She stared at her father. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I kid you not. When I heard the first rumbles of thunder I thought of you and checked my watch.”
Unaware of the sparking effect of his words, Frank wandered back to the front of the store.
“The scheming cheat,” Jade exclaimed.
“Who? The dream lover?” Marigold grabbed a wooden chair and set it opposite Jade at the desk, clearly ready to hear more.
“Hmm,” Jade replied, not denying that was who she meant. “The guy’s a menace to my peace of mind.”
“Another bad night?”
“Yeah.” Jade sighed. “It was the heat.”
“More dreams about Paul?” her mom asked.
“Not really.” She reached for her coffee. “I feel like I’m on a teeter-totter. It’s weird.”
“What’s the problem now?”
Jade explained about the arrangement for that evening.
“You know I never wear my watch when I’m up here. I didn’t think about the time,” Jade muttered. “But Paul lost no opportunity to check the ridiculous watch he bought from Dad. He knew everything down to the last second.”
“Like?”
“Like how long it took him to haul out the fish. First fish” — she marked them off on her fingers — “seven minutes. Second, three minutes. Third, four minutes.”
Marigold began to laugh. “What an insult, catching them so quickly when they were totally ignoring you.”
Jade shrugged. “You see? He knew perfectly well he’d had the promised two hours.”
“Dipity dear, you should be flattered. Clearly he likes your company or he wouldn’t have bothered to lie.”
“You think so?” There was something rather gratifying about that. A guy who’d manipulate time to be with her.
Her mom nodded. “Must be he feels the connection drawing you together as strongly as you do.”
“Too bad. Because I’m cutting it today.”
A sip of coffee burned her mouth, as if chastising her for her words.
Marigold inclined her head and twirled a strand of hair. “And you’ll do this how?”
“By not seeing him tonight.” The temptation was great, but she had to stand firm.
“You’re saying this time you really are going to leave him waiting on the shore?”
“No. Adrian can go. Take a message across to let him know I’m not coming.” Jade broke off a piece of muffin. Before she put it in her mouth she said, “By the way, where is Adrian?” She turned her head and looked around the tiny room as if expecting one of the white walls to turn into a movie screen and reveal his whereabouts. “I haven’t seen him so far today.”
“Don’t you know? He’s gone canoeing on Killarney with his pal Noah for the rest of this week.”
Jade groaned.
“He said to tell you good-bye.” Marigold added, “Said you were sleeping so peacefully when he came to your room he decided not to disturb you.” She turned her sunny smile on her daughter. “So you see how the angels conspire. You and this Paul will be together again.”
Jade finished her mouthful of muffin before speaking, not wanting to spray her mother with crumbs in her vehemence. “No, we won’t. Whatever happens, I am not crossing the lake to see him tonight.”
Marigold stood up. With a nonchalant air she rearranged the sleeves of her smock and tossed her hair back. “Whatever you say, dear.”
• • •
After a full morning and half the afternoon spent staring at the computer, Jade was more than ready to escape outside and enjoy what remained of the day and evening. She had quite decided to ignore her rendezvous with Paul. That would finally banish him from her mind.
She rode the bike back to the house and walked down the steps to the entrance. Behind her, the screen door screeched shut.
“Dipity?” her mother called.
Jade stowed her helmet and pulled off her boots.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“This fishing jacket and waders down here … do they belong to who I think they do?”
Oooooops. She’d forgotten all about Paul’s fancy outfit. Not to mention the fish that were taking up a fair amount of space in her mother’s second refrigerator. There was simply no getting away from the guy. She’d have to take them to him. Then she’d explain he’d already had his two hours and give him the kiss-off.
Oooh, but she’d love to indulge in a kiss-off, a proper one, get a good sample of how Paul tasted. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and remembered the marvelous sensation of his lips against hers, how her every sense had responded to his nearness. If that was the effect a simple, chaste kiss had on her, she’d probably revert to Victorian times and swoon if he took her mouth in a full-on smooch.
She opened her eyes, breathed deeply, and told her overenthusiastic hormones to calm down. So far, her efforts to get Paul out of her brain had proved pathetic. Seeing him tonight was bound to reinforce the compelling fascination that sang through her. She’d better come up with something creative or the likelihood was that Paul would continue haunting her. Maybe she should picture him walking around in flippers wearing googlie glasses, the kind with built-in eyeballs. She grinned. Yeah, that might do the trick.
