Page 53 of Can’t Say No

DELANEY

The drive up to Crescent Lake is a familiar ghost, with new gas stations and dollar stores dotting the road. But even with the townhomes replacing the old grove of birch trees, I could still find my way up here with my eyes closed.

I don’t remember when I first started performing. There’s a home video of me singing an old Dolly Parton song at our little Ridgecrest Art Center talent show, and I can’t be older than four. And there’s a clip of me singing on the kitchen counters as a toddler that my parents dredged up a few years ago when my team decided we needed to put out a documentary detailing my journey to fame.

I’ve been singing since I could talk, or so the story goes.

I’m lucky. I found my passion early.

But is it luck? Or has my whole life been one carefully crafted step after another? A fresh wave of guilt hits me in the chest. I must be a special kind of fucked up to not appreciate the dream I’m living.

And then there’s Connor. I swear, every time he opens his mouth, he shocks me more. Part of me is still mad at him. But the other part of me? The other part is hungry. I want to push and explore and see just how far those words of his will go.

A heavy hand lands on my leg, warm and inviting, and my breath hitches in my throat.

“Since we’re doing this whole raw honesty thing,” I say, desperate to get out of my own head, “you wanna tell me what the deal is with the orchard?”

Connor sighs, and the weight of it feels so similar to the burden I’m used to carrying.

He pulls into a grassy clearing, a makeshift parking lot for the lake, and lets out a deep exhale. “It’s a money pit. And the worst part is, I don’t care. Dad is so determined that I’ll keep it going, keep the family legacy going, but I don’t have the heart for it like he did.”

“So this is the great Connor Majors’ Achilles heel. Looks like I’m not the only one with daddy issues.” I tease.

Connor puffs out a little laugh and meets my eyes with a smirk. “Glad to know we’re both fucked up in the same way.”

“Oh, I’m definitely still more fucked up than you, but this does level the playing field a little bit. Has he always been this pushy, or is this a new development?”

“Things with him have gotten…” Connor pauses, searching for the words. “Complicated since you left.”

I nod as we both hop out of Connor’s car, accepting the silence between us as the answer to all the questions still swirling in my head.

If anyone understands complicated, it’s me. There’s still so much left unsaid, still so much about Connor I don’t know anymore. But I do know that these past few weeks in Ridgecrest have brought me more peace than I ever thought possible.

Connor leads the way down the path to the lake, careful to stomp down any overgrown plants in our way.

The still, glistening surface of the lake greets us as we round the final turn. And it’s just as picturesque as I remembered. The lingering tension between us eases with the gentle sound of the breeze on the water.

I let out a breath. “It hasn’t changed a bit. God, I missed this place.”

Calling Crescent Lake a “lake” is definitely a stretch. But Crescent Overgrown Pond doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Situated at the top of a small hill and surrounded by trees, it’s an East Tennessee oasis. Pretty sure it’s on no man's land, backing up to some farmland that’s sat idle for years.

I let the sun warm my face, setting down all my worry for a moment. Connor’s strong arms encircle me, his chin resting on my shoulder, and my body reacts instantly to the contact. It’s electric being so close to him, and all I can think about is that kiss, that perfect kiss we shared on the choir trip.

“I’m sorry again if I was being too pushy about recording your own stuff. You’re right, I don’t get it all. But I do know a few things…” Connor mumbles into my ear and my stomach swoops low. “I like you.” He turns me in his arms so I’m facing him, grinning from ear to ear. “Like, really like you. And I know you don’t want me to fix things for you, but if you let me, I bet I can make you forget everything for a few minutes.”

That smiling face silences the ever-present anxiety swirling in my head.

Connor lands one sweet and swift kiss on my forehead before stepping back, toeing off his tennis shoes. Eyes still locked on me, he yanks his T-shirt off over his head with one pull.

A laugh bubbles out. “What’s this, a strip tease?”

His hands move to loosen his belt. “Lanie Lou, I’ve been waiting dang near half my life to go skinny dipping with you at Crescent Lake. You really gonna make me keep waiting?”

My mouth pops open as his jeans fall to his ankles. Finally, he breaks my gaze, kicking his jeans onto the growing pile of clothes and bending to pull off his socks. Without a glance back, he takes off in a sprint to the edge of the lake. In one quick movement, his last article of clothing comes off and his boxers go flying, and I’m left standing slack-jawed, staring at Connor Majors’ perfect, bare ass.

And just like that, he’s made good on his promise, I seem to have forgotten everything.

He runs in, the once still water splashing all around him. He wades in to his chest, then turns to face me, a shit-eating grin spread wide.