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He finally met my eyes, swallowing hard and clenching his jaw. “That I love you.”
A surprised squeak escaped from my parted lips and flames rose up my neck as I covered my mouth with my hand. Clearing my throat, I lowered it. “Sorry. Awkward. Do-over?”
He smirked. “I love you, Aria Bristol.”
I was no longer on the dock. I was floating on a dang cloud. Had he really said that? Shaking my head, I beamed at him. “One more time.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned closer, punctuating each word with a quick peck on my lips. “I. Love. You.”
Closing my eyes, I let his words flow over me, letting them sink in and wrap around my heart, filling the holes that each rejection from the past had left.
When I didn’t say anything, instead sitting in a stunned silence, he leaned back and sighed. “I guess I’ve always loved you. So today I realized that with how much I love you, I don’t need to worry about losing my family. Because nothing can wreck this if we don’t let it. I couldn’t see that before because I thought I couldn’t have you.”
“Couldn’t have me?” I parroted, my voice laced with disbelief. “You’ve always had me, Will. I’ve always been yours for the taking.”
A genuine smile touched his lips and he reached up with one hand, taking my face and drawing me close. Unlike our two previous kisses, this one was slow and gentle. It was a nap on a boat in this very lake. It was a warm bath with candles. It was a good book in a hammock, swaying in the breeze.
He pulled back and touched his forehead to mine. “So, are you saying you love me, too?”
I giggled, closing my eyes and enjoying his nearness mixed with the sound of the water lapping on the beach nearby. “Yes. I’m saying I love you, too.”
He kissed me again, this time a chaste peck that was over before I could blink. “Good. Now, I just need to tell Paul.”
I recoiled from the abrupt change to thoughts of my brother. “And what, exactly, are you going to tell him? That we’re dating?”
It seemed like such a small thing when I held it up next to my feelings for him. But there I went rushing things. Will had pretty much realized he loved me earlier today, but I’d been loving him for as long as I could remember. Of course he didn’t have wedding bells in his head already. But man, if he did, if he pulled a ring out of his pocket right now, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. Who was I kidding? He wouldn’t even need a ring. I’d say yes either way.
Will leaned away from me, putting his long arms behind him and resting his palms on the wooden dock. “Yeah, I guess I’ll tell him we’re dating. I ran into him at the flower shop before I went to the B&B, and he was really wigged out about seeing me there.”
My brow furrowed. “And uh, who were the flowers for?”
He let his head fall back with a groan. “Oh, crap.”
“You got me flowers and forgot to give them to me?” I exclaimed, swatting his chest with a burst of laughter. “Are you serious? Where are they?”
“It’s just one rose. A pink one. It’s back at the bike. I’m sorry I forgot, but you distracted me.”
I paused, wondering if he’d remembered it was my favorite flower or if Ms. Hattie had told him. “How did I distract you?”
“Just by being you. When you came around that building all I could think about was getting you out here and telling you I loved you. I totally forgot.”
I laughed again, the sound echoing around the quiet setting. “You’re the worst.”
“I really am. In my defense, I’ve literally never given anyone flowers before. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Ah, so many firsts between you and me. First flowers, first motorcycle ride… first kiss.”
He stilled, the smile slipping from his lips. “What?”
“What?”
“Firstkiss?”
I nodded sheepishly. “Yep.”
“Spin the bottle night was your first kiss?” he asked, gaping at me.
I pushed his chest. “Don’t be weird about it.”
