One of the campers cleared her throat. “Um. Sorry to break up the party, but dude. Why are you still in this boat?”
I glanced over my shoulder at her. She arched her brows and motioned toward the shore. “Kyle’s the worst, and I get what Lea’s doing, but Taylor’s right. There’s no way she’ll ever get another chance like this. We can row back ourselves, and we can take a while to do it.”
I blew a deep breath and set my pole down, hopping out of the boat and wading toward the shore, forcing my feet—one in front of the other—farther and farther away from the simple life I’d built for myself. The plan was supposed to be Bridgeport for the summer, then the Navy for the next four years. Following through with this could mess all of that up, but I had to, didn’t I? I’d promised Garrett, and honestly, I’d never be able to live with myself if Lea quit her dream over me.
Some things in life were completely unacceptable, and some were harder to call. I had to go with my protect-Lea-at-all-costs stance on this one. I’d already watched her jeopardize this thing when she’d hurt her leg. I wasn’t about to let some idiot blow it for her now.
“Why does that girl care if I go?” I asked Taylor as we hustled back to camp.
“She’s Kyle’s ex.”
Taylor snuck through the chapel doors ahead of me, and I waited in the lobby, pushing every daunting thought out of my mind. Didn’t matter if I got fired, I’d find another job. Didn’t matter if I lost out on the Navy, I’d make up for it fishing somewhere. Maybe I could join one of those Alaskan crab crews or something. I had no idea, but I’d figure it out.
Uncle Dave’s face spun through the air in front of me, his wide smile gleaming as he waved to me and Mom from the deck of his ship. He’d squeezed my shoulder when I’d told him I wanted to join up.
You can do anything you set that mind to doing, Cory. You’d climb the ranks real fast with that clear head on those strong shoulders.
Dang, I didn’t want to lose the Navy.
I drew a deep breath, my palms sweating as Taylor came back out, shaking her head. “She won’t come. She’s waiting for them to get out of a meeting, and she already set an appointment with Genevieve.”
There were a lot of benefits to Lea’s bullheadedness, but days like today were going to get her into some serious trouble if she wasn’t careful.
“She says you need to get back out on the lake before you get caught.”
I nodded, squared my shoulders, and walked through the doors. Caught or not, she wasn’t going through with this. Not on my watch.
Lea sat on the edge of the stage, leaning over her binder, her good leg swinging. The rest of the chapel was empty.
“What on God’s green earth do you think you’re doing?” I said.
She froze and sat up straight, zeroing in on me with those laser eyes. “You can’t stop me.”
“Mm.” I shook my head, set my hands around her waist, and held her gaze. “Get your rear off this stage, or I’ll get it down for you.”
She lifted a brow at me. “Is that a promise?”
I dropped my head and tightened my grip, squatting and throwing her over my shoulder.
She squealed. “Cory, stop,” she whispered. “I already made an appointment.”
“Consider it canceled.” I swung around and marched her out the back doors.
As soon as we reached the wooded trail behind the chapel, I put her down and gripped her hand. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Quitting. What’s it look like?”
“Why?”
She dropped her gaze, ripping her hand out of my grasp and folding her arms over her stomach. “I can’t do it.”
“You could sing on Dolly Parton’s stage if you wanted to, and you’re way better than that Swifty girl.”
“How dare you dis my girl.”
“I actually haven’t heard her since that song about dancing in jeans, or something.”
Lea rolled her eyes.
“What happened? I thought we were settled on this.”
She furrowed her brows, shoving her hands in her jean pockets. “It’s not the singing. It’s . . . Kyle.”
“Did he threaten you?” That thought had my blood boiling.
She scoffed. “No. He’s just the biggest jerk I know, and I can’t pretend I like singing with him. Not in front of people who need a genuine message. I can’t do it, Cory. Besides . . .” She took a step toward me and slid her hand in mine again. “I have you.”
“That’s dangerous thinking. I could be gone tomorrow.”
Something flickered in her confident eyes. A pain I didn’t mean to cause. “You’re leaving?”
I shrugged. “That’s the plan.”
“Tomorrow?”
“If we keep sneaking around like this, the likelihood of getting canned today goes way up.”
She sighed. “I want to be done with this competition.”
“Then finish it. I’m sure you can work something out with that agent. There’s gotta be a way to make both you and Kyle happy with this thing.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded, swallowing until the acid taste went away.
“And what about you? Are you happy with this thing, Cory? You saw the way he gets. Whenever he doesn’t have a girlfriend, the same thing happens all over again. He’s constantly hounding me to go out with him.”
“What?” It felt like a rock dropped in my gut. “I thought this was over the competition.”
“It is, and it isn’t. This duet-duo thing is exactly what he wants. He’s always trying to piggyback on my wins, and I’m over the idea of letting him do that for the rest of my singing life.”
I crossed my arms and squared up to her. Lea was fierce, but somehow, she’d forgotten it. Maybe she just needed a little reminder. I was going to wait until next week to do this, but maybe a little boost was all she needed. “What time do you need to be there tonight?”
She sighed, dusting her hands on her pants. “In an hour-and-a-half.”
