“Why don’t you find out?” I grunted, tipping forward and dumping her into the lake.
I made sure she went in feet first—I wasn’t a complete asshole—but she stumbled on the landing, her ass hitting the water before I could steady her.
“Motherfucker. That’s fucking cold.”
It was the foulest language I’d heard from her, and it was adorable. But I was in just as much pain as she was. My balls were nowhere near the water, but they were in jeopardy of freezing off, just like she’d predicted.
“Sorry.” I stepped toward her, determined to carry her back out of the ice, but the little devil splashed me, right in the face.
“Oops, sorry.” Her giggles were infectious.
That was it. Deal or no deal, she was going to get it. But when I bent to splash her back, she took off running.
“I don’t think so.” My height advantage made it easy to catch her.
Scooping her back into my arms, I ran toward the beach, kicking up as much surf as possible and soaking us both in the process.
Our antics and laughter attracted an audience. As we made it back to the sand, we were greeted with looks of bewilderment and humor.
One asshole leered at Jamie in her wet T-shirt. I caught his eye and held it. Whatever he read there made him decide he had somewhere else to be.
Most of the other onlookers dispersed after realizing we were okay, but an older couple lingered, watching as we shook ourselves off like wet dogs and jumped around to warm up.
“Looks like you were having fun,” the lady called.
“I’m not sure if getting hypothermia can be classified as a good time.” Jamie laughed.
The lady ignored Jamie’s sarcasm and turned to her husband. “Remember when we used to fool around like that?”
“What do you mean? I chased you around the condo just last night.” He winked.
“Oh, yes. That was fun. Still, it’s nice to see young people being so carefree,” she said as they wandered away.
Carefree?
Was this what Caleb raved about—living in the moment? If so, I wanted a whole fucking lot more of it.
Watching Jamie pull her wet hair into a messy knot, that delirious smile lighting up her face, I felt something I’d almost forgotten existed. Pure happiness. The kind that had nothing to do with responsibility or obligation or keeping everyone else afloat.
It wasn’t possible for Jamie and me to be completely carefree with so much waiting for us in the real world. But for now, everything felt right. As long as we kept the darkness at bay, we could have this.
Taking Jamie’s hand in mine, I led her back up the beach to the boardwalk. “Come on, beautiful girl. I owe you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jamie
Eric spent the rest of the day in full redemption mode after his water torture.
Not that I minded. I’d survived plenty of polar bear dips growing up, dared by friends who thought ice water was the ultimate test of courage. May was practically tropical compared to those January plunges.
But Eric looked so determined to atone for his sins, his protective instincts kicked into overdrive every time I so much as shivered. Who was I to deny him the chance to play knight in shining armor?
Despite my protests, he bought a sweater just so he could wrap it around my shoulders, his hands lingering possessively at my collar as he adjusted it. The way he watched me—intense, focused, like I might disappear if he looked away—sent warmth spiraling through my chest.
We wandered Copper Ridge for hours, with his fingers laced through mine. Every few blocks, he’d pull me closer, his arm sliding around my waist with casual ownership that made my pulse skip.
The town had grown in my absence. New storefronts lined streets I used to know by heart. Unfamiliar faces moved through spaces that once belonged to childhood friends.
