The Shore (3 page)

Cody chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

Damn!
Ryan thought.
That sexy chuckle is going to be the death of me!

“Nope,” Cody smiled. “Once this guy gets his mind set on something, that’s it. Looks like you’re outta luck.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Mac murmured with a grin.             

“Well,” Ryan started to say, blushing lightly. “Thank you for dinner and for helping me earlier. You guys were really great today. I’m so lucky you drove by when you did.”

As they started to get up from the table, Cody gently grabbed Ryan’s arm, stopping her from following the others.

Mac looked behind her when she didn’t hear any footsteps. Seeing Cody’s hand on Ryan’s arm, she grinned, and pushed Riley ahead of her to quicken their exit.

Well, that’s interesting.

“What’s up?” Ryan asked as she turned to Cody.

“A bunch of us are getting together tomorrow at Mirlo Beach to hang out. I wondered if you’d like to go with me.”

Ryan had to stop and think for a second.

Was he asking me out?

Her 12-year-old self was doing backflips.

“That sounds like fun,” Ryan said, having a hard time looking him in the eye but making herself do it anyway. “What time? Do I need to bring anything?”

“Why don’t I pick you up around 2? Parking there is a bitch, so it’ll be a little easier if we only have one vehicle. And, well, there is a TON of sand right there, and we know how you like the sand…” Cody grinned.

“Hey!” Ryan exclaimed, fighting a weird desire to stick her tongue out at him again. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

“Hmm… probably not,” he grinned.

Shaking her head, Ryan turned and coaxed Berkley to start walking with her. Cody and Wrigley quickly joined them.

“You’re staying at your folks’ place, right?” Cody asked.

Ryan nodded.

Cody stopped walking, which caused Ryan to stop as well.

“Can I have your phone?” he asked.

“Um, sure,” Ryan answered as she dug in her purse. She’d just had the thing out to add Abby’s phone number from Mac for crying out loud.

How did phones always manage to disappear in purses?

Finally finding it, Ryan entered her passcode and handed it to Cody.

“I’m adding myself as a contact so you can text me the address.”

“Oh, okay. That sounds good.”

Cody finished with the phone and handed it back to Ryan. Her fingers brushed over his and she felt that tingle again.

They started walking and when they reached her car, Cody bent down to pet Berkley on the head.

“Are you okay with leaving Berkley home tomorrow?” Cody asked.

“Oh, yeh. That’s not a problem,” Ryan answered. “Not that she wouldn’t love it, but she would be miserable being leashed all day.”

“I get that. Same with Wrigley. Maybe we can take them to the beach sometime this week and let them run around and play in the water.”

Are we making plans for another date already?

Not that Ryan minded,
at all
. She had a feeling spending time with Cody was going to be a lot of fun. And if those damn tingles were any inkling, she was going to be in for a wild ride this week.

“That sounds great,” Ryan answered. “I’ll text you a little later. See you at 2 tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it,” Cody said with a smile. “Oh, you might want to bring a change of clothes for later. It can get cool after the sun goes down.”

Ryan smiled at him, replied “Gotcha,” and got in her car.

As Ryan drove back to the house, she thought about how the week was taking a much different turn than she thought it would. Sure, getting stuck in the sand really sucked, but she had reconnected with Mac and would give Abby a call tomorrow. It would be great to catch up with her.

Riley really didn’t say much during dinner, but it was awfully nice that he stopped to help and paid for dinner. She really hadn’t expected that.

And Cody. Cody. Cody. She couldn’t believe she had a date with her childhood summer crush. How had it taken seeing Mac before they recognized each other?

After she got back to the house and settled for the night, meaning Berkley had attached herself to Ryan’s hip on the couch, Ryan pulled out her phone to read Madison’s response and text her address to Cody. She saw that Madison had responded while they were eating, but hadn’t wanted to read it in front of everyone.

Madison: 
You better call me and let me know you’re alive! Two guys for dinner, huh? DAMN! You go, girl! I want deets!

Ryan laughed at Madison’s response. Of course, she hadn’t known Riley’s wife would be there, too.

