“And somebody’s coat went in the water?” she guessed. Even with heavy ice, brooks like this one rarely froze over completely.
He chuckled, shaking his head, and Hannah realized they’d both fallen into a walking pace so slow it could barely be considered walking. And while it would be even better if they were holding hands, she didn’t mind at all.
“Somebody’s coatdidgo in the water. Or rather, my dad fell in while holdingallof the coats.”
“No!” She covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s not deep, though. Was he okay?”
“It’s not deep, but it was damned cold at the time, and while slipping and sliding on the ice and floundering in the open parts, he managed to soak all four coats. Plus his own clothes.”
“Did your mom at least get the picture?”
“Oh, it’s not over yet,” he said, giving her a grin that made her pulse quicken. “Danny grabbed for Dad, but he missed. He was off balance, though, so with his other hand, he grabbed Joey. Joey stopped Danny from going in, but it was icy and in keeping their balance, they knocked Brian into the brook with Dad.”
Hannah was laughing too hard to say anything, and he laughed with her. They were almost to the base of the waterfall, and she wished it was possible for them to walk even slower. She loved listening to him talk about his family, and she didn’t want the story to end.
“I should ask Mom to send me a copy of that Christmas card.”
She put her hand on his arm, sure she’d heard him wrong. “Wait. She actually got the picture taken? In that cold?”
“Oh, she took the picture that day...more or less. She took a picture of us all grouped together in the back seat of the minivan—from the waist up because Brian wasn’t wearing pants—and we’re all sweaty because we’re wearing those red sweaters and she’d jacked the heat up to about ninety, but we were all laughing because Dad had just grumbled about having to do the speed limit all the way home because if he got pulled over, the cop would seehewasn’t wearing any pants, either.”
“I wouldloveto see that card,” she said, and then she focused on the water rushing over the rocks, close enough so she could feel the mist on her face.
Rob made his way across some rocks in the brook until he was standing on an outcropping of granite right in front of the waterfall. He held out his hand and helped her across. It wasn’t a big slab of granite, so they had to stand close together.
And again, she didn’t mind at all.
“I can see why she wanted to take the picture here,” she told him. “It’s a gorgeous spot.”
“It is. A black-and-white photo I took at this spot was used for the cover of one of my uncle Joe’s books, actually.”
“Really? That’s amazing!”
He shrugged, but the pink that tinted his cheeks gave away how pleased he was. “He writes horror, of course, so they made it grainy and added some atmospheric mist, along with a super creepy shadow figure in the trees.”
“Do you have a copy on your phone? I’d love to see it.”
After sliding his phone out of his pocket and tapping a couple of times, he handed her his phone. “I printed a copy of the photo for him to hang by his desk while he was writing, for inspiration, I guess. He brought it to his publisher when it was time to do the cover.”
“It’s a great picture, even with the bonus creepiness.”
Could he hear the way her breath caught when his hand brushed hers as he took the phone back? Or the shakiness of her slow exhale? Hopefully not, with the rushing of water over the falls acting like a natural white noise machine.
As he slid the phone into his back pocket, his arm brushed hers. She didn’t pull away, and a few seconds later, the back of his hand rested against her hand. Hannah shifted hers slightly, and his fingers threaded through hers.
They looked at the water falling in front of them and despite the chill in the air and in the mist from the falls, so much heat was coursing through Hannah, she was surprised steam wasn’t rolling off of her.
“This feels like a great place for a first kiss, doesn’t it?” he asked quietly, and Hannah looked up at his profile, her pulse racing.
Her body trembled, and she knew Rob could feel the shaking in her hand, because his fingers squeezed hers. But she ignored the voices in her head urging her to think about what sheshoulddo, and instead let her heart—or her body, at least—take the lead for once. “It’s a perfect place for a first kiss.”
When he turned to face her, resting his free hand at her waist, every thought in her head that wasn’t about desperately wanting his mouth on hers was silenced.
Rob’s hand slid halfway up her back. “Forourfirst kiss.”
“Yes.” It came out as a whisper, and then his lips were on hers.
There was no hesitation or gentle exploration. Rob claimed her mouth as though he’d been wanting to so badly that he couldn’t take the anticipation another second. It was the same way she felt, and Hannah parted her lips, letting his tongue sweep over hers.
