Page 42 of The Pink House

“Like this.” Hannah spanned the short distance between them and pushed hard on his stomach. Which was rock-hard. He barely moved from the force of her shove, but his head did go partially under.

He came up sputtering, with a devilish gleam in his eyes. “Is that how you want to play it?”

“My meager attempt to re-create fun times.” She grinned at him, then shrieked when he moved to her, put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her under.

She didn’t go alone.

He came with her.

Her gaze locked with his for an instant before they both returned to the surface.

“Well, that was fun.”

Charlie grinned. “I think the dunking-and-pushing lends itself more to boys.”

This time, it was Hannah who leaned back and floated. “Probably right. I like this better. Warm sun. Cool water. Blue sky.”

When Charlie swam near, she worried for a second that he planned to dunk her again. Instead, he floated beside her, his gaze focused on the sky, his hand resting on the water so close she needed only to reach out to curl her fingers around his.

Her hand seemed to move of its own accord. Her fingers did no more than brush his before he took her hand lightly in his.

There was comfort in the touch, in the feel of not being utterly alone, which was how she’d felt for most of the past year.

As they floated, Hannah totally relaxed and let all worries slip away.

She wasn’t sure how long they floated in silence. A rustling sound pulled her attention from the sky. A large buck gazed down at them from the spot where she and Charlie had jumped.

He studied them for several heartbeats, then turned and walked away.

“Did you see that?” Hannah asked, giving up the floating to tread water.

Charlie smiled. “There are lots of them in this area. I don’t recall ever seeing one this close to the edge.”

“I’m glad he didn’t jump.” Hannah shivered, envisioning three hundred pounds of deer hitting the water.

“They’re smarter than that.” Charlie glanced up. “Clouds are moving in. It appears the storm predicted for tomorrow is going to arrive sooner than forecast. We should probably head for the truck.”

Hannah knew once they got out of the water, once this magical time came to an end, words wouldn’t come as easily.

She reached over and touched Charlie’s arm for a second. “We should go. But first I want to thank you for bringing me here. It’s a happy place.”

“You feel close to Brian here.”

Hannah hesitated, then nodded. There was no reason to tell Charlie that right now the one she felt closest to in this place was him.

* * *

Charlie stepped out the garage, thankful he’d gotten his truck inside before the rain started. The deluge that appeared on its way hadn’t yet arrived, but from the looks of the thunderheads, it wouldn’t be long.

“Thanks again for this afternoon.” Hannah reached out as if to touch his arm, but pulled back.

She might have simply been gesturing. She talked with her hands a lot. He certainly didn’t want to read something into nothing.

Like when they’d linked hands while floating. That had definitely felt like something, a connection between him and her. Then again, he could be dead wrong about that, too.

“Do you and your mom have plans for dinner?”

Charlie blinked. “What?”

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