After at least a few long minutes, while almost every other racer passes him and gets a medal—and some serious side eye from Aiden—the swan starts to deflate. Aiden is able to squash down one side and climb back on.
The water is shallow enough where he is that he’s basically waddling across the water, pushing with his feet. Which is hilarious all over again because the swan’s neck is deflated just enough that it flies left to right with each big step Aiden takes.
“It looks like the swan is saying ‘No’ all the way to the finish!” Someone below me says in between cackles.
Finally Aiden reaches shore, climbs out and turns around to face all of us watching. The Assistant Mayor hands him his medal. He thanks him then grabs the medal in his fist and throws up an arm up in triumph.
The crowd erupts at his surprise show—both arms now up in victory. Everyone watches and claps. But his deep black eyes aren’t looking at them. They’re focused squarely on me. And even though he’s across an entire lake…his angry jaw, soaking wet clothes clinging to his cut body, the glare…I feel his attention in my whole body. Heck, I feel it in my soul.
Someone shoves the swan next to him to take a photo and I can’t help but smile wide. I didn’t expect him to be such a good sport. As soon as my smile takes over my face, cheeks aching from laughing so hard this whole race, something shutters in Aiden’s features. Then he turns away.
My stomach sinks down off of the podium into the ground.
So.
I guess we’re still avoiding each other.
Good. Fine. Great.
I climb down and give Stu a tug. We mosey through the crowd, Stuart greeting everyone and enjoying the attention. I let him sniff every single blade of grass and enjoy all the new scents.
“Here, let me,” a deep voice, one I’m starting to hear in my sleep, finds my back.
“Hey,” I say, losing my breath at the sight of him up close. Shirtless, dripping wet. He’s hot, of course, but he's also…more than a person somehow? Strength, power, determination, wrapped in so. Many. Muscles.
“I’ll take him home for you,” he says, not making eye contact with me.
“Oh,” my voice sounds all breathy and weird, “You’re all wet, I can—”
“No, I’m just someone who watches your dog for you, yeah? Let me do it then,” he huffs.
I inhale, dragging my eyes away from his built chest and bracing myself for yet another argument with him. I breathe out the words, “I’m sorry I said that.”
“Why,” he scoffs, “it’s true. You’ve got a booth to run. Go,” he says looking past me toward the vendor area.
“Aiden…” I say. He doesn’t look at me.
“Come Stuart,” he commands the dog as he walks away. Of course, my dog obeys, trotting off happily. I let go of the leashand let him follow his favorite person. Aiden gives my dog, who used to be a total hellion, one scratch behind the ear before grabbing the leash that is apparently no longer necessary.
I turn in the opposite direction to go back and help at my booth.
But I really don’t want to.
I really want to turn around and pull a Stuart, willing to follow Aiden wherever he wants to go. Which is bad because the truth is I can’t. He can go all over the world. I’m stuck in Juniper Falls.
And no one would choose me over the whole entire world.
CHAPTER 26
Aiden
“So, you’re holding her dog hostage, that’s your grand plan?” Ben says in my phone screen.
“I’m not.”I am.
Ben chuckles, “Very romantic, mate.”
“I tried that!” I bark as I curl a fifty-pound weight. “Took care of her like you said, made sure she’s eating real meals, equipment for the store, bought her things she needed—”
