunately, he is just as stubborn as I am. He worked on thoroughly enjoying his ice cream, ignoring my intense stare. I had hoped that he would make this somewhat easier on me. I didn’t have the vaguest clue how to begin with the questions I was yearning to ask.
I sighed. Nope. He was going to make this as difficult as humanly possible.
“So…”
“So…” he repeated. Ugh. He wasn’t giving me any breaks.
I decided to go with the easiest of my questions. “So… about last night. How did you—well you know… What brought you to the beach at…” His eyes never left his ice cream. I griped the edge of the table in my determination to ask. “How did you communicate with whatever that thing was?” There I said it.
He
“No. They have work to do.” I had a feeling I didn’t understand what he meant. From his tone I knew he wouldn’t explain it, at least not yet.
I followed him in the direction of the boardwalk. “Good, then. I’ve worked up a big appetite, and I don’t want Henry trying to steal my ice cream the whole time. Oh, and Ty?” The edge in my voice made him stop.
“Yes, Amy?” His hypnotic eyes bored into mine.
“I want details. Don’t leave anything out.” Then I skipped ahead to the boardwalk trying to ignore the groan that Ty let out. I couldn’t hide the stupid smile on my face, just being with him made me ecstatic.
I followed Ty to one of the many quaint ice cream parlors that lined the beach. The one he picked was tiny. It had a cramped yet somehow homey feeling about it. There were only two rows of booths that were brightly colored with low hanging stained glass light fixtures. The small knick-knacks lined the stores counters, covering all the extra space with an odd assortment of cooking apparel. It was the cutest place I could ask for to have a first date.
He held the door open for me like a true southern gentleman. The girl behind the counter nearly tripped over herself to help us, well, Ty anyway.
I felt smug as Ty ignored her to ask me what I wanted to order. My face flushed red as Ty leaned down close to my ear.
“Hm. I think I’m going to get chocolate with hot fudge. What about you?”
“Strawberry sounds good right now.”
“Ew! Who in their right mind gets strawberry? Chocolate is so much better.” I cringed, pretending to be mortified.
“Well, chocolate may be delicious I’ll give you that.” He took his free hand, grabbing a stray lock of my hair. He smoothed it back in place with the side of his hand. “But strawberry is the closest thing I can get to your hair color in an ice cream. That’s all I can ask for.”
I nearly dropped my ice cream in embarrassment. Stupid Ty. Why does he have to be so dang smooth? As we neared the cash register I reached for my spare cash in my pocket. Ty’s hand instantly caught mine.
“No, really Ty, you don’t have to do it. I was just kidding when I said I would make you pay.” I tried to untangle my hand from his. He didn’t budge.
“Amy, don’ t be ludicrous. I said I would treat. It would insult my pride if you paid. Please just follow this one request.” I rolled my eyes, but I did drop my hand. He just wasn’t going to let it go that I came back, or that I’d done some other thing to him. Ugh. It really gets annoying trying to imagine all the horrible things I could have done to make him keep repeating that phrase.
I found a nice booth and slid in it. I was glad it took Ty a while to pay, it gave me time to figure out what exactly I was going to ask him. At last he strode over to the table, eyes wide with anxiety as he took in my thoughtful expression. My nervous hair twirling habit resurfaced, I had to do something to relieve my nerves.
He sighed before sitting down. Clearly this was not a conversation he wanted to have. It was a conversation I needed to have, to put my nerves at rest. Unfortunately, he is just as stubborn as I am. He worked on thoroughly enjoying his ice cream, ignoring my intense stare. I had hoped that he would make this somewhat easier on me. I didn’t have the vaguest clue how to begin with the questions I was yearning to ask.
I sighed. Nope. He was going to make this as difficult as humanly possible.
“So…”
“So…” he repeated. Ugh. He wasn’t giving me any breaks.
I decided to go with the easiest of my questions. “So… about last night. How did you—well you know… What brought you to the beach at…” His eyes never left his ice cream. I griped the edge of the table in my determination to ask. “How did you communicate with whatever that thing was?” There I said it.
He
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