Incumbent(46)

She smiled at me and popped a Swedish Fish in her mouth from the package she’d brought with her.

“That’s some logic you’ve got there, but I’ll go with it.”

“That’s me, Ms. Logical.” She giggled.

This was an entirely different side of Lucy. She seemed relaxed, which was exactly what I wanted. I had big plans for this weekend.

I did everything I could not to tell her right now I was in love with her; I wanted to save it for this weekend. I’d reserved a private bungalow for Sunday night, and planned to have it all set up for the most romantic night a woman could dream of.

“We should be at the club soon.”

“So, does everyone in your family golf?”

“Not like Dane, but yes. Have you ever played?”

“I played miniature golf when I was younger, but that’s it.”

“Well, just remember that scoring is the opposite of other sports. Golfers want the lowest score, not the highest.”

“Yeah, that always confused me, but I think I get it. They need their ball in the hole in less strokes than the other guys.” Then she looked at me and batted her eyes. “How many strokes does it take for your ball to get in the hole?”

We both laughed for a moment, and I cleared my throat. “Okay, no more golf or stripper talk until we’re out of a moving vehicle.”

“Fine. What should we talk about?”

“We can talk about you.”

That was the end of the laughter, which made me very sorry I’d mentioned it. Luckily, we’d pulled up to the country club where Dane was participating in a charity event. It was the last day of the tournament and still early in the afternoon, so I just needed to find out what hole he was on. I parked the car and before we got out, Lucy placed her hand on my forearm.

“I do want to talk, but not in the car. It’s a really long story, and I just don’t want to start until I can finish it.”

The atmosphere in the car went from light and easy to thick and uncomfortable. It was as if a black cloud hung over us, and I didn’t like that feeling at all. When I slid out of the car, I went to her side to open the door but she beat me to it.

I gently tugged on her arm. “Always remember, I’m on your side. I’ll protect you from whatever or whomever bothers you.” I kissed the top of her head and tried to get that light and easy feel between us again. “Now, let’s go and see how my brother’s balls are doing.”

She smiled up at me. “Thank you.”

We walked toward the large white tent to pick up our passes and were informed that Dane had just made the turn, so we headed for the tenth hole.

“It’s so pretty here,” Lucy said as she scanned the course.

She was right. The grass was so green it looked artificial, and the shrubs were flawlessly manicured. The sky above us was a brilliant shade of blue, which made for a perfect day for golf.

As we approached the tenth hole, Dane was on the tee box.

I leaned over to Lucy and nodded toward him. “That’s Dane.” He had on black slacks and a gray golf shirt. His jet-black hair fanned from under his Titleist cap.

I laced my fingers with hers and maneuvered us so we could see his shot. The ping of a perfectly hit shot rang out, and we watched it sail down the middle of the fairway. When I looked at Lucy, she was squinting.

On her tiptoes, she craned her neck as she whispered, “Where did it go? Was it good?” Her nose crinkled as she shielded her eyes from the sun with her free hand.

I squeezed her hand. “Yes, it was a great shot.”

Dane strolled down the fairway, carrying his own bag. He was so calm and relaxed. What a life my brother had, being able to travel the world while doing what he loved. Like the rest of my family, I wished him well, hoping he made the pros so he could earn a decent living.

We ambled down the fairway to the green and waited for them to hit their next shots. Four golfers played together, and Dane was last since his shot went the farthest.

He swung, and his ball traveled in a high arc to land about four inches away from the cup. Lucy and I applauded along with the rest of the gallery. Dane ended up with a birdie, which made me proud of my brother.

We followed him around the rest of the course and finally made our way to the final hole, number eighteen. The entire afternoon, Lucy never let go of my hand until it was time to clap or cheer. She was so relaxed and carefree, and I loved this side of her. She looked adorable in a little pink skirt that showed off her dreamily shaped legs, and a white V-necked top that accentuated her breasts. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail.

My brother was going to love her.

I glanced down to find Lucy beaming. “I’m so glad you’re my girlfriend.” I pulled our joined hands to my lips and kissed hers.

“Me too.”

Dane ended up placing second, and we met him after he finished posting his scores. He spotted us as soon as he walked out of the players’ tent.

“Hey, big brother.” He set his bag down and took off his cap, stowing it in one of the pockets of his bag before he gave me a brief hug. Then he turned to Lucy.

“Aw, you brought me a gift. Thanks!”

Before I knew it, he had Lucy in his arms. She giggled when he dipped her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Okay, okay. You can let my girlfriend go now.”