Page 13 of Lakeside Little (Pineberry Falls: Summer Daddies #2)

We spoke a lot about what was going to happen, and the eventual day came.

Daddy had lived in my cabin with me for the extra couple days, and it was the first time I was seeing my life with someone else.

I liked the way it looked, and I didn’t know how to say that to him without trying to ask for his hand in marriage.

We were still very new in this relationship together.

The last day in town was spent visiting the stores, and the soon-to-open cafe, which had a red sold sign stuck over the front glass of the window.

We walked hand-in-hand, we ate ice cream and drank the most delicious, iced coffees.

There were still weeks left of summer here, and it felt like it was just starting, but for us, our trip to Pineberry Falls was nearly over.

“You know we’re gonna have to come back next summer,” Daddy said as we sat in the shade under a tree, the same tree we’d been under before.

“I wish we could carve our names here,” I whispered. “I know you shouldn’t do that anymore, but I need people to know we were here.”

“Maybe nobody else has to know, I think all that matters is we know,” he said. “And I wouldn’t want to make others jealous.”

He knew the right things to say to me. I could’ve cried, not because of the words, but because we were about to leave, and my body’s way of processing that emotion was through the tear ducts alone.

“So, next year, we’ll be here again, and before that, I’ll be at your place, and then you’ll be at my place, and then—”

“Snowflake Springs in winter,” I said.

“Where’s that?”

“This place like an hour away from here, it’s just as accepting and full of rainbow flags, but they have a natural hot spring, and they’re big on winter sports,” I said. “Maybe no fishing or grilling.”

His laugh petered off. “I’m no good at winter sports, but I can do that thing, you know where you use a that plastic and just zoom from the top of a snowy hill down to the bottom.”

“Tobogganing?” I said. I only knew that from winters at Snowflake Springs. “And don’t worry, I cannot ski, but I can ice skate.”

“I like making plans with you,” he said.

“Well, I’m a planner, it’s how I know you’re not getting rid of me that easy,” I told him. I pulled out my phone. “I’m visiting you first because I want to see where you live and the space you promised me, and that’s next weekend.”

“Unless I sell the place,” he said.

“Ok, unless you sell, but I’m not sure if you will.”

“Don’t be too sure, the thought of being able to move is exciting,” he said, holding out his hand. “I wanna see the rest of these plans. When do I come over and build this kingdom?”

“After Labor Day. I don’t know if you have plans for then, and we’re gonna need time to plan and buy material for it,” I told him. “Also, since I’m pretty much an expert at social media, self-professed, sure, but I’ve also added in a little something here about us talking.”

Daddy squinted to look at the calendar on my phone. “You planned time for us to talk?”

“Specifically, about building you a social media account, which I could manage.”

His face lit up, it was strange because I didn’t think that was how he was going to react. I didn’t want to throw all my ideas at him at once, I knew they could get a little overwhelming. “And what sort of stuff would I post?” he asked. “Like videos of me doing stuff?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“I love watching those types of videos,” he said. “Are you sure it’s something I can do?”

“You can do anything you want,” I told him. “Especially with me around.”

“I think I’m supposed to be the one saying that stuff to you. Am I not?”

“Motivating each other is a two-way street, Daddy.” I winked. “And right now, I’m pushing it to you. You can push it to me when I need it.”

I knew there were times when I needed motivating and the push to do what needed to be done, and sometimes, I just needed an ear to listen to me. It’s why I could see the same thing on Daddy’s face. He needed it now, and I was the goodest little in the entire world for it.

“And before I forgot,” I said, snapping a picture of the beaded bracelets around his wrist. “I want to post it.”

“Well, if I’m on your social media, then I guess that really makes this whole thing official.”

“Oh, it’s official,” I said. We were just one L-word away. “I love it.”

“You know what I love?”

He was going to say it. My ears pricked and my eyes grew wide as they stared at him. “What?”

“I love good boys who know just how to put Daddy’s mind at ease.”

That was more than enough. He’d said it, without actually saying it.

It was like a pact now. I extended a pinky finger out.

“Promise?” I asked, hooking his pinky finger around mine.

“Now it’s a promise.” And a pact. If either one of us broke it, the other got their pinky…

at least, that what I heard the rule was.

As much as we wished for time to freeze and give us forever in this town, we both had plans that meshed together, intertwined and locked like vines growing up a trellis, that how our future looked.

And I wasn’t going to let go, of his pinkie finger right now, or the plans we’d created—well, mostly me, but he wanted it just as much as I did. I was sure of that.

I loved him. Snores and all.

Pineberry Falls was the town that taught me about how love hides and shows itself when you least expect it.

It taught me that with enough trust, you could actually go out on the lake, see fish, and catch them if you were lucky.

But most of all, this town taught me to keep my dolls away from the water and say yes to the hot older guy.