Mariah scoffed. "I wasn't going to say anything." She handed her the skis, and Aelin fit them in the water.
"This is so much easier to adjust in the boat," she grunted, listening to Bailey still laughing her head off, reliving the moment she flew over the side.
Ryan's head appeared over the edge. He handed her the rope.
She lowered her voice. "Is Fun Ryan an asshole?"
He shrugged. "I think we're all excited to find out."
Aelin rolled her eyes and gripped the rope as the boat floatedaway from her. She waited until the rope went taught, then balanced in the water. "Hit it!"
_____
She was mostly dry when they got back to the dock. Mariah's friends from the night before were chatting on the beach, the teens engaged in an intense game of chicken on the dock.
Aelin dragged her fingers through her damp hair and turned to Ryan. "Seems like your kind of crowd."
Ryan fought a smile. "I regret nothing." He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. "Especially because you were planning to show me up."
She scoffed. "I wasn't planning anything."
He gave her a sidelong glance. "Sure! I'd love to ski! Hmm . . . maybe I'll wait till later."
Aelin smacked his chest, then stood and handed Mariah their life jackets while her dad hopped out and pulled them into their mooring.
Bailey and Amaya jumped ship and ran straight to the beach to continue their shipwreck game from the night before. Aelin and Ryan grabbed their towels and clothes, then walked to the cabin to prepare sandwiches for lunch.
Once Aelin was warm and had food in her stomach, she felt much less murdery toward Ryan, though the fact that he seemed utterly unconcerned made her want to punish him a little.
Unfortunately, it was impossible for her to be in anything other than a downright pleasant mood. The afternoon was perfect. They set up the hammocks in the trees near the beach where the girls were playing. She read a third of a novel she'd been trying to get to for months and fell asleep twice.
When she woke the second time, she walked to the cabin touse the washroom, then returned to find Ryan playing sea monster. The girls squealed as he disappeared under the water, then exploded next to their makeshift rafts.
Aelin laughed, sitting back in the hammock, swaying as she watched. Clouds were rolling in over the lake, and she grabbed her phone, searching the weather for Bigfork. She frowned.Severe Thunderstorm Warning.Not great considering they were planning to have dinner at the campfire again, followed by cards and s'mores.
"You good?" Ryan walked up the beach, his hair dripping on his shoulders.
She glanced up from her screen. He'd asked her that at least twice since they'd arrived. She used to hate it when Clark asked. It always felt like a judgment, like she was inconveniencing him somehow by having emotions that weren't pure adoration. When Ryan asked, she felt . . . warm. Like he was watching and actually cared what the answer was.
"Yeah." She set her phone in the hammock next to her. "Just checking the weather."
Ryan grabbed his towel and looked up at the sky as he rubbed it over his chest. "Doesn't look ideal for a fire."
Aelin nodded. "Or skiing." She chewed on her lip and scanned the lake.
"I'm sure they're on their way back."
She stood from the hammock, then lost her balance and fell back. Ryan pretended not to notice, but she saw the curve of his lips. "I'll tell the girls to finish up. Just in case." Aelin grabbed the girls' towels.
Ryan dropped his towel and started gathering the sand toys and floats as Aelin walked over the smooth rocks. "Hey girls! Storm's coming in. Let's go back to the cabin."
Amaya and Bailey looked over their shoulders. They seemed convinced by the angry clouds and didn't argue. As Aelin wrapped the towels over their shoulders, the roar of a boatsounded in the distance. She looked up and saw the Mastercraft heading in toward the dock.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then led the girls up the beach to grab their shoes.
Thunder was already booming across the sky by the time they made it through the front door.
Ryan glanced out the window. "I'm going to go help them get the boat covered."
