Page 89 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I must admit, I'm surprised it happened. The old man wasn't crazy after all."

"He believed in love, and it paid off." She cleared her throat. "How are things going here?"

"Great. Everyone is having fun. The food is amazing as always. Brodie came by earlier. He said he's on duty but will check back in a while. I haven't seen your other friends yet."

"Adam took a bunch of people out on his boat. He invited me, but I wanted to do something for my guests."

"I didn't realize Adam had a boat."

"He's a big boater. He likes to fish and ski and tube—all that."

"You, too?"

"Yes. I've never been one to just lay around. I have too many ideas for that, and I love being on the lake, in the lake, by the lake."

"I get it—you like the lake," he teased.

She smiled. "I really do. I think you do, too. You look so much more relaxed now than when we first met."

"I am more relaxed. It has been a good break for me. I'd been running so hard and so fast for so long, I didn't know how to stop. Until a truck braked in front of me, and I hit a fence and killed all my electronics. I guess I needed a wake-up call, and I got one."

"Sometimes we all need that. The furnace breaking might have been my wake-up call, and then another call came with Keira's friend. But I'm still not sure how to answer all those calls."

"You'll figure it out."

"I will. And I don't want to talk about it anymore today or tonight," she murmured.

He saw the spark of fire in her eyes and his body stiffened. "So, later…"

"Yes. Later," she promised. "But now I need to make sure everyone is having a good time."

"They look happy to me."

"But they can get happier," she said with a laugh. Then she moved over to the table. "Who wants to play cornhole?"

As the group enthusiastically responded yes, Victor set up the cornhole boards a short distance away and Lizzie divided the group into teams. His grandparents would start by facing off against Noah and Alice.

While Lizzie took charge of the game, he grabbed a beer out of the cooler.

"That looks good," Chelsea said.

He smiled at Lizzie's sister, then handed her the beer and grabbed another one for himself. "I thought you were out on your brother's boat."

"I was going to be, but I got caught up in songwriting, and I decided I'd just come down to the beach and check out Lizzie's party. It looks like everyone is having fun."

"I don't think your sister would allow for anything else," he said dryly.

She grinned. "Good point. How about you? Are you having fun?"

"More than I would have expected," he admitted.

"This town grows on you. I never thought I'd settle here, but the lake healed me and gave me a new start and then, of course, I met Brodie."

"Why did you stop singing?" he asked curiously.

"Lizzie didn't tell you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. But if it's private—"

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