Page 103 of When You Blush

Blake frowns down at me. “You did?”

“She took state her senior year.”

We all glance over and see Tucker and Easton sitting on lounge chairs, drinking beer and relaxing with who Ithinkare Chase and Brady Wild.

I really need a spreadsheet with pictures.

Tucker grins. “She can kick your ass.”

“It’s a good thing the swear jar doesn’t count up here,” Birdie says to Tucker, who laughs. The little girl takes my hand and leads me to the deep end.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go in over there?” I point at the shallow end, but she shakes her head.

“No. Let’s jump together.”

“Okay. One, two, three!”

We hop into the water, and when we come up for air,I keep my hands on Birdie’s sides to make sure she doesn’t go back under.

But she’s kicking and using her arms the way she should, and she grins at me.

“We did it!”

“We sure did. Do you know how to do a back float?”

Birdie shakes her head.

“Okay, hold on to the side while I show you. Don’t let go, okay?”

“I won’t,” she says and brushes some hair out of her eyes, watching me closely.

I lie back and float on top of the warm water for at least ten seconds. When I right myself, Birdie’s already floating, her arms stretched out and a smile on her beautiful little face.

“This is really nice, and you don’t have to work super hard to do it,” she says.

“I agree. I’ll join you.”

I lie back again, but before I close my eyes, I see Blake smiling at the edge of the pool, taking a picture of us with his phone.

“I love you,” he mouths to me, and I grin up at him before I bring my hands together, making a heart.

“Okay, now what are we going to do?” Birdie asks, breaking the moment.

“Whatever you want.”

“Let’s race!”

Chapter Twenty-Three

BLAKE

“Ihear you have a girlfriend,” Dad says the following week before lifting his mug of coffee to his lips and taking a sip.

How is it possible that I’m in my mid-thirties, I’m a doctor, and I’ve been living my own life for a damn long time, but my father can make me feel like a teenager again with only six words?

And I want to tell him that I don’t simply have agirlfriend. I’ve found the love of my fucking life, and as soon as I can talk her into it, she’ll be my wife.

“I do.” I cross one ankle over my knee. I’m sitting at my parents’ kitchen table. Mom’s off for a hair appointment, and Dad asked me to come over to “help him with something.”