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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

HARLOW

T he roar of the motorcycle filled my ears as Brooks and I made our way along the winding roads. I tightened my grip around his waist, holding on for dear life as the warm air whipped against my face.

I always loved riding on the back of this bike. It’d been years, yet I was surprised at how natural it felt to hold on to him like this.

We didn’t talk. I didn’t ask where we were going, because we had traveled this road so many times, I already knew.

The second he pulled down the dirt path, my breath caught in my lungs.

The same willow tree stood tall along the shore of the lake. The dock we spent many hours on was still there, looking worn and weathered.

I slid off the bike; my hands trembled as I removed my helmet.

Brooks swung his legs over the bike and set the kickstand down.

He grabbed something from the saddlebag, and my heart almost tripped over itself when I saw the picnic basket and blanket in his hands.

“You planned a picnic for us?”

He shrugged, trying to play it off. “I figured it was a nice day out. We don’t have too many of those left, so I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon outdoors.”

He could have taken us anywhere, but he chose this spot. A place that mattered to both of us.

I wrapped my arms around my middle and stood a few feet back, taking it all in. Brooks spread the blanket out under the tree. The same spot where we spent so many hours talking about the future. This was where we shared our first kiss and spent countless hours staring at the stars in the sky.

I knelt beside him as he unpacked the fruit, cheese, and crackers and placed them on a little cutting board.

“You remembered?” I asked, kicking my white sneakers off and pulling the bottle of wine from the basket. I held it up and stared at the label. It was from the same winery where we went on our last date before I left to go back to school.

He stretched his jean-clad legs out on the blanket and tilted his head to the sky. “Of course I did. You drank the entire bottle and cried about how bad you were going to miss me.”

I laughed, covering my face. “I was a mess.”

He reached inside the basket and pulled out a corkscrew. “You were a cute mess.”

I looked out at the water. “Have you been here since I left?”

I don’t know why I asked. Why it was so important?

He sat back, bent his knee, and rested his arm casually around it. “I used to come here a lot. I thought maybe if I sat here long enough, I’d find some peace and stop being so damn angry.”

I took a small sip of my wine. “Did it help?”

He shook his head. “No. Not one bit.”

My chest squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

He ran a hand along the back of his neck. “It’s okay.”

I wanted to reach out and touch him. Show him how much I meant it.

He said he believed me, but I still felt the need to convince him.

My conversation with Molly from a few weeks ago popped into my mind.

I’d been toying with the idea of starting something on my own.

Given how comfortable I’d become with the thought of living here, I’d found myself thinking about it more than ever.

I pulled on my white crop top when I felt it riding up my back. “There is something I’ve been thinking about, but I’ve been waiting for the right moment to share it with you.”

He took a bite of his strawberry. “I’m listening.”

“I decided to put down some roots here and possibly start my own business,” I blurted out.

His gaze snapped to mine. “Pardon?”

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life chained to a desk and bust my ass for someone who doesn’t appreciate me. I want to do something meaningful. Something that makes me happy.”

He studied me for a minute. “What would you do?”

My fingers toyed with the edge of the blanket. “I thought about opening a nursery and specializing in landscape design.”

A look of understanding settled on his features. “Your mom?”

My eyes watered because, of course, he would connect the dots. “Do you think it’s stupid?”

He reached for my hand. “No, baby. I don’t think it’s stupid. I’m just surprised, in a good way,” he stressed. “Between Finn and me, we could send a lot of business your way.”

My eyes drifted across the lake to where my house sat on the opposite shore. It wasn’t visible because we were so far away, but I knew it was there. “What if I fail? I don’t know the first thing about running a business.”

His gaze followed mine. “You will not fail. I remember how pretty the flower beds were in front of the lake house. Anyone can plant flowers and shrubs, but you knew how to lay them out and combine all the different kinds of plants.”

Tears stung my eyes. Sometimes it felt like he believed in me more than I believed in myself. “You really think I could do it?”

“Without a doubt in my mind. It’s a great idea. You’re a natural. I’m proud of you.”

A single tear slipped down my cheek. “Damn it,” I said, swiping at my cheeks. “I wasn’t planning on crying today.”

He chuckled, reached into the basket, and pulled out a napkin.“And I didn’t plan on this conversation when I was packing the cheese and crackers.”

I chuckled lightly while dabbing under my eyes.“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea myself.”

There was something about this moment, with the smell of fresh cut grass, the birds chirping in the distance, and the sound of the water rippling against the shoreline, that made me feel lighter.

We talked and brainstormed on ways I could draw customers in and all the things I would do.

The more we talked, the less it felt like a whimsical idea.

He stood up and stretched. “Wanna go for a swim with me?” he asked, crinkling up his napkin and throwing it in the bag.

“It’s almost September. The lake is freezing.”

“Come on.” He grabbed my hand to pull me up. The muscles on his back flexed as he walked. I tried not to stare, but the man’s body was a work of art. I loved how time had sculpted his body, but he was still the same guy inside.

