Chapter 26

Maury shook his head and held up a hand. “Enough already. If you don’t want me to jump your bones rightthis minute, have mercy on me, I’m begging you.”

“All right, I’ll behave. For now.” I winked at him, then finished breakfast.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we headed for the beach, side by side and hand in hand. The day was sunny and cold, but not too windy. We spoke about ourselves a bit, and I shared where I grew up and all about high school.

“I backpacked all over the country after I left home, then found this place and loved it.”

Maury slipped an arm around my waist. “You talk to your parents at all?”

I hugged him closer to me. His heat felt good in the chill of the day. “I send them cards every year for birthdays and holidays, but that’s it. Once I reached high school, I became a pain in the ass and something they didn’t understand. They were relieved to see me go. I don’t blame them.”