“I think so.”I check my buckles.“First-timer all the way around here.”
Garrison laughs, low and deep, and the sound echoes through me like the richest type of dessert.The kind that youknowis bad for you, yet you can’t seem to stop eating.“Here, let me help.”
He grabs the front of my straps and tightens them, cinching down so the brightly colored life jacket sits snug against my body.And then he looks down at me, his dark gaze locking on mine, his hands still on the straps of my jacket.
We’re mere inches away, and the tension between us grows with every beat of my heart.
Oh boy.
“You guys ready to go?”Sawyer calls out.
His voice cuts through the moment, and Garrison pulls away.
I take a second to breathe, drawing in the fresh air as my heart rate begins to slow.
Just friends with Garrison?It should be easy, right?
As soon as I can trust myself to walk, I move toward the edge of the water, where Garrison and Sawyer are both prepping the kayaks.
“This is for your phone,” Garrison says as he hands me a waterproof bag on a lanyard.“I figured you wouldn’t want to leave it in the truck just in case Thomas needs you.”
Swoon.Thoughtful too?Fantastic.
“Thanks so much.You would be right.”I slip my phone inside, seal it up, then slip it around my neck.“He’s going to be so jealous when he hears that I did this.”
“Well, we’ll have to bring the kid with us next time, won’t we?”Sawyer says with a grin.“That is if you enjoy it enough to want to go again.”
I stare out at the water.Tall grass sprouts through the top, breaking the glassy surface.There are no loud sounds, no hustle or bustle, just—life.Beautiful, peaceful life.Which is something I haven’t felt in a long, long time.
“I have a feeling I’m going to love it,” I reply, my gaze landing on Garrison.Yeah, I have a feeling about you, too.
“Good.Let’s get out there then.”Sawyer claps his hands together.
“The most important thing about kayaking is to keep your balance,” Garrison explains.“It can tip if you lean too far from one side to the other.Aside from that, you alternate sides as you row.”He lifts a paddle and demonstrates.“We won’t hit any rough water, so you’re good there.Any questions?”
“I’ve always been a learn by doing kind of person,” I reply with a grin in his direction.
Garrison returns my smile.“I knew there was a reason we were friends.”
Friends.There’s that word again.I asked for it—insisted even.So why am I starting to wish we could be so much more?