• • •
Waking slowly that morning, Paul grunted and wondered why he’d left the light on. Back in the city, in the half of a divided house he shared with Steve, he slept in pitch dark, having had special blinds made for his bedroom windows to block out the glare of the streetlights. Now when he opened his eyes, he saw no artificial halogen lamp illuminating his world. Instead, shining daylight flooded in through the undraped window.
He fumbled for his watch. Almost ten o’clock. Fine. Rest was partly what he’d come for. No need to leap out of bed, jump in the shower, and throw on some clothes.
What an extraordinary, wonderful thought.
Looking out the window, his gaze rested appreciatively on green leaves and slim, silver birch branches. He listened to the sound of a jay calling and thought about life. Last night he’d really cracked the fishing code. And the company had been exceptional, too. That Serendipity really was something — funny and appealing, not to mention sexy.
His creativity began playing with her name. Se: He’d like to see her naked, those perky breasts revealed. Ren: He’d like to render her speechless with desire for him. Dip: He’d like to dip into her, slowly, faster, gently, harder. Pity: It was that she wasn’t here right this minute.
Wonder of wonders, he was beginning to feel like a normal, healthy male again. Better still, his body was beginning to behave like one. This was a good sign, an excellent sign. Yay.
He stretched mightily. What was also excellent was that, with a bit of luck, he might be able to do something about his recovered sex drive that very evening. The thought of being together with Serendipity filled him with energy. He couldn’t remember when last he’d been so intrigued by a woman or looked forward to an evening so much.
Taking a deep breath in, he sat up. Coffee would go down well. Unfortunately, all caffeine was forbidden by his doctor. Determined to stick to the rules, Paul went to the kitchen and chose a herb-tea bag. After brewing himself a cup of Bright and Cheerful Lemon, he went to sit outside, eager to feel in touch with nature again. Already the day was hot. Come evening, conditions should be perfect for another fishing foray. How fortunate that he’d noticed Serendipity’s lack of a watch last night, and that he’d had the inspiration to pretend she owed him half an hour. She’d never know it wasn’t true.
Used to listening to his intuition, he’d sensed she might not have accepted if he’d asked her for a date. All along she’d blown strangely hot and cold toward him. Yet gut instinct told him they could be good together. This evening he was going to do his best to turn their coming sortie into a night of delight.
He leaned over and set down his empty mug, glad his thoughts of Serendipity had obscured the horrified, desperate messages from his taste buds. They’d quiet down soon enough. Inside and out, there were preparations to be made. But first, he was going to take advantage of the cool water, which glistened invitingly from across the strip of beach. He got up, strolled down to the shore, and plunged into the lake.
• • •
Once again Jade crossed the bay in the boat. As predicted, the evening was perfect. Above, the sky glowed a luminous blue. Deliberately she looked about her, keeping her gaze on the trees, the swimmers, the cottages, trying not to allow her eyes their desire to search out a certain figure on the opposite shore. But when she found herself heading for the public beach instead of the resort, she resigned herself to the inevitable and set her sights on Paul.
There he stood, waiting for her.
The impact brought a small shock. Unfortunately for her resolve, he was not wearing googlie glasses with extra eyeballs, nor ridiculous gear, but only an ordinary tee shirt without sleeves and shorts that stretched midway down well-muscled, dark hair-dusted thighs. She had to look twice, just to make sure he was real and not another dream Paul. How did he do that? Just stand there and look so virile, so handsome, so sexy, so male? A small shiver ran down her spine. He might indeed have been a modern Neptune, although he wasn’t holding fishing rods. This evening, hanging from one hand, he carried a guitar.
Just in time to avoid ramming the shore and catapulting herself to the ground in front of his feet, Jade remembered to slow the engine. Paul set down his guitar and stepped forward to meet her as she drew closer to the dock. He grabbed the boat and helped pull it alongside. Jade passed him a rope and watched him wind the end around the cleat and knot it to secure the small craft. So he was a quick study. Good for him.
He straightened and his eyes glinted teasingly.
“Hi Dee.”
“None of that, Mr. Smart Mouth.” She couldn’t help smiling at him. He was just so wonderful to see. And she couldn’t help wondering how he’d kiss.
