"He's kayaking today," the younger guy told her. "Try Sandy Point."
"Thanks," said Alexis, uncertain whether to track him down. If he was enjoying a peaceful day of kayaking, who was she to ruin it with her presence?
"Are you Alexis?" the bartender asked.
Alexis's eyebrows shot up. "Yes."
The bartender grinned. "Okay, now I get it." He reached across the bar to shake her hand. "Lewis Moore."
"Nice to meet you, Lewis."
Alexis suspected that, unlike her, Tyler was in touch with his emotions and not afraid to share. There was, however, the somewhat salient point that he'd never expressed his feelings to the one person who seemingly mattered - Alexis. She may have been blind to his attention in school, but in her defense, he never actually told her how he felt. If he had, at the very least, she may have remembered him.
She hopped in her golf cart and sputtered off toward Sandy Point. She hadn't been to that part of the island since her arrival and she was curious to see how it looked after all these years. Lots of kids from school went kayaking and paddle boarding there, but Alexis had never been interested. She hadn't been interested in anything the local kids did. Because she had no desire to be a local kid, she did her best to distance herself from their activities.
When Alexis arrived at Sandy Point, she couldn't see a soul. She squinted into the distance as a lone figure appeared on the horizon. She watched his sure, fluid movements and knew in an instant that the figure was Tyler. She waved her arms and hopped up and down, hoping to draw his attention without looking ridiculous. As the kayak continued to move closer, Alexis felt confident that he'd seen her.
When he finally came close enough that she could see his face, Alexis felt tiny shockwaves throughout her body. His dark blond hair was damp and wavy from the sea spray and his muscles rippled as he moved the paddle from side to side with decisive strokes. For a moment, she forgot why she was there.
He grinned when he saw her and she hurried toward the water's edge to meet him.
"Didn't expect to see you here," he called.
He effortlessly bounced out of the kayak and pulled it to the sand right near her feet. Alexis gaped as he unzipped the top of his wetsuit and slipped on a red wicking shirt that he pulled from his waterproof bag. Short of closing her eyes, she couldn't avoid noticing his muscular torso. Dry clothes did not do him justice.