Page 103 of See You There

“In this weather, it will be crowded.”

Her face fell.

Luke wanted her smile back. “I’m sure we could find something.”

Dahlia’s eyes lightened.

Dunking himself in a cold mountain lake seemed like a good idea.

After a quick cup of coffee, they gathered their things and drove to a small park at the end of the lake. Fortunately, their car was the only one in the tiny parking lot.

It had taken Dahlia a total of three minutes to exit the truck, drop her bag, and shed her shorts and T-shirt. By the time Luke recovered from the sight of her in the tiny black bikini, she was already in the water.

“Is that a rope swing?” Dahlia asked, pointing across the small cove.

“Looks like it. Be careful,” Luke called, as she began walking toward the center of the water. Luke followed her through the chilly water.

“Do you think it’s deep enough?” Dahlia reached the opposite bank and looked up at the rope dangling above them.

The water lapped high on Luke’s chest. But when he took another step, the bottom fell away, and he needed to tread water. “As long as you tuck your knees, you should be fine. I’ll go first.”

“Yeah, right,” Dahlia’s peal of laughter rang out bright and happy. Luke couldn’t help but grin as she scrambled up the muddy bank, oblivious to how the mud clung to her hands and knees.

Dahlia stood above him on a large rock, one hand holding the branch of the tree while she extended out over the water to catch the rope. Her hair lay in a wet rope down her back with several straggling hairs stuck to her face. Luke didn’t point out the trail of dirt her fingers left on her cheek when she tucked some loose strands behind her ear.

Right now, she looked nothing like the glamorous movie star he’d met in the television studio parking lot. Dahlia was fresh faced and happy. An unfamiliar ache spread through his chest when she laughed again.

Grasping the rope with both hands, Dahlia backed up. And with two running steps and a loud whoop, she swung out over the water before dropping in a ball into the water near him.

Her head broke through the water with a laugh as she shoved her hair out of her face. Joy and light shone from every pore. “That was amazing!”

Luke couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“What?”

Dahlia had caught him staring, and Luke blinked. “Your form needs work.”

“Really?” she quirked a brow at him. “You could do better?”

He scoffed. “In my sleep.” Luke made his way up the hill and took the rope in his hands. “Behold,” he called, before swingingout and dropping into the water. When he surfaced, Dahlia was already halfway up the hill again.

“Not bad for a city boy,” she said over her shoulder.

Luke used his arm to propel a wave of water toward her, but she was already out of reach. Over and over, they swung out and dropped into the water, teasing who had better form. They developed a rating system based on style and splash zone. Dahlia argued it wasn’t fair because he was so much larger than her, he would automatically displace more water.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much. It was as if both of them had forgotten they were supposed to be serious adults and had reverted to their childhoods. They were both muddy and bedraggled… Luke wanted it to continue forever.

A minivan pulled into the parking lot, and a handful of children spilled out, running straight for the water. Luke and Dahlia made their way back to where they had left their towels to give the others a turn. Luke rubbed his knees under the water, trying to remove the mud.

“That might take a scrub brush,” Dahlia giggled, eyeing him. “My arms are jelly, but that was the most fun I’ve had in…” She shook her head. “I can’t even remember how long!”

Luke rubbed a towel over his wet hair. “Me, too!” Their eyes met over smiles. They spread their towels on some moss under a tree and watched the family in the lake. Dahlia leaned back on her elbows and tipped her face up as the sun filtered through the leaves.

Water droplets clung to the bits of hair hanging free by her face, chill bumps decorated the creamy skin of her shoulder. Luke had a sudden desire to press his tongue against the goose bumps to see if he could warm her. Dahlia’s eyes drifted closed, and her full lips parted on a happy sigh. “This is the perfect morning.”

Luke didn’t realize he had leaned closer until his shadow cast over her face, and she opened her eyes. Instead of being alarmed, her eyes were soft and watchful. As if she were waiting.

It would take the smallest of movements to close the distance between them. Dahlia’s tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip, and Luke’s body tightened painfully as he followed the motion.