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Gorgeous beaches, fancy restaurants, beautiful weather. Yeah, if there was a place to pull my heart from my chest and offer it to Willa on a silver platter, it was the Calusa Key Resort and Spa.

“Thanks, Annalise. I needed a kick in the ass.”

“Oh, I’m well aware. But that’s what friends are for.”

I gave her a quick hug. “I’m really glad you’ve joined the club.”

“Thanks for listening to me. Now, let’s get Operation Woo Willa underway.”

Operation Woo Willa? I liked the sound of that.

7

WILLA

Today was a good day. A weird day, but a good one.

“Why was it weird?” Jeri MacNeil, Charley Tennant, and Phoebe Tan had all joined me for drinks and appetizers after we settled into our rooms at the Calusa Key Resort and Spa. We commandeered a table right on the railing of the resort bar. The umbrellas were doing a commendable job of offering us some shade. Cocktails and appetizers covered the table while we watched waves crash on the beach.

“I think Everett set me up with a friend of his.” Lunch at the Red Tourist had been strange. Annalise acted weird. Everett acted even weirder. Ned was handsome, funny, smart…all the right things. Any other time in my life I probably would have dated him.

But not with Everett right there. He might not be boyfriend material, but my body still hadn’t registered the message. All it took was a moment near him and fireworks went off.

Jeri’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“What’s his name?” Phoebe asked, all hopeful.

She was always so hopeful everyone would find their perfect mate. It drove her to date literally everyone.

Which drove her roommate Jeri up the walls.

“His name is Ned. He’s a history teacher at Calusa Key High. He coaches the baseball team.”

“Oh my god. That hottie?” Phoebe fanned herself. “Those auburn curls make me breathless.”

“You should ask him out.”

Phoebe frowned. “But…I thought you were going out with him.”

“Nope. Turned him down. He’s very nice, but not for me.” I had a lot of fun talking to him, and at the high school today he’d been adorable with the kids, but he didn’t rev my engine, so to speak.

The wheels in Phoebe’s head began to turn. “I could pretend I forgot something at the school. Run into him. A little flirting and then ask him out.”

“Or you could just ask for his number and see if he wants to get a drink.” Jeri rolled her eyes.

“Or I could do that.” She nodded once.

“I’ll get his number from Everett.” Aside from the obvious and equally awkward setup, today had been a great day. While the Mantas pampered the baseball and softball teams, the Tangerines did the same with the soccer teams. Calusa Key High had a banner day.

We got a ton of good footage, but more than that, it felt good to see the players interact with the kids. Some of them had dreams of playing professionally and seeing their wide-eyed hope reminded me that once upon a time I’d had the same kind of unabashed belief the world was my oyster.

In some ways I still felt that way. I believed I could do anything, accomplish anything, I set my mind to. But I was more guarded. I’d felt the bitter pain of rejection. I’d had my fair share of harsh criticism. Some earned, some not.

“You know,” Jeri drawled, which was always the first sign she was about to stir up trouble, “I’ve never seen you on a date. Never heard you mention a date.”

“Your point?”

“Do you date?” she said flat out.