Page 57 of Fire Island
“You don’t think it’ll work?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know if forcing it is a good idea.”
“Does this feel forced?” He frowns.
“No, but?—”
“We’re going swimming after this. Eat up.”
“You’re not supposed to swim on a full stomach, Cal.”
He grunts. “Wives’ tale. You’ll be fine. Besides, it’ll take us a half hour to get there.”
Does he mean the waterhole?
I narrow my eyes playfully. “Fine, but if I need rescuing, I’m absolutely calling Emmett.”
His cutlery hits the table. “Fucking brat.” He tosses a carrot at me.
“Hey! Stop wasting our hard-earned food!”
“Our food?” He raises an eyebrow.
I can’t help myself. I rise and pad to where he sits. He looks up at me, all blue eyes and handsome angles. I pluck up a tomato. If this doesn’t jog his memory, nothing will. I shove it into his mouth, and his eyes widen as he chews. I lean down. “I like you with your mouth full.”
I swear he growls.
I pluck up my plate and hightail it out of the house.
I took it too far, but I am not missing that swim. Not for anything.
An hour later, a knock rattles my door. I look up from the huge word count of eighty-nine to find the man filling the doorway as he does, leaning on the jamb.
“Got time for a swim?” he asks.
“You have Em’s number on speed dial?”
He rubs his chin with a hand, as if contemplating leaving me behind.
“It’s fine, you’ll do. Let’s go.” I grab a towel and slide on my flip-flops.
We walk in a comfortable silence on the way through the forest. As the trees give way to the large spans of water and the small waterfall trickling down the ledge at one side, I toe off my footwear. Tossing my towel into the tree, I pull my shirt over my head. I changed into my swimsuit after lunch, still hopeful he would bring me here.
Cal tugs his shirt over his back, running for the waterhole like a kid. He jumps and cannonballs, his legs tucked up, arms tight around them. The splash explodes around, wetting me where I stand. I pad to the edge. Its grassy mud-rimmed border is squishy underfoot, mud squelching through my toes. I wade intothe water as Cal comes up for air and bobs, arms wading out beside him.
Just how deep is this little oasis pond?
It’s incredible. In up to my belly, I suck in a breath. For a warm day, the water is cool. I brace myself, walking until it’s up to my shoulders, then I swim out to where Cal is.
“Guessing they don’t have anything like this in New York?” he says with a wide smile.
“Nope, not at all,” I say softly, leaning back until I’m floating on my back. The surrounding canopy frames the blue sky overhead. It’s amazing.
Not unlike the night I floated and waited for Em.
But unlike that time, now I am content. Happy.
Safe.
