Bailey held out her hand before he had it poured, and Ryan handed her a cup with a smile. She sipped the amber liquid and let it sink in. Seconds later, Ryan connected his iPhone to the Bluetooth speaker, and soft music started to play. It was a mixed playlist of some of their favorites.
“Is this okay?”
“Perfect,” she said, taking another drink. She tugged on the bottom of her dress to keep from exposing everything to Ryan.
Before she realized it, Ryan was unbuckling her shoe. She started to pull her feet away, but he held them steady.
“I’m taking these off, so you don’t lose your balance and fall overboard.”
Bailey twisted her foot so he could reach the buckle more easily. His touch on her foot was a little too gentle. His hands were almost soft, even though his fingers were calloused from playing his guitar. When her shoes were off, he smiled, his moss-colored eyes twinkling up at her.
“Sorry you picked such a grouch to share your night with.”
He waved her comment away. “You’re not a grouch. A couple more sips of that and you’ll forget all your problems.”
“You better keep up with me. I’m not getting drunk and crying on your shoulder unless I know you’re not going to remember it in the morning.”
He laughed at that. “Okay.” He drank down his first glass. “The fireworks don’t start for a while. Do you want to eat?”
“No, I don’t have an appetite right now.”
Ryan nodded, pulling his shirt and shoes off. He stepped on the bench then up on the stern deck. With a moan, he stretched out on the padded deck. “The sun feels good.”
“Yeah, it does. Too bad I don’t have shorts on, or I’d get up there and join you.”
“Go ahead. I won’t look.”
He turned his head and looked out at the lake while Bailey gently hopped up with him.
“Oh shit…” She went to step back down, but Ryan turned when she cursed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t look.”
“Oh, sorry.” He turned his head. “What are you doing?”
“I forgot the whiskey.”
Ryan laughed. “Tragic.”
“I know, right?” She grabbed the bottle, then stepped back up and knelt next to him.
“You can lie down.”
“Uh…okay, turn your head again.” He did, and she shifted and lay next to him, looking up at the sky. “Do you have any sunscreen?”
“You won’t need it. The sun will duck below the mountains before you burn.”
She looked toward the sunset and knew he was right. The sun felt so good. Bailey thought of the rays as little beams of rejuvenation shining down on her, healing her wounds. She smiled at the thought. Her mother would have loved that, nature healing her wounds and her broken heart. It was the sort of thing she would have said to Bailey, and it worked. She felt better already. Maybe it wasn’t the sun. Maybe it was her mother, watching over, keeping them safe.
Bailey felt safe, but she also felt a little empty. The sun couldn’t fill that void. It was time to end it with Dex. Things had been going south for a long time, and she didn’t need to waste her time with someone who didn’t want to commit in any way to their relationship. She knew Dex cared for her, just as she cared for him, but she needed to get on with her life. The sad thing was, she wasn’t that upset about it.
Ryan had been right again. He kept telling her to stop hooking up with tourists and snow dogs. They broke her heart every time, and he sat back and watched over and over, trying to warn her.
She sat up and poured herself another whiskey, then added some to his glass. “You’re right. It’s nice and peaceful out here.”
“I’m right about a lot of things.”
She stiffened. “If you’re going to rub Dex in my face, just take me back home.”
“I wasn’t being specific to Dex, but since you brought it up.” He opened his eyes and squinted at her. “What was his excuse this time?”
“It doesn’t matter. He called me again while you were getting the food. I broke up with him.”
“Really?” Ryan sat up to face her.
“I’ve tried. It’s just…it’s not working, and I won’t waste my time anymore.”
“Good,” he said and took a long drink from his glass. “I guess that solves the problem of him staying the night when we’re both living in the house.”
“Uh, kind of, yeah, but Ryan, I won’t be single forever. At some point, I’m going to want to bring someone home.”
He looked at her and swallowed. “I know that. So will I.”
“Okay. I just want you to know, so it’s not a surprise. I don’t want you fighting with every guy I date.”
He nodded and took another long drink. “I get it, Bay.”
She studied the sunset as the sky grew darker. “What time do the fireworks start?”
“Should be any time now. Are you okay? Should I turn a light on for you?”
“No, I’m fine. I like the lake when it’s dark.”
He grinned. “Most girls get scared.”
“I know, but not me. It never gets this dark in town. Out here, the stars are brighter, and there’s a richness to the air.” She felt the whiskey blurring the edges of her thoughts. She was talking too much, just like she always did when she drank. With that, she picked up the bottle and poured herself another.
“Yeah…yeah.” Ryan nodded then stood and stepped down from the deck.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t move. I don’t want you to fall overboard in the dark.”
She saw his silhouette as he stepped down into the cabin. He poked his head up a minute later and asked, “Are you ready to eat?”
“Yeah. What did you bring?”
“Sandwiches and potato salad. Is that okay?”
“Is it Lucas’ potato salad?”
“Duh. Of course.”
She grinned. “Sounds perfect.”
He came back a minute later with two beers, two sodas, and a bag of food. He also had a small battery-operated lantern. It was
