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“Of course. Hey, you look different. Why?”
“Different?”
“Yeah—your hair? New shirt?”
“Not sure, Jackson. I have a whole new outlook on life. I’m almost single and ready to mingle.”
“What the hell does that mean? Who did you meet? Who?Youhave to spill it.”
“Relax with the intensity, little brother. I haven’t met anyone, I’m just ready to get out of my sweatpants and see what this summer brings. Take it easy. Everyone knows me around here, but you can never predict when a summertime hottie might walk through the door. I figure I’ll put a little more effort into my appearance, just in case.”
My sister is beautiful; no one would deny that. So much time has passed since her dating years, it’s difficult to imagine her dating again, never mind having a boyfriend. “I get it. You look great! Bye, sis.” Thinking I could get out of there unnoticed was naive. The whole town will know my plans by noon.
As excited as I am for this day, and as much as I can’t wait to see Solia, I still question what the hell I’m doing.Why am I starting something I can’t finish? Why am I going down a path that leads nowhere?I stop the spiral of doubt in its tracks and remember my grandfather’s words:You need love in your life.Plus, it’s just a date. I can handle this.
I arrive at the cabin, eager to be in Solia’s presence and spend the day discovering more about her. Even though I saw her this morning, I’m excited for the uninterrupted time ahead.
“Hey there, Jackson,” Solia says, lifting me from my thoughts. I look up to see her walking down the deck steps toward me. Her beauty throws me off balance every time. She looks irresistible each time I run into her, but today, she takes my breath away. Her light brown, beachy waves cascade around her shoulders, framing her mile-high cheekbones, sexy pink lips, and blue eyes that resemble tide pools you can get lost in. She has tied two little sections of hair from each side back into a loose braid. A lacy, white V-neck cover-up hangs on one shoulder and loosely falls off the other, revealing a thin, baby blue strap of her bikini underneath, the V-neck low enough to tease me with a glimpse of her full, desirable breasts. The cover-up flows around her seductive curves, giving me the urge to peel the dress right over her head. She’s wearing tan flip-flops, displaying her pink-painted toenails.
She walks toward me with a beach tote swinging over her shoulder. Sure, I’ve seen her before today—many parts of her. But at this moment, we are discovering each other in a way we will never forget. She’s seeping into my soul, steering me onto a new road I never intended to travel. I’m not convinced I’m ready for what comes next, but my heart isn’t giving me a choice in the matter.
“Don’t worry, I have sneakers in my bag and a change of clothes because I wasn’t sure what you had planned. It’s so hot, I figured water might be involved.”
“Good thinking.” I wrap my arms around and embrace her, and she softens into my body like a glove. As any gentleman would, I reach out for her bag and open the truck door to help her in. Solia steps onto the running boards and slides into the passenger’s seat without having a clue she reveals her baby blue, cheeky bottoms. If she hears the groan I emit upon seeing her toned, silken cheek that is now sitting on my truck seat, she pretends not to. It takes everything in me not to lift her right out of the seat, slide myself underneath her, and wrap my arms around her tight from behind … and then find my way around her body to give her the pleasure I am imagining.
I force myself to take a deep breath and then three more, adjust my trunks, jog around the truck, and climb into the driver’s seat.
Solia has me completely unwound, my nerves frayed. My infatuation and want are undeniable. I need to get it together. Fortunately, she can’t see or hear my inside thoughts because she’d see I’m already in way too deep, and there’s a dead end ahead.
12
Unbeknownst to Jackson, I’m watching in the mirror as he walks around the truck. Either he is nervous or excited. His chest rises and falls at a rapid pace. It would be any woman’s dream to render Jackson breathless, but I can’t get ahead of myself. I need to focus on enjoying the day and not on getting in his pants.
Glad I chose to wear my bathing suit because he’s wearing his. I travel from the waistband of his shorts to his chest, and I want to lift his T-shirt over his head and climb onto his lap and let him have his way with me. Seems Jackson isn’t the only one who needs to inhale and count to three.
He gets into the truck, and once again I forget my filter. “Everything OK? I saw you take a few deep breaths.”
“You noticed that, huh? Well, if I must tell you, you are easily the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And if I am going to behave myself, I need those.”
Holy shit, I’m stunned by his honesty and don’t want him to behave. His comment has my mind racing. “I see.” That’s the best I can muster, and I twirl the gold stud in my ear.
“Are you ready for an adventure?”
“Always. Where are we headed?”
“I was thinking we could check out Sculptured Falls. Have you ever been there?”
My mind floods with childhood memories, of exploring this magical place. Sculptured Falls is otherworldly. “Yes, wow, I haven’t been there since I was a kid. It’s just outside Meriden, on the other side of the lake, right?”
“That’s the one. Still hidden by a dirt road, it’s technically part of the New Hampshire State Park system.”
Years ago, my wannabe historian father would spout facts at every opportunity. I vaguely remember him saying the Sculptured Falls area spans over two hundred acres. Dating back to when the last Ice Age ended, the Slippery Rock River carved a narrow canyon into the rock as it pushed its way to Newfound Lake. When this happened, the river sculpted artistic and eye-popping creations into the rock and sand throughout the area. Fresh river water still flows through the deep canyon, attracting locals to a sight only Mother Nature could create. As a kid, I remember thinking that the waterfall was beautiful and the bridge over the canyon was so high.
“I am excited you’re taking me. It’s been decades. Every time Meriden and summer are mentioned in the same sentence, Sculptured Falls is one place that comes to mind.”
“How’s it going at the cabin? Summer is the best, but winter is the season to keep in the back of your mind.”
“Yeah, you don’t need to remind me. And my mother will call every other day to make sure I don’t forget. I have most things in order. I really needed this change, though, and when I set my mind on a goal, I see it through. When my parents told my brother and me they planned to sell the cabin, it was a sign. I figured, now or never. My teaching job fell through, so leaving wasn’t difficult. I did a little research and found the local schools might need teachers, or at least substitutes, so I’m hoping for an opening close by. With the cabin up for grabs, I couldn’t think of a better place to start over. I’d be lying if I said winter doesn’t have me a little nervous, more the loneliness than anything. The other stuff, I can figure out.”
