The Wrong Mr. Right (The Queen's Cove Series #2)(19)

“You think I’m gorgeous?” The side of his mouth hitched further in a roguish grin.

I stumbled on the sand and huffed an embarrassed laugh. Of course, I did. “I meant the mountains. The mountains are gorgeous.”

“Mhm. You like this social media thing.”

Warmth filled my chest and I nodded. “I do. It’s fun.”

“Glad someone enjoys it. How are your dates going?”

My stomach tied itself into a knot. “I think I’m going to cancel.”

Every time I remembered asking all those guys out, I shuddered with embarassment. Now I had to go out and make conversation with men in a public place, when I’d rather be in my pajamas at home under a blanket with a glass of wine and the latest Talia Hibbert book.

But I’d been doing that for years and it got me nowhere.

“What? No.” He shook his head. “You can’t cancel, bookworm. The hard part is over.”

“The hard part is not over; the hard part is me having to spend time around people and convince them to like me.”

He frowned. “You don’t need to convince anyone to like you. People either like you, or they don’t know you well enough, or they don’t matter. You can leave your board there.” He gestured to the sand in front of the shop. “Carter’s teaching a beginner class this morning.”

I set the board down on the sand and dusted my hands off. “I’m meeting him at the bar tonight.”

Amusement grew on his features. “Better get your dart game ready.”

I groaned. “I don’t want to go.”

He nudged my arm. “Come on, bookworm. This is how you figure out what you like.”

“By dating half the town?”

“Yep.”

“Are you only saying that because that’s your method?”

Another flash of teeth, wolfish this time. “Except we don’t really date, if you know what I mean.”

A quick stab hit me in the gut. I made a grumbly noise and rolled my eyes. Why did I care if Wyatt had hooked up with every girl in town? I didn’t. In fact, that was why I was here. Because Wyatt was so good at dating and meeting people. Wyatt knew hot girls. I should be getting tips from him instead of making it weird.

He tilted his chin across the street. “Leave your suit on, we can sit outside the food truck. I’m going to put my board away.”

He disappeared into the shop with his board and returned a minute later. We wandered over barefoot across the street to the small patio with picnic tables. Music played and greasy food smells wafted out of the truck. Something sizzled inside.

We studied the small menu and I shot him a side-long glance. “So, say I wanted to hook up with Carter, what would I do?”

He crowed with laughter. “You don’t.”

No, I didn’t, but I wanted to know what I would do in case it ever came up with anyone else. “Maybe I do.”

The look he gave me made me feel like he could see inside my brain. He shook his head, still laughing. “Your body language with him told me you don’t.”

I thought about getting naked with Carter and my face automatically pulled into a grimace.

Wyatt laughed again and pointed at my face. “You’d rather go back out on the water and bail off your board all morning than go anywhere near Carter’s bed.”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “You’re right. But what about someone like Beck? If I wanted to hook up with him, how would I make that known?”

The grin dropped off Wyatt’s face. “We should order.” He turned to the person running the truck and ordered a breakfast sandwich before turning to me. “Do you want the same?”

“Uh, sure.” I blinked. “Thanks. Wait.” I glanced between us, still in our wetsuits. “I don’t have any money on me. Neither do you.”

“He has a tab,” the woman in the truck called out.

“Oh. Thanks, Wyatt.”

He winked. “Don’t mention it.”

We took a seat at a picnic table and within a few minutes, our food arrived.

My foot tapped a rhythm on the ground while we ate. What if Carter tried to kiss me tonight? I cringed. I really didn’t want to kiss him. Was it unethical if I went on a date with the guy and I didn’t even like him, not more than a friend? I didn’t want to lead him on. Maybe Wyatt was right in that I needed the practice to figure out what I wanted.

I didn’t want Carter, though.

“You’re still thinking about the date with Carter tonight?”

I swallowed a bite of food and nodded at Wyatt.

He studied me for a moment. A piece of hair had fallen into his eyes, and he pushed it back. “Would it make you feel better if I was there?”

I snorted. “Like, on our date?”

There was that lazy grin again. “No, at the bar. If you get uncomfortable or something, you can give me a signal and I’ll jump in to help.”

I straightened up. “Yes. That would be amazing.” I tilted my head at him. “You’d do that for me?”

He rolled his eyes. “Relax, bookworm. I’m going to a bar to have a beer. It’s not a big deal.”

My face warmed. “Right. I know. I just appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it.”