Page 99 of Beauty and the Bayou

“I’m going to tell him you said that,” Cooper said, giving Gabe a mischievous grin.

Gabe sighed.“He already knows.”

Juliet giggled.

Sawyer also grinned and it made Juliet’s stomach flip.He looked happy and completely at ease.Seeing the kids and talking about his scar had been okay.He was doing alright.

Seeing him happy and dealing with all of this with a smile, teasing and interacting with the kids with ease, made her feel a sense of happiness herself that she could only compare to how she felt when she saw Chase surrounded by the Landrys.Seeing someone she loved happy like that gave her a sense of deep satisfaction that was hard to explain.

And she definitely loved Sawyer Landry.

And she kind of wanted to tell him that suddenly.

“Can we go now?”Stella asked.“I haven’t been out on the water inforever.”

Sawyer grinned and stretched to his feet.He put a hand on her head.“We can definitely go now.I’m really sorry it’s been so long.”

Juliet heard the little catch in his voice, but no one else seemed to notice.The kids cheered and Gabe and Kennedy grinned.Tori led the kids out to the dock to get them onto the boats and Gabe followed them out.

Kennedy started after them but at the last minute turned back, crossed to Juliet, pulled her into a hug and whispered, “Thank you for making him smile again.”

Juliet squeezed her.“It’s the kids.”

“You know it’s not the kids.”Kennedy let her go, gave her brother a smile, and headed out to the dock.

Through the window, Juliet saw Tori applying spray sunscreen.Kennedy joined them and started helping the kids with their hats and life jackets.

Juliet turned to Sawyer.“This is a big deal, isn’t it?”

But instead of answering, he stepped close, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her up against his body.He kissed her, long and deep and sweet.Juliet wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.She was going to take that as a yes.She was so happy for him.

It was long seconds before he lifted his head and let her settle back on her heels.

“It’s a big deal,” he confirmed.“And it’s because of you.”

Juliet blinked up at him.“What?”

He nodded.“I haven’t been able to face these people, Juliet.I didn’t know how to deal with their enthusiasm for something I hated.I didn’t want to try to fake it with them like I do with strangers.But if you can get back on your bike after a stroke, I can get back on that bayou after Tommy.”

Juliet took all of that in, her heart expanding as he said it.“Wow,” she told him when he’d stopped.“That’s…amazing.”

“You’reamazing.You live the life you want to live.Regardless of some physical weakness, some deeply engrained what-if scenarios, and a fear of water.I want to do that, too.”

Juliet felt a strange combination of pride and love and trepidation.

This guy was putting her up on a pedestal that she wasn’t so sure she deserved.

She loved that he admired her.She loved the way he looked at her as if she was amazing and as if he was…in love with her.

That was truly how he looked at her.Like he was falling for her.And wow, that did things to her she could hardly put into words.

But this was dangerous.He was falling for this idea of her that she wanted to be true but that she wasn’t sure was entirely real.

She’d gotten back on the bike.But the bike wasn’t where she’d had the stroke and almost drowned.She hadnotgotten over her fear of water.

“Sawyer, I’m not all that brave.Don’t think that I don’t ever worry or—”

“Woman, your worrying is one of the sexiest and sweetest things about you,” he said with a grin that stopped her talking.

---