“Have any plans until then?”
Her hazel eyes found mine, and she lifted a shoulder. “I have to start getting ready in an hour, but I’m free until then.”
“Would you do something for me?”
Her eyebrows drew together, and she took a deep breath. “For sure.”
“Grab your guitar and meet me at the old amphitheater in ten minutes. See you there?”
Her mouth quirked into a little half-smile, and she nodded.
LEA
With my guitar slung over my shoulder and my mind spinning a trillion miles a minute, I found my way to the old abandoned amphitheater behind the Grizzly Trail I’d got lost down on my hike. A new, bigger, amphitheater was built closer to the center of camp a couple of years ago, but they never demolished the old one. I rounded the corner of the trail leading to it, my heart constricting when I saw the stage at the bottom. Cory was sitting on the edge of it, holding a wrapped box in his lap.
A gentle breeze stirred through the tree limbs overhead, and Cory’s heated gaze swirled through my stomach. I don’t know why he was so set on stopping me from quitting the competition. If he would’ve seen Kyle’s tactics all these years, he would understand why I couldn’t do it anymore.
“Hey,” I said as I approached. He patted the space beside him, and I set my guitar down. He joined me on the ground, slipping his hands around my waist to help me up to the stage. “What’s that?” I motioned to the wrapped box in his lap.
He ducked his head and set it in my lap. “Heard it was someone’s birthday last week.”
My heart did a swan dive, and I stuck my bottom lip out. “You got me something?”
“Made it.” He cleared his throat, his cheeks tinging with a shade of pink.
Gah! How was this gruff fisherman so sweet? I tugged the twine bow he’d wrapped it with, but his hand covered mine before I could get it off. “Wait.”
“What?”
He drew a deep breath and swallowed. “I meant it las
t night, Lea. I-I love you. And I keep having to fight off my rage when it comes to that Kyle guy. I get that working with him is rough, and I know he’s less than honest. But this competition’s been your dream forever. I can remember Nolan telling me about how good you are. I can remember the first time I heard you sing the national anthem at one of our games.” He shook his head, lifting those deep brown eyes to mine, the muscles in his temples flicking. “You can’t let him take this chance from you. Who knows what could happen when you deliver on your song? Maybe they’ll change their minds about the whole duo thing.”
“Why are you so amazing?” My eyes were welling, and my throat tightened. I didn’t know what it was about his words, but they pierced me so hard. He was right. I’d worked my whole life for this dream, and backing out over Kyle was the sissy way out.
Cory gave my hand a squeeze.
“I can’t let him off that easy,” I said.
“But more importantly, you can’t cheat yourself out of a chance like this. I think it’s straight from God, and I’m sure He has your back.”
I swallowed and leaned my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
He glanced at the present.
“Can I open it now?”
His cheeks were back to pink, but he nodded.
A huge smile crested on my lips, and I tugged at the twine.
“Wait.” His hand covered mine again.
I barked a laugh. “What? Why can’t I just open it already?”
He chewed his bottom lip, his breaths coming a little quicker. “I’m not sure I got it right.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll love it.” I gave him a smile and rubbed his arm.
“You can’t know that.”
“Yes, I can.” I lifted a brow at him and cupped his scruffy cheek. “You made it. It can’t be wrong.” I turned his face toward mine and held his gaze. “You’re amazing. Trust yourself a little.”
He blew a shaky breath, grimacing as I moved his hand off the bow.
I pulled the twine apart and peeled the brown paper back, gasping. A shining, black-stained wood box stared back at me, complete with carved swirls and a musical staff with notes etched across it. I ran my finger over the carvings. There were only enough notes to make up a line of a song, maybe two, but I didn’t recognize them. “What song is it?”
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”
“Why that song?”
Cory turned his attention to the amphitheater seats. “It was my uncle’s favorite hymn.”
“What line is this?” I focused on each note on the staff, trying to remember from my singing lessons.
“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above.”
Tears blurred my vision, and I nodded. “It’s perfect.”
“You didn’t open it yet.”
When I did, I found a set of guitar strings, a pack of guitar picks, and a picture of Cory, holding up a huge fish. “Aww. You’re giving me your picture?”
“Turn it over.”
I did. There was a message on the back, written in the cutest chicken scratch I’d ever seen. I read it aloud. “This was the biggest fish I’ve ever caught, but you’re the best catch a guy could ask for. I still can’t believe my luck. I love you, Lea. Your Biggest Fan.”
His cheeks were crimson red, and the tips of his ears were going pink.
“Aww! Cory!” I smiled up at him.
“Didn’t think you’d read it out loud.” He cleared his throat and shook his head.
I slipped it back inside the box, more than amazed at this guy, and the fact that somehow, I’d snagged him. “Thank you.” I closed the lid and set the box beside me, running my hand over it one last time. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
His fingers wove through mine, and he traced my knuckles with this fingertip. “You have no idea how much you mean to me, Lea.” His eyes found mine, full of a longing that made my soul ache. “I don’t want to lose you when you go and live your big life in LA.” He shook his head. “Promise you’ll remember me.”
I frowned and scoffed. “Like I could ever forget my first crush.”
