“No. It’s awful.” Her voice cracked. “Dirty. It was once pure and clean and amazing.” She shook her head, and he could see the tears welling in her eyes. This place had been so special to her, and she’d tried to share it with him. “Everything around me has changed. I thought this one spot had been preserved, but I was wrong.”
“We can clean it up. I’ll help,” he offered, taking her into his arms to soothe her pain. “It’ll be an oasis again.”
She didn’t push him away. Instead she cuddled into him, resting her cheek to his chest. He was sure she could hear his heartbeat hammering against his sternum. In that moment, despite the mosquitoes swarming them, or the fact he knew there was a gator out there waiting for a snack, or the brackish-smelling water, he never wanted to move, because that would mean letting her go, even if only for a moment. He didn’t like that idea.
For several minutes, he savored the smell of her hair, which reminded him of fresh-cut flowers, and the feeling of her body against his. She slid from him but kept hold of his arms, looking up into his eyes. “You really don’t think it’s awful here?”
“No.” He cupped her cheek. “I think it’s beautiful, just a little sad at times.”
She bit her bottom lip and scanned the area.
“What is it?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. I just thought you might find it awful. Then I’d have to kiss you.” She pulled away. “But if you think it’s pretty, then—”
He grabbed hold of her and tucked her into his arms once more. Stalling for only a second to make sure she wanted what he longed for, he realized he didn’t have to guess. She rose onto her toes and pressed her mouth to his. His body inflamed from one sweep of her soft lips, and when she deepened the kiss, there were no more mosquitoes, or gators, or trash. Everything around him disappeared. In that moment, he knew she would be worth any wait.
Chapter Fourteen
Bri dotted at Julie’s neck with a calamine-lotion-covered cotton ball. “Mother, where in all of Summer Island did you go during daylight hours to get so many bites?”
Wind plopped down on the sofa. “She took Trevor to Friendship Beach. A fact I’m sure she wanted to keep a secret since none of us have ever taken a man there before. It’s sacred, and no men are allowed.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be with your sister?” Julie grumbled.
“Taking a break while her husband is home. Besides, the rest of our girl power will be arriving soon. I can’t miss the big reunion. Not to mention, you’re the one who called me to come save you, remember?” Wind crossed her arms over her chest and put on a scrunched-faced expression, as if she wanted the back row to see her disgust. “Glad I did, since I found out you broke a friendship vow and all.”
“It’s not worth the promise anymore. There’s nothing left of our special place. It’s dirty, polluted, and gator-infested.” Julie ignored the twinge in her chest.
“I know. I had to get you out of there. Or did you forget?” Wind pointed to her cheek, where a large raised bump from a mosquito bite damaged her perfect complexion.
“Trapped there?” Bri dotted Julie’s chin with the cool pink lotion, helping dull the itch if only slightly. “Sorry I didn’t answer my phone. I was…um…working on something.”
“What were you working on?” Julie asked, but when Bri did a side-eyed glance at Wind, she knew better than to ask any more questions until they were alone. “Yes, we needed saving. We went into the canal on paddleboards, which we’ve done before. Heck, how many times did we swim the river growing up? But for some reason, a gator decided to hang there today. And apparently every mosquito on earth.”
Wind huffed. “I know.” She pointed to her cheek again. “Good thing I have a week before returning to normal life. No way can I risk a picture of me being released with this gigantic blemish on my skin.”
“Why were there so many mosquitoes there during the day?” Bri asked, obviously not giving Wind the attention she was begging for.
“Probably from all the standing water in the trash and on the beach. The entire place was covered in plastic and garbage. Oh, Bri, it was awful.”
Wind obviously gave up on anyone paying her attention from her position in the room, so she moved and sat on the coffee table, putting calamine lotion on her own cotton ball and dabbing her cheek. “I can vouch for her story. I know. I had to take Trevor’s dinghy and motor over there, and then I had to paddle since it’s too shallow to use the motor through the canal. That’s how I got this.” She tapped her cheek again, as if they hadn’t seen the bite yet.
“And we thank you for doing so. I’m sorry about your cheek.”
“Just tell me it was worth my sacrifice.” Wind elbowed Julie’s side.
She touched her lips, remembering how kissing Trevor took the wind from her lungs and the strength from her legs.
Wind gasped. “Don’t tell me you’ve been sucker-kissed.”
Bri held a pink cotton ball a few inches from Julie’s face and eyed her. “Oh, no. I think she has.”
“What the heck is a sucker kiss?”
