What was wrong with him? He shouldn’t be thinking about her like this. She was at most a friend, nothing more. She could never be anything more.

“I’m sorry,” he said. And he meant it. She was right—it was unfair of him.

Never mind that he liked being around her, liked the way he felt when he was with her. He wanted to know all of her three million quirks, and he wanted to hear her say his name over and over.

Get a hold of yourself, Boggs. You could leave here with McKenzie. Wouldn’t that be easier? Less messy?

“I tried to clear the air with you and you pushed me away,” she said, a little angrier now. “You were right.”

“I was?”

“Yes. Distance is good. Because this—” she waved her hands back and forth in the space between them—“is no good for anyone.”

A man dressed in a suit, with pants that almost reached his ankles, strode over. If it weren’t for the fact that he stopped next to Louisa (and the fact that he wasn’t wearing socks with his loafers), Cody might not have noticed him.

“Buyer’s remorse?” He smiled at Louisa, who glanced at Cody and stiffened.

“Not now, Eric.”

“Do you need a loan?” He’d leaned toward her, but he hadn’t lowered his voice.

“I’m fine,” she said.

But she wasn’t fine. Obviously she had history with this guy. Cody took a step toward her.

Eric extended a hand toward Cody. “Eric Anderson. Louisa and I used to date.”

“He doesn’t care about that,” Louisa said. “Would you just go?”

Eric withdrew his hand and glanced at Louisa. He didn’t say a word, but the way he watched her made Cody want to deck the guy.

Finally Eric walked off.

Louisa was right. This was no good.

He looked away. “Maybe you and McKenzie can trade or something.”

“You want me to train with Charlie Pope?” She glared at him.

“Yep.”

McKenzie had bid on—and won—Charlie, the last guardsman of the evening. He wanted Louisa spending time with Charlie almost as much as he wanted someone to yank out his toenails, but no way he was telling her that.

She nodded blankly. “That would probably be better for everyone.”

He forced her gaze. “Yep.”

But he didn’t mean it. He wanted to explain himself. If only he knew how to put into words what he was thinking.

This was easier. This was smarter. Distance between them was necessary and good. Teaching her to sail and spending any additional time with her was not.

“I’ll go find McKenzie,” she said.

He watched her walk away and found himself praying McKenzie had already left. Because while his head knew distance was smarter, his heart wanted nothing more than to curl right up next to Louisa and stay awhile.