Page 37 of Falling for Red
The other boat goes in neutral, the guy behind the wheel asking, “What’s that, princess?”
I huff, unwrapping my arm from Claire and stand. My eyes inventory the group. Each guy is holding a beer. “What did she tell you?” I call out.
The boat is silent until the guy says, “One hundred feet.”
“Right. Stay one hundred feet from other moving boats.”
Then I look back at Olivia and nod at Bill. He grabs the radio and calls the police boat, sharing this boat’s registration number.
“Drunks are the worst,” I softly say, sitting back down with Claire.
“What’s it like getting people to shape up just by putting your attention on them?”
“You tell me.” I wink, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight.
“Any minute now,” I say, glancing at my phone for a brief moment—8:30 p.m.
With the sun setting and Claire in my arms, this is perfect. Today has been the perfect day with the perfect woman. The lake is still, the waves have calmed, and every boat sits in silence, engines off, waiting for the show.
As the first firework explodes above us, I glance at Claire. The white light flickers across her face, her lips slightly parted as she watches the sky in awe. She looks completely at peace, even with the loud echo from the blast reverberating across the lake. I get lost in her beauty and aura until my mind says,I’ve fallen.
I’ve more than fallen.
The past couple of days have been a fever dream, but the kind I never want to wake up from. I want more of this—more nights, more memories, more of her.
“I can come by every evening to give you a kiss goodnight,” I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
Claire tilts her head, looking at me like she didn’t hear me right. “What?”
“You said you don’t have a lot of time. But I can see you every night. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. I don’t care if we can only go out once a week—I still want to see you. I want this.”
She blinks, stress emerging on her face as another loud boom and crackle fill the silence.
I press on, my heart pounding. “I want to give this a go.”
She’s quiet, and we hold unwavering eye contact as the red and blue fireworks reflect in her eyes.
“You’re asking me to be your girlfriend?” she finally asks, a mixture of surprise and something else—something unreadable—crossing her face.
I grab her hand. “If you want to be in a relationship, I’d love for you to be my girlfriend.”
Claire lets out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Jake … we just met.”
“I know,” I say with a small smile. “I can be a softie. But I know what I want.”
She bites her lip, clearly thinking. Then she leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. “Let’s see how the barbecue goes on Sunday.”
23
Am I really about to be Jake’s girlfriend?
The thought loops in my mind as the finale of the fireworks explodes across the sky. The red, white, and blue colors of the fireworks reflect in the lake, but I can barely focus. Jake is great—more than great. But this is fast. Too fast. I’ve done fast before, and it’s always led to heartbreak. I need to slow down.
I lean closer into him.God, he feels good.And I know that’s part of the problem. It’s easy to get lost in him. His big arms and strong chest. The way his arm is around me, holding me like I’m something precious, in the way his kisses leave me breathless. But he hasn’t seen my real life yet. He hasn’t seen me juggling work shifts, daycare pickups, and exhaustion. Does he really know what he’s asking?
“We’re not rushing,” I whisper, looking up at him, smoke from the fireworks illuminated by the stars.
He leans down, kissing my forehead.
