Sailing at Sunset Page 13

  Mark biked up on her left side, and while she was huffing and puffing, he’d hardly broken a sweat. So unfair, but then again, he frequented the gym after work, whereas she cuddled up on her couch most evenings.

  At least she had the electric-assist to amplify her pedaling power, although her thighs were burning, her face heating with the effort. “I knew I should’ve reserved a regular pedal bike for you.”

  Mark chuckled. “And leave me wondering why I was falling behind while everyone else was so speedy?”

  “Exactly,” Danae panted. “Seriously, do you have some magic way to make it easier? I’ve never understood bike gears. I just fiddle with them and hope for the best.”

  Mark instructed her how to downshift into a low gear that would help her climb the hill, and while she was initially skeptical, it helped immensely.

  “I keep meaning to tell you…” Mark’s pause caused her to prick up her ears and pray this ride wasn’t about to go downhill—well, metaphorically, because heading downhill would be a welcome reprieve right now. “I admire how you’ve handled things with Franco. I’m sure it’s not easy to critique one of your friends, but he showed me a couple mockup pages last night, and they’re gonna blow everyone away.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot. And I meant to tell you how much I admired you for helping that kid grab the brass ring. I was so worried he was going to fall, and then I was cheering for him to get it. The way his face lit up when he held up that ring said it all.”

  “Ah. No big deal.”

  “It was to him.”

  She could sense Josh behind them and couldn’t help wondering what was going through his head. How he was feeling today.

  If he was mad at her. If he’d given up on her.

  If she should put him and the flutters she’d felt during the lighthouse tour and deep-sea fishing trip out of her mind. Just accept that they were vastly different people with conflicting life goals, and call meeting each other a learning experience. Same as with the rest of the team.

  The idea scraped at her, not sitting right, although it made the most logical sense.

  Pedaling and seeing alpacas. For the next couple hours, that’s my focus. I’ll worry about later, well, later.

  A bike ride into the less-crowded part of the island should have been right up Josh’s alley. While scheduled, it spoke to that side of him that craved the simple life, the breeze in his hair, and a new adventure.

  Given that it wasn’t one of the usual destinations included in chartered tours, Josh had forgotten about the alpaca farm. For all his talk of adventure and changing up his backyard, he’d fallen into a pattern of his own, visiting the same places and reciting the same spiel. Missing out on new destinations and experiences himself.

  Yep, it would’ve been great if he hadn’t had to watch Mark flirt with Danae the entire ride. The guy stuck close to her side, and as they parked their bikes, Danae gave him the smile Josh had prided himself on pulling out of her. Whatever had happened in the past, it was clear that Mark wanted to rekindle things.

  Jealousy gnawed at Josh’s gut, even as he reminded himself that last night, as he’d been pounding his pillow flat, only to plump it up, he’d decided that he was sticking to his simple, single life.

  But then Danae glanced his way. Her smile changed into a sadder, tighter version that kicked him in the gut. Then she returned her attention to Mark and whatever he was saying, and boy, did he have a lot to say.

  As hard as Josh tried to convince himself it wasn’t a big deal—he and Danae barely even knew each other—it didn’t hold water. It wasn’t every day that someone managed to get past his walls. Not every day that a woman like Danae came along.

  He’d screwed up.

  Olivia’s words from a long time ago came back to him. Why can’t you ever just apologize? It doesn’t matter if you think I should be hurt. What matters is I am. She had often pointed out his unwillingness to apologize, and he’d failed to truly hear her until it was too late. Until they’d done too much damage to their relationship and to each other.

  Are you going to let your pride get in the way? To just let Mark woo her while you cling to your stubborn need to be right?

  Resolve propelled him forward, but before he could reach Danae, she was talking to the staff, checking in their party. Once she turned around, she announced that they had ten minutes to kill before setting up for yoga.

  Wait. Yoga? Somehow, he’d missed that. Surely she didn’t expect him to participate.

  As if she could read his mind, she plopped a mat in his hands.

