Finding Serenity (Serenity Beach) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hair. “I know when to clean up.”
    “You clean up good,” I assured him. He was freshly shaven, too, and had dressed in a pair of jeans and a baby blue t-shirt. I couldn’t deny it- he looked damn good. “Shall we?”
    Nolan stepped aside and gestured for me to lead the way. His hand grazed the small of my back and a shiver went up my spine. “Nice car,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray me.
    “It’s a rental.” Nolan sounded sheepish. I got the feeling he was embarrassed by the absurd wealth resulting from his baseball career.
    “Nothing wrong with a pretty convertible,” I said, hoping to make him feel more comfortable.
    He held the door open for me, passing the first test of the night. I wasn’t old fashioned when it came to dating, but it was always nice to have someone treat you well. He turned on the engine and looked at me with his hand on the radio controls.
    “Do you have any requests?”
    “I trust your taste.”
    “That’s your first mistake of the night.” His grin made my heart jump in my chest.
    After finding a decent station, he pulled the car onto the road. My house was on Ocean Drive, aptly named since it wrapped all the way around Serenity along the ocean.
    “It really is beautiful here,” Nolan said, somewhat wistfully. “I could see why people choose to live here.”
    “It’s a little less exciting than Hollywood though,” I said.
    “Hollywood is fake. There’s no real beauty there.” Nolan accelerated and the breeze whipped through my hair. “How did you end up here?”
    “We already covered this ground at the coffee shop,” I reminded him.
    “Yeah, but you never answered the question.”
    “We both kept secrets from each other.” I didn’t plan to answer his question now, either, but then more words fell out of mouth. “I needed to get away, be some place that allowed me to breathe.”
    Nolan said, “I can understand that.”
    “You need to turn left up ahead,” I said.
    The carnival was downtown, and it looked like everyone in town was putting in an appearance. We had a hard time finding parking but the convertible was little and we found a spot to squeeze into.
    “What should I expect at this carnival?” Nolan asked as he opened the door for me.
    “Fun,” I quipped.
    He offered me his hand and I took it without thinking. I could feel callouses on his fingers as he threaded them between mine, probably formed over years of fingering baseball seams. “Will there be rides?”
    “I have no idea.” Serenity wasn’t particularly large, so it would be surprising if the carnival was anything more than a ring toss game and a hot dog stand. “If there’s a Ferris wheel, you’re buying us tickets.”
    “Deal.”
    Kennedy had made me promise to track her down upon arrival, so I sent her a text and then we headed for the beer tent where she was waiting with Brian. They saw us before we saw them and Brian swooped in, lifting me in a fierce hug.
    “No need to break my ribs,” I gasped. “Seriously. I need oxygen.”
    He set me on my feet and said, “You know you missed me.”
    “I saw you last night,” I reminded him.
    “For like a minute. I was gone for an entire week before that!” He groaned dramatically. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think about me constantly while I was gone.”
    “I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep all week.” I assured him. “Welcome back. How’s Grandma Sanders?”
    “Stubborn as ever,” he shook his head. “She’s refusing to die.”
    “That’s a bad thing?”
    “Not to me. But her children are really looking forward to their inheritance.” Brian suddenly noticed that I hadn’t arrived alone. “Jordyn, when did you make friends with Nolan Meyers?”
    “Oh, yeah.” I made room for Nolan to join our conversation. “Nolan, this is my friend, Brian. Brian, this is Nolan.”
    “What is the greatest pitcher in baseball doing in Serenity?” Brian looked uncertain as he shook Nolan’s hand. He looked at me