Grabbing his hand, she took charge and dragged him toward the exit. On the sidewalk outside she pulled him away from the door and whirled around.
“You had me at rock, paper, scissors,” she told him with an adorable hair flip and sniff of shyness.
A lightning bolt of rose gold sparkles shot into his soul and filled him until it felt like the edges of his physical being melted into the universe. He’d never known anything like it. She terrified and excited him in the same breath. A sensation of finding home after a long search coupled with the fear of losing everything rattled him.
The reason his mom’s face drifted through his thoughts didn’t require soul searching. Losing her right after he was born shaped his emotions. He’d never known what it was like to have a real home. A home full of heart and love. When looking at Summer gave him a feeling of homecoming, things shifted inside.
Stepping closer, he feathered his fingers along her cheek, and murmured, “And you had me with wisecracks about my Gucci shoes and the size of my feet.”
Tilting her head to look up at him, she smiled slowly. “Is this going to get complicated?”
He heard the teasing lilt in her voice and did a mental happy dance. With a snicker, he caught her gaze and held it. “It got complicated when you called me out over a twenty-percent tip.”
“Oh, pfft.” She laughed and shoved him back a step. “You’re just annoyed because I wasn’t impressed by your wallet.”
She sashayed down the street without looking back. He raced to catch up, pulled her hand through the crook he made with his arm, and brought her to a full stop.
“Look”—she gasped—“the moon is almost full.”
He glanced up. “Snow moon,” he murmured before realizing he spoke.
Her face lit up. “Yes! And this one is a supermoon. Let’s go down to the water and see if there’s a moon river.”
Captivated by her joyful spontaneity, Arnie looked around and noted their location. “Fastest route?”
“This way,” she told him and tugged at his arm until he followed where she led.
“Now I’m glad I wore flats,” she exclaimed as they hurriedly marched along. “The dress looks killer with a nice pair of strappy wedges, but most truly great footwear isn’t designed for walking.”
He never thought of it that way and chuckle-snorted.
“It’s true,” she insisted.
“Are you a shoe lover?”
“Oh god, yes. But not just hooker heels.”
Hooker heels. Good one.
“I have a cute pair of Wellies and more sneakers than any one person should have. Oh, and boots. I love boots. Not the practical kind,” she told him with a wrinkled nose and fast head shake. “I’m talking rock and roll boots, and pirate boots, and cute little Mary Poppins boots.”
“Your sigh sounded slightly orgasmic,” he teased.
She laughed, punched his arm, and dragged him through a crosswalk. They picked up steam, and in less than three short blocks, they made their way through a mound of sand and rocks to arrive at the ocean’s edge. Off in the distance, a pier with twinkling lights jutted into the water. The sound of the moving ocean and a full moon sky made an enchanting setting.
“I love it here,” she murmured after they ditched their shoes and walked closer to the water.
He studied her and caught something flickering in her energy field. “Is it the ocean you love or nature in general?”
“Good question.” She looked out at the huge expanse of water. “When I graduated from high school, I went to New Orleans with a group of friends. It was hot and so freakin’ humid my bra was wet the whole time. But it was colorful and had tons of history going on, and I thought it was the most wonderful place on earth.”
Summer’s cheery disposition and general vibe suggested the golden girl would radiate happiness and make wherever she lived special.
She shrugged. “I haven’t traveled much, and I’m a native Californian, or as my friends call it, hashtag-weather-spoiled.” Her self-deprecating smirk hit him in the heart. “So you sort of have to keep the curve in mind when you’re grading me.”
“I don’t think there are many places I haven’t been,” he admitted.
She didn’t ask for clarification. After staring at the ocean for a moment, her eyes met his. “You’re not from here, are you?”
“Uh, no,” he stammered. “I’m here for a, uh, business thing.”
The disappointment in her expression moved him beyond words. Without knowing his