  “Oh, I’m not…I don’t do yoga.”

  “You do today. After that bike ride, it’ll feel good to stretch out.” Amusement played along the curve of her mouth. “After all, we can’t have our captain too sore to sail our ship.”

  Surprise and pleasure clattered through him, stumbling over the fact that the statement had come out sounding…Was she flirting with him? Or was she simply anticipating watching him struggle through yoga? Either way, he’d play along. “If I do that pretzel stretch stuff, that’s exactly what’ll happen.”

  Danae shrugged. “I’m not here to force you into anything. But there’s a spot for you, and I thought you were all about trying out new things and living in the moment.” A challenge, belied by the casual way she’d tossed it out, and he had to hand it to her, she’d found the right button to push.

  She continued down the line, giving out mats and instructions. As she reached Mark, he aimed a lovestruck grin her way. Josh gritted his teeth and glanced down at the rubbery blue mat in his hands.

  Looked like today, he was going to do yoga.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Oh my gosh,” Danae said as she fed a black-and-white alpaca a carrot. The creature ate in a seesaw sort of motion, not up and down like humans did, and the crunch, crunch, crunch permeated the air. “He’s so cute.”

  Josh wasn’t sure cute was the word he’d use. Funky-looking. Graceless. Needed to close its mouth when it chewed.

  “Actually, all of these alpacas are female,” the staff worker in charge of their group informed them. “Females only have their lower teeth for chewing grass, so they can’t bite. Males have two upper pairs that are called fighting teeth.”

  “And yoga is no place for fighting.” A woman wearing tie-dye pants and a T-shirt with a cartoon alpaca giving the peace sign walked up to their group. The seashell bracelets on her wrist rattled as she waved a hand through the air. “Hi, I’m Jill, and I’ll be your instructor for today. I suggest spending about five minutes getting to know these majestic creatures, and then I’ll sprinkle grain around our mats and get started.”

  Seriously, was he still asleep? Had he wandered into an alternate dimension? He loved animals as much as anyone, but he kept waiting for Danae or one of the staff to let him in on the joke.

  Vanessa let loose a squeaky noise as a brown baby alpaca with a black snout approached her. “Whoa, check out this one’s eyelashes, Danae. They’re ridiculous. They’re even longer than my thirty-dollar lash extensions that all the beauty influencers rave about.”

  “That’s Bitzy,” the staff member informed her.

  Danae giggled and told Bitzy “You’re such a pretty girl. I bet you do an amazing downward dog.”

  “Or is your specialty tree pose?” Vanessa asked.

  Once again, Josh was totally out of the loop on whatever they were talking about, but if he was going to do yoga, he was snagging the spot next to Danae instead of letting it go to Mark.

  Jill sprinkled the grain around their mats, as promised. Then she sat in a cross-legged position up front and began reciting instructions in a calm, soothing voice. “Let go of all the tension in your body as you feel the breeze blowing through your hair…”

  Josh exhaled, focused on the light breeze, and admittedly, his tension did begin to melt as he
followed along.

  But then the more complicated stretches started. He bent at the waist and lowered his hands. Which stopped at about knee height. No way was he going to get them to the mat without snapping his back or hamstrings.

  A tan alpaca with a shaggy hairdo meandered between him and Danae, who had her palms down on the mat as if it didn’t take any effort. She stretched out her fingers and let the tips run across the alpaca’s side. “Good girl, Marcella. Way to breathe through your moves.”

  Marcella’s wheezing sounded like a freaking freight train. One that was struggling to chug its way uphill.

  Danae craned her neck and peered up at Josh’s face, her ponytail swinging with the movement. “Come on, Josh. Bitzy’s more flexible than you.” She jerked her chin at the baby with the long eyelashes, who was ducking under one of the grown females.

  “Bitzy walks on all fours, so that hardly counts.” A grunt slipped out as he lowered his hands to dangle in front of his calves. “Let’s see how long she can walk on two legs,” he said, and Danae giggled.

