“You’re a little bossy.” Sometimes he forgot his sister was all grown up. Hard to believe this was the same freckle-faced little girl he used to help with algebra and chemistry.
“You made a reservation, right? The Landing fills up on Saturday nights.”
Give me a break.He spared her a look.
“What time should I bring the boat to the marina?”
“As soon as we leave for supper.” What would Lauren think when she saw their boat just steps from The Landing? Would she realize what was about to happen? How would that make her feel? Would she be excited? Nervous?
“You know what you’re gonna say, right?”
“I believe ‘Will you marry me?’ is traditional.”
Meg sighed. “You’d better come up with more than that. This should be the most romantic moment of her life.”
A knot of worry tightened in the pit of his stomach. “No pressure there.”
“Just tell her how you feel. Is that so hard?”
He’d given this plenty of thought already. He had a few ideas swimming in his mind. But he didn’t want to memorize some speech. Didn’t want this to be scripted. It should come from the heart, in the moment. Hopefully his heart wouldn’t go blank.
And when he was finished she’d give him that wide smile, green eyes lit and happy and perhaps glazed with a sheen of tears... and she’d say yes.
His thoughts slipped gears. The ground dropped from beneath him. She would say yes, wouldn’t she?
They hadn’t dated very long, buthewas sure. That didn’t necessarily mean she was though. Maybe she needed more time. She hadn’t been raised in a warm home with a solid example of love and marriage. His hands shook as he pocketed the jewelry box, which missed the pocket entirely. He fumbled with it before it plunked to the ground.
Meg chuckled as she retrieved it. “Look at you. You’re a mess. Relax, it’s gonna be fine. She doesn’t suspect a thing.”
Hardly his biggest concern at this point. Was he rushing things? Why hadn’t he put more thought into this? What if his proposal scared her off for good? “Like, doesn’t expect it because tonight seems like an ordinary day, or doesn’t expect it because it’s months too soon for a lifetime commitment and she’s not even sure I’m the man she wants to make it with?”
Meg tilted her head, a smile curving her lips. “Aw, you’re cute when you’re insecure. I’m so telling Lauren about this once she has that ring on her finger—and she will have that ring on her finger.” Meg patted his arm, wrinkled her nose at the sweaty dampness, and withdrew her hand. “She’s gonna say yes, Bro. Would I set you up for failure?”
“There was that time in middle school...”
“Please. You could’ve done so much better than Maddy Benton.”
His sister had had uncanny insight even as a gangly teenager. And though she loved messing with him, she always had his best interests at heart. She and Lauren had grown close over the summer. If Lauren wasn’t ready for this, Meg would know.
“Stop worrying. Tonight’s gonna be perfect.” She moved to the bed of the truck. “But you can work off that nervous energy by helping me unload all this stuff.”
Jonah checked his watch, then grabbed a bag. Three hours and counting.
***
From her spot on the bay, Lauren Wentworth’s pet project was just a patch of weathered red peeking through the dense forest. The trees were just starting to turn, a sprinkle of gold and orange against the deep green pines. She had no doubt the New Hampshire fall would delight her.
She drew the oars through the water, pushing the boat toward the pier, where her dog, Graham, sat waiting. His yellow coat gleamed in the sunlight.
“Look, honey,” Beth Cabot said from the back of the boat. “It’s a loon.”
George lifted his old-school camera and snapped a photo. “He’s a little late heading to the Atlantic, isn’t he, Lauren?”
“The young ones sometimes linger longer than their parents.” She’d learned a lot about loons since her arrival in March. She’d learned a lot about many things.
She rowed closer to Graham and the boat dock belonging to Pinehaven Resort. The resort traffic had slowed since last week—Labor Day weekend. High season was officially over, and their guests would now consist mostlyof older couples. Some of whom couldn’t get out on the water without assistance. Leaf peepers would soon flood the state, but peak season was still weeks away.
Lauren could finally turn her attention to the big barn on the property adjacent to the resort. The “buffer” property, Tom Landry had called it. Lauren had found the old relic by accident one day, back when she considered her position at the resort a mere stepping stone to her dream job back in Boston.