Drawing her resolve together, she reminded herself she wasn’t staying. Definitely not. She turned away to lift the cooler containing his fish, passed it to him, and then gathered up the bundle of clothing.
Paul took both loads from her, put them down, and held out a hand to assist her to shore. Without a thought she accepted the unspoken invitation and put her hand in his.
On the dock, she said, “I brought your gear and the fish but — ”
She didn’t get a chance to say, “I’m not staying.” Strong arms pulled her forward. A hard, long body pressed against hers. Paul’s hand curved around the back of her head, the other around her waist, holding her close. Before she could mutter another word, his mouth was on hers.
Wonder of wonders, her wish to experience a full-on kiss was granted. Opening her lips, she met his tongue with hers. A hot, melting sensation shot right to her core. She reached up, clutched at his shoulders, and let her desire for him rip.
This was fresh, like nothing she’d ever experienced. He tasted sweet and spicy all at the same time, tender and ardent. She angled her head and explored some more, ignoring the little bell that tinkled at the back of her mind, trying to remind her this was not part of her game plan.
Weak, breathless, and burning, she drew away, reluctantly pulling herself out of that place of delectation, the place where her senses took precedence. She must not, could not, get in too deep. There was something she’d been about to say to him, but what was it? How to get the world to stop spinning and return to its normal balance?
The kiss had wafted away all thoughts of caution. Like little bubbles blown from a plastic stick, they floated up into the ether and popped, leaving no evidence they’d ever existed.
His arms fell to her waist. She heard him catch a breath.
She swallowed, then said, “No worms this evening?”
Paul stared at her as if she were talking Ojibway.
She made a flip movement with her hand. “And what about a rod?”
Paul had a rod. No doubt about it. His eyebrows went up and his grip tightened. He was about to kiss her again. But just then the carefree, treble of children’s voices intruded, reminding Jade the dock at the resort was a public place and one where many of the locals knew her well.
He released his hold on her, stepped back, and bent down to pick up his guitar.
“Maybe you’re planning to use music to charm the fish right out of the water,” she said, tweaking her hair where he’d squashed it, trying not to reveal how much he’d affected her.
He grinned, dimple peeking. “You got it. Except it’s not the fish I’m planning to charm.”
Uh-oh. Her heart gave a whoosh like a goose landing on the water.
“The thing is,” he went on, “it’s such a gorgeous evening, I thought we should make the most of being out on the water, appreciate every moment rather than being distracted by all that other business.”
“What other business?”
His eyes glinted wickedly. “Of having to bait my hook all the time, reel in the fish, take the hooks out of their mouths and so on. Besides, I’ve enough to keep me fed for a few days.”
“Yeah. Adrian did you a big favor and gutted them for you.”
“Oh?” Dark eyebrows rose. “Was that necessary?”
“If you want to eat them it is. Of course, we could have just thrown them back into the lake.”
“No way. I’m going to celebrate my initiation by grilling them on the barbecue. Let’s do that together, later, okay?”
Now what to do? Let him stew in his own deception and tell him to get lost? Or tune into her own instincts and go with him?
Paul stretched out a hand and stroked down her arm. He toyed with her fingers, ginger-tea eyes gazing into hers. “Will you take me for a twilight ride, even though I don’t feel like fishing this evening?”
Jade stared up at him. How could she deny him when he coaxed so temptingly? How could she deny herself?
Lust was doing a good job of blinding her to possible consequences. Her earlier resolution might have been a large gull, rapidly disappearing into the sunset. Spending time with Paul sounded so much more tempting than returning home to be alone. Her parents had gone off to play poker, which meant she’d be left to her own devices, which could mean she’d mope around, mooning over Paul. A bad idea, especially when she had a chance for a real experience instead of an imagined one. It would be silly to say no, she told herself, firmly shushing the gasping, disbelieving tweet of her conscience.
“Sure.” Her voice came out in a croak.
“Good.” He picked up the cooler. “I’ll put my stuff in the car for the time being.”
Jade grabbed an armful of fishing gear and followed him to the convertible. “If we’re not going to fish you won’t need all this.”
She threw the jacket and waders into the trunk. Paul added the cooler filled with fish and pushed down the lid. It snapped shut with a decisive click.