“Your first crush?” His brows shot up, an amused grin playing across his lips.
“I mean, I thought you were cute the first time you came home with Nolan.” I bit my bottom lip, tucking a curl back. “Like, way cute.”
He scrunched his face up. “I’m a lot of things, but I don’t think I’ve ever been called cute.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hot, then. You’re hot, Cory, okay?”
His grin was back, and so were those smoldering eyes.
“When did you know you liked me?” I asked.
He cupped my cheek, ran his thumb across my cheekbone, and blew another breath. “Wish I could say it was the first time I met you, but you were only, what, fourteen or something?” He chuckled.
I grinned.
He shrugged. “Think the first inkling was that day you came out to our baseball practice my senior year, when you threw Nolan’s glove at him in the dugout.”
“Oh.” My cheeks flashed. “I forgot about that.”
“I’d thought you were pretty before then, but I wasn’t supposed to think anything more than that. Last summer, I knew I did, though.”
“After Dad passed.”
Cory nodded. “I almost kissed you when you told me how bad you were feeling and asked for that hug.”
“I wanted you to.”
He sighed and leaned in, resting his forehead against mine. I tipped my chin up and pressed my lips to his, framing his face with my hands. He drew me close, his fingers sinking into my hair, and slipping across my back so carefully.
I pulled back. “I’m strong, Cory.”
“I know.” He kissed the tip of my nose and drew a deep breath, reaching around me to pull my guitar over. “Do me a favor?”
“For sure.”
“Will you sing for me?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “What song?”
“Any.”
“Any?”
“I just want to hear you sing.”
“Why?”
“Because hearing you sing makes me forget the world exists.”
“Sure, just be careful.”
“What? Why?”
“’Cause you might make me swoon.” I smiled at him, and he smiled right back, and I was positive now—this moment was destiny meets reality. Fate revealed. Something they only make in the movies. And it was all mine.
“Swoon away,” he said, leaning back on the stage and folding his hands behind his head. “Just as long as you sing.”
Sixteen
CORY
Lea strummed her guitar and sang a song I’d only heard a couple of times since I’d been up here this summer. A song about surrender, and peace, and faith that moves mountains. A song about a God who loved us more than we could ever imagine, and she was singing it straight to Him. I closed my eyes and soaked it up. Every part of it. Her voice. Her passion. The chills that came when she hummed and slid her fingers across those strings. Everything about this moment with Lea was perfect. If I could’ve bottled it up and brought it with me to the Navy, I would’ve.
The Navy.
Something pricked in my chest at that thought.
I opened my eyes and watched her, a master at her craft. The passion in her voice matched the passion I felt every time a camper caught their first fish. It was a stupid comparison. There was no way the two things were on the same level at all, but in a way, being on a completely separate level from Lea brought a comfort I couldn’t place. She didn’t care where I came from, or what I could give her. She saw me for the person I really was, and she loved me just the same.
My heart tripped over that fact, and thumped way off-beat.
That girl right there. The one with the big hazel eyes, and the wild blonde curls, and the voice of a siren. That was the girl who loved me for who I wa
s. Man, how was I supposed to believe this was real?
Her song ended, and she set her guitar down, turning to look at me with dancing eyes. She grabbed my hand and smiled wide. “Thanks for choosing me, Cory.”
Her smile alone would’ve wrecked any guy, but knowing she actually wanted to be mine made it extra lethal. “Funny you think I had any choice in it.”
“Stahp,” she said in a midwestern accent.
I chuckled.
She sighed and traced my knuckles. “Will you be at the competition tonight?” A shadow of doubt passed through her eyes. I hated to think she’d even need to ask, but I guess I’d done this to myself by going cold last year.
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
My two-way buzzed. “June to Cory. You have a call in the office.”
I frowned.
Lea ran her hand across my back and leaned her head against my shoulder. “Better go.”
I kissed the side of her head. “Can’t wait to see you up there tonight.”
“Hello?”
“Cory?” Mom’s voice came through the receiver, high pitched and strained. My heart dropped.
“What happened?”
“He found me. I don’t know how.”
“Is he there?”
“Not yet, but he posted bail. He just left a message. I don’t know how he got this number. I’m at Uncle Rick’s, but I can’t stay here—he knows this address.”
“I’ll come out there.”
“You can’t leave your job. I just wanted to tell you, in case you call and my number changed. I’ll call you as soon as I have a new number.”
“He’ll find you, Mom. I’m not leaving you out there alone.” Fear was sinking its claws into my chest.
“Uncle Rick’s here.”
“For how long? He has a family to take care of. He has to work.”
Why’d I think for two seconds he wouldn’t find her? “I’ll catch the next flight out.”
“Dude, Lea’s totally winning tonight!” someone shouted from beside me at June’s counter.
A deep ache pulled through my chest. I’d give anything to be at Lea’s competition, but there was no way I could be anywhere near her now. Not if Dad bailed out. He’d find Mom first, and then he’d come find me, and he already knew Lea existed. I couldn’t let him near her.
Falling In Hard: Book Four in The Bridgeport Lake Summer Series Page 14