“If we come early,” West muttered, “they’re going to make me shell butterbeans until my fingers are numb.”
Gramps shrugged, totally unapologetic, and I grinned at Grams, silently promising we’d be there early.
“Well, you two get back to your evening. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, giving us each one last hug before they headed off.
We made it to the checkout, where the cashier’s eyes went wide like we’d just walked in from another planet. Normally she’d find something to chat about with me, but today she rushed us along, bagged our groceries in record time, and sent us on our way with a polite nod.
Once we were in the truck, I glanced over. West looked drained. Between the old house, the errands, the social run-ins, it was all catching up to him. I could tell it was different than when he was in Atlanta, where he had his armor of control. Even his suit would’ve given him more of a shield than jeans and a T-shirt.
I wanted to make him smile again, mend his broken heart. So back at the house, I unloaded the groceries, then asked him to leave his phone and wallet on the table. I tugged him toward the pier and I’m sure he thought we were going to talk, maybe dig into some heavy, soul-baring moment from our pasts. Instead, when we reached the end, I shoved him straight into the lake.
His shout was still echoing when I jumped in after him, laughing so hard I swallowed half the water.
Chapter Forty-Four
WEST
Everything felt heavy.The high had worn off after the ultimate adrenaline rush and all I wanted was to get back home, shut out the world, and spend the rest of the night tucked away with Blue until Sunday dinner forced us out again.
When she told me to leave my phone inside, I figured it was because she didn’t want interruptions. I didn’t realize it was because she’d planned to shove me into the damn lake.
The shock of cold water hit first, then the sound of her laughter followed, sharp and bright against the quiet night. I broke the surface, pushing my hair back, just in time to see her leap in after me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, but the smile was already pulling at my mouth.
“Instant mood boost,” she said, grinning like she’d just solved every one of my problems. She splashed water into my face before I could dodge.
The water was freezing, but it cleared the weight from my chest in a way I hadn’t expected. “What if I didn’t know how to swim?”
“You know how to do everything, Westley Brooks. Everything except regulate your mood swings.” Her eyes danced with mischief, and I found myself laughing.
I reached down, tugged one boot off, and sent it onto the pier, doing the same with the other. No point in letting them fill with water and drag me under. Blue kicked hers away too, then swam close enough to wrap her legs around my waist.
We each grabbed the pier to steady ourselves. With her free hand, she shimmied out of her jeans, peeling the soaked denim from her hips and tossing it onto the boards above. Then her attention shifted to me, her fingers at my button, sliding the zipper down.
“Take your clothes off,” she ordered, her voice daring me to argue.
“Yes, ma’am.”
We stripped, and for the next half hour, the lake became our own private world. Dark, quiet, endless. We swam naked under the stars, splashing and laughing, knowing the closest house was empty so we had no fear of being seen. There was no need to weigh words, no pressure to guard feelings. Just the kind of freedom I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
When our muscles finally protested, I lifted her onto the pier, following after. We stretched out, completely naked, the wood still warm beneath us from where it had baked all day in the sun, and stared up at the moon. The world felt far away until our stomachs growled, pulling us back toward the house.
Cooking with her was easy, almost like we’d done it for years. We ate. We showered. We made love. And by the time I collapsed into bed, my body felt like it could sleep for twelve straight hours.
But Blue drifted off first. I stayed awake a while longer, watching her breathe, brushing my thumb over the curve of her shoulder. There was a peace about her in sleep. Soft, unguarded.It made the lake feel even further away, like that version of us belonged to some rare, protected space I didn’t want to lose.
And maybe that’s why, when my phone rang from the kitchen counter, the sound felt harsh and foreign. I thought about ignoring it, thinking it was just another spam call that I didn’t need to worry about. But it was late, and even spammers had to sleep, which meant it was worth checking just in case it was an emergency l.
I eased out from under Blue and left the room, crossing the living room to the kitchen with the floor feeling cool against my bare feet.
Easton’s name lit the screen and I answered without hesitation. “Hello.”
“Hey, where are you?”
“At the lake house.”
“Is Blue with you?”
