Page 41 of Wildest Dreams

I mean, this is literally why I pushed him away in the first place. It all happened way too fast and Tanner’s lifestyle is dangerous to a girl like me. Someone who just wants a quiet love-filled life, not the drama and stress that comes with falling for the biggest player in the state.

I rub at the crease in my brow, frown in the direction of Tanner’s cabin, and then turn back to the balcony doors, determined to finally put the last nail in these unresolved feelings.

I rifle through one of my bags so that I can pick something cute to slip into this morning and, once I’ve pulled the denim shorts and grey tank top into place, I start to pad quietly down the stairs. I grab the car keys from the kitchen counter, fasten on my sandals, and head outside.

From under the small canopy at the front of the house the lake looks vast and bright, although there’s something about the picture that seems a little bit different. I purse my lips and tilt my head, but I’m not able to put my finger on it.

Just as I’m heading toward the edge of the porch I see the door to Tanner’s cabin open, and Fallon steps out before Hunter closes the door quietly behind them.

I narrow my eyes.

Closing the door quietly. As if not to awake its sleeping residents.

Fallon instantly spots me and something like a small happy squeal travels across the lake, and she lifts up her free arm, waving excitedly.

Eternally grateful for my best friend, I lift my right hand, waving back.

Beaming, she gestures for me to join them at the logs on the other side of the lake, and just as I step forward I suddenly lose my balance.

My squeal pierces the air, knowing that I’m about to fall over the broken ledge.

But instead of hitting the dirt beneath the porch with a painful thud, I grab quickly onto the wooden railing, steadying myself as it blocks my fall.

My eyes shoot open and I look down at the secure wooden panel.

The railing. It’s fixed.

In fact, it’s completely redone.

I blink down at it with wide eyes and then teeter a few steps backwards. The debris of the old fence has been cleared away, and awhole new wooden porch railinghas been carefully cut, nailed together, and erected into place.

The wooden porch is fixed. Falling is no longer a possibility.

I clutch Connell’s keys to my chest as I take a tentative step closer to the porch fence, prodding at it with my pointer finger andoohing when it doesn’t wobble an inch. It was so dark by the time that I made my way over here last night, Tristan’s body warming my back as he walked me graciously to the front door.

And I was too distracted in the moment to notice the brand new railing.

The night ended with a kiss on the cheek and a dark hunger in Tristan’s eyes, but we really are just friends so I’m glad that we didn’t do anything stupid.

I turn in a full circle, admiring the wrap-around porch’s new fencing.

It’s perfect.

I lift my gaze back across the lake, one million percent certain that I know who’s behind this huge unspoken act of kindness.

Now I know why he didn’t come with us to the mountains – Tanner literally built my entire wrap-around railing. And it’s so carefully made that it makes something painful twist in my chest. It’s not ostentatious in any way – it’s simply the perfect, rustic,safenecessity that this lake house needed before I finally got to work on the interior.

I twist my lips in contemplation and then make my way to the other side of the lake.

“Hey,” I say to Fallon and Hunter as I jog up to where they’re sat around the logs.

Hunter jerks his chin at me, his cell phone next to his ear, and Fallon pulls away from him momentarily so that she can join me, to Hunter’s dismay.

She’s wearing flip-flops, pyjama shorts, and one of Hunter’s shirts. We both look out across the lake, enjoying the serenity of the blissful summer morning.

“We’re heading over to Carter Ridge today, so that Hunter can help out at his dad’s garage,” Fallon tells me in a hushed tone. “Hence the super early start.”

Hunter talks quietly on his cell, his morning voice deep and husky.

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