Page 19 of Born to Make You Smile

“Let me get you something cold. Please sit down.”

He held my arm and led me to the shade. I took a seat in a flimsy plastic lawn chair while Gavin went to the coolers. He jogged back with a bottle of water. Thanking him, I carefully placed it on my head, feeling the cold drips of condensation run down my face.

My attention moved to the pool. Ethan was playing volleyball with Charlotte, Mackenzie, and Tina's two teenaged daughters. With a smile, I watched Ethan coaching and assisting Mackenzie with her serving technique. Eventually, he looked over and saw me seated with a bottle to my head, and his face was overcome with immediate concern. He jumped out of the pool and made his way to me, not bothering with a towel. His tall, muscular body dripped wet as he bolted over, looking like aBaywatchlifeguard. He was quite a sight, and I couldn't help but notice the many eyes gawking at him.

“Grace. What happened?” asked Ethan with worry. “Are you hurt?”

He kneeled before me, placing his wet hand on my knee.

“It’s just a bump. No big deal,” I assured him.

“I accidentally knocked into her,” Gavin explained with a guilty wince.

“Webumped heads,” I corrected.

“It looks pretty bad.” Ethan put his face in front of me and stared straight into my eyes. “I used to be a lifeguard. Do you have any headaches or blurred vision? Confusion of any kind?”

To have him care for me filled my insides with warmth. I shook my head. “No. Ethan, I’m fine.”

“Tell me that story again, the one you told me on our first date. Your favorite childhood memory. With the horse in Austria. The one with the strange name?”

“Oh! Yeah. When I was twelve years old, I was vacationing in Austria with my mother. She loved horses, so she took me to the stables at her cousin’s ranch. I rode a beautiful black stallion. Bucephalus. He was intimidating but so gentle. I fed him, and he licked my hand and followed me around after.”

Ethan laughed and patted my leg with assurance. “Atta girl. You’re good.”

I smiled. “Okay, thanks. You should get back in the pool. The kids are calling you.”

Ethan turned to see everyone waving for him to come back. He ran his thumb over my chin, then planted a long, slow kiss on my lips. I was a little embarrassed, considering Gavin was still standing right there.

Ethan headed back to the pool, and Gavin came up next to me.

“You never spoke about your trip to Austria and the horse before,” he said with a confused furrow. “It sounded like a lovely and special experience between you and your mum.”

“It was.” My voice cracked. “Very special.”

My expression fell, thinking back to the sweet memories of my mother. Memories that were already starting to fade. I felt my eyes prickle, and with a series of blinks, I turned away. God, I typically never fell apart in public. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me.

“Oh, Grace. I’m terribly sorry.” Gavin placed a firm hand on my bare shoulder, filling me with a mix of comfort and an uninvited burst of tingles.

“Lunch is served!” shouted Tina.

A very welcome interruption.

With our plates stacked high with delicious food, Ethan and I sat beside Kira, one of the hygienists, and her fiancé, Theo. They’d recently become engaged and enthusiastically discussed their upcoming New Year’s Eve wedding. Ethan's older brother got married last summer, so he shared advice and vendor recommendations with Kira. Seeing Ethan get along so well with my work family was wonderful.

By early evening, the sun had started to set, and glorious swirls of orange and pink painted the sky in that extra special way that happened at the end of summer. A melancholic reminder that another summer was soon passing by, and the bittersweet transition of seasons awaited us.

Ethan and I were getting ready to leave. I was back in my maxi dress, my hair damp in a messy but cute updo with a few curly tendrils hanging down.

Ethan went to use the bathroom inside and change out of his swimsuit while I hung out with Gavin.

“How is your head feeling, love? The swelling’s gone down, at least.” Gavin leaned in close. His warm breath grazed the top of my head, followed by the most gentle rub of his thumb over my bump. I shivered at the stinging sensation, pulling away from him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”

“No, don’t worry. It’s just sensitive.” I nodded, running a hand over my dress. “Tis but a scratch, Mr. Bond.”

He cocked his right brow, confused.

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