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“That’s fine. Because you were saying nonsense before anyway. You’re not your dad. You’re a good man, and even good men lose their tempers and get in fights once in a while. But getting in a fight with a jerk who was about to punch someone who probably reminds you of twelve-year-old Will Paxton does not make you your dad.”
His eyes cut to the lake around us, and he pursed his lips, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re a piece of work, Aria Bristol.”
“Finally,” I said on a groan, “he admits it.”
A shadow of a genuine smile appeared. “I was ready to end this.”
“Yeah, I could kind of tell it was headed in that direction.”
“It would probably be safer for you if I did.”
I stepped forward, tentatively, waiting for a sign that he was ready. When he uncrossed his arms, I moved toward him and slid my hands to his waist. “I don’t believe that for a second. And if you had told me we should end this for that reason, you’d never have succeeded.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. I’ve been waiting for this for my whole life, Will Paxton. Now that I have you, I’m not letting you go, remember? Not because of orders and not because you have this messed-up past that makes you think you don’t deserve me or shouldn’t be with me. It’s not happening. I’d chase you down and make you take me back.”
His body shook with laughter by the time I finished my speech and he leaned down to kiss me. “You’re too good to me.”
“You need to be better to you.”
Shaking his head, he tucked me close against him and held me, his cheek resting on the top of my head. “I love that you still smell the same way you always have.”
I chuckled into his jacket. “What?”
“Vanilla and coconut.”
“Oh, yeah. I don’t like change. I’ve used the same shampoo since high school.”
He turned his face and took a deep, exaggerated whiff of my hair. “I love it.”
“I love you, you weirdo,” I said on a laugh. Then I gave him a squeeze. “And don’t worry about tomorrow. It’s going to be fine. And if it isn’t, we’ll get through it together. You have me now.”
“And she thinks she isn’t perfect.”
A thought occurred to me then, but I wondered if I was brave enough to do it. It was only about six, and the sun was still out, so that was good. Biting my lip, I summoned all of my strength. Stepping back, I pressed my hands against his solid chest, and with a yell, Will fell backwards off the dock, crashing into the lake with a deafening splash.
It was the kind of thing we’d always done back in the day, going back to childhood. Unexpected pushes had always been expected. I’d been glad he hadn’t done it to me on our first trip out here recently. I’d been waiting for it though, ready to pull him in with me. I clapped my hands and cackled at him as he rose to the surface. “Sorry, you looked too hot. I had to cool you down.”
His answering splash and the laugh that went with it cleansed my soul of all the worry this conversation carried. And I hoped that forced dip in the water did the same for him.
