Nothing had ever been more worth it.
He’d never had a favorite color before, but the deep emerald of her dress instantly became the one. It covered more than the towel had earlier, so why did it make her skin look so different? Almost . . . glowing? She’d done something to her hair, too, because it was usually up in a messy knot. Now it was down and sort of flowy? Shiny, too.
Oh shit, and then she looked up at him, rubbing her red lips together.
Red.
Maybe that was his favorite color.
Focus, man. “A call with your parents took an extra half an hour?”
“It does when they think you’re experiencing a delusional episode.”
“Come again?”
“They don’t believe me. That I’m here caddying for you.” She fiddled with something in her purse. Was that a purse? It was the size of a wallet, yet it appeared to hold a hundred items. Chapstick, a mini comb, eye drops. A green, cylindrical penlike object and alcohol swabs. Was that her insulin? He’d done some research on type 1 diabetes before coming to San Antonio, enough to know that there were more ways than one to administer insulin. Since she didn’t appear to have a pump, he assumed she took shots. “At first, my parents thought it was funny,” Josephine continued, recapturing his attention. “But my father is now speculating that I suffered a concussion during the hurricane. My mother’s theory is that I met a man and eloped, but that might just be wishful thinking on her part. Either way, they’re ready to call the FBI.”
“You know, I can easily clear this up.” He waved a hand at her purse-thing. “Let’s go. FaceTime them.”
“Really?” Hesitantly, she opened her bag again. “Right now?”
“Yes, right now,” he said, impatiently. “Unless you’d like to spend another half hour brushing your hair or something.”
“Thank you for noticing.” She pressed her lips together, seemingly to trap a laugh, and he found himself wishing she would just let it out already. It had been a long time since he’d heard her laugh and it had probably been at something someone else said, while she was standing in the crowd behind the rope. He wouldn’t have minded being the reason for that laugh just once. “Okay, here goes,” she said, the distinct ring of FaceTime connecting filling the hallway. “Hey guys, there is someone here who wants to speak to you.”
Wells took the phone, frowning down at the screen. “You’ve raised a daughter who can’t be ready on time, even though she had a full four hours. I hope you’re proud of yourselves.”
One of the people staring back at him had pink curlers in her hair.
The man was wearing an apron.
Something sizzled on the stove behind them.
“You’re . . . ,” the man started, setting down the spatula in his hand. “You’re actually there with Wells Whitaker, Joey-Roo.”
“Yes, I know, Dad. I told you.”
Joey-Roo? Wells mouthed at Josephine.
She rolled her eyes at him.
“How did you manage to birdie the fifth hole at Pebble Beach back in ’21? Did you go into the rough on purpose?”
Wells thought back. “Yes. I didn’t like the angle after my drive landed, so I bypassed the rest of the fairway and gave myself a better position to the green.”
“Brilliant! I knew it,” whooped Josephine’s father, before he promptly lost his grip on the phone and it went crashing to the ground, giving Wells a sweeping view of their über-Floridian household.
He squinted an eye. “Dear God, that is a lot of plants.”
“Be careful how you speak about my brothers and sisters,” Josephine deadpanned. “They can hear you.”
The golfer shook his head at her. “As you can see, she hasn’t eloped or suffered a brain injury. But she might get fired if she keeps me waiting this long ever again.”
With that, he hung up the phone and handed it back to Josephine.
“Ready?”
Appearing dazed, she took back the device. “You didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Yes, I know.” He put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her toward the elevator, trying very hard not to move his thumb, even though it itched to memorize the spot. “When you draw out goodbyes on the phone, there are inevitable promises to call again soon. I’m not falling into that trap.”
“Who hurt you, Wells?”
He ignored the twinge in his chest and stabbed the down button for the elevator.
Surprisingly, one of six sets of doors opened almost immediately. Wells sighed when he saw half a dozen other people were already occupying the car. They were obviously staying at the resort specifically for the tournament, because their jaws hinged open when they noticed Wells. He was inclined to wait for the next elevator, but Josephine stepped inside without hesitation, and since he wasn’t about to let her go down alone, he was left with no choice but to follow suit.