Page 59 of Falling Again
Life was crazy, and he knew it always would be, but as of right now it felt perfect. He and Natalie were back on track, his father was considering selling them the lake house, and even Alice seemed to be holding her own. As Anthony lathered up his hair, he couldn’t help but hope that this was only the beginning of good things for the Snyders.
CHAPTER 17
“Okay, if you had tochoose, what animal would you be?” Natalie asked, her feet dangling over the edge of the dock. While still tender, her ankle felt better, and she was able to put a little weight on it. Anthony had fussed all the way to the dock that he could carry her, but she enjoyed tiptoeing through the sand.
Anthony sat next to her, their thighs touching, and stared out into the water. His skin had turned a glorious shade of brown over the last few days, and a set of freckles had appeared on his cheeks. She could only hope that Otis took after his father in the looks department, because he was bound to be a heartbreaker.
Taking a bite out of his sandwich, Anthony chewed and thought about his answer. They used to play a version of Would You Rather when they began dating. Any lag of conversation they would turn into a game of some kind. “Right now, I want to be a panda.”
Natalie snorted. “A panda? Why?”
Finishing his sandwich, Anthony dusted the crumbs off his hands and turned to face her. “Because they’re adorable, everyone loves them, and they’re allowed to just sit and be themselves.”
Her heart did a syncopated rhythm at his answer, and she nudged his leg with her own. “I think you’re a panda already.”
Now it was Anthony’s turn to snort. “I’m hardly adorable, and I don’t think everyone loves me.” His admission stung, and the strain in his eyes showed Natalie that he meant it.
Her own sandwich forgotten, Natalie twisted to face her husband. Cupping one of his cheeks, she swiped her thumb along the lines of his face. Since they’d been on the island, Anthony hadn’t shaved. The coarse bristles made a scratching sound as he leaned into her touch. “First of all,” she said in a whisper, careful not to break the moment. “You are very loved by some fabulous people.” His body shook with a chuckle, but he didn’t interrupt. “Secondly, I think you’re freaking adorable. You think I’d make babies with just anyone?”
Smiling into her hand, Anthony kissed her palm before pulling back to wrap her in an embrace. “You always know the right things to say, Nat.” He kissed her temple and rested his chin on top of her head.
“Not really,” she teased. “I still haven’t figured out how you can sit around all day.”
“I wouldn’t worry. I think now is a good place to start.” They sat on the dock, baking in the waning afternoon sunlight. Off in the distance, jet skis ate up the water, leaving rippling waves in their wake, sounding like a symphony of chainsaws.
“Hey,” Anthony said, his voice thick. “You never said which animal you’d want to be.”
Natalie thought about it, a zoo’s worth of animals flitting through her mind. “Hmm,” she hummed as she traced a line from Anthony’s knee up to the hem of his swim trunks.
Wiggling, he inched back, and sighed. “You keep that up and you’re going to get us arrested for public indecency. I’m pretty sure that’s a family over there.” He motioned with his head, but his tone was light.
“I would say I’m a snake.”
Anthony was incredulous. “A snake? I highly doubt that.”
Natalie kicked her legs in the air, testing her ankle. “I don’t know,” she said carefully, scooting closer to the edge of the dock. “They are sneaky.”