Ryan: 
I’m alive, Mad. Turns out we all knew each other from back in the day. I have a date with Cody tomorrow - going to the beach. And Riley and HIS WIFE were really nice. Heading to bed. LY!

Madison: 
A date? Woot! Woot! Call me tomorrow. I want to hear all about it!

Ryan went into her contacts, looked up Cody’s name and laughed out loud when she saw the name he had given himself: Cody (Sand Tow Company) Calloway. He really wasn’t going to let her live this down.

Ryan: 
Hey Cody. This is Ryan. Thanks again for your help today. Here’s my address: 26435 Colony Drive, Rodanthe. Looking forward to seeing you.

Ryan set her phone down, unsure as to whether or not he’d respond, but hoped he would. She grabbed her latest book and started reading to distract herself. A few moments later, her phone dinged.

Cody: 
Glad we could help. See you tomorrow at 2.

Ryan: 
Sounds good. Nice name in my contact list, btw.

Cody: 
You like that? I wanted to be sure you could find me if you got stuck again.

Ryan: 
Smartass. :)

Cody: 
Sleep tight Ryan.

Ryan laid her phone on the end table and smiled. She was definitely looking forward to her date with Cody.

Ryan felt like a giddy teenager the next morning.

A date with Cody Calloway.

She looked through her closet wishing she had thought through her wardrobe choices better. On the other hand, it wasn’t as though she expected to be going on any dates this week. In the end she chose a simple red tank top and a pair of denim shorts.

Some people believed fashion was pain, but not Ryan. Fashion, to her, was comfort. If someone didn’t like her simply because she didn’t wear this or chose to wear that, well, that was their problem.

Since she wasn’t sure who would be at the beach that day, Ryan opted to leave the bikini at home. She wasn’t chubby, not by any stretch, but she also wasn’t a size zero either. Or two. Or four. Her body looked like she worked out often when the truth was she did her best to avoid exercise.

Her body had curves men tended to love, but she did not. Madison kept telling her that one day she'd learn to appreciate them, but so far Ryan thought the girl was full of shit. As she looked in the mirror, she thought she was cute enough, but definitely not beautiful.

Ryan made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up some things for the week since she didn’t have the chance the day before. After enjoying a quick breakfast while sitting on the deck, she tried the number Mac gave her for Abby.

“Hello?” asked the voice on the other line.

“Hi. Is this Abby?” Ryan asked.

“Ryan, is that you? This is Abby!”

“Hey stranger! Long time no talk.” Abby’s voice sounded exactly the same. Just hearing her made Ryan think back to when they were kids, playing on the beach.

They both laughed and fell into an easy conversation – almost as though it hadn’t been years since they last talked.

“Hey yourself. It’s so good to hear from you. How are you?” Abby asked.

“I’m good. Taking a little vacay this week.”

“I heard. Oh, and I also heard you ran into Cody last night.”

Ryan laughed, “So I guess you’ve talked to Mac then?”

“Of course. She called last night and made me guess for ten minutes before she’d tell me who she saw.”

“Aww, poor thing! It was just me, and I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him! I mean, it has been forever since I saw him, but you’d think with all of the time we spent ogling him as kids his face would be permanently etched in my brain.”

“That’s right! You did have quite the crush on him, didn’t you?”

“Oh, don’t even joke. You know you did, too!”

The girls chatted for a while longer, finally deciding to get together for a late lunch the next day. Ryan was excited to meet up with her old friend, but she was getting nervous for her date with Cody.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Right at 2 o’clock, Ryan heard a vehicle pull into her driveway. Trying to help the time pass and calm her nerves, she had been sitting on the deck reading a book, but it was a futile effort. She kept reading the same paragraph over and over again because she couldn’t remember a thing about it. Ryan walked into the house, closed the sliding doors and went downstairs to meet Cody.

She felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter in overdrive as she opened the door.

“Hey there,” she said, greeting Cody.

He wore his signature faded Chicago Cubs ball cap with his shades laying on the bill. He had on a loose fitting t-shirt with a pair of wild swim trunks and comfortably worn flip flops. Cody definitely looked ready for the beach. But it was the smile on his face that made her heart melt a little. He looked genuinely happy to see her, and she was happy to see him, too.

