Page 6 of Red, White, and You (Merry Little Midlife #3)

The summer night hangs heavy with anticipation as the camp comes alive with the sound of laughter and the clinking of glasses.

The Welcome Party is in full swing, and the atmosphere is electric.

My favorite night of the week, Fridays hit a little differently.

There’s just something about the energy of the first night of Camp West.

It’s intoxicating. Thrilling.

But tonight, it’s so much more. I’m torn between my duties as the camp host and the magnetic pull of Brielle Donovan-West, who stands across the room, a glass of her favorite pinot noir in hand and bright, curious eyes that follow my every move, completely oblivious to how many sets of eyes follow her every move.

The way people watch my wife, naturally gravitate to her, hasn’t changed a bit.

She’s as magnetic as she was twenty years ago, possibly even more so.

Brie is stunning, her honey-blonde hair cascading down her shoulders in gentle waves, and her hazel eyes sparkling with promise every time our gazes meet.

Time has been kind to her, and the years apart have done nothing to diminish the fierce attraction I still feel for her.

We’ve spent the past few hours reacquainting ourselves as I showed her around camp and introduced her to staff and guests both new and old, but as much as being with Brie feels familiar and natural, she still has her walls up.

I’d be foolish to expect them to crumble within the first few hours of our reunion, but I am determined to show her that even after all this time, there’s no stronger love than the love we have between us.

I don’t have much of a plan after this week; I’m not even sure I believed I could get her here.

I don’t know how we’ll manage once we have to say goodbye again, but she came, and that was the first step.

Hell, that might even have been the most important step.

Everything after will fall into place. It has to.

Regardless of our vast differences, no two people have ever been more meant for one another than we are, and that has to count for something.

Time apart has only strengthened my resolve.

She’s it for me, and I don’t want to waste another moment of this lifetime without her.

With a determined stride, I navigate through the throng of campers, the soft strains of live music guiding my way.

The air is filled with a mixture of laughter, conversation, and the clatter of cutlery against plates.

The aroma of grilled food wafts through the air, teasing my senses.

I haven’t had time to sit down and eat yet, too determined to get through my duties as quickly as possible so I can sneak away with my wife.

As always, the gathering is a diverse mix of new and returning guests, their faces a blur as I move from group to group.

I shake hands with newcomers, share hugs and stories with returning campers, all while keeping an eye on Brie as she begins to relax in the presence of Duffy and Jarron, two of my longest employees and closest friends.

I stop at the beer pong table to sink a ball with Craig and his crew, order them all a round of Jell-O shots on the house, then use the distraction to slip away and make a beeline for Brie .

She smiles as she watches me stride toward her, and my chest tightens around my heart. How have I existed without that smile all these years?

“Dance with me?” I extend my hand toward her.

Brie tilts her head, brows furrowing, and it occurs to me that the song isn’t really a dance number. Shrugging, I curl my fingers and raise my eyebrows in question.

Brie finishes her glass of wine and sets it on the table, slips her hand into mine, then stands. “I’ve never found 4 Non Blondes to be particularly romantic, but I do appreciate a good feminist anthem.”

Chuckling, I pull Brie against me and slide my arm around her waist, nuzzling my nose against her throat. “I’ve never known you to say no to a dance.”

“I didn’t say no.”

Twining our fingers together, I spin us in slow circles toward the dance floor. I’m vaguely aware of the watchful eyes of all the campers following our movement, but I ignore them.

They don’t matter. Nothing matters but the woman in my arms, and the way our bodies still fit together perfectly.

As if seeing our approach and sensing what needs to happen next, the band switches seamlessly into a different song, setting the mood for a slow one.

Brie looks up into my eyes and allows me to lead her around the floor in a simple two-step, our hips just inches apart, our bodies syncing as we move together to the beat of an old Johnny Lee ballad.

“You’re quite popular around here,” she says. “How long have you owned this place?”

“Eleven years.”

Brie’s eyes widen. “That long? ”

I nod and swing her away from me, then pull her back, holding her a little closer this time. With no space between our hips, I can feel every move of her legs as we dance. “When my father died—”

Brie winces. “Yes, about that—”

“Don’t,” I say, shaking my head. “I know why you didn’t call.”

She smiles sadly, but nods.

It’s the same reason I didn’t call when I heard about her brother’s passing.

We couldn’t .

Any contact, even just the smallest acknowledgment of loss or grief, and we’d have undone the hard work we’d put into our separation, into building our lives and finding success—whatever that meant for each of us.

“His life insurance, plus some savings I’d had no idea about, came my way, and with them…” I motion around me. “A land deed.” Laughing, I add, “You should have seen how run down this place was when I showed up to claim it.”

“Really? It’s so beautiful now.”

“Thank you. I’ve never worked so hard on anything in my life. This place is full of blood, sweat, and tears.”

Brie’s eyes widen. “You built this?”

“Not entirely,” I admit. “I hired people, of course, professionals who knew what they were doing, but I designed it. And I worked beside the construction crews every day.”

Her mouth opens, but no words come out, hazel eyes sparkling with a mix of wonder and pride.

