A Wedding Worth Waiting For (5 page)

“Here you go, but be careful. They're a bit hot.”

Sam was already reaching for one, nodding at the warning. “Thanks, I remember.” She took a bite and then immediately dropped the steaming fritter into her lap. “Ouch!”

Dylan handed her a napkin from the dispenser on the edge of the table. “She did warn you.”

Sam brushed the crumbs off of her shirt and shook her head. “I thought she meant spicy hot, not hot-hot.”

“It seems in this case they're both.” He nudged one of the glasses of ice water the waitress had left toward Sam. “Here, drink this. It will help.”

She nodded and gulped down a few big swallows. “Better, thanks.”

“Good.” He broke open one of the steaming fritters and handed her half. “They cool faster this way.”

“Now you tell me. Where were you a minute ago?”

Fantasizing about you in nothing but a pair of glasses
probably wasn't the right answer, so he just shrugged and bit into the rapidly cooling appetizer. The slightly sweet and chewy conch contrasted perfectly with the spicy peppers and crisp batter. “Do you know, there are people who have never had a conch fritter?”

She shook her head in mock sympathy. “It's a tragedy, really.”

“It is. I guess they don't know what they're missing. But still, life can't quite be complete if you don't have good seafood.”

A wistful look shadowed her face. “There's a lot to be thankful for in Paradise.”

Dylan wanted to punch himself. She'd lived most of her life away from this, and it was obvious she'd missed out on a lot more than seafood while she was gone. He couldn't give her that time back or fix everything that had gone wrong for her, but he could at least try to keep his foot out of his mouth and make her return as welcome as possible.

And if easing her reentry into her old hometown meant spending more time with her, well, that was just an added bonus.

Chapter Five

W
hen the waitress returned with their entrées, Sam forced herself to focus on the meal, refusing to let herself be dragged down by bad memories. Sure, she'd had a rough childhood in some ways, but she was incredibly lucky in others. And right here, right now, she was having a delicious meal in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Even better, she was having a great time. Not only had Dylan turned out to be an excellent dinner companion, but she'd actually met someone who remembered her! It was almost pathetic how much a waitress's simple comment could affect her mood, but knowing that someone remembered her mother, remembered them as a family, meant more than she had expected.

Her mom had been gone so long, and her father had changed so much, it was hard to believe any of it had been real. Sometimes she wondered if she'd imagined how good her life had been back then. Talking to someone who knew her then reassured her it wasn't all in her head. They
had
been happy, and damn it, she was going to be happy again. She was going to make friends, kick butt at her job and make her boss and her father proud of her.

“Is your sandwich okay? You've been awful quiet.”

“Oh, yes. It's delicious, actually.” And it was, the creamy Brie and buttery lobster a match made in heaven. “I was just thinking.”

“About?” Dylan took a bite of his taco and looked expectantly at her.

“The past, the future, that sort of thing.”

He nodded. “Being near the ocean can bring out some big thoughts. Something about the timelessness of the waves maybe. Whenever I get too caught up in the day-to-day grind, I hit the beach. A few hours on my board helps me back up and see the forest for the trees.”

“I knew it! You are a surfer.”

“Guilty as charged. I don't get as much time on the waves as I'd like, but it's one of the reasons I took the job here. I was dying to get back in the water.”

She dipped a corner of her sandwich in the spicy chowder and considered that. “So where were you before you came here?”

“Boston. Which, although technically isn't far from the ocean, to find waves you have to be willing to drive a while. Which my school schedule didn't leave a lot of time for.”

“Wait, you were in school in Boston?” She tried hard to picture his sun-bleached hair and laid-back attitude fitting in in New England, and failed.

“Yeah, grad school. I got an MBA, which looks good on paper but taught me very little about bottle-feeding deer. That's all on-the-job training.”

He had an MBA? “What school?”

“I did my undergrad at UF, but the MBA is from Harvard.”

“You have an MBA from Harvard. And you work for a tiny nonprofit where you have to nail shingles and feed deer?” Was he crazy?

“I do more than that, but yes. I had job offers from larger companies, but I wasn't interested in the whole corporate thing. I like it here, and I'm close enough to home to visit my family when I want to. And when I get free time, which isn't very often, I admit, I can surf or just walk on the beach. Boston's a great place, but I'm a Florida boy at heart.”

