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“Rinsing off.”
“I don’t have ice cream on my lap,” she cried as she beat on his lower back with her fists, laughing the whole time.
He walked down the beach with her over his shoulder and into the water, dropping her next to him.
He reached down and wetted his hands, wiping at the mess on his shorts. A sudden splash soaked his front side, and he looked up at Genevieve with a devious smile, then proceeded to kick water at her. “Payback, darling.”
They splashed and splashed, like they had almost three months before when they’d first come to the lake together.
When they were sufficiently soaked, she stepped closer. “Say it again,” she said.
“Payback.” He smirked.
She shook her head. “The other.”
He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close again, leaning his forehead against hers. “Darling,” he whispered.
She kissed him this time. Soft and slow. Slick from the water.
He hoped this meant that she had forgiven him, but he really wanted to hear her say it.
They walked together onto the beach and continued along the shore. He looked over at her and sighed. She was so pretty. He’d always thought so. But after the thought of never being with her had crushed him, he thought she was even prettier than before.
They walked along in silence for a while, and he was just enjoying being next to her again.
“Montana’s far,” he finally said.
“Not too far for someone with a fancy private jet.” Her eyes met his.
“Are you saying you’d want me to visit you?” The hope was back, racing forward faster than Charisma’s gallop.
Her fingers suddenly slid between his and curled around his hand, and he thought his heart might burst with happiness. “Does that answer your question?”
He smiled. “I might need to hear you say it.”
“Say what?” she asked.
He stopped walking, causing her to stop as well. “That you forgive me. Because I need to know you do. I need to know that you forgive me for making the stupidest mistake of my life. I’m not a liar, Gen, and I don’t know what made me think deceiving you was a good idea. I know I had reasons, which I thought were legitimate at the time, but I know it’s never okay to be dishonest, especially about who you really are. And even worse, I got others involved. I would understand if you were never able to trust me again, and I—”
“Shhh.” Genevieve stepped forward and lay her finger against his lips.
His heartbeat stuttered at her touch.
“In case you didn’t already know … I’m in love with you, Sebastian Schultz.”
His lips fell open at the enormity of her admission. Had he heard her right? This couldn’t be happening. Not after all he’d put her through.
“Did you hear me?” She had so much love in her eyes. “All I wanted to do when I got the job was call and tell you, because I knew how happy you’d be for me. I was excited to be in Montana, doing what I always wanted to do, but it felt like I left part of my heart behind. And when I heard about your letter, I realized that I’d already forgiven you, and I had to tell you.”
“I don’t deserve it,” he managed.
“After everything you’ve been through in the past, you absolutely do.”
His eyes began to sting as tears surfaced.
“Bass.” She gazed up at him adoringly.
He looked at her through blurry eyes. “Nobody’s ever called me that before.”