Sailing at Sunset - Cindi Madsen Page 0,70
several logs. Each of those strange items had hats propped on or around them.
“You go ahead and I’ll—”
Danae grabbed onto his wrist and tugged him toward the red door. “That’s not how hat shops work.”
As soon as they stepped inside, she scanned the shelves. She snagged a white fedora and plunked it on her head. “Thoughts?”
He tapped the brim. “I think Vanessa was right about you looking amazing.”
Her resulting grin sent a jolt down his spine. She hummed to herself as she continued to browse, and he followed after her like a smitten puppy.
“Ooh, I found the perfect one for you. Close your eyes.” Using her body, she blocked the row of hats she’d been studying. When he didn’t do as instructed, she lifted her hand in front of his face to block his view. “Seriously, Josh. You’re gonna ruin the surprise.”
Seriously, he didn’t think he could get enough of hearing her say his name. Since he also was a fan of keeping her happy, he let his eyelids drift shut.
A moment later, he caught a whiff of her familiar perfume, and he cracked open an eye to see she’d stood on tiptoe to put a hat on his head. Flashes of light bounced off the wall and danced across Danae’s skin. Judging from the fractured rainbows, whatever ridiculous hat she’d placed on his head resembled a disco ball.
“It’s very Wild West hero.” Danae nudged him toward the circular mirror on the wall.
Whoa. Silver sequins adorned the pink cowgirl hat. He gripped the brim and tipped it at her. “Hello, ma’am. A close friend recommended this hat, and if you run away screaming right now, I’ll have to jump to the conclusion that she has questionable taste.”
Danae giggled.
Josh draped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to his side so they could peer in the mirror. They grinned at their reflections and then at each other.
“While I’m man enough to rock sequins, this hat matches the dress you wore last night, so…” Josh snagged the fedora and switched their headwear so that she was the one sporting the pink atrocity.
She wrinkled her nose and then plucked a black fedora off a faceless mannequin. Instead of putting it on herself, she swapped it with the white hat atop his head. She studied him for a beat before giving him one sharp nod. “Better.”
While it wasn’t as goofy-looking as he’d assumed it would be, it was far from his style. “I think I’m more of a baseball cap guy.”
Danae returned the fedoras to where she’d found them and they circled the store, trying one hat after another. She found a straw garden hat in the clearance bin with the widest brim he’d ever seen. Seconds after she tried it on, the brim flopped over, covering half her face.
Josh stepped closer and lifted it so he could see those big hazel eyes. She stuck her tongue out to the side, pulling a wacky face, and he’d honestly never had so much fun shopping for anything before.
Suddenly she patted her pockets. The enormous brim flopped down again as she pulled out her phone, and she batted at the floppy fabric as she read whatever was on the screen. “That’s my timer. Our seven minutes are up.”
On the way out, she ran her fingers along the sequined cowgirl hat. “Are you sure you don’t need this in your life? I don’t want to be sailing away, only for you to be full of regret.”
“I’m sure.” The charming woman who’d placed it on his head, on the other hand…Well, he was glad he’d taken a risk last night, because missing out on this was definitely something he would have regretted.
Chapter Twenty
After their late lunch, the group decided to pass the time until their candy-making lesson in the old map store next door.
“Anyone find Newport yet?” Danae asked as she continued to shuffle through the bins. In theory, they were alphabetized. In reality, she’d found Boston in the Ns. She glanced across the aisle at Josh, who was studying an old globe.
She mentally reviewed the fun they’d had that day, from whale-sighting to shopping and messing around in the hat store, her grin so wide her cheeks hurt. What if she’d finally found someone she could build a future with? Didn’t she owe it to herself to at least see?
These days, women could supposedly have it all—it simply required balance. First and foremost, she’d ensure that her team was on track and her own work was