So not just good-looking, but smart. Smart enough to get into Harvard, and confident enough to turn down what were undoubtedly better-paying and more impressive jobs in order to have the lifestyle he preferred. She wanted to understand more about how he'd ended up following such an unconventional path, but if he didn't want to talk about it she wouldn't pry. Having her own off-limits subjects, she knew that simple questions could sometimes lead to painful answers.

Instead, she leaned back in her chair and steered the conversation to a more mundane topic. “You said your parents live nearby—does that mean you're a Florida native?”

He gave a slow, easy smile and her heart thumped a bit harder. “Yes, ma'am. My parents have a cattle ranch over on the mainland in unincorporated Palmetto County. My brother and sister both still live there, and help run the place.”

“And you didn't want to stay and be part of the family business?”

“No, but it took me a while to figure that out. I majored in Agricultural Science at UF, but the closer I got to graduating, the more I wanted to do something else. I didn't tell my parents I was applying to grad school until after I got accepted. I figured they couldn't argue with a scholarship to Harvard.”

So not only did he get into Harvard, he'd gotten a scholarship. Wow. “So your version of rebellion was to go get a business degree at an Ivy League school?”

He chuckled. “If you put it that way, I guess so. Not much of a rebellion, huh?”

“Hey, going against the expectations of your family is hard, no matter what.”

“Is that how you ended up as a wildlife officer, because your father expected it?”

Sam sputtered, nearly choking on a sip of tea. “No, definitely not. He thought I should be a librarian or an English teacher. Joining the Fish and Wildlife Commission was the last thing he wanted for me. He thinks law enforcement isn't a suitable career for a woman. Or at least, not for his daughter. Camping out, hiking—those are fine if they're just a hobby. But chasing poachers in the back country, carrying a gun—that's way too dangerous. “

A slow, sexy smile spread over Dylan's face. “Well, then, I guess that makes us a pair of rebels, doesn't it?”

* * *

Dylan watched her shrug off his question. “I guess so, although rebelling really wasn't the goal. And I do like books, so he wasn't too far off with the librarian idea.”

“But...?” There was obviously more, something she wasn't saying.

“But I wanted something that we could share, something to bring us together. And I wanted to make a difference, the way that he did.”

And she wanted to make him proud.

Something inside his chest ached at the thought of this gutsy woman trying so hard to earn her own father's approval. No wonder she was determined to make things work for her in Paradise. She wasn't just trying to impress her boss or renew old friendships; she was trying to win her father's love.

“Is everyone all done?” Sally was back, ready to clear their plates.

Sam nodded. “I'm finished. How about you, Dylan?”

“Yes, thank you, Sally. And could you bring out two slices of the key lime pie, please?” He looked back to Sam. “Unless you'd prefer something else.”

“Key lime pie sounds perfect.”

Sally took their plates and smiled her approval. “Y'all sit tight. I'll be back with that pie in just a minute.”

True to her word, she returned with the sweet, creamy dessert in record time, and he still hadn't figured out a way to ask Sam more about her relationship with her father. Maybe it was best to work up to that and start with something simpler. “So, what kinds of things are you looking forward to, now that you're back?”

She halted the fork that was halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what are you planning as far as fun? Places you've missed, people you want to see, that kind of thing.”

“Other than eating conch fritters and key lime pie?”

“Yes, other than that. Although it's not a bad start.”

She licked a bit of pie from her fork, sending his blood rushing south as she appeared to consider the question.

“I don't really know. I've been pretty focused on the things I have to do, not the things I want to do. Business before pleasure, and all of that.”

“That can be a pretty boring way to live.”

She pursed her lips, then shook her head. “Maybe, but it's a strategy that's worked pretty well so far. It got me to where I am, and that wasn't easy.” She smirked. “You aren't the only one that got a scholarship, you know. Although mine was just undergrad, and nothing as fancy as Harvard.”

“So brains and looks, my favorite combination.” He watched with satisfaction as her cheeks turned pink. Making her blush was becoming a bit of an addiction. Truthfully, everything about her made him want more. More time with her, but also more
for
her. She was smart, pretty and had a quick wit, but he had a feeling she'd locked most of that away in her pursuit of success. Maybe it was just his contrary nature surfacing, but he was itching to show her how much more there was to life, or could be.

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“You know, people always say that, but in my experience a little flattery never hurts.”

She shook her head in annoyance, but there was a twinkle in her eye. She wasn't totally immune to his charms; there was still hope. For what, he wasn't quite sure, but he certainly was going to stick around and find out. Maybe this was his chance. “Well, tonight's been fun, right?”

She nodded. “Actually, yes, it has.”

“Don't sound so surprised.”

