Page 11 of Hunted by the Fallen
The two of us walk, hand-in-hand, toward the boat dock. His family’s speedboat is already bobbing in the water. Preston helps me onto the rocking boat then makes quick work of the knots tying the boat to thedock.
When he’s finished, Preston pushes the boat away from the dock and hops in before it floats too far away. He sits behind the wheel and starts the motor, gently gliding us away from the dock. I settle into the seat next to him, watching the lake’s waves as wemove.
Preston steers the boat toward the center of the lake. We pass several boats and kayaks, and about half of the people we pass call out a greeting to my date. Preston smiles at each of them, wavingenthusiastically.
“You come on the lake often, don’t you?” I raise my voice to be heard over themotor.
Preston bobs his head. “I practically live out here during thesummer.”
“That sounds nice.” I tilt my head back and enjoy the feel of the sun’s warmth on my face. I’m glad I decided to wear shorts, otherwise I don’t doubt I would be sweating. But with the breeze from the lake and the natural cloud cover in the sky, I am perfectly comfortable. I realize I haven’t spent any time doing fun things outdoors. I decide to convince Annie to go to the city pool with me sometime this week. My skin could use some more VitaminD.
“The lake suitsyou.”
I lower my face. Preston is staring at me with open admiration. And, for once, I’m proud to say I don’t blush. “Thank you. I think I can get use to the lake life.” I gesture to the bright blue water and the boats zipping across thelake.
“Good. I was hoping you’d want to come out here with meoften.”
My heart gives a little thump. “Really?” I’m proud that I don’t soundbreathless.
“Yeah. I mean…” He pushes the hair out of his face. “That is… only if you wantto.”
His shyness makes me brave. Suddenly, I’m not afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. “I think I’ll want to.” That is probably the boldest thing I’ve ever said. And it is exactly what Preston wants to hear. His smile broadens, and I swear he is looking at me like I am the most cherished thing in theworld.
I don’t dare breathe as I wait for his response, and I’m surprised by what he eventuallysays.
“Want to do some laps around the lake beforelunch?”
That’s it?I’d been sure Preston and I were on the edge of finally talking about our feelings. I mean, I know he’s interested in me. He wouldn’t have asked me out if he didn’t like me…Right?
Doing my best to hide my disappointment, I agree. “Let’s doit.”
Without hesitating, Preston moves the throttle, and we take off across the lake. The waves are choppy and rough. I have to hold onto my seat or risk being thrown out of theboat.
I’m a little scared. I can swim, but that doesn’t mean I want to at the moment. But after the first lap, my body adjusts to the bumps and bounces. The wind whips through my hair, and I’m exhilarated. My lips stretch into a wide grin. I tilt my face back and close my eyes, continuing to revel in the warmth of thesun.
The boat hits a wave, and the bounce forces my eyes open. I look at Preston to make sure everything is alright. His attention is on me, not the lake. It takes me a second to realizeIam what has inspired the awe in his gaze. I blush and look back at the water in front of us. We’ve slowed down and are gently cruising towards The Pier’s boatdock.
I hear Preston clear his throat. “Ready forlunch?”
Is it just me, or does he sound as affected as Ifeel?
The thought lends me an extra dose of confidence. “Sure.”
Preston lines the starboard side against the wood dock. He hops out and ties up the vessel. Then, he holds out a hand and helps me out of the rockingboat.
“Thanks.” I move to drop his hand, but Preston has other ideas. With a smile, he holds onto my hand like he had earlier. The gesture sends a flurry of butterflies into my stomach, but I manage to hide the nervous excitement from myface.
We enter The Pier, and the hostess escorts us to a table on the lakeside patio. Preston holds out my chair, once again demonstrating the southern manners his parents instilled in him. Once he’s settled, our waitress appears. We place our order for a soda and iced tea. I unfold the menu in front of me, relieved to focus on something other than Preston for a moment. It’s really hard being around him and hiding the extent of my nerves. I still can’t believe I’m even on a date with him in the firstplace.
“What are you thinking aboutordering?”
I look up. Preston’s head is tilted to the side as he continues to search themenu.
“I’m leaning towards aburger.”
He meets my eyes with another dimpled smile. “Metoo.”
I return the smile, then look back at the menu. When I am convinced of my choice, I fold the menu and lift my chin to meet hisgaze.
