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I laughed. “Okay, if you say so. What else did Ryan tell you?”
“Nothing!”
Yeah, I knew a lie when I heard one. I’d have a talk with Ryan about that when I got home. It was bad enough that Avery and Declan meddled in my love life. I didn’t need Ry doing it too.
Gemma walked up to the blanket and dried herself off with her towel. She gave me a curious look, and I mouthed, “My sister.” She nodded in understanding but sat in between my legs, anyway. I wrapped my arms around her waist while I continued to chat with my sister.
“Tell Gemma I think her hair’s pretty. And you’d look cute together!” Skye exclaimed.
I sighed. “Half pint!”
“What? I’m not a baby anymore, Fe-fe. I want you to be happy.”
I ignored her. “When are you coming home? I want to make sure I’m at the house before you.”
“We might stay a little longer, into next week.”
“Okay, I’m coming home on Sunday, so I’ll be waiting.”
“Bye, big bro!” she said, then hung up on me. Teenagers, they could be so blunt.
Gemma looked up at me. “She thinks we’d be cute together?”
I rubbed a hand down my beard. “You heard that?”
She nodded but then looked down at her hands in her lap.
“Because you are cute!” Keisha exclaimed.
I wanted to believe Skye was right, but every time I dropped my guard, something bad happened. I wasn’t sure I could take the chance.
Gemma sat up and took her phone out. “Take a selfie with me.”
I appeased her with the photo and even let her take one with me kissing her neck. This woman was a ball of energy. She was bright and in your face, but when she smiled down on you, everything felt right.
Gemma was fidgeting. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m kinda bored now.”
I laughed. “I thought the plan was to relax at the lake?”
Harper laughed. “Gemma flits from one thing to the next. Go on. We’ll catch up with you later!”
“You’ll come over for a fire, right?” Gemma asked. “We leave in two days, so it’s either tonight or tomorrow night.”
Harper nodded. “We’ll come over tonight. Go on, get out of here!”
Gemma jumped up and wrapped her towel around her. I helped her pack up, and we took everything over to the car, then walked over to the dock. I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil out of the beach bag at the last minute.
“What are we doing, Gem?” I asked.
I followed her to a boat tied up on the dock. She undid the moorings and got in. “Get in. I’m cruising you around the lake.”
I smiled and hopped into the boat. “Okay. Can I drive?”
“Nope, you need a boating license, which I have, and you don’t, so sit.”
I sat down in one of the seats and laid my head back on the headrest. She drove us around the lake, and I enjoyed the ride. The wind whipped through my hair and it felt so damn peaceful. Gemma was humming to herself in the driver’s seat. Back on the lake, I felt a sadness come over her, but she seemed okay now.
