“Hey, babe, I’m on the dock…”
“Bailey, I’m so sorry. I’m so freaking sorry—”
Her back stiffened. “Sorry for what? You’re coming, right?”
“I had to work late. I’m just now leaving Oakland.”
“Dex!” She stopped to take a breath. “It’s a three-hour drive. I’m on the dock right now, waiting for you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. You can hang out at El Lago until I get there.”
“And do what? For Pete’s sake, you should’ve called me hours ago. Why the hell would you wait until the last minute to tell me?”
She heard the whine in her voice, and that pissed her off even more. She would not sit at this bar and cry because she’d been stood up again.
“You know what? Just forget it. Don’t bother coming. Just…just stay away.” She punched the disconnect button and slid off the barstool, nearly tripping herself in the process. She took a step to gain her balance, but her heel stuck between the slats in the dock. She teetered forward, almost falling over, but Ryan caught her, his hands coming around her waist and clamping on.
“Stop, Bay. Just take a breath and stop for a second.”
She jerked on her foot, but the heel was jammed in too far. “I can’t move. I’m stuck,” she huffed.
“Take a breath,” Ryan whispered in her ear, holding her against him. She willed herself not to cry, even though the weight on her chest made it hard for her to breathe. She inhaled and closed her eyes for a minute. Dex… God, what a jerk. How could he do this to her? All the trouble she’d gone to. Getting tickets to that rooftop party wasn’t easy, the dealing she had to do to get reservations for the Fourth of July, and now she had to cancel. The dress, the jewelry, the shoes, all for nothing.
Ryan placed one of her hands on his left shoulder and said, “Hold on so you don’t lose your balance.” He lowered himself, circling her ankle with one hand and gripping her shoe with the other before jiggling her heel free.
“Thanks,” she said on an exhale.
“You’re welcome.” He released her and lifted back up, brushing the dirt off his hands. “I guess he flaked on you again.”
“Yeah, the son-of-a-bitch.” She said it a little too loud, and several people turned to look at her. “Sorry,” she whispered before turning to leave, wanting desperately to escape the crowd and the prying eyes. Ryan held her arm, keeping her from storming off.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Don’t go home alone. Come out on the boat with me.”
She shook her head violently.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and placed a hand over her lids, pressing her temples. “No, Ryan.”
“Bay, I’m not leaving you alone. Come with me, or I’ll go with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Come on,” he ground out.
Bailey turned to look at him. His eyes were lit with fire, and she was thankful Dex wasn’t there, or Ryan might have actually hurt him. She threw her hands out, then dropped them at her sides. “Ryan, I can’t go out on the boat dressed like this.”
“I have clothes on the boat: sweats, jackets, blankets. I have plenty of beer, and I’m on my way to the kitchen to pick up dinner.”
His expression softened, and she couldn’t deny she would rather be on the boat with him than home alone. She exhaled heavily and nodded.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her down the dock to his boat. He helped her board and said, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded again and took a seat on the vinyl bench. Her phone rang, and she looked to see Dex’s number. “Hello.”
“Bailey, I’m sorry. Will you talk to me?”
“No, Dex. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t spend my life waiting for you to show up.”
“Babe, I’m on my way right now.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t be here. I’m leaving town for a few days. Stay in Oakland. I don’t want you here.”
“I know you don’t mean that.”
The son-of-a-bitch thought he knew everything. He acted like she’d sit here and wait for him forever. Fuck that. She was done waiting for him. She saw her future flash before her eyes—sitting at El Lago, night after night, waiting for him, getting older and never settling down.
“Yes, I do mean that. I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“Bailey…”
Before he could say more, she hung up, turned her phone off, and dropped it in her purse.
She wouldn’t waste her time on a dead-end relationship, and she would not be a midnight booty call. She threw her sunglasses on, dropped her head back, and stared up at the bright sky while she waited for Ryan to return.
When she heard his footsteps on the dock, she wiped her face clear of tears. She wouldn’t let him see her cry over Dex. It was bad enough he’d been right about him all along. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her misery. Dammit. She thought about the number of times she’d forgiven Dex, just to be left stranded all over again. The amount of crap she’d put up with was embarrassing
Ryan stepped up onto the boat and stored the food in the cabin. Bailey didn’t look up. She let him untie the boat and pull out of the slip without her help, not that she could’ve done anything in a dress and heels. She should have just gone home. She’d have no problem getting drunk by herself, but if Dex showed up, she didn’t think she was strong enough right now to fight with him.
She listened to the hum of the motor as they slowly left the dock. Once they were out of the no-wake zone, the engine roared, and the boat tilted from the power. Mist covered her bare arms, and the coolness was a relief from the sun’s heat.
Within a few minutes, Ryan stopped the motor, and they were stationary. She popped her head up and looked at him. He had
