Page 29 of View With Your Heart

“Most valuable piece of property on this lake. Shame she won’t sell,” Tom hollers over the roar of the engine, breaking into my thoughts. He’s been circling the lake, taking the scenic route to fill the time, and I hadn’t noticed where we were. With my back to the shoreline, I twist to notice a piece of land jutting out into the lake which holds Britton’s small yellow cottage. “That land is worth millions.”

“Why won’t she sell?” Leon asks, eyeing the property.

“Her uncle owned it. He was special to her.” All eyes land on me when I twist back to the guys in the boat, and I swallow hard, remembering Leo and Gertie again, and how nice they were to me, how good they were to Britton. I also recall my own comment about her making bank if she did sell and her adamant response that she wasn’t interested.

“Heard there were some issues with it when she inherited it. The old man hadn’t been paying his property taxes, and she’s since been strapped with it. The Sterling Realty company in town is always on her with offers. She’s one tough sell, though.”

Britton didn’t mention that in her explanation of inheriting the place.

“Man, that sounds private,” I say.

“What are we, twelve?” Jess chuckles, but I don’t want Britton’s business blasted like this. If she’s in financial trouble, it’s only for her to share.

“And that’s her,” Tom says, holding up a hand to wave. I twist again, glancing toward the shore, and sure enough, Britton stands tall on the dock while Gee sits on the edge, kicking his feet in the water. They look like they’ve been swimming, and Britton’s one-piece outlines her slight form, sexier than any bikini I’ve ever seen. She’s sexier than she knows.

Britton slowly lifts a towel before her and hesitantly waves back to Tom.

Leon whistles low under his breath. “Damn, you were a lucky man.” He’s not being a dick, just stating a fact. Britton is beautiful standing under the sunshine, her hair slicked back and glistening.

“Yo, Britton,” Ethan cries out, cupping his hands before waving like Tom Hanks seeing Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. Britton laughs. Even from this distance, I hear the sound in my soul, cracking open more memories.

I glance left, feeling Jess watching me. His head slowly shakes. “You still got it for her, don’t you?”

“I don’t,” I lie before my head turns back in her direction, eyes unable to look away from her as the boat skims past her dock, and she watches us.

“If that’s what you say,” Jess remarks, reminding me of a standard comeback in communication between us when we were teens. Turning back inward, I lean forward, pressing my elbows to my thighs and fighting the pull to look over my shoulder again. I tip up my beer and mutter back at Jess.

“That’s what I say.” The comment normally cuts off a discussion but confirms the unsaid truth.

I still very much have it for her.

It’s not the most opportune time, but a memory strikes me as we pass the house.

We’d been hanging out at Uncle Leo’s when I asked him if we could use his old rowboat. It was a pathetic green thing with metal seats, and I swore the bottom leaked. While Leo didn’t like the idea of us going out on the dark lake, he’d given me an industrial flashlight when I promised to keep us close to the shoreline.

Summer was almost over. It was the first official weekend in August, and I’d be leaving on Monday. Brit and I tried not to discuss it, soaking up every last minute together. We’d often come together frantic to touch and hold one another, and this night was no different. Elk Lake City was celebrating its annual Harbor Days with week-long festivities that included carnival rides, family activities, and a fireworks display. We’d already attended the annual parade earlier in the day, but tonight, I wanted us alone.

After I rowed us out a bit from shore, enough that we could still see Leo’s house, but Leo couldn’t make out the two of us, I stopped, allowing us to drift.

The moon wasn’t full but still bright in the dark sky.

“I leave on Monday,” I said, mentioning the unmentionable.

“I know,” Britton whispered. I reached for her, sitting opposite me. The boat wobbled as I pulled her to me, and she fell against me. Giggling, she straddled my lap. My hands ran up her back, twirling her ponytail around my fist.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” I said into her neck before kissing her. Her throat bobbed. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to say goodbye, but I needed her to know how I felt. Continuing to suck at her skin, I nipped at her before pulling back. “Every time I look at the night sky, I’ll think of moments like this.”

She lowered for my lips, kissing mine sweetly at first. Quickly, the kiss turned more eager, desperate even, under the conditions of our impending separation.

“Make love to me. Make a new memory under the moonlight with me,” I begged.

“Here?” She questioned of the rickety old boat, on the water, in the open. . . moonlight. It was so dark, no one could really see us, and I gripped her hips, dragging her against the hard length in my shorts.

“No one will see,” I whispered against her mouth, sensing her hesitation. Slowly, she slipped off my lap to remove her underwear and hitched up her short skirt to her waist. I lowered my shorts just enough, covered myself in a condom, and returned her to my lap.

“The things you do to me,” I muttered, crushing my mouth against hers, giving us a second to rub against one another before angling her up and over me and slipping into her warm body. The position was different, as we balanced in a wobbling boat, but she’d been on me before like this in my dad’s old truck. “The things you let me do to you.”

Slowly, we moved, the boat rocking to match our rhythm. We clutched at one another, rushing to a finish line in our teenage haste. As if in a fairy tale, fireworks cracked the sky behind her, over the larger lake. The sparks were high enough to illuminate us in momentary bursts, and eventually, we came in tandem with the light show. I stared up at Britton, still over me.