In the boat, Paul sprawled back in the bow, arms folded so his shoulder and arm muscles bulged. Sexy devil. Behind his dark glasses, his gaze might have been resting on her or, just as easily, on the view. Tonight he looked even dishier, if that were possible. He’d caught the sun and his tan was deeper. It seemed his increasing familiarity, instead of breeding contempt, was making him appear better and better.
Jade was tempted to cut the engine, clamber over the thwart, slather herself over him and indulge herself. But there were better places than the middle of the lake, where they could be clearly seen from the shore. Even if wild Serendipity had taken over from sober Jade, she was not into exhibitionism.
She shifted on the hard seat, cleared her throat, and asked a question. “So what did you do today?”
“I drove into Elliot Lake, to the country fair.”
“Oh yeah? Was it fun?”
“Sure. I enjoyed it. Especially the fiddling. That’s why I’m in the mood to play a few tunes tonight.” He took off his sunglasses and caught her gaze. “Then there were the crowds, the festive atmosphere. But I felt kind of lonely. A companion would have made all the difference.”
A tiny pang, a sort of yearning, a wishing that she could have gone with him moved through her.
She looked away, breaking the invisible thread.
“And you?” he asked.
Better not tell him she’d spent the day helping out around the store, bringing the books up to date, checking over invoices and orders. It wouldn’t do to give any hint of her business skills.
She leaned sideways and trailed a hand through the water. “Mostly I hung out with Mom and Dad.”
The mention of her parents reminded her of the pretense, that this foray was supposed to be making up the lost time from his fishing trip. Might as well play along.
“Could you check your watch? Surely we’ve been out here for more than half an hour?”
“I guess so,” Paul agreed. “But do we care about that? Let’s stay a while longer. Make the most of this beautiful evening.” He looked up at the sky. “I’m even prepared to play you a couple of tunes … . Or do you have a date for tonight?” His eyes narrowed as he caught her glance.
“No date.”
The air between them vibrated with unspoken promise.
“Okay then.” Paul leaned over and picked up the guitar. “If you’re willing.”
This was something she hadn’t quite, finally decided.
“Would you like to see a little more of the lake?” she asked.
“Sure.” Idly, Paul strummed a few chords. He began to sing softly in a pleasing baritone, a ballad Jade had never heard. The music enhanced the enchantment, sending her into a fantasy. She and Paul were enclosed in a rainbow bubble, safely removed from the real world. Being with him was a gift the weekend had presented to her. She was going to say a nice thank-you and unwrap the parcel slowly. She’d lift off the sticky tape, then she’d lift away the paper, then … .
She set the boat on course for a secluded cove. When they arrived, there were a couple of things she was determined to do. Firstly, she’d kiss that killer dimple, even if Paul pushed her overboard; and secondly, taking that a few steps further, if he gave her the slightest sign of encouragement (which didn’t seem too unlikely, given the welcome she’d gotten), she was going to do something totally out of character and jump his bones.
As they floated across the water, Jade’s senses opened to the evening. Like an unfurling bud, she came alive to the feel of the air brushing featherlike on her skin, the shushing of the water against the side of the boat, an accompaniment to the low timbre of a man’s voice, gentle in song. How seductive was that? As Paul sang, he kept his attention on his fingers and the strings of the guitar, but every now and then he glanced up and held her gaze for a few seconds.
The sweet notes wove between them. Dexterous fingers plucked and strummed. His hands were strong, the fingers long, artistic. Just as his eyes had caressed her earlier, she imagined his fingers following the same path.
She swallowed. Okay. So she had to try it with Paul. That surely wouldn’t be too much of a hardship. All her (admittedly sparse) previous experience told her that her attraction would fizzle in the aftermath of disappointment. Then this increasingly insistent, fiery desire would be quenched. Finito. The weekend would be over, they’d both go back to the city, and that would be that. He’d never know who she really was. An inconsequential little interlude, and her life would be back on track.
Soon they were passing close by one of the larger, more remote islands. Jade adjusted the throttle to slow the engine. This was the place she had in mind. But now that they were near, she found herself oddly shy.
Paul sat forward, scanning the shoreline with intense attention. He seemed to be drinking in the scenery, the beauty of the evening, every detail of their surroundings.
“Wait. Can we get in closer?”
Just what she’d been planning.
They slowed even more and drew nearer to the shore. Paul moved, half hanging over the side of the boat in his attempt to get a good look at something. As far as Jade could see, the island presented the usual elements of sand, grass, rock, land, and trees.