“Hey there yourself.”

“Come on in. I just have to grab my stuff and give Berkley her treats. I’ll be ready to go in just a sec.”

As Cody walked through the doorway, he was instantly greeted by a big blob of black fur that came barreling down the stairs. He knelt to give Berkley some love and then followed Ryan.

Just as she said, Ryan grabbed her things, gave Berkley her treats and was ready to go. Cody could get used to this. None of this needing a half hour while he sat waiting for his date to get ready. Even if they were just going to the beach, women somehow had a way of taking inordinate amounts of time to get ready. He had always preferred more of a natural girl – minimal make up, natural hair, that kind of thing. He was even happy to see Ryan hadn’t gone overboard with her apparel. He couldn’t lie though; he had spent nearly the entire drive to her house wondering what she would look like in her bathing suit.

Ryan smiled as she saw Cody walking to her side of the truck to open her door.

“What?” Cody asked.

“Oh, um, nothing,” she stammered.

He walked a little closer. “What are you smiling about?”

Ryan loved the nearness of him but started to blush. Damn her red cheeks! “You –”

“What about me?”

“It’s just really nice that you’re opening the door. Good to know chivalry isn’t dead.”

“Ahh. No. Chivalry is not dead,” Cody said while nodding. “My momma done raised me right,” he said, adding an exaggerated southern drawl.

Ryan looked at Cody with her best poker face and said, “Well, remind me to thank yo’ momma.” She had added her own drawl, trying to match Cody’s, but it was a mess.

They both laughed.

“That was awful! Get in the truck,” Cody said still laughing.

With a huge smile on her face, Ryan climbed into the cab. There was just something about pickup trucks, wasn’t there? Something so manly. It didn’t hurt that the inside of the cab was immaculately clean. She wondered if he had it detailed earlier that morning. Surely living at the beach meant there was a constant amount of sand on the floorboards. She could nearly see her own reflection.

As she settled in and put her seatbelt on, Ryan could feel herself starting to calm. She was still nervous about meeting the new people on the beach, but she was beginning to feel comfortable with Cody. He had a calming effect on her.

Cody slid into the driver’s seat, started the truck and the radio came on playing a current country hit. He liked having Ryan in the truck with him. It felt natural.

The drive from Ryan’s house to Mirlo Beach was a very short one, but Ryan understood why Cody suggested they ride together. The beach was located on a part of Highway 12 that was often covered in sand. It seemed like every time Ryan drove by, the workers were moving sand back from the asphalt. And how people were able to actually get into some of these houses was beyond her. The mounds of sand sat ten feet tall and made for limited parking spaces.

Cody pulled over and brought the truck to a stop. “You ready?”

“Sure,” Ryan answered with a smile. “Who’s going to be here, by the way?”

“Some of the guys I grew up with and probably some of their friends. It’s kind of an eclectic group. I will have probably met everyone that’s here but wouldn’t necessarily consider them all friends, ya know?”

“I get it,” she replied, nodding.

They hopped out of the truck and began walking toward the back. Cody had packed a cooler, a bag full of beach necessities and food, and a couple of beach chairs.

Sliding her bag over her shoulder, she asked, “What can I carry?”

“Thanks. If you can grab the chairs, I can get the cooler and the bag,” Cody said while removing the bungee cords from the contents of the bed.

After they had grabbed everything, they crossed the two-lane highway and started climbing the dune. The soft sand easily found its way between their feet and flip flops, making walking a little difficult. Since their hands were full, they'd have to wait to take them off until they were on the beach. Thankfully the sand wasn’t too hot.

Ryan had forgotten how hard walking in sand could be, especially uphill.

“You doing okay?” Cody asked.

“Yeh, I’m fine,” Ryan answered, trying not to fall on her ass. “I’m not used to walking these dunes anymore. It was so easy as a kid – why is it so difficult as an adult?”

Cody chuckled and shrugged.

Damn it. He has got to stop doing that!

“I dunno. Maybe we ought to get you out here in the morning so you can run the dunes with me,” Cody suggested.

“Oh no. I don’t think so,” she replied while shaking her head. “This is my vacation, not torturation.”

