Barefoot Bay: Castle in the Sand (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Jeannie Moon Page A

hands.”
    “Tony…” God, she looked up and his beautiful face was so close. She could kiss him without any effort whatsoever. All it would take would be a quick move and she’d be kissing him.
    “I’m sorry. I…” He pulled his hands away and stepped back. “Habit.”
    “It’s okay,” she replied. “I’d better get to the doctor.”
    “I’ll drive you. Just give me five minutes to change.”
    “You don’t have to.”
    He took her by the shoulders and leaned in; he was not taking no for an answer. “I want to. Give me five minutes.”
     
    Tony knew Josie was relieved she didn’t need stitches, but he was glad that she’d seen the doctor to close the cut. She’d been pretty talkative at the clinic, but she was quiet now, gently rubbing the bandage on her hand.
    “Are you hungry? It’s almost dinner time.”
    “Ah, a little.”
    “What do you feel like? I’m sure there’s someplace we can get a bite to eat.”
    She bit down on her lower lip and Tony felt all the blood in his body rush south. It was one of the sexiest things she did, and she had no idea.
    “I feel like ice cream.”
    It took him a second to process what she said. “Pardon? Ice cream?”
    Nodding, her eyes lit up. “As soon as you get over the causeway, head toward the marina.”
    “Okay, direct me so we don’t end up in the water.”
    Josie laughed her genuine, full, lilting laugh and it was the best thing that had happened to him all day.
    They found a spot to park, and the two of them headed straight for a small shop nearby. The sign said Miss Icey’s and the place was swarming with teenagers.
    “Miss DeMarco! Hey! Miz Dee!”
    Immediately, kids were calling her name, coming over to say hello and asking about her hand. These were her students, and without a doubt, they loved her.
    Josie greeted the kids, asked questions about summer, jobs, and college visits. Once they entered the shop, a girl manning the counter smiled wide. “Miz Dee! I aced my SAT! Six-eighty verbal and seven-twenty on math!”
    “Oh my God! Brenna, that’s awesome!” Josie hugged her student across the counter. “With your grades, you’ll get into some great schools. With scholarships, probably.”
    “I hope so.” The girl was eyeing him up and down. “Is this your boyfriend?”
    Josie smiled up at him, and what he wouldn’t have given for her to say yes. “No. This is Tony. He’s a friend of the family and he’s visiting for a couple of weeks.”
    “Congratulations on your test scores. I’m not familiar with them, but it sounds as though you’ve done well.”
    “Oh. My. God. Are you French? That’s so hot. Miz Dee. He’s French. What is wrong with you?”
    “He’s just a friend, Brenna.”
    “Yeah? Well none of my friends look at me the way he’s looking at you.” She paused with a smug expression on her face that only a teenage girl could pull off. “What would you two like?”
    Josie and Tony ordered their ice cream, with Tony getting a simple chocolate cone and Josie getting two scoops of chocolate chip in a waffle cone. Both of them ignored the questioning eye of the teen behind the counter.
    Because it was a beautiful day to take a walk, they took their ice cream to the marina. Almost like friends. As far as he was concerned, that was progress.
    “I’ve been here five days,” Tony said looking out at the water. “And every day I see one more reason why you love it so much. It’s really beautiful here.”
    “It really is. The weather is nice most of the time, and it never gets really cold. I’ll head north just so I can see snow once each winter.”
    One of the things Tony always loved about Josie was her full-on enjoyment of her surroundings. It didn’t matter how small, how seemingly insignificant, she could find joy in any situation. Right now, he was watching her devour chocolate chip ice cream like it was the finest caviar. The harbor in her hometown might as well have been the French Riviera.
    “I think I