Page 40 of All the Ways You Save Me
“Thanks.” He leans back against the counter opposite of meand takes a sip. “So how is it that you’re able to take off from Maple Pond and spend the entire summer hanging out at the beach?”
“Maple Ridge. And I’m a teacher. I get my summers off.”
“What subject do you teach?”
“High school English.” I watch his reaction because if he’s Adam, he’ll know that at least I accomplished one dream from my childhood. Being an English teacher is all I ever wanted to do. But Garrett just gives me a half-smile that tells me exactly nothing.
“Do you read much?” I ask.
“I love to read.”
I pack that information away for later. Adam expressed an interest in reading, and he enjoyed a few books that I lent him, but he ended up working so hard that he never had much time for it.
“And what about your friends, family…” Garrett pauses for a beat. “Significant other… They don’t mind you taking off for the summer?”
“A lot of my friends are busy juggling kids and vacations over the summer, so I actually see more of them during the school year. And my mom moved to Arizona years ago,” I explain, all the while knowing I’m avoiding his question about a significant other.
If Garrett really is Adam, how would he react to the fact that I just broke off an engagement to his childhood best friend? Would it hurt him to know I’d moved on with Jason or would it make him happy that his friend was there for me when he was gone? I remember the rain beating down around us, Jason drenched and crying, vowing to look out for me.It’s what Adam would have wanted.
Is it? If he’s the man standing in front of me, then it means he left, he took off, he gave up his right to have any feelings about my life—and certainly my love life—when he disappearedinto thin air. A hot poker of anger stabs me in the chest, and it’s irrational because I don’t even know who I’m mad at. This man standing in front of me? Adam? The universe for putting me in this situation?
I turn away to unpack the rest of my groceries, and Garrett returns to his repairs.
“I think I’m about done here,” he says a few minutes later, crawling back under the sink to turn the water on.
I hear a woosh and spin around, letting out a little shriek as water flies in all directions from the base of the faucet. Thousands of droplets rain down on the counter, the floor, and the half of Garrett that’s not shielded by the cabinets. He scrambles out from under the sink at the same time that I rush across the kitchen. Before I can reach the faucet, my bare foot hits a puddle and slips out from under me. Garrett reaches to grab me as I topple forward. His body breaks my fall, and he sprawls backward as I land directly on top of him.
TWENTY-TWO
PRESENT DAY
Garrett
Water rains down around us, but I can’t bring myself to care when Madeline is in my arms.
“Are you okay?” I ask, grasping her by the elbows, looking her over.
“I must be crushing you,” she says, not making any effort to move. Her face is only inches from mine, cheeks flushed, lashes wet from the spray, making her eyes appear brighter. For the second time in two days, I could close this distance and part her lips, slide my tongue in her mouth, peel off that soaking wet dress clinging to her curves and…
I’m growing hard just thinking about it. From the hitch in her breath, she clearly feels it, too. And then she drives an elbow in my ribcage as she hurries to scramble off me.
Swearing under my breath, I dive back under the counter to turn off the water. When I climb out, she’s sitting on the floor, leaning against the opposite cabinets, staring at me. I’d give anything to know what she’s thinking right now.
“I’m sorry about this.” I wave at the water all over thefloor, when what I really should be waving at is my crotch. “I should have tightened the bolts and checked the washers before turning the water on.” I don’t know why I didn’t, I’m supposed to be a professional. But from the moment I saw Madeline on the beach, her presence has been messing with my head.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “You’re not hurt?”
She shakes her head. “No. Are you?”
I rub my sore ribs. I’d take a beating twice as hard to have her in my arms again. “I’m good.”
“Thanks for breaking my fall.” She climbs to her feet. “I should clean this up.”
“I’ll get it.” I reach for a pile of dish towels on the counter.
She takes a quick breath as if she’s going to say something but then stops. Her eyes roam over me, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s comparing my features to the dead boyfriend she came here to find.
“I guess I’ll go unpack my suitcase,” she finally says and then turns and hurries out of the room.
