Luke wanted to reach out and capture the buoyant sound of her laughter, like grasping at bubbles floating past. “Am I a terrible person if I admit I hate exercise?”

“If so, then we’re both terrible. Come on.” She offered her hand again. “You can do it.”

“Fine.” He heaved a sigh and was only a little ashamed that, all joking aside, he really did need her help getting back on his feet. His thigh and calf muscles screeched in protest as he stood. Once he started walking, things got better. He felt a little stiff, but otherwise fine.

By now the other players had cleared the field completely. Luke and Julia ditched their coveralls and goggles in a bin on the sidelines and maneuvered around the obstacle course of hay bales in companionable silence.

“Are you having fun here?” he finally asked, trying to keep his tone light. It meant a surprising amount to him that Julia enjoyed herself, and not just because of her potential influence on her reviewer friend.

“I’m having a good time.”

“Good.”

“A great time, actually.”

“Great,” he smiled.

“How about you?” she asked, peering up at him. “Are you having fun?”

“Not as much fun as Harry and Sally were, but yeah.”

He was rewarded with another round of giggles.

CHAPTER 17

JULIA

At first, after Luke’s postkiss disappearing act, Julia had been wary of seeing him again. He’d skipped out on her at dinner, then missed breakfast. It wasn’t the time they’d been apart that bothered her so much as the timing. She’d learned from painful personal experience that these were signals not to read too much into what was happening between them.

Also, she couldn’t help but notice one of the first things he did when he saw her today was ask about Kat. Another sign that shouldn’t be ignored. Julia had seen the movie He’s Just Not That Into You. But he was so easy to talk to that when she was with him, she forgot to worry about the stuff that usually fed her anxiety when she was on a date.

Whoa. Julia tapped her mental brakes. Nothing she and Luke had done or said qualified as a date. They’d spent some time together. Had some fun together. Made out together …

Okay, so maybe a few moments ventured into date-like territory.

By the time they neared the beach, she had a cheek ache from smiling. What she’d told Luke was true; she was enjoying herself. She peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. At turns grumpy and goofy, sage and silly, there was an endearing awkwardness about him that she was finding irresistible. She glanced at his hand, wondering how it might feel to hold it while walking along the lakeshore, toes in the sand. Now that would be a date-ish activity for sure.

“There you are!”