Page 82 of His to Cherish
When he noticed me staring, he simply picked up the cooler from the kitchen where I’d packed a picnic, leaned in, and whispered in my ear, “I do like you dirty, though.”
—
The small fishing boat we rented was nothing to get excited about. It had only a trolling motor and paddles in case the battery died, and the bare minimum of fishing gear.
I didn’t mind.
Aidan thought it was hilarious that I enjoyed fishing and that I brought him to Rabbit Lake, a small lake just a few miles east of town.
I didn’t fish often, but growing up on a farm, I was well versed in all things nature.
Fishing was something I used to do with my dad on his rare days off from the farm.
“This is nice,” he said, throwing out his line. Once the lure hit the water, he began to reel it in slowly.
I was bobber fishing because, while I liked fishing, I didn’t enjoy swimming with the fish. Our boat didn’t look secure enough to withstand two people standing and rocking it, so I chose the easier route of being able to sit and watch my bobber on the waves, while Aidan stood and repeatedly cast his line. I was also the only one to catch a fish so far, and I had reluctantly thrown back the beautiful smallmouth bass twenty minutes ago.
“It’s warming up,” I said in response, although I didn’t think Aidan was talking about the weather.
“School year is almost done, isn’t it?”
I nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at me. We’d reached the hardest time of year. Keeping the kids focused during the last month until school got out right after Memorial Day weekend wasn’t easy for anyone.
“Yeah.”
“Plans for this summer?”
I shrugged. I usually took a few trips and enjoyed my time off. Last year I’d spent two weeks in Europe and it had been amazing, even if I had been by myself. Sometimes the loneliness of not having a family to go to anymore ate at me and made me feel unsettled. The fact that most of my friends worked during the summer and were unable to get away with me as often didn’t help, either.
For the most part, I didn’t mind traveling alone. Being in romantic Rome and even more romantic Venice by myself had been difficult. I’d spent most of the days watching couples who were enraptured by each other, wondering if I would ever experience that overwhelming love for someone that they seemed to have.
I shook my head, blinking back the thoughts, when Aidan cleared his throat.
“Sorry, got inside my head for a minute.” I looked away, not wanting him to see what was written on my face. Being with Aidan, in spite of the difficulties, was also one of the best relationships I’d ever had. But there was still the sadness that weighed us down, prevented us from being able to be free around each other.
“No plans,” I said quietly. “I’ve thought about seeing if Kate needed summer help at the bakery, but I didn’t make travel plans earlier this year when I normally do.”
Because I’d been too upset about Derrick, too busy trying to be there for Aidan and Shane, and all my typical summer planning had been forgotten.
“I see.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aidan look away from me, a frown on his face as he turned and focused on casting out his line.
I stared back out at the lake, watching my line gently bounce and dip with the calm, rippling water, when Aidan’s husky, thick voice sent a different type of rippling through my body.
“Maybe we can go somewhere.”
I smiled, keeping my focus on the water. “Yeah. Maybe.”
—
“Chicago.”
“What?” My voice was still breathless as I tried to calm my racing heart from the time Aidan and I had just spent together in his bed.
His bed. At his house. Where he’d invited me for dinner after we got done fishing and decided we’d had enough sun.
It was the first time I’d been in his house since the night of Derrick’s birthday.
And I couldn’t have been happier about it, because Aidan and I hadn’t just had sex. We’d made love. Even if he wasn’t ready to admit it, I saw it in his eyes as he moved inside of me. I felt it in the tender way his hands cupped my cheeks and roamed my naked body as I melted beneath him.
