Page 76 of It Started at the Lake

I roll my head to the side, staring at him. His curls are longer than when we first arrived in May. They fall across his forehead in a soft wave. “Wait a minute, mister. You said not to move too fast, and you’re doing it now. Slow your roll.”

His lips pull into a half-smile. His eyes show a teasing glint. “You asked, I answered.”

“Bennett,” I warn.

“Sorry, you’re right. I’m being a hypocrite.”

“Can we go on that hike tomorrow after work? I don’t have money to spend on fancy dinners, but I can afford to buy us ice cream at Scoops afterward.” Thanks to Becca, my account has enough for that tiny splurge. It’s not much, but I don’t want Bennett to think every date has to be his idea or that he has to pay for everything. And honestly, a hike and ice cream is my kind of outing.

“Yes, but you’re not paying for ice cream.”

Is he kidding me? He better not have some hero complex. I need a partner, not a parent. “Bennett, please let me do this. Our dynamic is already off-center. I want to contribute something and feel like I'm on your same level.”

Bennett rolls onto his side, cradling his head in his hand, gazing at me with a crease between his brows. “Why do you feel like we’re not equal?”

I scoff. “Oh, well, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re rich, I’m poor. You have a career, I’m still in school. You’ve been married, endured a ridiculously difficult trauma, and you’re seven years older than me. Need I say more?”

The indent between his brows deepens. He blinks a few times, like he’s processing what I said and how to respond. “I understand why you feel that way, but I hope you realize they have no bearing on our relationship. I didn’t fall for you because of your lack of a bank account and I really hope you don’t like me for the size of mine. Yes, I’m older, but our maturity is on the same level and from the little bits you’ve told me of your childhood, you’ve been through a lot yourself and matured faster because of it. This isn’t a competition to see whose life has sucked more, Mils. A relationship is about finding the person who makes the bad days bearable, who supports and encourages your dreams, who will laugh with you and tell you when you’re being an idiot. We share common goals, lifestyles, and dang it Millie, that brain of yours enchants me. And don’t even get me started on how beautiful you are inside and out. You are sunshine amidst my storm. If we’re talking about being unequal, it’s me who doesn’t have as much to offer you.”

My heart melts. “I really like it when you list my amazing attributes,” I tease. “Please don’t stop on my account.”

“Hmmm.” Bennett studies me. There’s attraction, warmth, and appreciation in Bennett’s gaze. “You’re a peacemaker, loyal, and trustworthy. You’re creative, smart, and funny. You’re up for anything, and when presented with something new, instead of saying no out of fear, you dive right in. Your hair shimmers like gold under the sun. From the moment I first saw you, your smile has done me in. Oh, and your legs”—his eyes start at my toes and sweep their way up to my hips—“do you know how hard it’s been not to constantly touch them?”

Sheesh. Now that Bennett has admitted his feelings for me, it’s like the floodgates opened and he’s laying it all out there. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just different from before. How long has he denied how much he likes my legs? I bend my knees, with my feet flat on the ground. Straightening one leg in the air, I take my time crossing it over my other thigh. Running my hand down my shaved quad, I say, “You mean like this?”

A low rumble that starts in his chest escapes his lips. “Why are you testing me, woman?”

I grin flirtatiously at him. “Because I can.” A fabulous idea pops into my head. “Want to trade a foot massage for a shoulder massage?” Feet aren’t the same as legs, but if he wanders up to my calves, he’ll find no complaints from me. And I’ve been dying to let my hands roam his broad muscles again since the swimming pool when I slithered down him after we played chicken.

Like an eager puppy, he quickly says, “Yes.”

“Can we finish the fireworks first? We’ll want lotion too.”

“The grand finale is my favorite part. I’m not missing out. Should we plan for the massages tomorrow?”

“The end is my favorite, too.” And I don’t care to watch them again without Bennett by my side. “Yes, we can wait until tomorrow after our hike.”

“It’s a date.”

“Yes, boyfriend, it is.”

CHAPTER 35

Camille

“If I didn’t love Amherst, I’d want to live here. These trees, the fresh pine smell, and the company are topnotch,” I say as Bennett and I hike through the forest to the waterfall. The trail has a slight incline, but it’s been a fairly easy few miles. One downside is how many people we’ve seen. There’s no way Bennett and I will have the waterfall to ourselves.

“Good thing you can visit for three months out of every year.”

“And Christmases, right? Evie said you guys come up here in December sometimes.”

Bennett puts his water back in his backpack and leads the way on the trail again. “Yeah, when we’re celebrating with the Hale side of the family, we come up here.”

Since Mom and Dad’s divorce, we haven’t discussed what holidays will look like from now on. Will my family get mad if I bail and join Bennett’s family this year instead? New Hampshire with people who like one another sounds way more fun than Ohio.

“How many Christmas trees do you have at the mansion, and are they real or fake?”

“What kind of heathens do you think we are?” He spins in a circle, arms outstretched. “Of course we have a real tree. Would it be Christmas in New Hampshire with a fake one?”

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