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“Hayes… as in Digger’s family?” I don’t like that guy.

He always acts polite and respectful to Sawyer, but I catch him watching Noel as she works. Lechery is all over his face, and I want to punch him in the nuts. Leon doesn’t like him either. Hell, even Akela shows her teeth whenever he’s around.

“I don’t think anybody fishes there anymore…” Noel seems oblivious. “It’s right out in the sun.”

“Will anybody care if we swim in it?”

A mischievous light hits her eye. “One way to find out.”

“Meet you at the truck.”

An old red Chevy is parked behind the shed for anyone to use. We take it, and Noel scoots to the center of the bench seat beside me. Her head is on my shoulder and my hand is between her knees as we drive the back roads connecting the properties.

Akela runs with us the whole way, bouncing in the black-eyed Susans growing in clumps beside the road. We leave the truck in the center of the field, and I help Noel down then strip off my shirt.

We jog to the pier extending out to the center of the lake, Akela right at our heels. Our feet make thumping noises on the wooden planks as we run, and our hands are clasped as we take a flying leap into the placid, brown water.

It’s as warm as a bath under the burning-hot sun. A large pipe rises from the center, spraying water in the air like a geyser, keeping it oxygenated, and I reach out, pulling Noel to me, our skin sliding together, slippery as a bar of soap.

She feels so good in my arms. I claim her mouth, pushing her lips apart and finding her tongue. She melts like peach ice cream, and I kiss her deeper before moving my lips to her ear. Her nipples are taut against my chest, and I know she feels my hardness on her stomach. I’m sure she’s felt it before.

When I find her eyes, I look deeply into them. “What are you thinking about?”

She blinks down and hesitates. “I never asked if you had a girlfriend or anything back home.”

This makes me smile. “Not much point having a girlfriend when I’m about to leave.” Her face falls, and I wish I could take back the words. “I just mean… No, I don’t. It wouldn’t be fair to ask somebody to wait for me.”

She traces a finger along the line of my jaw not meeting my eyes. “What if somebody wanted to wait for you?”

My insides churn. I don’t know if she means her—as in, she’d wait for me. I don’t know if I want to hope she would. “Nobody has yet.”

Moments pass. She doesn’t say anything, so I give her a little squeeze. “What about you? You’re not dating one of these country boys?”

A little shrug. “Digger’s the most persistent.”

“That guy.” My voice is more of a growl than I intend.

Her eyes meet mine sparkling. “What’s wrong with Digger?”

“He’s the worst.”

“He’s not so bad.”

“He is so bad.” Leaning forward, I catch her eye. “You wouldn’t date that guy, would you?”

Her lips twist, and she gives me a sheepish grin. “I kind of already did.”

I loosen my hold, and she lunges forward, squeezing me around the shoulders. “It was a long time ago! One summer after harvest… I think the sun had melted my brain cells.”

She laughs, and I pull her tighter to me. “Do you guys always work this hard in the summer?”

“Just since we lost Daddy. Up to then, we always had hired help.”

“You didn’t have any uncles or anything to take over for him, run things?”

“My momma was an only child.” She props her elbows on my shoulders. “Her family pretty much disowned her when she married my daddy. My grandfather acted like we didn’t exist most of my life.”

Anger tightens my throat. How could anybody not want to know this beautiful girl? “His loss.”