“One… two… three.”
We leap together, the world tilting as we plunge into the icy water. It swallows us whole, shocking and clean, washing every thought from my head except her hand still locked tight in mine.
The water is colder than I expected. It slaps against my skin, stealing my breath for a second, and then I’m laughing because she’s laughing—bright, unrestrained, her hair slicked back as she surfaces.
She wipes water from her eyes and kicks at me, sending a spray into my face. I retaliate, cupping a handful and tossing it right back at her.
“Childish,” she gasps between laughs, but the way her shoulders shake says she’s enjoying every second.
We splash back and forth until our arms ache, then we float, letting the current pull us in lazy circles. The waterfall thunders behind us, a steady rhythm, almost like it’s keeping time with my pulse.
She tilts her head toward me, still grinning. “You’re kind of romantic, you know that?”
I raise an eyebrow, treading water easily. “This? You think this is romantic?”
“You brought me to your private waterfall. You packed a picnic. You asked me to jump into a freezing pool with you. It’s basically a date.” Her smile softens. “It’s… sweet.”
Sweet. Not usually the word people stick to me. I’ve been called solid, reliable, occasionally stubborn as a mule—but sweet? Not since I was a kid.
“Guess I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, even as my chest tightens.
She looks up at the sky, squinting against the sun. “My ex would’ve never done something like this.”
I don’t mean to ask, but the words tumble out. “He was a Beta?”
She nods, her expression tightening just slightly. “Yeah. Rob. We dated for a while. He didn’t… I don’t know. He wasn’t bad, he just wasn’t—” She shakes her head. “Never mind.”
I smirk, pushing a little closer. “Let me guess. He fumbled.”
She laughs at that, but there’s a hollow note under it. “Maybe.”
“Wren,” I say, serious now, “if I ever got a chance with you, I’d never fumble. Not once. Not for a second.”
Her eyes snap to mine, green and wide, shining even brighter against the sunlight bouncing off the water. “You… like me?”
The surprise in her voice knocks the wind out of me. “Of course I do. How could I not? You’re—you. You think I’d spend all this time worried about whether you’re eating, whether the café’s holding together, whether you’re safe, if I didn’t?”
Her lips part slightly, but no words come out. I shake my head, pressing on. “But listen, I know you’re not ready to date again. I get that. So, if me saying this makes things awkward?—”
“Awkward?” She lets out a laugh, floating back on her spine, arms spread, hair fanning out around her. “Beau, are you kidding me? After how busy yesterday was? After the pop-up and everything else? This right here—this is perfect.”
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
I swim next to her, lazy strokes, letting the water carry me closer until I can hook an arm gently around her waist. She turns her head toward me, and I can’t stop myself from saying it.
“You know something about those green eyes of yours? They’re brighter than this whole damn waterfall.”
She flushes, actually flushes, and ducks her chin, biting her lip. “No one’s ever said that to me before.”
“Well, now they have.”
She studies me, thoughtful, then smiles like she’s deciding something. “You want to hear something funny?”
“Always.”
“I never thought I’d be attracted to Alphas. I grew up thinking they were all bossy, overbearing jerks. And now…” She trails off, her cheeks pink above the water line.
“So, you’re attracted to me?” I push gently, even though my heart’s already hammering.
