A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection Read Online Free PDF Page B

better take care of these before the leather starts to warp. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know if the shoes work out, okay?”
    “Alright,” he said, standing and scowling at his feet covered in sand. “But I doubt you’ll be able to save them. They got completely soaked.”
    “I’ll give it my best shot,” she said, still smiling, even though she no longer felt it. He wasn’t going to apologize for making such a big deal about wet shoes? Or thank her for trying to save them?
    He did open the door for her when they got back to the hotel, and they hugged—somewhat awkwardly, since she had two pairs of shoes in hand—before parting ways in the lobby. After he disappeared in the direction of the elevators, she went to the front desk and asked for some old newspapers.
    Brylee wasn’t in the room when Sarah returned, which didn’t surprise her since she and Clint hadn’t been on the beach very long. Half an hour later, after thoroughly washing the salt from Clint’s shoes, Sarah crumbled up the newspaper and shoved them inside the wet leather, then put the shoes on top of the air conditioning unit, which she turned to FAN ONLY. She hung her dress in the closet, put on her PJs in preparation for an early bedtime, and once in front of the mirror to take off her makeup, dared ask herself a question that had been tapping at her consciousness. Were the interactions she’d had with Clint so far strengthening her feelings toward him?
    She closed her eyes against whatever answer might come. She was invested in this weekend. She wanted so much for it to work. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at the window. She went to it and looked out over the beach in search of distraction from thoughts she didn’t want to ponder. It had only been two days; she needed to keep an open mind.
    The waves crashing onto the beach seemed to be calling to her, calming her, taking away her growing doubts. She was in Cozumel, Mexico, a place she might never see again. What on earth was she doing in her hotel room?

Chapter Seven
     
    “You’re sure you don’t want to stay?” Brylee shouted at Mark, trying to be heard above the thumping music and other screaming patrons at the club.
    “I’m sure!” Mark screamed back. “Thanks for inviting me, though. It’s been fun. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
    “Okay!” Brylee gave him a thumbs-up sign.
    She melted back onto the dance floor, and Mark headed toward the exit, glad to have stayed long enough to be able to leave without being rude. He’d danced a little at the beginning then hung back by the bar and talked to a few people he knew from the conference. Though he could handle pretty much any kind of setting, he was happy to escape this one.
    When he exited the club, the silence was jarring, and he let out a breath of relief amid the ringing in his ears. He headed toward the hotel, but in the space between the buildings caught sight of the moonlit waves. Without any need to contemplate other options, he turned onto the walkway that would take him to the beach. When he reached the sand, he left his shoes on an empty beach chair and rolled up the legs of his pants. A minute later, the warm Caribbean waters washed over his feet, and he smiled as he started walking along the waterline. His feet sank into the sand with every step. He watched the wet sand in front of him while thinking about the evening.
    Dinner hadn’t gone as bad as he’d feared it would—Clint hadn’t been all over Sarah this time—but part of him had hoped she’d distance herself after his embarrassing behavior at the bar. Instead, she’d agreed to walk the beach with him, alone. The memory of last night, seeing Clint slobber all over her, was almost more than Mark could bear. The only reason he hadn’t left the table was because he could feel her panic rising. He didn’t think he’d ever felt someone else’s anxiety in his life. It was a relief when she’d looked to him for help, and it had