A note of suppressed excitement lit his voice. “Great. Yes, that’s great. See?” He pointed. “That piece of driftwood, over there. I have to have it.”
There was something she had to have and it surely wasn’t a piece of driftwood.
“Why?”
“Because.”
Jade grabbed on to a convenient branch and brought them close in. Paul hopped out, holding the rope. Once he’d made certain the boat wouldn’t drift away, Jade followed him along the shore to the piece of wood.
“Oh yeah. This is great.” Paul lifted one end, examining it intently. “Only problem is, it’s heavy. And unwieldy. I doubt we can take it back with us now.”
Jade considered the misshapen log. “Why would we want to?”
“Because I can do something with it.”
“You’re going to make a fire on the beach and burn it, right?”
“Are you kidding?” Paul traced a twisted knot. “The piece is far too valuable for that.”
Why not please him?
“Let’s give it a try.”
Together they wrestled the piece of driftwood, stumbling over tree roots and uneven terrain until they were breathless enough to stop for a rest.
“Are you sure you need this?” Jade panted.
“Absolutely. I see something in it.”
“What? A chipmunk?” she teased. “A humungous spider? You’re not a wildlife or insect freak are you?”
He spared a quick glance for her. He seemed annoyed. “I’m not any kind of freak.”
“Uh-oh. Hit a nerve, did I? I’m sorry.”
“No it’s me. Oversensitive about the hippie parent thing.” His smile was disarming. “Try going through life with a name like Paul Ringo George Johnson.”
“Yeah. Or see how you get on with Serendipity J — ” She bit her lip. “Ju—just as bad.”
Paul was absorbed in examining their find and didn’t seem to notice her slip. “No, I’m going to sculpt it.”
“You are?” It wouldn’t do to have him realize how much she knew about him and his artistic creativity. So what would Marigold say in these circumstances?
“Wow!” Then, just for good measure, she added, “Gee whiz.”
“Looks like maple.” He cocked his head and added musingly, “Not Norwegian, which is a good thing.”
“Not Norwegian wood? How can Paul Ringo George Johnson be glad about that?”
He sent her a quick grin. “No cheap cracks, Serendipity. Local maple is better.”
“How can you tell what it is?”
“My mother’s a tree person,” he said, still examining the log.
She got a mental picture of Tarzan’s Jane sitting crouched on a branch in the forest. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, she’s into the whole indigenous-tree thing. Advises people what to plant and so on. She’s a horticulturist, and that’s her specialty.”
That sounded dicey to Jade. “Does it earn her enough to live on?”
“Oh yes. She does very well from it. Thanks to her, I have an ever-growing trust fund. Although, to my own satisfaction, I pay my own way.”
Jade waited while Paul angled his head, considering the possibilities.
“So what exactly do you see in it?”
With a gesture of reverence, he laid his hands on the gnarled surface.
“This marvelous old piece of driftwood will become the Spirit of the Lake.” He looked across at Serendipity. “As a matter of fact, I already know the perfect model.”
His low voice, intimate and warm, sent a quiver through her.
“It’s you I see hidden in the log,” he went on, “begging to be revealed.”
The words caught at her throat. Blinking away the unbidden tears, Jade clasped the one end, hauling it closer to her.
“Okay.”
With many grunts, lifts, pushes, and heaves, they maneuvered the wood over the edge and into the boat, settling it awkwardly but safely in the center.
Jade dusted off her hands and stepped into the little craft. The twilight was fast deepening to night and she hadn’t come prepared to be out on the water after dark, which meant that sadly, the time for jumping Paul’s bones had been all used up.
After untying the rope, he clambered in. Soon they were chugging back, making for the lights of the resort.
For a while they were silent, then Jade asked, “What will you use to carve it?”
“This is a bit of a problem. I have my whittling knife with me, but I’ll need proper tools — chisels, adzes, and stuff.”
“Do you have those in the city?”
“Yup.”
“Why not get someone to send them to you?”
“Brilliant idea. I’ll call my housemate and get him to courier them up.”
“Perfect.”
“Hey, maybe you could help. Steve’s a busy man, always under pressure from our boss. Do you think you could organize it for me?”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
“Um … ”
“Surely, if you’re at the courier office, it’s no big deal?”
“Oh no. Right. Of course not. I’ll be happy to fix it for you.”
