Page 231 of The Romance Adventure

“But you⁠—?”

With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Harley says, “Just wanted to see if you remembered your promise. You still owe me one ice cream from that summer.”

“I thought I made good on that debt.”

“We were going to meet up the morning before I left, but my dad woke us at dawn because he was afraid there would be traffic since we were leaving a day later than expected.”

Scratching my head, the memory comes back. Apparently, I buried it. “Yeah. I recall waiting out there for you.” I point over my shoulder. “And waiting and waiting. You never showed, then Brando told me you left. Not even so much as a goodbye.”

“What did you want me to do, throw pebbles at your window?”

I smirk. “If it meant that I wouldn’t owe you an ice cream all these years later, yeah.”

She playfully shoves me and when I right myself, the space I put between us earlier shrinks a bit.

“What else should we consider for this game? Any components? Like the equivalent of a gameboard, pieces, and that kind of thing?” Harley asks.

“I’ll need your bank info for the payments and you’re welcome to stay at the rental. Royal is at the Driftwood and Magnus is occupying one of the cottages until he and Lally get married.” I tell her about the big house that the four of us got with a twelve-month lease.

“Okay. That could work, but separate rooms.”

“What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?”

She gives me a side-eye.

Once again, regret threatens to push me under. “What’s the name of the game?”

The corner of Harley’s lip twitches. “The Romance Game, of course.”

“Of course,” I repeat. “So, you’re giving me a second chance?”

“I didn’t know there was a first.”

My lips quirk with a smile that I can’t let her see.

“You just participated in us making up the rules of this fake game of fake romance, so it’s pretty clear I’m playing along.”

“But what about the other times?” I ask, knowing I’m pushing my luck.

“Oh, you mean season three in the ‘She Swam with Sharks’ episode when you made me give you my sunhat, then threw it in the ocean, and I had to swim with the baby Bonnetheads to get it?”

“The wind caught your hat.”

“Then there was season four, episode six called ‘Lost in the Dark.’”

“I thought you were with the rest of the group.”

Harley pouts. “You told me to meet you at Hidden Hammock Beach to play tag.”

“Miscommunication.”

“You were so mean.”

“I was dumb,” I say.

“Glad you admit it. But let’s not forget season eight.” The resentment in her voice tells me exactly what she means.

“The one when I didn’t take you to prom?”