Free Coast Guard Sweetheart by Lisa Carter

refusing to let go. “Oh, no. Not so fast, Beatrice.”
    â€œYou mean when I win, Kole.”
    â€œHow about we make this interesting? If the Guard wins, you supply the station with a week’s worth of desserts. And as for me, Girly-Girl?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Stop calling me that.”
    â€œYou said not to call you baby or Honey. So Girly-Girl it is.” He continued, undeterred. “And when I win, Girly-Girl, I want an evening of your time.”
    â€œA date?” she sputtered. “Of all the—” She growled. “Not going to happen.”
    â€œScared, Beatrice?
    Honey yanked her hand free. “I’m not scared of you.”
    â€œThen what’s the problem? If you’re so sure you’re going to win anyway.” He gave her that slow, devastating smile. “And if you do somehow manage to win, what would you claim as your prize?”
    She narrowed her eyes. “ When I win, I’ll still supply a week’s worth of desserts to my brother-in-law’s crew in appreciation for Coastie service to this nation. But you’ll...”
    Honey jabbed her finger at his Coastie-clad tropical blue chest. “You’ll... You’ll...” She cast her gaze around the town square, grasping for the worst possible punishment to inflict on the oh-so-cocky Coastie.
    â€œI’ll what?”
    Honey clenched her jaw. “You’ll have to clean the toilets, make the beds and wash the laundry for a week at the lodge.”
    Sawyer, to her fury, grinned.
    Honey floundered. “Wearing the frock-saver of my choice...”
    â€œI’ve been told I look good in pink,” Sawyer teased.
    â€œUnder my constant supervision...” she snarled.
    Sawyer rocked on his heels. “Either way, a win-win for me. Getting to spend time with you.”
    Honey pounded the table with her fist. The money box rattled. “We’ll see how perky you feel after scrubbing toilets, Kole.” She thrust the signup roster at him. “Five dollars.”
    Sawyer pointed to the poster tacked to the front of the table. “I want one of those special Quack Packs to increase my chances of winning.”
    Honey bared her teeth. “You’ll need every advantage you can get against the Duer Ducks.”
    â€œExactly how many ducks have the Duers entered into the race?”
    She lifted her chin. “We lead by example, Kole. You qualify for the Quacker Package with the purchase of twenty ducks.”
    â€œThe Guard always goes above and beyond. How aboot...” His lips quirked, pausing to make sure she’d caught his Shore inflection.
    Honey glared.
    Sawyer pulled out a handful of cash from his cargo pants. “How about I adopt thirty ducks since this is for a worthy cause?”
    Her mouth dropped as he unrolled and counted fifteen tens. “A hundred and fifty dollars?” she squeaked. “Are you crazy?”
    â€œNothing else to spend my money on for three years.” He shrugged. “And that date night, Beatrice Duer,” the look he gave her liquefied Honey’s insides. “I aim to win.”
    Her heart pounding, she tied the wristband around his sun-darkened forearm. “Must you always be so annoying, Sawyer Kole?”
    Sawyer placed both palms flat and leaned across the table, his nose inches from hers. “Must you always be so beautiful, Beatrice Duer?”
    Honey made an elaborate show of stuffing the ducks into three grocery bags so he could transport them to the craft table.
    â€œWhy I believe that may be the prettiest shade of pink I’ve ever seen rising from beneath the collar of your shirt, Girly-Girl.”
    Honey was beginning to understand why Amelia nearly harpooned Braeden in a case of mistaken identity. She’d like to harpoon Sawyer. No case of mistaken identity necessary. He was as annoying as the south end of a mule.
    Sawyer stepped back a pace, correctly reading the expression on