The time she and Miles carved out together on their shared calendar was all at the lake, and they hadn’t discussed their lives off the lake yet. She wanted to take him home to Virginia the next time she visited her family, but it would be a while before she went again. However, he frequently returned to New York and always by himself. Blending their lives shouldn’t fall on him, but she worried absence would make his heart lose interest. What if they couldn’t coordinate their separate lives come fall? What if weekends here and there weren’t enough?
Avery’s stomach sank as a small voice inside of her said,You’re fooling yourself, Avery Easton. This will never work.
She didn’t watch Miles’s segment. Avery curled up in the loft and cried. Half an hour later, someone knocked on her door. When she opened it, her best friend pulled her in for a hug.
“Oh sweetie, the Queen emotionally guillotined you.” Lily gave her a sad pout.
Avery sat on her bed and filled Lily in. Lily quietly contemplated the conversation.
“Everything she said could have applied to Trent,” Avery said. “And I know Miles is not Trent, but in some convoluted way, it makes sense. Maybe I have a type.”
“Don’t you think Miles’s love language is acts of service though?” Lily asked. “It’s why he’s opening the camp and why he pays every table’s check whenever he eats at the Lakeside Diner.”
“He does that? Every time?” Avery asked. This explained why Wes had prodded Miles to come by the diner.
“He thinks it’s a secret, but this is a small town. Nate and I noticed Jeanette asks him if he wants ‘the usual’ at the end of the meal. Wouldn’t you ask thatbeforethe person ordered?”
“Yeah.” Avery also assumed “the usual” was chocolate milk. Avery put a hand to her mouth. Lily might as well have discovered the answer to getting theFriendscouch up the stairwell wasn’t to yell “pivot.”
Lily proudly tapped her temple. “The ‘usual’ is him paying for everyone’s breakfast. It’s his way of giving back. The camp is too.”
Avery had never been more thankful for Lily. Yes, Miles loved through acts of service. It explained why he insisted on giving Avery pleasure before seeking his own. Miles thought so much about other people, he sometimes forgot about himself. Between helping the Coopers, planning a camp, and reuniting with her, he might’ve forgotten his other life existed. This summer was already different. He’d proven he wanted to make things work. Maybe it hadn’t occurred to him that she might be interested in going to his events. Hayes and Anna Catherine’s visit the following weekend could be the gateway to taking her to New York.
“Wow, the usual. He’s sly.” Avery wiped away a sniffle and smiled at how Paulson had been right. Miles was like maple syrup. Good to the last drop.
“Yep.” Lily popped her lips in satisfaction.
“I love him,” Avery blurted out. In an instant, a pang of panic rose in her throat at admitting her feelings so freely to the woman who might tell Miles’s best friend.
“I know.” Lily nodded with a comforting smile. “And I’m guessing you haven’t told him, so I won’t say a word. Now go put on a swimsuit so I can try out my half moose, half deer float.”
Avery chose a string bikini. He wasn’t going with them, but if she saw Miles, she wanted to look like all his dreams. As luck would have it, Nate and Miles were waiting on the dock, ready to send them off. Lily jumped right in, but Avery let Miles’s gaze linger. His devilish grin said his mind had gone elsewhere at the sight of those strings tied at her hips.
“She’s gone,” he whispered to Avery as he took back his watch. “And Anna Catherine and Hayes arrive tonight. I promise they’re more fun. For starters, they won’t need a skincare fridge. After that, it’s you, me, and a bunch of sunsets.”
“I love the sound of that.”
“I love that in four pulls, I could have you naked right now.” His breath tickled her neck.
“Let’s go,” Lily yelled. “The doose is on the loose.”
Avery swatted Miles’s bicep, kissed him, and jumped into the cool water. Halfway to Lone Pine Island, it occurred to her that if Lily could tell how she felt, Miles might have sensed it too. He hadn’t been ready for her to say she loved him that summer. But surely he had changed since then. After all, he was talking about a sunset-filled future. Given that he didn’t go on second dates, he might never have been close enough to someone to say he loved them.
Avery wanted to be the one to break the mold.
Chapter Twenty
Miles
July 3
Like rocks at the bottom of a river, everything had fallen into place. Miles could tell Hayes and Anna Catherine adored Avery. The previous night, the two couples had shared cocktails on his dock. A mother loon had swum by with two fluffy gray chicks on her back, prompting Avery and Anna Catherine to take at least a thousand photos. Avery posted one on Montressa’s socials and within an hour, ninety-two people had shared it. After dinner at the lodge, Lily and Nate joined them for a spirited round of Anna Catherine’s favorite game, couples charades. Miles and Avery won, which meant something given that Hayes and Anna routinely read each other’s minds.
This morning, Miles and Avery were taking Lennox for a walk. It had been his idea, so Hayes and Anna could have a quiet breakfast before he and Hayes visited the corporate retreat. Miles wanted to make an offer, buthe needed Hayes’s approval, and they needed to raise some capital.
Bright and Early’slive broadcast had worked. Montressa was officially fully booked for the summer, but Miles felt certain Victoria had said something mean to Avery. When she and Lily had left for their float, Avery’s eyes were puffy, as if she’d been crying. She’d smiled, but something felt off. Miles wasn’t afraid to confront Victoria if she’d convinced Avery to doubt his intentions. He hoped getting to know his friends helped Avery feel welcome in his life.
Casper had tagged along on their walk. Sam walked him farther and farther each day, but Casper still needed to chase a ball. Sam’s stitches had healed, but he hadn’t reached ball-throwing shape yet.
