Sparks Fly

CHAPTER THREE

Carter
We had just finished moving the last table when Chase straightened up, wiping his hands on his jeans. "We should be good to go," he said, glancing around the setup. "Delaney should be bringing the food with Mom."

I paused mid-motion, caught off guard. Delaney?

"Your sister's back in town?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but I knew my voice was a little too low.

"Yeah..." Chase raised a brow at me, like it should've been obvious. "She's back for good. Wanted to come home and help with Dad. Didn't I tell you?"

I shook my head, trying to keep my expression neutral. "No," I said slowly. "You didn't."

"Huh." Chase scratched the back of his head like he couldn't believe he hadn't mentioned it. "Well, you'll see her tonight at the beach bonfire."

I swallowed hard. My chest tightened at the thought of seeing Delaney again. The last time she was in town was a year ago when Mr. Kane had his heart attack. I'd seen her once, just passing the fire station, but she hadn't seen me.

We finished moving the table to the side and started setting up the picnic tables for the crowd that was sure to come. The sun was dipping lower, casting long shadows across the sand. But as we worked, my mind was elsewhere. I kept picturing Delaney—wondering if she'd changed. Wondering what it would feel like to see her again.

By the time the sun had almost set and the beach started to fill with people, I found myself scanning the crowd, looking for her. I told myself I wasn't, but my eyes couldn't help it. And then I saw her.

She was sitting with Hannah, laughing at something she'd said. That laugh. It cut through the noise, light and easy, and it hit me harder than I expected. She looked different, more grown-up, but still Delaney. Her blonde hair was longer, flowing over her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled as she laughed. She looked... beautiful.

I didn't realize I was staring until someone called my name.

"Hey, Carter!" Eric jogged over, tossing a volleyball toward me. "Wanna play some sand volleyball?"

I caught the ball, blinking like I'd been snapped out of a trance. "Uh, yeah. Sure, but we need more players though."

My eyes drifted back to Delaney, and before I could stop myself, I was already walking in her direction. My heart thumped harder in my chest with every step. What the hell was I even going to say?

I stopped when I reached her and Hannah. "Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice casual, though it felt like my heart was in my throat. "You guys wanna play some sand volleyball?"

Delaney looked up at me, her laughter fading, and for a second, I couldn't read her expression. She hesitated, just for a moment, before giving a small nod. "Sure," she said quietly, not meeting my eyes for long.

Hannah grinned and jumped up. "We're in!" She grabbed Delaney's arm, pulling her up to join us.

As we walked over to the net, I found myself glancing at Delaney, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She wasn't the same girl I remembered. Not the shy 15-year-old who barely spoke when we all hung out together, and definitely not the 18-year-old who had once told me she had feelings for me.

She'd grown into a confident, beautiful young woman, and it was distracting as hell.

We started the game, splitting into teams—me and Eric on one side, Delaney and Hannah on the other. As the game kicked off, I tried to focus on playing, but it was hard when Delaney was right there, her movements quick and smooth as she played. She was good, too—better than I remembered.