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“Whoa, that kind of shook me up. It’s been a while since I rode a bike,” she admits.
“We don’t have to continue. We can return the bikes and call it a day.”
She looks over at Syd, who pouts at the thought. “Nah, I’m tough, a little fall won’t stop me from trying again.”
“That’s the spirit.”
We get on our bikes and continue the ride. Syd giggles from inside the trailer, enjoying the ride, and I can’t stop thinking of the beautiful woman with the auburn hair who is slowly stealing my heart.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Ellie
After Connor made a barbecue on the back deck of the cabin for lunch, we all just sit and relax taking in the view and fresh air.
“I think I’ll take Syd over to the water park. Did you want to head back to the waterfall to paint?” he asks.
“Um. . .I was thinking of staying here and painting this place. The view is just so magnificent. I kind of want to wait to catch the sunset,” I say.
“I’m sure it’s spectacular,” Connor says, then he looks at Syd. “How about you go put a swimsuit on and we hit the water park?”
Syd cheers. I think it’s nice for them to have some alone father-daughter time.
Connor cleans up after lunch, insisting he wants me to relax. He checks on my knee, which is stinging a bit, but is totally fine. Then he heads inside to change into swim trunks.
They both return minutes later. Syd wearing her Little Mermaid bathing suit with a matching cover up and Connor in swim trunks and a tank top.
Damn, he looks fine. Those arms. That chest. I lick my lips and realize I’ve been caught. He raises his brows and I give him a sheepish grin. There is no point in hiding I am attracted to him. We both know our chemistry is explosive.
He laughs and shakes his head. He then heads to the kitchen to fill up on snacks and water, and then he and Syd are gone. The cabin falls quiet and serene. I set up my easel on the back deck, thinking this feels like a dream.
I take a break after a couple of hours and decide to check in with Nana. She picks up the phone and I hear her coughing.
“Everything okay, Nana?”
She clears her throat. “Fine, dear. I was just thinking of you.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask.
“Nora and Anna said you didn’t choose a date for the wedding,” she says and my stomach sinks.
“Life has gotten in the way. There was all that drama with Syd’s mom and then Connor returning to the arena for training. He surprised me with a trip. I’m in the Catskills.”
“Wow, he’s a keeper, that one.” I can feel her grin through the phone.
“He is,” I agree. “The landscapes here are beautiful. He just took Syd to the water park to give me some time to paint on my own.”
“He also knows your heart,” she says. Her words hit home. Nana always used to say the reason she and Nonno were happy for so many years was because he knew her heart.
“He does,” I agree, and the weight of what that means sits heavy on me. A part of me wants to confess how confused I feel, but another part wants her to see me have my fairy tale wedding.
“Is everything okay, favorite granddaughter of mine?” she asks and sometimes I wonder if she is a mind reader.
“Everything is perfect. Maybe that’s what is scaring me,” I admit.
“Taking the step of marriage is huge, but at least you know Connor isn’t a selfish man and he is a great father. I can see you guys having a happy life and making many babies.”
That makes me giggle.
