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He rested his arm on the railing. “You do?”
I nodded and smiled. “What do you think the Morgans have planned next for us?”
Colton groaned and he rubbed his forehead. “I have no idea, but I’m a little nervous to find out.” I laughed at the mock horror on his face.
“What’s so funny?” asked Paul, a small smirk on his lips.
“Colton’s face,” I said, and giggled.
“Is that so?” said Colton, crossing his arms. I wasn’t intimidated. His lips twitched and I knew he held back a laugh.
“Yep,” I teased.
Paul stared at us before asking, “How about we slow down the pace and take a walk by the lake, Frances?” He was looking at me, but Colton answered instead.
“That’s a great idea, Paul. I’ll just grab my jacket.”
Paul sighed. “Wonderful.”
This time, I was the one to hold back my laugh, as neither man looked happy about it.
***
Colton, Robert, and I followed Paul down a grassy path. It wasn’t quite a road, but there were tire marks. Paul must have caught my gaze. “Those are from the ATVs. My brother-in-law and I often ride them when we’re up here. I can take you for a ride later if you’d like,” said Paul.
The conversation behind us ceased as though Colton awaited my response. “Thank you, but I will pass.” I turned to him with a wry smile. “I’m not the thrill-seeker type.”
As we walked past a small thatch of trees, I caught my first view of the serene lake. Not even a ripple passed through the water, making it look like a sheet of greyish blue glass. There was a wooden dock and two boats parked on either side.
Paul turned to me. “Well, it’s too cold to swim, but the water isn’t frozen yet. How about we go for a ride?”
“What do you say, Colton? You up for a ride?” asked Robert.
Colton glanced at me, perhaps searching for my reaction. Boating wasn’t my thing either, but I didn’t see the harm in it. I liked that I was exploring new activities and, strangely, I was less nervous than I’d been even just a few months ago. It was time I stopped holding myself back. “That sounds like a great idea,” I said, and walked with Paul toward the boat.
“Fantastic, let’s get in,” said Robert, and Colton followed him.
Paul held my hand gently as he helped me into the boat. As it rocked from side to side, so did my stomach. My legs wobbled as I stepped closer to one of the seats and slowly lowered myself next to Paul at the front. I didn’t think my stomach could handle the back. Colton and Robert took seats behind us.
“Robert, I was hoping to speak to you before dinner,” Colton began, but Robert cut him off.
“Not now, Colton. There’s plenty of time for business later.”
The response unsettled me. I knew Robert had invited Colton to his cabin, but it seemed that it had nothing to do with business. It frustrated me, and I could only imagine how much it must frustrate Colton. We’d worked hard on those presentations. The least Robert could do was to hear him out.
“Would you like to drive the boat, Frances?” asked Paul.
“No, thank you,” I said. “Considering I’ve never been on a boat before, it’s best if you stick to the driving.”
Paul laughed, but I wasn’t trying to be funny.
“Colton, before I forget, my assistant Diane asked me to say hello,” said Robert, and nudged Colton’s arm with his elbow. “I get the feeling she knows you—how should I say it—quite intimately.” He snickered.
“Diane and I had gone out before, but there’s nothing between us now,” Colton explained, looking at me, then back at Robert. I spun around to face the front of the boat. Colton’s past or current relationships were no longer my concern.
“Well, it’s not me you’ve got to convince, boy,” said Robert with a guffaw. “It’s the lady.”
“Speaking of Diane,” said Colton. “Did she give you the latest presentation? The one with the valet parking garage?”
