Page 20 of Anchored

He reached up and smoothed my hair, looking at me so tenderly.

“I love you too, Gracie.”

Then we smiled at each other like that was that.

I’m going to spend my whole life with this boy, I just know it.

We haven’t told anyone about us yet. Just Linda, my best friend. And now you.

I love him, and I can’t wait to actually be with him.

ChapterEight

Holt

I wake up early for a day off, especially after I tossed and turned last night. Seeing Maple this morning still asleep on the floor of the living room only intensifies that guilt. She’s in Anchor Lake because she’s worried about her grandma, and I not only made her sleep on the floor of her own family’s cabin, but then I nearly drowned her last night because of my negligence, then tried to kiss her! What the fuck was I thinking?

Quietly creeping into the kitchen, I hit the button on the coffee pot, hoping some fresh-brewed coffee might help my apology be accepted. The thing is, I frequently mess shit up like last night. When I was a kid, I used to think I was a screwup, and my parents, as great as they were, just reinforced that opinion.

It was my first year of grad school when one of my friends, who was a psych major, informed me that she was shocked I hadn’t been diagnosed with ADHD. It had never occurred to me that might be the reason for being so dang forgetful. Or how my brain was always jumping around from one topic to the next far faster than most people’s. Or how I’d lose track of time frequently. Having that diagnosis changed everything for me and I can honestly say was the catalyst for me doing so well in business for myself.

“Are you allergic to cotton?”

I spin around to see Maple slumping into one of the barstools, her hair a messy halo around her face and tumbling over her sun-pinkened shoulders. She lays her forehead down on the counter like she’s just going to keep snoozing there.

“Only allergic to cacao,” I answer, pouring a cup of coffee. “How do you like your coffee?”

“I like it tea.” Her voice is muffled.

“Oh shit,” I mutter, putting the pot back on the machine and starting to rummage around in my cabinet for a box of tea bags I’m pretty sure were there when I moved in.

“Don’t worry about it. I can do coffee.”

I pull out the box of tea that’s probably as old as this cabin. Maple, her head now upright, wrinkles her nose. “Seriously, the coffee’s fine. And who’s allergic to cacao? Does that mean you can’t have chocolate?”

I pour her coffee, dump in sugar and cream when she gives me a head nod for each, then slide the mug toward her. I sip from my own cup, black, thank you very much.

“Yep. No chocolate for me. I can eat it, I just break out in hives for a couple hours.”

Maple slurps up a sip, her hands cupped around the mug like it isn’t already eighty degrees outside. Then again, she isn’t wearing much. That pajama set might be the death of me. I won’t look down, but if I did, I know I’d see her nipples poking through the thin cotton.

“I feel bad. I keep searching for a room but I can’t find anything,” Maple says after a brief stretch of silence.

“And I feel bad for nearly drowning you last night.”

She just laughs, which is curious. She doesn’t seem mad at all about the canoe nearly capsizing or losing her flip-flops to the lake, or having to walk back in the dark in wet clothes. My ex would have been seething for days.

“Seriously, Maple. Just stay here. It doesn’t bother me. We’re engaged, after all!” I tease her.

She gives me a flat look over the rim of her coffee cup. “I’m still hoping we can come clean about that soon. I’m sure Macy heard Grandma Gracie calling you my fiancé. The gossip will be hot and heavy by tonight.”

I chuckle. “You mean by this morning? My friend Eddy already texted me before I woke up. Hope you don’t mind, but I told him the truth and asked him to keep it quiet so it doesn’t get back to Gracie.”

She nods. “That’s the least I can do when you’re being so nice and letting me stay here. And pretending to be engaged!”

Maple stands up and walks over to the sink. Her breasts, unrestrained in the simple tank top, shimmy and sway as she walks. My eyes literally have no choice but to watch them. They’re hypnotizing. She flips on the water, and I blink out of the trance. Here she is calling me a nice guy and I’m checking out her boobs.

I clear my throat and stare down at my coffee. “I, uh, can clean out the guest room. It would be far more comfortable for you to stay in there.”

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