Page 68 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

‘This was my dad’s favorite spot. When we were little, he used to tell Beck and me this tree was magic. That it only appeared when we set our feet on the shore. For the longest time we believed him until Beck started reading the Magic Tree House series in school and figured out that a lot of the lore Dad told us came from those books.’

‘I remember those stories. Jack and Annie. They were the coolest. Getting to go to Camelot and on the Titanic.’

‘I was a little afraid the tree might not be here anymore. Over the years I’ve learned that no matter how much you want it to happen, nothing stays the same.’

He squeezed my hand. ‘Then this can be your reminder that certain things can be tried and true.’

There was such confidence in his voice, and I wondered what it was like to have a normal existence like his. Still have his parents. Sure, his folks acted like jerks, but they were alive.

That pall of darkness I spent a lot of time hiding from crept in from the corners of the lake. The sound of an explosion, roar of flames, played like a movie behind my eyes.

I pulled in a low breath. Reminded myself of where I was. What I’d been through. How I’d learned ways to keep myself calm and steady. I tried to picture that special place again but my mind was a stark black screen so I turned to my senses.

Sand under my feet.

Coconut-scented sunscreen in the air.

And a new and anchoring sound – the careful and steady pattern of Ford’s breaths.

‘Hey.’ He gently wrapped his hands around my waist. ‘You okay?’

‘Trying to be. The memories of this place are strong.’

‘Do you want to leave?’

‘No, I want a picture.’

He gave me a puzzled look. ‘A picture?’

‘Yes, let’s take a selfie.’

He patted his pockets and then held up his phone. Quickly his arm went around my shoulder. I expected him to take the picture, but he placed his lips against my cheek, giving me a warm kiss before the camera made a clicking sound.

The image of us smiling relaxed the chaotic beat of my heart. This place was full of old memories, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t make new ones too.

I kicked off my shoes, followed by my shorts and top.

‘Last one in is a rotten egg!’ I called as I sprinted to the water. Once my toes hit the lake, I sucked in a breath and dove down. I kicked and swam until my lungs protested and I came up for air. Ford, only a few feet behind, did a perfect freestyle stroke toward me. His cobalt eyes matched the color of the water. Without his glasses, a cute little white tan line arched over the top of his nose.

‘Rotten egg.’ I splashed water in his direction.

‘You cheated!’

He dove down below me. I tried to swim away but he caught me around the waist and came up for air again. The smile he wore said he was forming a devious plan.

‘Climb on my back.’

‘Um, no. I’ll drown you.’

‘Bird, climb on.’

He hitched his thumb backward and I did as I was told. The guy was solid as a rock and swam like I was a guppy holding on.

‘Go along the shore and around the bend. I want to show you something,’ I said.

With solid strokes, he tugged me along. Once we moved around the outer corner of the shore, I let out a small whoop.

I slid off Ford’s back and swam to the shore. Once I was on the sand, I took a long leap and jumped onto a tire swing hanging from a thick tree. I used my momentum, swaying back and forth until I got high enough to launch my body up and out into the water, landing with a massive splash.