Contents ( 66)
- Cover
- Books by Valerie Fraser Luesse
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map of Florida
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- thirty-eight
- thirty-nine
- forty
- forty-one
- forty-two
- forty-three
- forty-four
- forty-five
- forty-six
- forty-seven
- forty-eight
- forty-nine
- fifty
- fifty-one
- Epilogue
- Keep Reading for a Preview of Valerie Luesse’s Next Book!
- Prologue
- one
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
But then the music changed. The tempo accelerated to a heated, driving rhythm, and the movements of the older dancers around them grew faster and more passionate. Lisa’s dreamy smile vanished, and her face was overcast with the same look of fear and uncertainty that she’d had at the spring formal, surrounded by strangers on unfamiliar territory.
Peyton bent down and spoke into her ear so she could hear him over the music. “Miss Wallace,” he said, “we are in over our heads.” He grinned and winked at her, which made her laugh. Peyton put his arm around her, guiding her through the other dancers and back outside.
“You think I’m being silly?” Lisa asked, squinting in the bright sunlight as she looked up at him.
“I was just starting to get the hang of it when you bailed,” he said, doing an exaggerated hip swivel.
“Stop!” Lisa said, laughing. “You’re really not mad?”
“Of course not. How about we do something a little more Americano? Want to rent a scooter and see the sights?”
“Yes! That sounds entirely tame. Right down my alley.”
Peyton found a rental stand, and Lisa chose a bright red scooter. They zipped up and down streets, her arms wrapped around him, stopping whenever she spotted something she wanted to see or do. The first time Peyton forgot himself and really hit the throttle, he was about to slow down and apologize when he realized Lisa was giggling uncontrollably. He pulled over and asked her, “What’s so funny, Miss Wallace?”
“Nothing,” she said, still laughing. “It’s just so much fun to go fast!”
“That seals it,” Peyton said over his shoulder. “You’re officially perfect.”
They took off for Fort Zach and the beach just beyond the guard shack. It was nothing like Daytona, with its broad sandy beach and big waves. This narrow strip of sand fronting calm turquoise water was bordered with grass and palm trees, an occasional picnic table here and there.
Peyton and Lisa sat on one of the tables, resting their feet on the bench, and watched sailboats drift by on the glassy water.
“It’s so strange,” Lisa said. “Yesterday I hated this place, and today I absolutely love it. Guess I’ve got you to thank for that.”
Peyton kissed her on the cheek. “And I’ve got you to thank for makin’ this whole bloomin’ bike ride worth every blister and mosquito bite.”
He mimed scratching himself all over, which made Lisa laugh. But then her smile faded and she looked into his eyes. “Were you ever scared—out there on the road all by yourself, I mean?”
He brushed her windblown hair away from her face. “Not really—a little anxious sometimes, but not Rawhead’s-after-me scared.”
“Rawhead?” Now Lisa was laughing again. “I haven’t thought about him since I was about ten!”
“Well, you better watch out, little missy, ’cause he’ll gobble you up if he catches you out at night.”
They both giggled at the memory of the childhood bogeyman. Then Lisa sighed and slowly twisted a strand of her hair through her fingers. “Remember when I told you about the night I came back from dinner and all those people were at Aunt Maude’s?”