“Brooks.” I pulled on his arm, stopping him as we got closer to the water. “I don’t think jumping in the lake and freezing our asses off before we have to hop on your motorcycle is a good idea.”

He smirked at me as if I had just issued him a challenge. “I can warm you up before we head back.”

I shook my head with a laugh. “Not happening.”

He backed me up under the willow tree. His grin turned lazy and familiar. “Do you remember this tree?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You know I do.”

It was where he first kissed me.

He leaned in, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I convinced you to take a chance on me then. Now, I’m asking you to trust me. I have blankets in the back and a dry hoodie for you to wear.”

I looked out at the sky. The sun was slipping below the horizon. “My answer is still no.”

“You sure?” His hand went to the back of my neck. “You told me you wanted to be wild and reckless.”

His mouth teased mine, slowly coaxing my lips open. I pushed on his chest. “I meant in a warm bed, not in a cold lake where hypothermia might set in.”

His laugh rumbled against my lips. “You just said less than five minutes ago that you wanted to plant some roots here. If you want to fit in, you need to live like a local.”

“And jumping into the lake fully clothed qualifies me as a local?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Nope, but skinny dipping does.”

I sputtered out a laugh. “Now, I know you are crazy.”

He smirked like he was up to something. “The lake looks perfect. You can’t tell me you’re not tempted.”

I raised my brows. “What part of it will be dark soon, and I have no desire to ride my wet butt on the back of your motorcycle, do you not understand?”

He rolled his eyes. “Where is the girl who stripped in front of me when she was twenty-one years old and made me jump in the lake with her?”

“She grew up and realized that you can’t skinny dip on public property without the cops getting called.”

His shoulders shook with laughter. “It’s a good thing I know the sheriff now.”

“I still think I should stand here on the grass, fully clothed, and keep a lookout for you.”

He braced one hand on the tree and the other along my hip. “I think you need a little motivation.”

I pushed on his chest as if that would somehow save me. “You really think kissing me is going to get you what you want?”

He tilted his head and brought his mouth to mine. “I don’t know, you tell me?” His lips were slow and gentle as he applied the right amount of pressure to my mouth. He knew exactly what he was doing. And the worst part was, we both knew he could talk me into anything.

His hand slid under the hem of my white crop top. I moaned when his calloused fingers teased along the curve of my back. “Still don’t think I can talk you into it?”

I grinned against his mouth. It tasted like wine and strawberries. “Nope, but feel free to keep trying.”

His fingers went to my back, grabbed the hem of my shirt, and whipped it over my head. I was too dizzy from the kiss to fight him. “Do you still need convincing?”

“I think you need to try harder,” I said, letting out a breathless sigh. I was ready for him to strip my clothes completely off and do whatever the hell he wanted.

“Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea how hard I can go.”

My laugh turned into a squeal as he bent down and threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

“Brooks Dawson, you put me down right now.” I was laughing so hard as he moved toward the water.

“You will thank me later.”

And then he threw my ass in the lake.

I shrieked loud enough that you could probably hear it from the next town over. I sputtered as the cold water swallowed me whole.

I resurfaced and pushed my wet hair out of my eyes just in time to see him yank his clothes off, toss them on the grass, and dive in.

The water rippled around us, and when his head popped up, he looked pretty pleased with himself.

I splashed water at him as he swam closer. “Don’t you dare come near me?” I tried to scowl, but I was too busy laughing.

“Refreshing, isn’t it?” He ignored me and pulled me toward him.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

My eyes widened the second I realized what I said.

“Oh, trust me. I know.” His fingers brushed over my waist. “And I love you too.”

I wasn’t expecting him to say it back, but I was relieved that he did. I never thought I would hear those words come from his mouth ever again. I was grinning and thankful that he wasn’t making it awkward.

I wrapped my arms around his neck without even thinking. “If you love me, don’t ever throw me in this freezing-ass lake again.”

He chuckled. “You’re kinda cute when you’re mad.”

We drifted lazily in the water. The sun was beating on my face as I floated on my back.

It felt like another lifetime ago when we would come to this very spot.

When we were younger, it was about being out of sight, where no one could hear us.

It was our own quiet little cove where the rest of the world faded away.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, pulling me to his chest.

“I was thinking about how far we’ve come over the last few weeks.”

He pushed the wet hair back from my face. “Me too. I want to take advantage of this second chance we’ve been given and do it right this time.”

The water lapped around us. “I know we still have a lot to figure out, and I don’t know what things look like long term, but Brooks,” I said, pulling him closer, “I don’t want to marry you just because it’s convenient.”

“I don’t want that either,” he said, surprising me.

“So, what do we do now?”

His hands slid lower, gripping my hips as he pulled me deeper into the lake. “Now, I kiss you.”

The kiss started out slow and gentle, but it deepened quickly.

I sighed against his mouth and clung to him.

The sun began to dip, but I didn’t want to rush this kiss.

Every sweep of his tongue was a promise.

Every caress of his fingers was an unspoken vow.

I kissed him back with everything that I had.

His fingers traced a small path down my back as if he were afraid I might disappear.

I had no intention of going anywhere. Not this time.