Jade could imagine how that was going to impact her Tuesday. There’d be more than enough for her to deal with after this long weekend. And now she’d have to dicker around with courier companies. Such were the fruits of mendacity.
“Okay,” she repeated, resigned to the inevitable. “Give me your address here, and all will be well.”
“Sure. I’ll give you both addresses. In the city and at the shack.”
“Oh, I already — ” She caught herself before she blurted out that she knew where he lived.
“I mean, I never remember quite how beautiful it is here.” She gave a little shake of her head, indicating her disbelief. “Just breathtaking.”
“The reflection of light on the water. It’s romantic, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Paul went on in a soft voice. “Makes me start dreaming.”
She turned her head and looked at him. “Dreaming what?”
“Oh, of living a different kind of life, I suppose.”
“Different how?”
“I’m not quite sure.” His voice was low. “It’s just, sometimes I get the sense of being adrift, that there’s something missing, or that something else is waiting for me. But I don’t know what it is.”
Jade thought about that. Her own direction in life had been set so long ago, in her teenage years, that she’d never stopped to consider whether or not it was still valid.
But of course it was.
She was still determined to achieve material success, and she was well on her way to financial security. The extra loan she’d taken to cover her MBA was paid off, and she had enough money to put down a deposit on a small house. All she had to do was find a suitable property, then she’d be set; she’d already called a real estate agent with details of what she wanted. Her goal of stability was within reach.
“You’re heading back tomorrow?” Paul asked.
“Yeah.” The word came out in a long sigh.
“Gonna take the ferry?”
“Sure.”
“Lucky me, spending the whole week here.”
“If you feel the yen for a bit of fishing, I’m sure Dad or Adrian would be happy to oblige.”
“Thanks.” Paul picked up his guitar again.
Jade switched off the motor, willing to drift now they were almost back in the bay. She felt herself drawn into him, enclosed in the sweet notes that danced and vibrated in the evening air while the approaching night drew a warm mantle of secret longings over them.
• • •
Paul played one, last, lingering chord and put the guitar aside. He reached for her. Serendipity came to him, creeping carefully forward so as not to upset the boat. His arms gathered her in. Her slim shape pressed against him, warm, giving and infinitely feminine. He couldn’t resist nuzzling his nose into her neck, breathing in the faint smell of fresh perfume and of suntan cream but, also, of desire. Thank God. She was as attracted to him as he was to her. His body responded as quickly and as strongly as any virile male could have wished. The doc had been right. A little “get away from it all” had already worked wonders. Nevertheless Paul was certain his restored libido had a great deal to do with the woman he held in his arms. He’d sensed a powerful chemistry between them from the day they’d met, maybe even from his first incredulous reaction, when she’d left him standing in the dust. He’d missed out on a ride then, but he was heading in that direction now, at last.
Tonight she lay sweetly against him. He could taste her at his leisure, kiss her until his whole body ached for her. Although his groin was sending urgent messages to get on with business, Paul held back, determined to savor these first magical minutes of intimacy, to allow the beautiful evening and their romantic surroundings to heighten the experience for them both.
But after a few lush, lingering kisses, their mounting excitement caused him to pause. He held her shoulders and looked down into her slumberous eyes.
“We’re being a tad foolish here,” he whispered.
“We are?” Her words came on a soft breath. “Why?”
“I’m about ready to take this to its natural conclusion. How about you?”
“Oh yessss.” She gave a long, shuddering sigh. “Me, too.”
Her response made him groan. Trouble was, he hadn’t come prepared for lovemaking out on the water.
“I mean, er … ” His voice was husky, a little regretful. “We don’t want to set the boat rocking too violently, and the way I’m feeling now, I might not be able to exercise a whole lot of restraint.”
“So?”
“The thing is, it’s precious to me. I don’t want to get it wet.”
“I thought that was part of the idea.” She sounded confused.
Paul persisted. “You see, I got it from my dad.”
Pushing at his shoulders, she asked, “What exactly are you talking about, Paul?”
“My guitar, of course. What did you think?”
She giggled. A few chuckles rose in his throat, and then they were laughing together.
“Come back to the fishing shack with me,” he urged. “There’s a small crescent of beach right in front of the cabin. We can build a fire there, just as you suggested, and lie on the sand and look at the stars.”
And make love, both of them added silently.