“We did?”
I sighed. It was humbling to realize a pivotal moment in my life centered around her and she had no memory of it. “I didn’t look like this then.” I gestured at myself. “I was short, thin, and wore horrible thick glasses.” Thank God for contacts.
She smiled. “That explains it. I would have remembered those eyes.”
Warmth spread through my body at her words. “Some kids were picking on me by the lockers. You came around the corner, and I’ll never forget it—you yelled for them to stop. You said, Step back. Leave him alone. You were so angry.” I shook my head at the memory. When she turned the corner and she’d seen them slam me against the locker, she ran toward me, her long brown hair flying behind her. She’d dropped her book bag on the floor, her hands on her hips while the boys quickly dropped me and stepped back. She’d said if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave him alone. Her threat had the intended effect.
“Then I thanked you and you stayed to talk to me—to make sure I was okay.” Her kindness made an impression.
“Did it work? Did they leave you alone?”
“They did. They didn’t bother me again. People listened to you.” She was powerful in that school and she used her power for good. Or at least that’s what I always thought. That was the one time she’d paid attention to me, even though I watched her closely after that. I developed a crush, a hero-worship that never really went away. I would never have approached her because she was completely out of my league. But now we were on an even playing field. Dating a woman two years older wouldn’t be an issue. I’d matured, my body had filled out. I knew I looked good, but the key was finding someone who liked me for who I was, and not for my good looks.
“Good.” Her face scrunched like something was distasteful.“I didn’t like bullying so if I saw it I stepped in. And maybe you’re right, people listened to me. That’s always been the case. I make friends easily. I tend to be the leader in a group.”
“That’s commendable for someone so young.”
“I’m a middle school counselor now so it’s my job to deal with issues between students, and to look for ways to prevent bullying.”
Maybe that’s why she’d been so sensitive to others being bullied when she was young. It was in her nature. “You’re brave.”
“It’s a tough age but I like the challenge. I like helping kids see that there’s more to life than what’s happening inside the school’s four walls.”
My chest filled with admiration, just like it did in high school when she had helped me. I ate a few more bites before revealing more of myself. I wanted her to know everything about me. “I didn’t fill out until college and women viewed me differently.” I smiled bitterly. “All of a sudden, they wanted to spend time with me and to get to know me.”
“I can see why. You’re good looking, kind, and obviously smart.”
She was saying nice things—nice words, but I wanted more from her. I wanted to know her. I wanted her to know me. I wanted to know if this chance meeting on an island was fate. Was that chance meeting in high school the start of something meant to be? I hoped so.
“Does your family still live in Naples?”
“My parents do. My younger sister moved to Chicago for school and never came back. I can never understand wanting to live in harsh winters.”
“Me neither. Florida is in my blood. I couldn’t leave.”
I loved hearing that more than I should. This should be a lunch catching up with an old acquaintance, but it wasn’t. It felt surreal even if she didn’t know who I was before today.
We’d finished our meal and pushed our plates back but I didn’t want lunch to end. I’d only just reconnected with her. “Do you want to go on a hike?”
She looked at me in surprise. “I’d planned on spending the weekend by myself trying to figure out where to go next.”
“You can still do that but you can also spend time with an old classmate. I know we weren’t friends then, but I’d like to know you now.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“I finished up this morning and planned on exploring the island before I needed to go back.”
“If you’re sure?” At my nod, she said, “I’d love to have company.”
The server brought the bill and I grabbed it before she could.
“I can pay for half.” She looked adorably put out.
“No, this is my treat. Think of it as a thank you for saving me in high school.” She’d saved me in more ways than one. Not only had she helped me in that situation, she’d deterred the bullies from bothering me again, and she’d given me hope that things could get better. My mother always told me college would be better, that kids matured, and that I’d fill out, but I hadn’t believed it until I saw Ally’s kindness in action that day.
“I accept your thank you but there’s no need. You thanked me then.”
I placed my credit card in the billfold and slid it to the end of the table. “You remember?” My heart picked up at the idea.
“I do. It’s coming back to me. Mostly I remember talking to you afterward. How grateful you were—embarrassed but grateful.”
Warmth spread through me that she remembered, and she was right. I was thankful and embarrassed that the one time I’d gotten the chance to speak with Allyson Brooks, I was being slammed into lockers. Not the way you want to meet a girl like that. She’d patted my shoulder and it was at that moment that I promised myself if I ever got a chance with her I’d never screw it up. This was my chance. I’d capitalize on every second we had together.
When the bill was paid, I held out my hand to her. “Do you need stop at your cottage and change?”
She wore a pretty yellow sundress with sandals, which was perfect for lunch but not hiking.
When she placed her smaller hand in mine, a tingle shot up my arm, startling me.
Chapter Three
ALLY
“You’re right, I’m not exactly dressed for hiking.” I couldn’t believe I was walking hand-in-hand with a man I’d met at lunch. Sure, we’d gone to school together, but he was still technically a stranger, even if I felt like I’d gotten to know him at lunch. I’d learned about his family, his job, and the underlying insecurity from his experience in high school and his bitterness that women treated him differently now solely because of his looks. I knew it wasn’t that, though. He was the whole package—kind and sexy. He was a good man. That was my initial instinct—whether I could trust that was another matter.
He cleared his throat. “Of course.”
As we walked the dirt path to my cottage, the palm trees swayed in the breeze, and I relaxed even more. I pulled open the screen door to the enclosed porch of the small white cottage. “Can you wait on the porch while I change?”
“Sure.” He took a seat on the porch swing while I unlocked the door and went inside. I took a deep breath with my palm still on the door as I closed it. What was I doing? This was so impulsive. Yeah, I knew him. We went to school together but I didn’t know him—not really. I was a planner. I didn’t enter a relationship until I really got to know the person. There was no sex until it was clear we were exclusive.