Page 32 of When I Fall In Love

I watch as a golden retriever puppy sniffs and waggles his tail all the way to my deck chair, then stops and stares up at me as he reaches my foot. Well then. This must be Mycroft. “Not even sure that’s your name yet, are you?” I whisper to him. Those deep brown eyes are going to steal so many hearts, because they’re stealing this one already. I reach out to stroke his head.

Feet patter over the deck and I look up. A beautiful little girl with black curls bouncing wild runs up to me. “Crofty, not here,” she says and looks at me shyly. “Sorry. He’s new.”

“I can see.”

“Hannah! Hannah-honey, you know you’re not allowed to play here—” More hasty steps and I sit straight as adult Derek Brodie slows down. “—when there’re guests.” Recognition lights up his face. “Right. Sorry. Beth. God. Beth Anderson. The rumors are true.” He reaches for Hannah’s hand, but Hannah is holding Mycroft’s collar and a short tug-of-war ensues.

“Daddy! You’re hurting Crofty!”

I put my sandwich to the side and stand. “A daddy? Derek Brodie?”

We both chuckle in unison as Derek lets go of Hannah’s hand to pull me into a quick, brotherly hug. “It’s been too long, Beth. This is my daughter Hannah.”

Hunter hasn’t mentioned a word about Hannah.

“And Mycroft,” Derek says. “Raiden and Georgiana’s puppy.” His words are hardly cold when the blonde woman who got kissed and squeezed by Raiden earlier also appears on my deck.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry.” She sweeps Mycroft up in her arms, a tangle of puppy legs and wagging tail, and Mycroft struggles up to lick her cheek. “I’m afraid he’s a bit hyper right now. Too much excitement.”

You’re telling me. I smile. “He’s cute.”

“I’m Georgiana, semi-fresh from Miami. You’re Hunter’s Beth, aren’t you? From San Francisco?” Georgiana shakes her head with an exasperated sigh and puts Mycroft down again. “Busybody.”

I’m not Hunter’s Beth, but I answer all the same. “I am Beth from San Francisco, yes.”

“Aunt May has been dying to come and see you, like the whole day. I’m still learning the Ashleigh Lake ropes here, but I have to warn you, if you don’t join Ethan’s birthday party on that side, they’ll bring the party to your deck, as you can see.”

Derek chuckles. Hannah is already running after Mycroft again, and Georgiana just smiles, winning me over already. Straight and to the point, how I like it. Something about her is so casually familiar and I can’t pinpoint where I seem to know her from.

“Not that we want to force you into anything you don’t want to do,” Derek adds, “but we’re grilling and as far as I recall, you used to love sitting by the campfire.”

God, he has me there. When last did I sit around a campfire? I can’t recall. I glance at my sad sandwich, my weak tea. My lonely life summed up.

The Ashleigh Lake ropes… don’t hide, Beth. Go hear what they say about you and face it head on.

This moment is years in the making, and I can’t sidestep it now. “It sounds great. Let me put on my boots and grab a warmer jacket.”

When I return two minutes later, Georgiana is waiting for me, her warm smile spreading wide as she takes me in. “I just know we’re going to get along, and in a small town like this, us city girls need to stick together.”

16

BETH

I follow Georgiana down my own deck, go around the canoe rack and up onto Hunter’s. She talks as if we’re in something big together, and I force myself to wash the comment off. I’m not here to make best buddies with other city girls stuck in Ashleigh Lake.

Thank God the party is in full swing now and laughter probably carries way across the water. At least I’ll be able to blend into the background with all the other faces.

“Here’s the birthday boy,” Georgiana says as Ethan comes up to us.

He gives me one look, his face splitting into a sincere smile and then I’m gripped in a tight hug and lifted off the ground. My hands grapple, my feet dangle, and I hook my arms around his neck as he bellows out, “Fuck, I missed you, Beth! Jesus Christ, it’s been so fucking long. I swear seeing you is the best birthday present ever.”

“Language,” Georgiana says on a laugh as Ethan puts me down.

“Heavens, Ethan.” I’m a bit winded but laugh back, his open enthusiasm and joy on seeing me a warm squeeze to my heart. “It’s good to see you too. You’re all—” Grown up and somewhat godly.

“Wait until Liam hears about this. That summer we went camping on a whim with no sleeping bags! Jesus. Best memories ever.” He reaches for a beer and holds it out to me. “Or do you want something else?”

“Wine maybe?” Georgiana says as she now has an empty glass and a bottle of red in her hand.

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