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“It’s already changed, Moll.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No. We can’t let it. It means too much.”
If anything, the words coming from Molly’s mouth and the way she was acting only made Nathan more confused. He took a step back and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks at about the same time Zach and the rest of the guys strolled onto the deck.
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you two.” Zach appeared from the shadows and stared at both of them. “Everything okay?”
“Great,” Molly replied. “We just needed some air.”
Zach’s gaze rested on his sister an extra beat before he turned to Nathan. “I’m getting the boot. Jess wants to spend the night watching movies with her mom and the girls in the wedding party. I think they’ve already got The Notebook queued up.” He looked at Molly. “I told them you wouldn’t be interested. No offense.”
“None taken.”
He motioned toward the guys. “We’re headed to Pottahawk Island.”
“Pottahawk?” Nate peered at his buddies. “Are you guys crazy? You’ve got to be at the church by noon tomorrow.”
“Don’t be a pussy, Jacobs.” Zach grinned. “It’s barely nine, and when will the six of us be together again? When will we get another night as perfect as this? When will Stu’s wife let him out to play?”
They all chuckled at that. “You two in or what?” Zach looked at them and waited.
“I don’t know, Zach,” Molly said.
“Seriously?” Zach walked over. “You’d rather go home and make small talk with a cousin you barely know rather than hang with all of us?” He grinned, his exuberance contagious. “Come on. One last bonfire on the beach with the gang, with me, your twin, the person who’s known you longer than anyone on this planet.”
Nathan looked at these men who meant the world to him, and the woman who’d stolen a slice of his heart when he wasn’t looking. He had no idea what next week would bring, or tomorrow, for that matter, but he knew Zach was right. Life threw curveballs all the time. He knew that more than anyone. So to squander a perfect September night with the guys was dumb. He looked at Molly.
“Come on, Moll. How can you say no to that?”
She looked from him to her brother and the others before shrugging. “What the hell. Why not? I have to run home and change first.”
They made plans to meet up at Beck’s boathouse. Nate’s brother had no problem letting them use his boat. He’d wanted to pick up Molly at her place so they could talk some more on the way to his brother’s, but she insisted on meeting at the boathouse. Nathan was the first to arrive, and Beck wandered down.
“You driving the boat?” Beck asked when he stepped onto the dock.
“Still have my license.”
“You been drinking?”
“Relax, Beck. I had one beer at dinner hours ago. I’m about as sober as you can get.”
“Just checking.” Beck walked to the end of the dock. “Nice night for a fire. There’s kindling and a couple of bundles of firewood inside the boathouse. Help yourself.”
“You can come with us.”
“Nah. I’m good. I’ve got to be up early and put some time in at the McBrides’ before the wedding.”
Nate got busy loading the supplies onto the boat, and he’d just stowed a can of kerosene when the guys rolled up. Stu was in a boisterous mood. Seemed as if the man hadn’t had a night away from his newborn since the little guy had come into the world. He passed around cold beers, but Nate declined since he was the chauffer, and asked after Molly.
“She’ll be here,” Zach said.
Brad has his guitar, while Mike hauled down a large backpack chock-full of snacks. The moon finally showed herself as the clouds gave way to the stars, and the water was calm. It was damp, though. Nate was glad he’d pulled on a thick sweater.
“Let’s go, boys.” Molly strode across the dock, arms laden with blankets and quilts. She said a quick hello to Beck and hopped onto the boat, the others following suit like a bunch of baby ducks following their mother. She took a seat at the front, and Nathan slid behind the wheel, expertly guiding the boat away from the dock and into the open water.
Pottahawk Island was out in the middle of the lake, and a person could paddle there in half an hour or so. With a motor, the trip was made in ten minutes. The old dock was rickety as hell, but Nathan pulled up alongside it and cut the engine. Mike tied off so the boat was secure, and they hauled their firewood down the beach, to the familiar place that most summers became a second home.
“Geez, I lost my virginity to Susie Holmsworth over behind that scrub brush.” Mike pointed into the dark.
