Joel slows the boat near a quiet cove where the trees lean close to the water. A few ripples lap against the hull. Somewhere in the trees, a bird calls. It’s peaceful.
Joel cuts the engine and drops an anchor.
I look around. The cove is small and sheltered, tucked away from the open water like a secret. The trees come right down to the edge on three sides, their branches trailing fingertips across the surface. The sky above is turning to amber and rose as the sun inches closer to the horizon.
“This is beautiful,” I say, looking at Joel. “I bet you bring all the girls here.”
“No.”
There’s no flirtation in his voice. No smile. Just a simple, honest “No.”
My stomach flips. “Oh.”
Joel comes to sit beside me on the bench. We sit in the quiet for a minute. It’s not awkward, but it’s not exactly comfortable either. There’s an undeniable, sizzling attraction between us, and I don’t think either of us knows what to do about it.
“So,” he says, finally. “You’re not a roots person.”
I look out over the water. “I move around a lot,” I say. “My parents always said I had wanderlust. I just never felt like I fit anywhere. I tried college for a while, but it wasn’t for me. So, I’ve focused on the next job, the next opportunity, the next adventure.”
“Where else have you lived?” he asks.
“All over,” I admit. “I worked at Disney Land for a couple of years. Then I tried my hand in a Vegas casino. I started making my way East after that, waitressing in diners along Route 66. But nowhere everfit.Not for long, anyway. Now, I’m here.”
“Are you running from something?”
I should bristle at the question, but I don’t. Maybe because his voice is gentle. Maybe because the sun is sinking and the lake isquiet and he doesn’t feel like someone looking for weakness. He feels like someone who just wants to know me.
“I’m not running. I’m just… searching, I guess?”
His gaze settles on me. “For what?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Hopefully, I’ll know it when I find it.”
“I think Mercury Ridge is the perfect fit for you.”
My heartrate kicks up a notch. “You don’t even know me.”
“I want to.” His voice is husky, and it knocks the wind right out of me.
“Joel,” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Jenna’s roommate comes back at the end of the summer. I’m leaving then.” It’s a statement, but I hear the doubt in my own voice.
“Okay.”
“You say that like it doesn’t matter.”
His gaze drops to my mouth for half a second before returning to my eyes. “It matters.”
Heat pools low in my belly, and I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my whole life.
Don’t be a fool, Rayna…
I should tell him to take me back. I should remember that I have no plan, no permanent job, no roots, and absolutely no business looking at a man like Joel as if he might be just the thing I’ve been looking for all this time.
I lick my lips. “What’s happening here?”
