Easing away from the dock, Jack looked out over the lake, the calm water reflecting the soft violet of twilight. Entering the main channel, he directed the boat in a wide arc around the sandbar and sped north. In the distance, soundless flashes of lightning lit the sky like fireworks.
“It’s not going to storm, is it?”
Jack shook his head as they motored into the deepening night. “Folks around here call that heat lightning. It won’t hurt you.”
When the silhouette of Parrott Island appeared, Jack moved the boat into position and landed it on the beach. Safely ashore, he got a fire going while Ellie spread out a blanket. They ate from the picnic basket and talked about life and what little they knew of it. And when they were finished, they lay on their backs and gazed up at the stars.
“Can I ask you something? Were you ever in love… you know, before me?”
Jack shook his head. “Never. You?”
Ellie didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know that it was love,” she finally said, “but there was this guy, Daniel. We were sort of close for a while.”
Jack listened quietly.
“We grew up in the same neighborhood, but his family moved away before the start of our senior year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Jack. “I know how difficult it can be to have someone taken from you unexpectedly.”
Ellie rolled her head to the side. “But I want you to know that as much as I liked Daniel, my love for you is greater.”
Her comment confused Jack. On the one hand, Ellie loved him more than any other. But, if she’d fallen in love once, or had nearly done so, what was to stop her from doing it again?
Jack lay quiet for a long time, listening to the gentle swoosh of waves lapping against the sandy beach. Staring into the heavens, he located the Big Dipper, Orion, and several other constellations Ellie had shown him. And when he observed a shooting star, he made a silent wish that he and Ellie would be together forever.
“We should probably be getting back soon,” he said, noting the moon’s position. “Otherwise, Clara will think we’ve run off together.” Jack rolled over and got to his knees. But before he could stand, Ellie grabbed his arm and pulled him on top of her.
“Just a little longer?” Her eyes held him hostage.
Recognizing the mood had suddenly shifted, he swallowed hard. At the nod of his head, her legs parted, and Jack pressed his groin against her hips. His whole body quivered with a desire he’d never felt before.
Pulling him closer, Ellie kissed him softly, tenderly.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
Without a word, Ellie rolled him over and sat on top of him. She pushed one strap of the dress off her shoulder, then the other, exposing her breasts.
For a moment, Jack stared, transfixed by her beauty. He had dreamed of this moment since the day they first kissed, but now that it was finally happening, his mind was a jumbled mess. Composing himself, Jack reached instinctively for her, his fingers tingling as they skimmed over her sun-kissed skin. Sitting up, his mouth went to her breasts, kissing them, caressing them with his tongue.
Clasping him to her, Ellie tossed her head back and whimpered. Every hair on her head stood at attention, every cell burned.
After working Jack’s shirt over his shoulders, Ellie pushed him onto his back and took off his pants. And as her body sank into his, Jack felt the warmth of her skin against his own.
“I love you, Jack,” she whispered as his body tensed with expectation.
“I love you more,” he replied as they melted together.
* * *
Afterward, Jack put out the fire and loaded everything into the boat. The ride back across the water was quiet, tranquil, and Jack held Ellie in his arms the entire way. After walking her home, they kissed good night and Jack returned to his house. For hours, he lay in the dark, thinking about what had happened on the island, realizing that his heart now belonged to another, never to be his own again.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Chasing Rainbows
While sweeping out the shack the following day, Jack considered how he and Ellie could be together once summer was over. Now that they’d lost their virginity, they weren’t just boyfriend and girlfriend. Where Jack came from, that meant something more. So when the thought of marriage entered Jack’s mind, it wasn’t completely unfounded.
That’s it.He had an epiphany.I’ll ask Ellie to marry me.