“Hey, I'm just being honest. I wasn't sure this was a good idea, but I've had fun.” She looked out over the water, her eyes seeing something he couldn't. “It's been a long time since I've just sat and relaxed. Good view, good food, perfect weather—”

“—fantastic company. Can't forget the fantastic company.”

She laughed and his skin tingled in response. “Fine, yes, the company was good, too. It's been a nice night. Thank you for suggesting it. I'm just sorry your friend Dani couldn't make it.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Not really. “But since you've had such a good time, why don't we make plans to get together again?”

Sam bit her bottom lip, tension sharpening the crease between her brows. “Like a date?”

“That's the idea, yeah. We're both adults, and I'd like to see you again.”

“Oh.” She smiled, but this time it looked forced. “I don't think so. Tonight was nice, but I'm not looking to date anyone right now. I need to focus on work and on making new friends. It just isn't a good time for anything beyond that.”

“You're sure? I can't bribe you with another crazy sandwich or something?”

“I'm sure. But thank you. It's been a while since a guy asked me out. I'm flattered.”

What kind of blind, clueless men had she been around? “Well, the offer stands. Maybe once you get your feet under you, and things settle down...”

“Maybe.”

Damn. It had been a long time since he'd been shot down, longer still since it had really mattered. Actually, it had been quite a while since he'd even asked a woman out, although plenty of the eligible ladies in Paradise had made it clear they were interested. He'd just been too busy trying to keep the wildlife sanctuary afloat. Maybe he was getting as bad as he accused her of being, all work and no play.

He'd have to rectify that, and soon. But somehow the idea didn't spark much enthusiasm. Not when the woman he really wanted to go out with was sitting right in front of him, and she'd turned him down flat.

* * *

Sam fiddled with her fork, pushing the last bit of her pie around her plate. Injured animals, lawbreakers, outboard motors that refused to start: all of those she could handle with confidence. So why did a man asking her out make her want to run home and hide?

She'd been asked out before—not often—but it had happened. She'd never had a problem turning anyone down. And men in general certainly didn't make her nervous. She worked in a male-dominated field; she knew how to handle herself. So why was her pulse pounding louder than the surf crashing on the rocks below?

Because this time, she hadn't wanted to say no.

And that was terrifying.

Until now, she'd parroted the line about needing to focus on her work or school as an excuse. But now that she was finally interested in a guy it was actually true. She really couldn't divert time into figuring out a relationship, not now. Maybe if she was the kind of girl who could keep things casual it would work, but despite her lack of experience she was pretty sure she wasn't a casual kind of person—not when it came to relationships. Her inability to deal with her father's distance had taught her that.

Picking up on her discomfort, Dylan shrugged, as if it was all no big deal. To him it probably wasn't. “Well, maybe when you get settled, you can look me up. In the meantime, let me know if you get any leads on those poachers.”

“Poachers?” Her mind struggled to switch gears. “I mean, sure I will, although it doesn't look too promising right now.” One dinner with a handsome guy and she'd already forgotten about work. Obviously, turning him down was the right decision. She couldn't afford any confusion when it came to protecting the wildlife of Paradise Isle. “What will you do with the deer?”

“Oh, we'll keep him for a little while, until he can fend for himself. It won't take too long. He's doing well, thanks to us finding him in time.”

“You're the one that found him.”

“And you found me.” Dylan cleared his throat. “Anyway, if you'd like to check on him, you can stop by anytime.”

“Thanks, maybe I will.” Probably not, though. As much as she'd like to see the fawn's progress with her own eyes, she didn't want to risk giving Dylan the wrong idea. Better to end things now, before it got awkward. She'd hoped he might be able to help her make some friends, but given the circumstances she'd be better off without him.. Better to fumble her way through on her own than get in over her head with him.

Sally approached the table. “Anyone want coffee? Decaf?”

“No, thanks.” It was time to leave, no matter how much fun she was having. Time to face reality, and sadly reality didn't often feature Brie and lobster with a gorgeous guy. More like paperwork and peanut butter and jelly. “I'll take the check, though.”

Dylan's gaze shot to her in surprise. “I don't think so. Dinner's on me.”

“But this was about helping me out, so I should pay.” Letting him pay would make it a date.

“First, it was supposed to be a chance for me to introduce you to a potential ally, but since she didn't come I didn't do anything to help you. Second, you paid for the pizza you shared with me the other night, so I already owe you a meal. Third, my mother would have me fed to the gators if she heard I'd asked a woman to dinner and then let her pay.”