Each stride of our dance presses her hips against mine. I ache for her in ways I can’t act on with all these people around.

She releases my hand and wraps both arms around my neck, as if I’m not the only one feeling the need to be closer, to eliminate both inches and years that separate us. Her fingers slide into my hair and she licks her lips.

Everything else falls away. The music. The band. The campers.

I lower my lips to hers, kissing her slowly as we rock in place.

When I pull back, her eyes remain closed for a minute and I study the soft spray of her eyelashes on each cheek.

“Come on,” I finally say. “Let’s go for a walk.”

She opens her eyes slowly. “You’re allowed to leave?”

Smiling, I reach down and squeeze her ass. “It’s my camp, Breezy, I can do whatever I want. And right now, I want to kiss you without all these onlookers.”

She bites her bottom lip and her cheeks pinken as her gaze flicks around the grand hall, then she nods. “Probably a good idea.”

She slips her hand into mine and we stride quickly to the doors, then out into the night.

There are campers everywhere, mingling outside the hall, smoking cigarettes and whatever else on benches near the lake, splashing in the pool or sitting in the jacuzzi, but I have only one place in mind, and it’s usually empty.

My secret hideaway behind the Camp Office.

I lead Brie through the campground, miraculously avoiding being pulled into any conversations, then we sneak along the side of the office cabin and find the trail out back.

“Where are you taking me?” she asks, the playful lilt of her voice unable to hide the underlying nervousness.

“We haven’t had a bear sighting in years, Breezy, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Brie laughs self-consciously. “How did you know?”

I stop and turn around, tugging her into my arms. “Because I know you. ”

She pulls in a shaky breath. “You always did.”

I kiss her nose and turn to continue leading her up the moonlit path. We reach the top of a small hill and the trees open up to my favorite spot. A park bench sits between two massive trees, overlooking the camp, the lake, and the mountains beyond.

“Wow,” Brie sighs behind me. “It’s beautiful up here.”

I turn to watch her take it all in, the moonlight reflecting silver in her eyes. Finally, she turns to me and smiles. “Thank you for bringing me up here to see this view.”

That’s not why I brought her here, but I nod as I settle onto the bench, patting the place beside me in invitation.

Brie looks at the bench, then straddles me to sit on my lap. She wraps her arms around my neck; I slide mine around her waist.

“Kiss me,” she whispers, then leans down to press her lips against mine.

I kiss her hard, sliding my hands up into her thick hair and holding her head to mine as my tongue parts her lips and crashes with hers. She moans into the kiss and her hips rock against me, desperation and need obvious in the way her body speaks to mine without words.

We have years to make up for and only a week to do so; patience is not a virtue I can entertain right now.

I tug her t-shirt free of her jeans and Brie raises her arms so I can pull the shirt off, then I reach behind her to unclasp her bra.

The lace falls between us and Brie arches back until her breasts are within my reach; I pull one into my mouth, sucking hard and smiling around her flesh when she moans and her fingers tighten in my hair.

Her body has changed some, as mine has. It’s been nearly two decades since I’ve touched her.

She’s fuller now, softer in all the best places.

The body of the young woman I remember has matured, becoming this voluptuous, thick creature sitting before me now.

I’ve been desperate to reacquaint myself with her curves since the moment she stepped out of her car this afternoon.

I switch to the other breast, pulling the nipple between my teeth and teasing it with the tip of my tongue.

Brie’s hips buck and she presses herself toward me, forcing more of her breast into my mouth.

I need to get this woman naked, need to hear her scream my name.

I need the bite of her nails in my back, need to be trapped within the cage of her legs.

I need her.

All of her.

I release her breast and find her mouth again, and when we kiss this time, each thrust of her tongue is desperate, searching.

Hungry .

“Brady, I—”

Her words cut off and she goes rigid in my arms.

The sound of a woman giggling and a loud male voice quickly follows.

“We’re about to be interrupted,” I say, stating the obvious.

“Where’s my shirt?” she whispers.

I lean forward and she quickly wraps her arms around me so she doesn’t fall backwards. I retrieve her shirt, then help her pull it on, tugging it down with seconds to spare.

“Oh! Whoops!” a woman says, giggling loudly.

A man gives a low whistle, then chuckles as he says, “We didn’t think anyone knew about this spot.”

Craig . I shake my head, then swivel it toward him and raise an eyebrow .

“Ah hell, sorry, Brady.” Craig rubs his hand over his mouth. “I didn’t think anyone else knew about this spot.”

I should have never told him about the bench I dedicated to my Pops. “No worries, man.” I return my attention to Brie, shaking my head. “Cabin?”

She nods.

I incline my head, then unhook my arms from around her. She stands, and the light from the moon displays her nipples against the thin fabric of her t-shirt. I clear my throat and motion toward her breasts.

Brie quickly crosses her arms, her pink bra dangling from one wrist. As soon as she realizes, she tugs it up and wraps her hand around it. “Oh my god,” she murmurs, hanging her head.

Doing my best not to laugh, I grab her by the hand and lead her back down the trail.

Craig and his guest step out of the way, quiet as we pass, but as soon as we are out of view their loud voices resume.