“Okay, what’s your idea?” I ask, running my pointer finger up his forearm and watching the goose bumps break out against his skin. He pins me with a look and I chuckle. “Sorry, go ahead.”
“So far, all our hikes have been within biking distance, but there’s one I really want to do with you… We’d have to drive though.”
“Alright… Why do you sound so unsure?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“Well, I was thinking we could take the campervan. We could camp for the night up by Old Man of Storr, do the hike in the morning, and then drive back? It would be a really long day trip, and I don’t want us to have to rush the hike…”
His eyes sparkle with mischief. It’s a look I love on him.
But camping for the night? That’s a big ask, one that I’m positive my grandparents will say no to.
“I don’t know, Jamie.” I chew my lip, trying to think of a way I could convince Grannie and Papa to let me go, but… “There’s no way they’ll let me camp overnight with you.”
He nods. “Yeah, I figured. It was a stupid idea.”
“No, it was a great idea… I just don’t think camping will be feasible. We’ll have to make it a day trip.” I slip my fingers between his and press forward to feather my lips over his. “They’re already suspicious…”
And they’re not wrong to be—we’ll be picking off every piece of hay when we’re done in here so we don’t blow our cover.
“Yeah, I think Gran and Grandad are too…” He scooches closer so our bodies press against each other and nuzzles beneath my ear. “I don’t know if I could even convincethemit’s a good idea.”
“A day trip it is then,” I say, breathless. “Do you think they’ll let us borrow the car?”
He pulls his lips from my skin to look at me. “Yeah, that much I’m sure they’ll allow. If we aren’t camping, we can take the Land Rover—easier to park at least.”
I roll onto my back and prop my arm behind my head. “I can drive. I know you’re used to driving on the other side of the road in the States.”
These odd reminders of the different lives we lead always make my heart clench. Reminders that at the end of the summer we’ll go our separate ways and not see each other for another ten months.
It’s just kissing. Just for the summer.He’s my best friend.
He’s mybestfriend.
Even though I only ever see him for these short periods, even though we only exchange surface-level emails the rest of the year,he’s still the best friend I’ve ever had. I’ve never been so comfortable with anyone as I am with him. He’s also the only one who makes me feel the things I do while kissing him…
Is that a best friend quality?
“We can take turns,” he says with a laugh, bringing me back to our conversation. “It’s good for me to remember how to do it here. I’ll ask tonight and we can go tomorrow if you want.”
“What if we wait until Tuesday? It would be a fun last hoorah before you leave on Thursday, and you’d still have Wednesday to pack.”
I don’t want to think of him leaving. Especially because he’ll be flying out two days before I go home. I don’t know how I’ll get through those last two days without him.
“Okay. Tuesday it is. Are you working with Grandad today?” he asks, and his fingers trace up the outside of my thigh to where my shorts have ridden up.
In between all the kissing, I’ve been working more with Angus in the kitchen. He’s even let me in on a few of his secret recipes, making me feel like a part of their family in a way I’ve never experienced with my own grandparents.
“That’s the plan,” I say, rolling back onto my side. His hand doesn’t move, but my movement brings his fingers to my inner thigh and our gazes lock, my whole body going hot. I swallow thickly over the rising desire in my body for things I’ve never experienced before. “Got any other adventures for us in that book of yours?”
His notebook—the one he writes his adventure ideas in, adventures just for us—liesin the hay beside us.
“I can think of a few,” he murmurs, but the book stays where it is. Jamie does not. He presses forward, hand notching between my legs, and kisses me. It’s both soft and hungry. Familiar and explorative. I never want him to stop.
But it’s just kissing. Just for the summer. We’re still best friends.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Avonlea – Now
