“You eat like a ten-year-old.”
“Scientific fact. Chocolate aids muscle recovery after long runs. Google it. You’re good at that.” He laughed and motioned to the passenger’s seat. “Have a seat, be my first mate.”
She wanted to be his only mate, but they’d discuss that tomorrow.
He put the engine in gear and maneuvered the boat away from the dock and out into the cove.
“I love this boat. It’s so quiet.” She ran her hand over the edge of her seat. Everything felt plush, and it smelled a little like a new car. In the captain’s chair, Miles grinned like a kid with a new toy, his face aglow in the dashboard lights.
“I love it too,” he said. “It’s electric. Zero emissions. Maybe tomorrow you and I can take it out for its inaugural ski.”
In the middle of the lake, he cut the engine and dropped anchor. He stood, took her hand, and led her to the seating area in the bow, which had been set up for sunbathing, almost like a bed. She reminded herself to live in the moment and not dull the excitement of his new boat. If Avery was being honest, she was a little afraid to hear his thoughts on commitment.
Miles sat and pulled her into his lap. As her back settled against his chest, his overwhelming warmth permeated her. He produced a blanketand covered them both. Gentle waves sloshed against the boat.
“You warm enough?” he asked.
“I’m cozy.” She sank farther back into him. Floating with Miles brought its own kind of peace. She turned her head, and they kissed quickly. On the lips, nothing deeper. When they broke apart, she studied him.
“Sorry. I’m nervous,” he said. “Being away made me realize we haven’t discussed where we stand.”
Avery felt a tinge of relief that he wasn’t waiting another second to figure out the question they’d both worried about all week. If she wanted to be present for him, she needed to be honest.
He shifted underneath her.
“I feel like we should check back in with one another,” he said. “Do you want a commitment? Are we doing a summer fling, or is this friends with benefits?”
Avery jolted upright and faced him.
“I don’t want friends with benefits,” she blurted out. Miles had a history of dating for a short time. She wanted more than casual hookups. But given their past, if she pushed too far, he’d close the door, so she backtracked. “We already had a summer fling and honestly, we were terrible at it. What about you?”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I don’t want friends with benefits. I don’t know why I brought that up. And you’re right.” He let out a nervous laugh. “Turning that summer from something real into a fling is my biggest failure. You’re all I want. I’m never lonely when I’m with you.”
A tear formed in her eye at how she often forgot how much time Miles spent alone. She touched his cheek.
“Whether or not we’re together, I never want you to be lonely.”
“I know.” His voice cracked. “I don’t want to screw this up. Last week, I tried to come up with ways to make you feel special, andI couldn’t find the perfect way to do that.”
“While you were stressing about that, I plowed ahead in time. You’ve probably noticed when I get anxious, I plan.” She motioned across the lake. “Way into the future.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He laughed. “Truth is, I love our everyday lives. Or what they are becoming. There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, with you.”
“Same.” She pecked his cheek. “Thank you for talking about us so openly. My mind has been working overtime trying to convince me you didn’t want a relationship beyond, well, you know.”
He cupped her cheek and made sure their gazes met in the dim light.
“What part of ‘I spent the last decade hoping I’d see you’ didn’t sink in? I was full on pining for ten years. For you. Of course I want a relationship. But I want you to want it too.” The corner of his mouth lifted and a second later, he gently kissed her. “No end of summer goodbyes in parking lots. No ghosting. I have no desire to find a bag of my clothing in my passenger’s seat. This new us, I want it to last way beyond summer. We’ll figure out the fall when we get there. Together.”
Avery’s stomach filled with fireflies in anticipation of them becoming the truest, most honest relationship she’d known. Her head relaxed into the nook below his shoulder, and she gazed up at the sky with renewed hope. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen so many stars.
“So, tomorrow we’re water-skiing,” he said. “Any chance I could get your help with a home upgrade? Maybe we could go furniture shopping in Portland one day.”
Avery grabbed Miles’s thighs and shook them. “Let’s do it. I love furniture shopping. How about the day after tomorrow? We can squeeze it in beforeBright and Earlycomes.”
“I like your enthusiasm.” He kissed her ear and whispered, “I’ll buy you a lobster lunch.”
