Page 49 of Summer Escape
"Is that okay? I know we didn't talk about this." I held my breath while I waited for her to answer.
She pushed her hair out of her face. "I liked having you here."
"I did too."
"Are you worried that Hayden would need you in the middle of the night?" Her voice was thick with sleep.
"She's never come into my room."
"As long as you're not worried about what she'd think if she found us together."
"I'm not ready for her to know yet, but she's never come up here. She sees it as our private space."
Saylor dropped down so that she was resting on my shoulder, her hand on my chest. "This is nice. A warm body and the sound of the waves."
I pinched her butt lightly. "Is that all you like?"
"I like the sound of your voice in the morning, all gravelly and rough."
I squeezed her to me. "That was a good answer."
"This brings back so many memories, doesn't it?" she asked.
"Hanging out in the bed of my truck?—"
"Movies in that tiny theater, ice cream stops, and long walks on the beach," she added.
"We should do some of that stuff now. We haven't really gone anywhere since we've been here. The beach is nice, but I should show Hayden what makes the island special."
"That's a great idea."
I squeezed her shoulder. "And you should come too."
Her forehead wrinkled. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your time with her."
"We'll see how it goes, but I'd like to have you there, and Hayden enjoys your company."
"This is turning out to be a great summer. I thought I'd wallow about how stupid I was when it came to relationships. But I've been able to forget about Flynn."
"The trust issues might linger, but Flynn isn't worth your time or effort."
Saylor sighed against my skin. "I have to agree."
We lay there like that for a few more minutes, and then we both decided to get up and sit on the deck to watch the sun finish coming up. Outside, the air was a little cooler.
"We should put a coffee machine up here so we can drink it while we watch the sunrise." Saylor smiled at me, and I wanted to put that look on her face more often.
I wanted to remind her of all the things we did when we were younger, bring back all the good memories. I wasn't sure what my intention was, other than to experience it all over again. The hope, the joy, and the love. It had been an amazing time in my life, and I wouldn't mind reliving it. We were grown-ups now though, so it had an added dimension to it.
I wasn't sure what it would mean for us going forward. If we had a future after the summer ended, but I couldn't tamp down the hope that we would.
Downstairs, we cooked and ate breakfast. I finally knocked on Hayden's door at ten to ask if she wanted to rent bikes to explore the island. To my surprise, she agreed. I waited for her to shower while Saylor worked on something for her job.
When Hayden was ready, we drove to a rental shop and rented bikes. If I was going to live here, I'd need to buy some.
We picked out our bikes and then pedaled to the path that wound around the island. Saylor and I had fun pointing out the places we used to hang out. Hayden seemed interested in every story we told her. We stopped at a cafe on the beach for lunch and then continued for a while before we stopped for ice cream. Then we pedaled to the nature preserve where we took pictures of the spoonbills, long-legged birds with a spoon shaped beak and pink feathers.
We finally headed back to the bike shop and got into my truck. Hayden had plans with a friend, so I drove her there before heading home.