  As they transitioned to their next move, three alpacas traipsed over, joining their fuzzy buddies and blocking the view of the instructor. “I can’t see what we’re supposed to be doing,” Josh whispered. “Although I doubt I could do it anyway.”

  Chewpacca, the tall female of the group with an out-of-control mane, sniffed his neck.

  “And exhale,” Jill said, and warm, sickly-sweet breath that smelled vaguely like hay wafted over his cheek and nose.

  Josh lifted his chin so he and Chewpacca were face to face. As he peered into her big, nearly black eyes, he swore she smiled, her two bottom teeth popping out.

  “Fine. You’re kinda cute.”

  Seemingly satisfied, the animal circled his mat and nibbled at the grain. Judging from the ripping noise, Chewpacca had moved onto nibbling grass, and she wouldn’t eat his yoga mat, would she?

  “Since we can’t see Jill anymore,” Danae said, popping to her feet, as the fluffy white creature at her side mimicked her stance, “It’s freestyle time.” She placed one foot on the inside of her other thigh and brought her hands together as if offering a prayer. “Hey, I guessed right. They’re switching to tree pose.”

  Josh wobbled as he attempted to do the move. What it had to do with a tree he had no idea. They should’ve called it clumsy flamingo. Finally, he managed to flatten his foot to his calf—the thigh so wasn’t happening. Okay, I can do this.

  Carefully, he pressed his palms together, working to maintain his balance…

  Right as an animal nose goosed him from behind.

  He yelped.

  Danae burst out laughing.

  Her eyes widened as she lost her balance, tipping too far to the right. Josh dove to catch her, but thanks to his shaky stance and too-slow reaction time, they crashed in the middle.

  Down they went in a heap of tangled limbs, and then they were both laughing, which summoned every alpaca in the area to come and gawk at them.

  “Everything okay back there?” Jill asked, ducking her head to see underneath his and Danae’s furry, four-legged audience.

  Danae slapped a hand over her mouth, attempting to silence the infectious laughter that rang in his ears and elevated his mood all the way up to the endlessly blue sky overhead.

  Josh cleared his throat. “Yep. We’re nice and relaxed. Really feeling the nature setting.”

  “Seriously. I think I ate some grass.” Danae blew her breath past her lips, more on the spitting than exhaling side. The baby alpaca who had become obsessed with her nudged her shoulder, and Danae patted its neck. “Don’t worry, Bitzy. I saved some for you.”

  That had him laughing again, and soon everyone was craning their necks, trying to see what was so funny.

  Danae leapt up, far more agile than he, and extended a hand to help him stand. Josh slapped his palm in hers, and once she had tugged him to his feet, he reluctantly let go.

  He lowered his voice so no one else would overhear. “Hey, I’m sorry about yesterday. I was out of line.”

  She cast her eyes downward, and the world paused, each second grinding against the next. Then her gaze latched on to his and his heart expanded, testing the bounds of his rib cage. “I appreciate you saying that. And I might’ve overreacted the tiniest bit.” She wrapped the end of her ponytail around her finger. “As you pointed out, I did say I was open to feedback.”

  “I should’ve known better. After all, you’re the captain of your crew. I’d be upset if anyone told me how to run my ship.”

  The smile he’d been missing all day spread across her face—even brighter than any of the smiles her ex had gotten this morning—and a knot he hadn’t even realized had formed in his chest loosened.

  “Everyone ready for our cool down?” Jill asked.

  Thanks to being back in friendly territory, Josh would have preferred to chat with Danae. Satisfaction zinged through his veins when she seemed as hesitant as he was to return to her mat.

  As they completed their last few poses while inhaling and exhaling, Josh thought that he might just become a fan of yoga yet.

  Danae sat in the sand, her fingers sinking into the softness and soaking up the leftover warmth from the sun. After ten miles on a bike, her muscles were pleasantly tired, and sitting in the sand felt like falling into bed after a long day.

