If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,14

let himself be amused. “You think you’re going to escape the McGuire family craziness, but you’re as much a part of this as I am.”

She looked puzzled. “Did you get hit in the head with a baseball?”

He laughed, and some of his nerves began to dissipate. How long had it been since a woman had made him nervous? Her big blue almond-shaped eyes could’ve made any man forget his own name, but Hollis found himself mostly trying not to stare at her full lips and the tiny gold necklace hanging perfectly in between her prominent collarbones.

Get a grip, McGuire. It’s just Emily.

Emily, who’d also felt to him like a bottle that had been tossed out to sea. Even if he could’ve seen her, he couldn’t have gotten to her, not after the way her grandparents whisked her off the island right after the accident.

It was like they’d vanished into thin air after that, leaving him sitting in a pile of confusion nursing a broken heart.

His mother said it would just take time to get over the loss of his friend, that they needed to give the Ackerman family space just now—they could reach out once the dust settled.

The dust must’ve never settled because no one ever reached out.

But Hollis didn’t care about any of that—he only cared about the girl who’d looked past everything he wasn’t straight to what he could be. She’d seen something in him when all everyone else saw was a poor kid who was out of place.

He turned toward her, thankful she wasn’t a mind reader. “Family dinners, picnics on the beach, backyard baseball games—your presence is expected. You know Nan McGuire would be crushed if you didn’t show.”

Emily swiped a stray hair away from her face.

Man, she was pretty.

She’d always been in a league all her own, and yet for some reason, she happily spent her Nantucket days hanging out with Hollis and his little brother, Hayes. Their sister, Harper, was too young for most of their crazy Nantucket adventures, but he had no doubt if things had been different, the four of them would’ve made some pretty wild memories.

But things weren’t different, and he’d be smart to remember that. He thought he might’ve picked up on a little bit of sadness at the mention of his family, but what if all Emily wanted was to be left alone? He didn’t know her anymore, after all. It wasn’t like they could carry on from right where they left off. There was a lot of life between them now.

“I don’t want to get in the way.” She cleared her throat. “Can I have a glass of water?”

“Oh yeah, of course.” He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He held it out to her, but before he let go of it, he forced her gaze. “And you could never be in the way.”

She looked down, taking the bottle from him and turning a sweet shade of pink. He reminded himself that Emily wasn’t like the girls who followed the team around or the ones he met in bars after games. He’d tired of women like that a long time ago, but he’d always known how to win them over. If he wasn’t careful, he’d fall into that same pattern and he had a feeling Emily Ackerman would call him out on it quicker than an unexpected fastball.

Friends. That’s what they would be. It was the smartest thing for everyone.

Besides, Emily might not have kids, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t involved with someone—or even married.

He glanced at her bare left hand.

Or maybe not.

The front door flung open and Tilly barked. Hayes walked in carrying two duffel bags, which he dropped in the entryway to give the dog his full attention.

“Oh, my gosh,” Emily said quietly. “Is that Hayes?”

“He’s never going to believe it’s you.” Hollis walked over to his brother, who people used to think was his twin. Nobody would make that mistake now. Hayes’s once-blond hair had darkened and he was a few inches shorter than Hollis, though a little sturdier these days. Hollis made a mental note to get back to the gym. His baseball career might be over, but that didn’t mean he should let himself go.

“Big Bro,” Hayes said, pulling Hollis into one of those friendly guy hugs. “Am I the first one here?”

“Well, you and JoJo,” Hollis said. “And Tilly.”

Hayes looked past Hollis and into the kitchen, where Emily sat, watching them. She looked like she