Page 45 of Safe With You

The early morning air carried a chill as Ethan pushed the canoe into the water and hopped in, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Though rain threatened this afternoon, no clouds marked the sky. There wasn’t even a breeze, leaving the lake before him still and peaceful, except for the ripples left behind by a loon as it ducked under the water. He breathed deeply, still holding onto the peace he’d found after the conversation with Dad last night. While his feelings for Katie wouldn’t disappear any time soon, he was prepared to cherish their friendship and support whatever relationship she chose to be in.

The first way to do that was to get the canoe to the cottage. He didn’t know how early Drew would show up, but he had a feeling it would be best to be gone when he did. If Drew was threatened, Ethan didn’t want to exacerbate the situation, especially if it made things difficult for Katie or strained their friendship.

He paddled around the point and approached the cottage, smiling at the peaceful sight. Would Drew’s visit make her think about returning to Elling? It would be hard to see the cottage empty again.

He brought the canoe up alongside the dock and pulled it ashore. After checking to make sure both life jackets were present, he turned to leave but found Katie approaching him wearing a navy blue and red flannel shirt with lace at the cuffs he hadn’t seen before. He fought not to dwell on how good she looked in it and focused on her smile. But that didn’t help much. Her face was soft, and her hair a little unruly, like she’d just woken up.

He cleared his throat. “Good morning.” By some miracle, his voice didn’t betray him.

She echoed him and gestured to the canoe. “Thanks for letting me borrow it and bringing it over. Drew has never been canoeing before.”

“No problem.”

She stared up at him for a long moment. “So…what did you think of him?”

That was a loaded question; one he wasn’t sure how to answer candidly without making things awkward. So, he opted for humor. “Drew is…tall.”

She breathed a light laugh. “He is, especially since I’m so short.”

“It’s funny how that happens.”

“I’m not into super tall guys, but that’s just how it turned out, I guess.”

He didn’t comment on that, though he supposed it was nice to know his height wasn’t a turn-off—not that it mattered. “What did he think of the cottage?”

Her smile faded, and he had to fight the instinct to expect the worst from Drew.

“It’s not his style, but I already knew that. And I didn’t realize he’s allergic to cats, so we didn’t spend all that much time inside.” She paused, looking back at the cottage before facing Ethan again. “We were talking about what I should do with it. Drew thinks it would make a nice Airbnb.”

Ethan’s stomach reacted like he’d been punched in the gut, though he fought to hide it. “Airbnb? Yeah, those are very popular right now.”

He couldn’t imagine Katie doing that. But then, if she went back to Elling, it would make sense. Why shouldn’t she try to make money with the cottage if she wasn’t living in it? However, the thought of strangers going in and out of such a special place made him sick.

Katie’s drawn expression revealed a similar feeling. “Honestly, I don’t like the idea.”

He worked to hide his immense relief. “Whatever you want to do with the place is your decision, but you don’t have to decide now. All of this was so sudden. You have all the time you need to let it sink in and settle before deciding anything.”

“Thanks. I appreciate you reminding me of that.”

“My pleasure.” Then, as badly as he wished he and Katie were taking the canoe out this morning, he gestured over his shoulder. “I better get back home. Have fun with Drew today.”

Katie’s smile left a bittersweet ache in his chest. “Thanks. I will.”

Drew arrived about forty-five minutes after Ethan dropped off the canoe and brought coffee he had picked up at one of the coffee shops in town. It was a glorious morning to be out on the lake, the water like glass.

After enjoying their coffee and the peaceful setting, they headed into town to check out the various shops before getting sandwiches for lunch at the deli. Clouds had rolled in, but according to Katie’s weather app, they had just enough time to head over to The Ice Shack for dessert before it started to rain. This time, she chose a cherry ice cream while Drew got chocolate. Cups in hand, they sat at one of the little tables along the sidewalk outside.

She took a bite, savoring the sweet flavor. “This is really good. What about yours?”

“It is good. I can see why you rave about the place.”

“We came here so much in the summer.” She grinned and pointed two tables down from theirs. “We were sitting over there once, and Ethan used his spoon to catapult some ice cream at Megan. I kid you not; it hit her right between the eyes and dripped down her nose.”

She laughed at the memory. Even Megan had thought it was funny.

Drew stared at her as if trying to figure something out. Growing self-conscious, she squirmed. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh and smile so much.”

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