Sailing at Sunset - Cindi Madsen Page 0,49

couch most evenings.

At least she had the electric-assist to amplify her pedaling power, although her thighs were burning, her face heating with the effort. “I knew I should’ve reserved a regular pedal bike for you.”

Mark chuckled. “And leave me wondering why I was falling behind while everyone else was so speedy?”

“Exactly,” Danae panted. “Seriously, do you have some magic way to make it easier? I’ve never understood bike gears. I just fiddle with them and hope for the best.”

Mark instructed her how to downshift into a low gear that would help her climb the hill, and while she was initially skeptical, it helped immensely.

“I keep meaning to tell you…” Mark’s pause caused her to prick up her ears and pray this ride wasn’t about to go downhill—well, metaphorically, because heading downhill would be a welcome reprieve right now. “I admire how you’ve handled things with Franco. I’m sure it’s not easy to critique one of your friends, but he showed me a couple mockup pages last night, and they’re gonna blow everyone away.”

“Thank you. That means a lot. And I meant to tell you how much I admired you for helping that kid grab the brass ring. I was so worried he was going to fall, and then I was cheering for him to get it. The way his face lit up when he held up that ring said it all.”

“Ah. No big deal.”

“It was to him.”

She could sense Josh behind them and couldn’t help wondering what was going through his head. How he was feeling today.

If he was mad at her. If he’d given up on her.

If she should put him and the flutters she’d felt during the lighthouse tour and deep-sea fishing trip out of her mind. Just accept that they were vastly different people with conflicting life goals, and call meeting each other a learning experience. Same as with the rest of the team.

The idea scraped at her, not sitting right, although it made the most logical sense.

Pedaling and seeing alpacas. For the next couple hours, that’s my focus. I’ll worry about later, well, later.

A bike ride into the less-crowded part of the island should have been right up Josh’s alley. While scheduled, it spoke to that side of him that craved the simple life, the breeze in his hair, and a new adventure.

Given that it wasn’t one of the usual destinations included in chartered tours, Josh had forgotten about the alpaca farm. For all his talk of adventure and changing up his backyard, he’d fallen into a pattern of his own, visiting the same places and reciting the same spiel. Missing out on new destinations and experiences himself.

Yep, it would’ve been great if he hadn’t had to watch Mark flirt with Danae the entire ride. The guy stuck close to her side, and as they parked their bikes, Danae gave him the smile Josh had prided himself on pulling out of her. Whatever had happened in the past, it was clear that Mark wanted to rekindle things.

Jealousy gnawed at Josh’s gut, even as he reminded himself that last night, as he’d been pounding his pillow flat, only to plump it up, he’d decided that he was sticking to his simple, single life.

But then Danae glanced his way. Her smile changed into a sadder, tighter version that kicked him in the gut. Then she returned her attention to Mark and whatever he was saying, and boy, did he have a lot to say.

As hard as Josh tried to convince himself it wasn’t a big deal—he and Danae barely even knew each other—it didn’t hold water. It wasn’t every day that someone managed to get past his walls. Not every day that a woman like Danae came along.

He’d screwed up.

Olivia’s words from a long time ago came back to him. Why can’t you ever just apologize? It doesn’t matter if you think I should be hurt. What matters is I am. She had often pointed out his unwillingness to apologize, and he’d failed to truly hear her until it was too late. Until they’d done too much damage to their relationship and to each other.

Are you going to let your pride get in the way? To just let Mark woo her while you cling to your stubborn need to be right?

Resolve propelled him forward, but before he could reach Danae, she was talking to the staff, checking in their party. Once she turned around, she announced that they had ten minutes to kill before setting up for yoga.

Wait.