I didn’t mind the silence or the quiet, and I also didn’t mind being the one driving the boat. I preferred it, even.
I liked being in control of a situation. It was when things were out of my control or when I was caught off guard that my chest tightened.
I thought stopping by the rental would’ve brought up more emotions, more memories, than it did. Apart from today and when Juliette moved in, I hadn’t been by the cabin since Gretchen left.
I’d spent so much time there during Gretchen’s stay that I wanted nothing to do with it afterward. I was trying to stop comparing Juliette to Gretchen—it wasn’t fair.
But it wasn’t lost on me that Gretchen had been in Golden Falls for more than a year on and off and never made an effort to meet my family, to visit Lake Ridge, or to spend time out on the water. She wanted our relationship to be a secret, and that should’ve been the first red flag. How had I missed all the signs? Looking back, it was easy to point them out.
But the cabin looked like a different place now, no longer marred by Gretchen’s stay.
Now, when I looked at the cabin, all I could see was Juliette. I liked the changes she made to the living area to make it more open and vibrant. Just like her.
The more time I spent around Juliette, the more I realized how wrong I had been about her.
There was no escaping the light that radiated off her. No wonder the whole damn town was drawn to her.
She was fucking addicting.
How was I going to break the addiction once she left?
23
JULIETTE
The nap had givenme a second wind for the evening.
Once we unpacked the boat, we made ourselves comfortable at Wesley’s house, which looked rustic from the exterior but had a modern feel when you stepped inside. I loved the tall windows and open floor plan. He mentioned to me how he made a number of upgrades to the home since moving in and shared how he was most proud of the basement, which included a pool table, dart board, and bar. The decorations were minimal, which I wasn’t surprised by, but the home still felt welcoming and lived in.
It was easy to lose track of time. We hung out on his back porch, played yard games, and shared our favorite summer memories from over the years. Most of Lily’s favorite memories had to do with pranks she’d played on her older siblings as a kid, including putting Wesley’s car keys in Jell-O and filling his pillow case with water balloons.
Once the sun started to set, the group began to disperse. Lily wanted to be back in her apartment to keep her cats company since they were afraid of fireworks. Cooper and Eliza wanted to stop by their grandma’s before the day was over.
Which left me and Wes.
He’d surprised me yet again when he asked if I wanted to join him and watch the fireworks from the back porch. I wasn’t about to say no. His back porch, and the view he had of the lake, was absolutely stunning and so peaceful. And…maybe I was looking forward to spending more time with him, especially with how nice today had been.
There was some time to kill before the fireworks started, so I stopped back at the cabin to shower and change before meeting Wes back at his house.
I might’ve also stolen his Lake Ridge cap.
“The sky looks beautiful tonight.” I leaned back in the Adirondack chair with a content sigh. Wes was sitting next to me. He was casually slouched back, and I had to keep myself from thinking about what it would be like to run my fingers through his messy, slightly wet hair or over his stubbled jaw. To distract myself, I focused on the thousands of stars sparkling like diamonds against the dark sky. “I’ve never seen so many stars.”
“One of the benefits of living in a small town, city girl.” Wesley brought the tumbler of whiskey up to his lips for a sip. I hadn’t minded the nickname today. It came out gentler than in the past, no longer sounding like a curse. But it still served as a reminder to both of us that I wasn’t sticking around after the summer. “I swear, Golden Falls has the best views.”
I brought my knees up to my chest as I shifted in the chair to face him. “So, you’ve lived in Golden Falls your whole life, then? What was that like?”
“I have, yeah. I spent four years down in Madison for college. I appreciated the change of scenery, meeting new people and hearing different ideas and experiences. I wouldn’t change a thing, but it felt too busy for me, which was part of the reason I moved back. The other part was I knew I wanted to take over Lake Ridge once my dad was ready to sell.”
“You met new people andenjoyedit?” I asked with mock surprise. “Don’t tell the tourists that.”
“Smart ass,” he muttered, but I caught how the corner of his lip twitched up, fighting a smile. “I complain about the tourists a lot, but Golden Falls wouldn’t be able to survive without them. I’m grateful this town can continue to thrive, but I wish the people who visited were more mindful of those of us who lived here year-round. Took better care of the town, didn’t litter, were careful out on the lake. That kind of stuff.”
“You love this town and want people to respect it. You’re not asking for too much.”
“And I guess I don’t mind meeting new people if I know they’re going to be around. I don’t trust people easily, and sometimes that can come off in the wrong way.” He waited a beat before adding, “I owe you an apology, Juliette. And an explanation.”
I finally looked over at him, tilting my head. “What do you mean? About earlier this summer? We put that behind us already.”
