He nods a few times. “There’s only one thing to do with it. And maybe we weren’t looking for it, but it found us. We’re the guardians of this list now.”
My skin feels tingly. My heart, bubbly. Maybe this drink is going to my head. That’s the only explanation I have for why I say exactly what’s on my mind. “I thought you were something of a secret poet,” I say in a whisper, like a confession, “when we were texting the other day.”
He scoffs. “I’m not.”
“You say you’re not good with words. But I say you are. Everything you just said is…kind of soulful.”
He rolls his eyes, mumbling, “It’s the right thing to do.”
“You say you’re rude and you’re not. You’re sweet.” I spot another piece of the lettuce and attach it.
“Okay, now you need to stop.”
But I don’t. Apparently, when I stop overthinking I’m a little unleashed. “The last time we were here you admitted you were secretly sunshine.”
He narrows his eyes, then scans the pile of puzzle pieces. “I never admitted it.”
I lift the cup, not quite stifling a smile. “You didn’t have to.”
He snags a light green piece, adds it onto the one I just locked into place. “Enough of your poet theories. We have work to do,” he says, all stern and bossy as he leaves the puzzle alone. He pushes up the sleeves of his Henley a bit,revealing taut forearms, strong and sinewy, with a smattering of dark hair. And the owl, perched on a tiny branch, watching me.
My chest rises and falls as I imagine reaching out a hand, touching those forearms, tracing the fine lines of his tattoo.
He points to the list, all sexy business.
I fight off a smile as I look down the list, reading the five items again. I think it’s doable. I slip into planning mode, since now’s the time. This list—it feels like something a romance designer would craft. It’s like a series of experiences for a couple to complete before they walk down the aisle. A list of challenges for young lovers. A road map of where to go next.
I wish I knew who she was. I don’t even know her name. But as I study this list, the pieces slide into place like a puzzle.
She liked dresses that are simple but with a little flare. Her handwriting is neat but she writes her y’s with a flourish and dots her i’s with panache, so she was orderly but artsy. I know, too, she had something of a romantic, adventurous heart. She was a dreamer and a doer.
I get her. I really do. I look up, fueled by this understanding. “We can do this whole thing before my sister says I do.”
I brace myself for pushback, for questions. This list is a lot. It’ll take time, and we only have a little over a week. It’s too much to ask, perhaps.
But Lake simply nods a few times, like he’s considering it. “Yep. It’s a plan.”
It’s that easy with Lake, and I like that. Maybe I even need it.
As if this is an event I’m planning, I rub my palms together and get down to business. “We don’t have much time. Item number one on Five Things To Do Before I Say I Do—play a truth-telling game.” My stomach twists. That’s exciting, but daunting. There are things I don’t love talkingabout. But then again, we all have things like that. “Should we try Two Truths and a Lie?”
He scrubs a hand across his beard, momentarily distracting me. His hair is shorter on his head, thicker on his jaw. I kind of like the shift. That beard is making me think about how it might feel against my thighs.
I clench them as he shifts his gaze to the shelves in the store. He pops up. “I’ve got an idea.”
I tuck the letter away in my bag as he busses our mugs quickly, then offers me a hand, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
It feels natural, but it also feels delicious in a way that makes my bones vibrate. That makes my pulse skitter. And that somehow calms my strung-tight nerves.
For now at least, but I’ll take it.
We walk to the shelves, stopping at the card games. He scans the offerings, then grabs The Naked Truth with his free hand.
“Feels apropos.”
He slides his thumb along the crease between my thumb and forefinger, a slow, smooth slide. I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, but I jump into the unknown of the list. “Sure.”
We head to the counter and he buys the game. Before we leave, I hold up a finger. “There’s something I need to do.”