  The scent of smoke and sound of crackling flames drifted over as Paige and Mark got the bonfire going. Now that the last rays of the day were on their way out, barely peeking over the horizon, they lit up the mottled clouds overhead, turning them purple and orange. With all the bright colors and the beautiful setting, it felt like she’d stepped into a stunning photograph that seemed too beautiful to be real.

  Danae’s heart quickened as Josh walked over, and she held her breath, hoping he’d choose the spot next to her, but not wanting to draw too much attention by saying so. They’d already created quite a spectacle during their yoga session, and while she wouldn’t change a thing, she didn’t want to come across as unprofessional.

  Even if her thoughts about Josh Wheeler weren’t strictly professional.

  “Is this spot taken?” he asked, and she became acutely aware of everything about him. His whiskered jaw, the creases in his forehead, the way the sun lit up one side of his face while leaving the other in shadow.

  “It’s all yours.”

  As he crossed his legs and settled next to her, the glow from the flames caught the gold star on the jacket she’d had wrapped around her the other night. A second later, the bag of marshmallows nearly hit her in the face. She glanced over, and Franco winced.

  “Sorry. I thought you heard me yell ‘heads up.’”

  Maybe she would have, if she hadn’t been lost in all things Josh. Someone passed skewers around the circle, and then they scooted closer to the bonfire to roast their marshmallows.

  The end of Josh’s marshmallow caught on fire, and he jerked it away. He whipped it back and forth until the flames were extinguished and he was left with a half-blackened marshmallow. A minute later, Danae lifted her perfectly toasted marshmallow and waved it in front of him, taunting him with her crispy golden success.

  Josh gripped the skewer in the middle, and his eyes met hers. A thunderstorm of hoofbeats pounded through her body and echoed through her head. He leaned closer, the orange flames reflecting in his blue eyes.

  Then he peeled off her marshmallow and popped the entire thing in his mouth.

  Danae lunged, but she was too late. “Ah! That was mine!”

  Josh slung his arm around her shoulders. “Oh, I thought with the way you were waving it in my face,” he said through a giant mouthful, “you wanted me to have it.” He packed a whole heap of smugness in his grin. “That one was perfectly done.”

  “You’re gonna pay for that. I’m not sure how yet, but mark my words.”

&
nbsp; He had the nerve not to appear the least bit worried about her threat. Perhaps if she hadn’t delivered it with a smile…

  The bag of marshmallows crinkled as he lifted it with his free hand and extended it her way. “I’ll roast you another if you want, but I’m guessing I’ll burn it. I save my patience for the sea.”

  Danae jabbed a marshmallow on the end of her skewer. As she held it over the fire, she fought the urge to lean into Josh, for warmth and stability, and because she wanted to. More and more, there was this thing building between them, growing and taking over her brain.

  For a while, she’d considered giving up on dating, but there were other things besides dessert that were worth the wait.

  Only she was trying not to get ahead of herself.

  With sparks flying—and not just the ones from the fire—that was easier said than done.

  “What’s that necklace you always wear?” Josh pointed at it. “I noticed it the other day in the lighthouse and again while we were doing yoga.”

  Danae took the charm between her fingers. “My mom is obsessed with Greek mythology. It’s where the name Danae came from, but since she’s not as well-known, Mom gave me a necklace with Athena.”

  “Goddess of wisdom, courage, strategy, and a whole mess of other things. That fits—you do seem to balance it all.”

  Delight sang through her entire body, leaving her tingly and warm. She wasn’t sure she deserved the praise, and since she’d never known how to take a compliment, she figured she’d throw in some self-deprecation for good measure. “Don’t forget war. I suppose I encompass that sometimes, too, when I get a bit stubborn and set in my ways.”

  “You? Nah.” Josh nudged her with his elbow. Then his expression became more serious. “You’re doing a great job, Danae. I’ve done several of these corporate bonding trips, and your team’s really coming together. I have no doubt that your boss will see what an amazing job you’ve done and make your promotion permanent.”

  Just like that, her insides went squishy, her worries and cares lightening so much that they drifted away in the breeze. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”