Page 194 of Lavender Lake
“So, I’m starting to think two isn’t enough,” I teased.
Hadley chuckled and glanced at me. “I think you’re right. Five sounds good to me.”
I turned my attention back to Cas just as he grabbed an axe that had been sunk into a log and pulled it out. His arms bulged and flexed, making the ink on his skin dance.
He looked down at me and winked.
I snorted. “Five? I’m going for six.”
Mr. Bixby stepped up to the podium and said, “Lumberjacks, take your spots. Everyone else, place your bets.”
“Twenty bucks on Harlan!” Wyn screamed from the phone.
“Who said that?” Mr. Bixby asked.
Hadley raised her hand. “We’ve got a long-distance bidder.”
“The first lumberjack who chops their entire pile of wood wins the grand prize,” Mr. Bixby announced.
“What’s the grand prize?” Poet asked.
“A gift certificate to Sweet Teeth, a free haircut from Pouffant, and a trophy,” Gracie said.
“Gentlemen, assume your positions,” Mr. Bixby said.
I took out my phone and began to record. “For posterity. And spank bank material.”
“Lower your voice, we’re in public,” Hadley stated. “But also make sure you get some shots of Declan for me.”
“Don’t worry, honey,” Lucy said, raising her cell phone. “I’ve got you covered.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The Lake
“It was nice that you let Declan win,” I said to Cas.
He offered me his hand and helped me into the waiting rowboat that bobbed on the bank of Lavender Lake.
“I didn’t let Declan win,” he said. “I lost because ofyou.”
“What do you mean because of me?” I demanded.
He handed me a picnic basket, and I set it down in the back of the rowboat before lowering myself down onto one of the soft pillows.
Cas got into the boat and took the spot across from me on the other end so that we were facing one another. “I could see your nipples through your dress. You’re lucky I didn’t cut off my own hand.”
I looked down at my chest. “Really? You could see them?”
“Okay, maybe I couldn’t see them,” he amended. “But I was fantasizing about them. About how they’d taste. How they’d feel in my mouth. Have you ever swung an axe with an erection?”
“Can’t say that I have.” I laughed.
He grabbed an oar and pushed us away from the bank. The oar slid into the water and he began to paddle us toward the center of the lake. It was dusk and when the sun set in an hour, the fireworks would start.
“What treats did you pack us?” I asked, reaching for the picnic basket.
“No peeking,” he warned.