He laughed. “I didn’t know that was a word.”

“What, torturation?” she asked. “It isn’t. I just made it up. But if you start using it, you’re going to have to pay me royalties.”

Cody laughed, conceding with an “Okay,” while Ryan kept a completely straight face.

“Let’s not do something that might make Mr. Webster put it in his dictionary, alright?” Ryan suggested, completely serious.

“Deal,” Cody said still laughing.

They reached the crest of the dune and Ryan stopped to take in the view. The sight of the rolling waves and feel of the wind on her face was something she would never take for granted. The ocean was her favorite place to be and the view was spectacular. For as far as she could see to the left and right were sandy dunes topped with tall sea oats blowing in the breeze, colorful houses with porches on nearly every level and sandy beaches. On the water were a couple fishing vessels. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something jump.

“Was that a dolphin?” Ryan asked, gesturing toward the water with her chin.

“Probably. We’ve been seeing them quite a bit around here lately.”

“That is so cool!”

Cody smiled. It was so commonplace to him, it was nice to see someone appreciate it. “Come on. Let’s go join the others.”

There were about thirty people sprawled out in beach chairs, laying on blankets, playing in the water and generally enjoying the beach. Someone had even put up a volleyball net and a few of the guys were playing. It looked to be a relaxing and fun afternoon.

They started their descent down the dune, which was much easier than going up. However, both had to make sure they didn’t face-plant right into the sand. It was deep and their legs kept sinking.

As they reached the bottom, Cody was greeted with several hoots and hollers, all of which he acknowledged with a simple head nod since his arms were full. He walked over to an open spot on the beach and set the cooler down.

“Hey everyone,” Cody began, loosely wrapping his arm around Ryan. “This is Ryan. Ryan, this is well, everyone.”

Tingles formed where Ryan felt Cody’s arm around her waist. Every time this man touched her, her body reacted so strongly.

Ryan smiled and gave a small wave to everyone. “Hi.”

Reluctantly, Cody let go of Ryan. He liked the feel of his arm around her, too.

They set up their spot on the beach with the chairs, a few towels from his bag, and the cooler between them as a table. Opening the cooler, Cody looked at Ryan. “There’s beer, soda and water in here. I wasn’t sure what you might want to drink, so I brought a little of everything.”

Ryan looked at him and smiled. “Thanks. That was really nice.”

“There are also some sandwiches and stuff, whenever you’re hungry.”

“Well, you just thought of everything, didn’t you?” she asked him playfully.

“I tried.”

Grinning, Ryan asked, “You want to check out the water?”

“Sure.”

Instead of heading toward the water, Cody grabbed the back of the neck of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head in one swift motion.

Damn, men could be so sexy when they did that.

His swim trunks sat low on his hips and the abs she had been so curious to see didn’t disappoint. Hard and chiseled and beautiful. And that perfect V shape that led to… She could feel her body reacting to the sight of him and started to turn but met Cody’s eyes as she did.

Busted! Cody winked at her and made a motion with his hand as if to say, “Okay, your turn.”

Ryan felt herself blush. She hated that her emotions were so easily visible. Doing as requested, which was only fair, she unbuttoned her shorts and let them fall to the sand. She stepped out of them and laid the denim on her chair. Feeling extremely self-conscious and knowing Cody was watching her every move, she closed her eyes and pulled off her tank top. She knew it shouldn’t matter, but she hoped Cody wouldn’t mind that she was wearing a one-piece bathing suit instead of a bikini.

Mind? Cody didn’t mind at all. He was having a hard enough time keeping his eyes off of her when she had her other clothes on, and now that she was in just a bathing suit, he was going to find it impossible to look at anything else.

Ryan was beautiful, and he was going to be in trouble wearing these trunks if he wasn’t careful. He was sure there would be several times during the day he’d have to start thinking of benign things like puppies and clouds and silverware to keep his body from showing just how much he appreciated her body.

Ryan finally opened her eyes to see Cody smiling at her. He reached over to take her hand and then, much to her surprise, he leaned in, placed a soft kiss on her cheek and whispered, “You’re beautiful,” in her ear.