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“Nah. I like carrying you around when you’re feeling sorry for me. Otherwise, you’re glaring at me and fighting with me. So let me enjoy this moment.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you,” I said, over more laughter as I tried to push down and get to my feet.
“I don’t know, Queenie. I was just a kid back then, and there were some scary fuckers in that place. It was pretty terrifying.” His voice was all tease.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. “You play dirty, River Pierce.”
“You have no idea,” he said as he walked through the house and set me down on the kitchen island.
He grabbed a couple of bottles of water, a box of crackers, and some grapes and dropped them all into a bag. I left my purse on the counter and jumped down, tucking my phone into the back pocket of my jean shorts and following him out to the backyard.
“Your brother did a good job. He’s actually surprised me. I didn’t think he’d last more than a day, and the guys have not gone easy on him.”
He dropped the bag into the kayak, and we both climbed in.
“I’m surprised, too. Maybe there’s hope for him.”
He reached for the paddles, and we started gliding through the water.
“I think when you stop saving him, he’ll be forced to figure his own shit out.”
I nodded, leaning back as the sun shined down and warmed my skin. I loved it out here. He made his way around the bend, and we moved toward the cove. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d shared in the car.
“That must have been complicated for Romeo and Demi, with what her brother and father did to you guys.”
“Yeah. They didn’t have an easy path, but they got through it. Hell, I held shit against her that had nothing to do with her for years. And now Slade will be coming back to town and working for Romeo at the gym. I guess sometimes you need to let shit go. Forgive people for their mistakes, right?”
I thought about it. “Agreed. It’s not good to hold on to anger.”
We came to a stop under the large tree that was creating some shade beneath its lush canopy.
He set the paddles in the kayak and leaned back on his elbows. Even with his gold aviators, I could see he was watching me.
“Thanks for coming with me to see my grandmother and for not being a stubborn ass and getting in the car.”
I pulled off my sunglasses and rolled my eyes dramatically. “I’m not a stubborn ass.”
“Yeah, you are. But I like it.”
I slid my sunglasses back onto my face and leaned back. “Well, you’re pretty stubborn yourself.”
“I won’t argue that. But I’m glad you agreed to hang out. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d missed you.”
My stomach did that twisty thing that made me want to throw myself overboard for being so sappy.
“I think we need to have some rules,” I said, thinking about how this would all play out.
He groaned. “Why the fuck do we need rules? We’re consenting adults. We can do whatever the fuck we feel like doing.”
“I like to know what I’m getting into. You’re a lawyer, for God’s sake. You should love this. It’s like a contract. An agreement. You know, so things don’t get messy.”
He sat forward and sighed. “Okay. Let’s hear your terms.”
“The first and most important rule is that we both remember this is temporary. We need to agree to an NCF clause.”
“I can’t wait to hear what that means.”
“No catching feelings,” I said. “That’s where things get messy.”
