Page 88 of Broken-Hearted

“What is this?” I whisper.

He gets to his feet, taking my hand and helping me up. “Another stage in romancing Clara Vincent.”

I try desperately not to cry. “And what stage is that?”

His smile fades as he peers down at me. “The stage I tell her that I love her, that I think I always have, and I hope she will let me spend the rest of her life making her happy.”

I throw myself at him.

Nathan was not expecting it.

He trips over something, and we both tumble into the lake.

We make the biggest splash in the world. I’m laughing too hard to help Nathan, so he saves me from drowning. It’s only when I’m on my feet again, shivering from the cold water, but still grinning do I realize he’s looking over my shoulder.

I turn.

Every single Blackshaw is staring at us.

Hallee has her mouth hanging open. Kier leans over and nudges it shut. “We’ll leave you to it.”

“We just wanted to see what Nathan was doing with all the lights,” Talis explains.

“And then we saw that.” Eden grins.

They leave, trampling back through the forest toward the house. When I can no longer hear their laughter and conversation, I turn to Nathan.

He swipes the water from his face. “I tell the woman I love her and she tackles me, nearly drowning us both.”

“Sorry.” I wince. “I wasn’t trying to drown you.”

He steps closer, cradling the back of my head as he stares down at me. “It’s not the last stage.”

I frown, confused. “What isn’t?”

He points his chin at the fairy lights wound around the trees and the blanket on the grass. “This. Romancing Clara Vincent. There’s more I want to do with you and for you.”

“I think I need to start romancing Nathan Blackshaw. There could be at least ten stages.”

He kisses me. “Only ten?”

I loop my arms around his neck. “Don’t push your luck, Blackshaw.” He moves to kiss me again, but I lean back, and he holds me in his embrace.

“What?” he asks.

“I love you too,” I tell him. “When I flung myself at you and nearly drowned us, I just wanted to show you how much.”

He grins at me. “I know.”

We study each other for a beat.

“Maybe we should go dry off now,” he suggests. “That water was freezing.”

“I thought you’d never say.” As he turns to lead us back to my cabin, I stop him. “But maybe we could come back and spend the night out here. I like the lights.”

“Done.” He picks me up. “Come on, peach. No kissing on the way though. I nearly ran into five trees the last time we did this.”

I laugh. Then I kiss him, and he kisses me back.

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