Page 23 of Fake Spring Fling

“Really. Well, of course, you always have the option of telling me this was truly a fling, and that I should get lost as soon as I drive you safely home. But for me, that’s not an option.” My hand slides around her waist, pulling us together. “This relationship is real…right?”

She’s already nodding. “I’d like it to be. Yes.”

“Good. So, should we rewind and start slowly, dating like normal people, pretending this weekend never happened? Or should we carry on from where we are and just let whatever happens happen at our own speed?”

Madison nods eagerly. “Carry on. Let’s just do everything our way.”

We look out over the waves for a few moments, then Madison lightly squeezes my fingers. “Your mother seems to expect us to…”

“Yeah, she’s hoping that we will eventually get married and have kids so that she can spoil them rotten.” I grin. “She adores babysitting grandkids, for the record. Which means we’d still be able to have grownup vacations once in a while. You know…down the road.”

“I feel she expects us to hit some rather large pit stops on that road very quickly.”

“Hmm. I’ll do my best to keep her under control. We can go at our pace. Follow our own timeline.”

A light breeze picks up, making the waves sparkle as they splash against the stones a few feet from our shoes. The sky is an incredible shade of blue, with a few massive, fluffy clouds floating by.

“It’s truly beautiful here,” Madison murmurs with a smile, lifting her chin to the sun.

“And you are beautiful everywhere.”

I drop to one knee, clasping her hands in mine. “Madison, my gorgeous darlin’, will you be my official and not at all fake girlfriend when we return to Kingsville?”

Her fingers tremble slightly. “Yes.”

Then she smiles, a devilish look in her eyes. “But until we get there, this is just a fling and a road trip. So I expect the sauciness and the roadside junk food to continue.”

“I agree to your outlandish terms. Also, I love you.”

Madison freezes mid-giggle, staring at me wide-eyed. Her lips are open, but she doesn’t seem to breathe for a bit too long Then she swallows hard. “I wasn’t sure… I mean, I felt it, but I was too scared to…” She shuts her eyes and exhales slowly. When they flutter open again, they are beginning to fill with tears. “I love you, too,” she whispers.

I leap to my feet, wrapping her in my arms as her head nestles into my chest. “My sweet, precious girl. I can’t believe I found you in a diner.”

“Oh! Can we go there on a date this week?”

“Yes. I’ll call to see when Claudia is working, so we can freak her out.”

Madison pulls away to look up at me. “Somehow, I think she knew this was going to happen.”

“I know what you mean. She’s some kind of pie-slinging mystic.”

We both begin to laugh as my lips instinctively move toward hers until we’re kissing, clutching each other in the breeze coming off the lake.

Her hands move slowly around my lower back, then she steps back, looking down and scanning the rocks beneath us.

After a moment, she scoops up two rocks slightly bigger than quarters – practically identical, plain gray, with a tiny bit of quartz veining through the center. She hands one to me, then puts the other in her pocket.

She doesn’t need to say a word. I know exactly what she means. They’re a reminder to stay grounded, to make up for the fact we started our relationship in such strange circumstances.

Eventually we head back to the car and she maps out our drive home, choosing some crazy rest stops along the way. Then she flashes me a guilty look. “I guess I should check out your pharmacy soon. Your sisters were asking me about it.”

“Of course. I’ll give you a grand tour tomorrow, if you like.”

Just before I throw the car in gear, her hand shoots out and she grips my arm while staring blankly straight ahead. Then she bursts into laughter so wild that for a second, I wonder if she’s overtired or hysterical.

“You’re starting to scare me, darlin’. What is it?” I murmur, turning to rub her shoulder.

“More proof…that we belong together…” she sputters. “Pharmacist. You’re an expert in medicine.” She points to herself. “Madison. Medicine. No wonder you always know what I need.”

---