Page 40 of Falling Again
CHAPTER 11
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Natalie hadn’t beenback to South Bass Island for several years, but as soon as they hopped on the ferry she relaxed. South Bass was a small island in Lake Erie only a twenty-minute ferry ride from the mainland. During the summer it was packed with tourists, ranging from retirees and young families to college kids blowing off steam between semesters. Being the end of June, Natalie expected the island to be bursting with activity, and she wasn’t disappointed.
“I’ll pick up our car and meet you over by the welcome sign?” Anthony asked, handing Natalie her tote bag. She stooped with the weight of it, cursing herself for overpacking.
“Sounds good,” she said, adjusting her straw hat. The wind had nearly blown the silly thing into the lake, but Anthony had reached out and saved the day. It was a simple gesture, but Natalie warmed at the notion that he’d been paying attention.Get a grip, Nat.She was fawning over her own husband like one of those horny college students.
Lost in her musings, Natalie stood in the middle of the unloading area. Dozens of tourists streamed past her, but a rowdy group of twenty-somethings weren’t paying attention. A guy wearing a T-shirt that readCollegebumped into her, and Natalie nearly stumbled off the dock. “Watch it,” Anthony spat as he rushed over to Natalie’s side to steady her. “Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. Despite the balmy summer temperatures, she shivered at his touch.
Natalie cleared her throat and nodded. “Just getting my sea legs,” she quipped, hating how false her voice sounded.
“I was about to get in line for the car when I saw those kids barreling down the ramp. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Anthony slowly released his hold on Natalie, and she deflated at the loss of contact. Flexing his fingers, he quickly shoved his hands in his pockets. “You want to come with me for the car?”
Natalie didn’t know if it was the ferry ride, the shove from the stranger, or the look on Anthony’s face, but her stomach flipped. “Sure.” Without overthinking it, she looped her arm through Anthony’s and allowed him to lead the way to solid ground.
Anthony got their car and waited for Natalie to settle in her seat. “We should be at the house soon. Do you want to stop at the store for anything first?”
Natalie shook her head and pulled off her hat. “We have CeCe’s box of treats, so I think we’re fine for now.” Finger-combing her hair, she eased back and exhaled. They had a full week of packing and cleaning ahead of them, but Natalie was excited as Anthony pulled onto the road and drove toward his parent’s house.
There were only a few roads on the island, and most of the vehicles were golf carts. During their first visit, she and Anthony had rented a golf cart and toured the island in between meals, swimming, and stolen kisses. Natalie’s stomach flipped again at the memories, and she instinctively glanced back at her suitcase. The lingerie was packed, and Natalie hoped against hope that she hadn’t been foolish. Perhaps Anthony really was focused on the home project, but she certainly wasn’t.
Ten minutes later, Anthony pulled into the driveway of the lake house. His parents hadn’t been out all season, so it was still closed up. All the windows were shuttered, the porch swing was tied up, and even the garden had gone to seed. Natalie frowned. “I can’t believe your mom let the garden go.”
Anthony shook his head when they got out of the car. He hurriedly ran to Natalie’s door to open it before helping her with their luggage. As he fumbled in his pocket for the house key, Natalie walked along the front porch and sighed. Next to the swing was a pair of lounge chairs that had seen better days. “These chairs were never brought inside. This one is all warped.” Dragging a finger down the arm of the chair, Natalie grimaced.
“That’s not like my parents,” Anthony said, deep lines creasing his forehead.
Once Anthony got the front door unlocked, they walked inside to the eerie quiet that only comes from a long-vacated house. The furniture was covered, but dust mites floated through the air. “I’ll open some windows,” Natalie offered. She crossed the small living room and unlatched the front windows while Anthony walked to the back of the house to open the sliding glass door. “That’s better already,” Natalie mused as she kicked off her sandals and padded to the kitchen.
“I’ll bring in the cooler and the rest of our things.” Anthony walked back outside while Natalie started turning on the appliances. In a matter of minutes, the kitchen filled with familiar hums of the fridge and freezer coming to life.
Lost in activity, Natalie didn’t see where Anthony had placed the cooler. It was right by the fridge, its plastic wheels jutting out toward her. As she took another step, her leg hit the edge of the cooler while her foot went in the opposite direction. With nothing to grasp, Natalie flailed her arms before falling back onto the kitchen floor. Letting out a yelp that was better suited to a wounded animal, Natalie leaned forward to grasp her quickly swelling ankle.
Anthony heard her cry and sprinted back to the house. When he saw her pained expression, he dropped the bag in his grip and rushed to her side. “What happened?” Glancing down at her swollen ankle, Anthony scooped Natalie up and plopped her down on the counter. If she wouldn’t have been in shock, Natalie would have been awed by his ability to pick her up like she weighed nothing. Maybe limiting herself to five pounds of chocolate a day really did do the trick?
Pulling her back to the—albeit painful— moment, Anthony ran his hands up and down her leg. With a gentle touch, he tapped at her ankle. “Are you okay?”
Natalie didn’t feel okay, but she felt herself calm down when she met Anthony’s gaze. He was frantic, swiping his hand up and down her calf as he studied her foot. “I’ll be fine,” she breathed, unable to slow her racing heart.
“Let me find the first aid kit. Don’t move,” Anthony ordered as he ran down the hall for the bathroom. Natalie hazarded a look at her ankle and groaned when she saw a sickening shade of purple emerging. “I’ve got you, Nat,” Anthony said when he returned. He brandished the first aid kit and went to work unwrapping gauze and bandages.
Anthony wrapped her foot and ankle, pausing when he was finished. He looked reluctant to stop touching her, but that could have been Natalie’s imagination. “I’ll run next door and see if Dr. LeFeber is home. My parents said he still runs his practice out of his house.”
Natalie shook her head. “I don’t want to trouble anyone.” She wiggled her foot and held back a gasp as pain shot up her leg.
“Don’t worry about it. I want to make sure you’re okay.” Anthony stood from his crouched position and leaned closer to Natalie, their faces mere inches away. Anthony looked concerned, and it warmed Natalie to see how much he worried. “I want to make sure you’re okay,” he repeated, reaching out and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Letting his hand linger, he trailed his fingers down her neck before squeezing her shoulder.
“Thank you,” Natalie said, too afraid to blink for fear her husband would disappear. The same magnetic pull she felt at the diner was back, and suddenly her wounded ankle was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to hobble over to her suitcase and find that lingerie—right freaking now.
Anthony pulled back and walked to the forgotten cooler. He pulled out a can of seltzer water and handed it to her. “Sit here and have a drink. I’ll be right back.” Stepping away, Anthony hesitated, then turned back to face her. “Oh, hell. Did you trip over the cooler?” He didn’t wait for her to contradict him. “Jesus. I’ve already mucked this up. I’m so sorry, Nat.” He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. Without saying another word, he kissed her forehead. “You’ll be okay,” he assured her as he left the house.
Natalie’s skin pebbled with goosebumps from his kiss and her fingers fumbled to open the seltzer. “Get a grip,” she told herself as she sipped. She shouldn’t have been surprised by Anthony’s reaction, but she’d be lying if it didn’t make her feel better. While a simple accident, she was touched by the remorse Anthony showed. He wasn’t ignoring her or the moment, and a kernel of hope blossomed deep in her rib cage. Maybe they’d be alright.
