He propped himself up on his arm. The etchings of something unspoken creased his face. My stomach dropped as it had earlier when he mentioned something he wanted to tell me. Had he already gotten a job? Was it in another state?
He drew circles over the blanket with a blade of grass, stalling.
My conversation with Jaycee tore into me again. “Thought he was the one.” I might as well have been trying to swallow a fistful of cotton balls. He was the one. The one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Every day. I couldn’t lose him.
Riley kept his gaze on the blanket. “During the time we were apart, I poured myself into my music. It was the only thing that kept me sane. The list of A&R reps you gave me sat on my piano for weeks. Every time I passed it, I heard your voice.”
He fanned the blade into the grass and set his hand over mine. “You saw things in me I couldn’t see. And because of that, I started to believe in myself. Knew it was time to stop focusing on my disappointment with the way things were and start having courage to dream about the way they could be. To really go for it, you know?” He tossed his head back. “They actually liked my demo, Em. They signed me.”
A series of blinks came before any words. I cupped his cheek, feeling his happiness as my own. Of course they signed him. “I’m so proud of you, Riley. I knew they wouldn’t overlook your talent.”
“I wouldn’t have risked dreaming if it hadn’t been for you.”
My hand dropped from his face. “You keep giving me more credit than I deserve.”
“And you don’t give yourself enough.” He laughed softly. “You know, a girl once told me it’s easier to believe in someone else than it is to believe in yourself. Think she might’ve known what she was talking about.”
“Same as the guy who said we need someone in our lives to sing to us when we forget our song.”
He kissed my forehead. “Always, Em.”
Always. A promise I’d given up believing after losing Dad. As earnestly as someone might mean it, how could someone promise always when time had the final say? I’d teased Riley about being famous and singing on stages across the states, but I hadn’t thought about what that’d mean for us. I had my internship in Portland, another year of school left. Where would Riley’s future take him? Was there room for us in it still?
I snuggled my nose to his neck. “What’s gonna happen? Now that you have a record deal?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. Sounds like it’s going to take some time to get all the details worked out.” He scooted back and fixed his gaze on me. “I don’t know how any of this is going to play out. Except that no matter what, it’ll include you.”
He brushed a strand of hair from my face and left his hand resting weightlessly behind my ear. I had to force in a breath when he looked at me that way. Like his music, his love never needed any words.
I moved in and kissed his neck under his ear. Riley closed his eyes, sighed. My lips grazed across his cheek to meet his. Soft and tender, they drew me closer, deeper. The muscles running along his forearm pulsed against the small of my back. He interlocked his fingers with mine. The stubble on his chin sloped down my neckline to the top of my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin.
Every part of me teemed with heat. I sank my palm into the cool earth along the blanket. He found my lips again. I let go of his hand, gripped the back of his hair, pressed in even closer.
Riley’s arms flexed and pushed me away. He lunged to his feet. Alone on the blanket, I found my lungs again while I watched him pace across the grass. The evening’s darkness couldn’t hide his shoulders rising and falling with expansive motion. He still doubted his control, distrusted his passion. I could see it.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Being this close to you . . . the things you stir inside me.” He exhaled. “I don’t ever want to make you feel the way other guys have.”
“You haven’t.”
Drawing in another deep breath, he returned to the blanket and encircled me with his arm. “You’ve entrusted your heart to me, Em. I promise to cherish that gift. Promise to honor your dad.” He kissed the top of my head. “Always.”
I wove my fingers through his and held him close. Always.
The sky deepened further into a night made just for us. At least we had that much. Wrapped in Riley’s arms and in his vow to protect my heart, I risked trusting another of Dad’s promises. Some things were worth waiting for. Please let our future together be one of them.
chapter thirty-four
Ambushed
The blinds beside my bed slapped into each other. A full window-length of the sunrise ambushed my eyes. One forced blink at a time, Jaycee came into focus above me.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty. I made you tea.”
I had the faintest recollection of Riley tucking me into bed last night. Or maybe I dreamed it. I would rather have stayed on the sports field. As soft as my flannel sheets were, they didn’t compare to Riley’s touch. At least I could go back to dreaming. I wedged against the wall and mumbled into the pillow. “Later.”
Jaycee lifted off the mattress. “Okay,” she mumbled right back. “Guess I’ll go tell Prince Charming to come back later.”
My torso flung forward, the blood in my head catching up a minute later. I threw back the covers, launched out of bed, and tripped over the sneakers I must’ve kicked off sometime last night.
Jaycee’s amusement followed one sweeping glance over the clothes I still had on from yesterday.
The clock blurred through the spider web of hair matted across my face. Six forty-five. What was he doing here this early? “How long has he been here?”
“Long enough to hear you snoring.”
“Cute, Jae.” I circled into the hallway.
Jaycee stopped me by the shoulders and redirected me toward the shower. “Trust me.”
One peek in the mirror, and I didn’t object.
Ten minutes in a room full of steam worked its magic. I threw on the clean shirt Jaycee left out for me, buttoned my jeans, and jogged down the hall with wet hair.
Seeing Riley across the living room caused every feeling from last night to wash over me again in a shower of its own. He wore fresh jeans and a dark blue Henley, his hair a perfect mess. But it was the look on his face that made me slant into the wall for balance. The skin on my neck burned under my cool hair.
Riley opened his mouth but withheld whatever he’d almost said.
Jaycee glided past me and set two suitcases down by the front door.
I held my arms out, obviously missing something. “Going somewhere?”
Trevor’s head popped up from the TV, flashing from me to Riley. “You haven’t told her yet?”
“Told me what? What’s going on?”
Trevor’s obnoxious grin soared to new heights. “Keeping a secret from Em? Takes guts, bro. Knew I liked you.”
Riley glared at Trevor. “Thanks, man, perfect introduction.” Angling himself toward me, he brandished his Crest-white smile in an attempt to dislodge Trevor’s wrecking ball from his plans.
Not going to happen. “What secret, Riley?”
He scrunched his lips together, resisting.
I snatched a throw pillow from the couch and aimed it in his direction. “Tell me.”
His palms flexed in the air. “I was going to tell you after you were done getting ready.”
I dropped beside him on the couch but kept my imaginary firearm locked and loaded. “I don’t like surprises.”
“I can see that.” He disarmed me and tucked the pillow safely behind him.
“We’re going on a vacation,” Trevor blurted out with the intonation of a kid going to Disney World.
Jaycee elbowed him in the ribs. He groaned. “What’d I say?”
Riley shook his head as he faced me again. “Well, not exactly a vacation. More like a weekend getaway.”
“A getaway.” I gripped the couch cover.
&
nbsp; “Relax.” His voice almost topped the microfiber’s smoothness. “It’s just a little road trip.”
A road trip?
“That’s all you’re getting out of me,” he said, apparently reading my mind. “A little surprise every now and then is good for you.” He leaned in for a kiss.
I turned my head. Of course, that meant leaving my neck exposed, and with it, the perfect opportunity for Riley to get the upper hand. It only took seconds for me to melt under his lips skimming my skin.
“You’re cheating.” I wrestled for the resolve to push him away from me.
“And you’re still an adorable sore loser.”
My arms resumed their stone-like position.
“Would it make you feel better to know you’re really going to like where we’re going?”
“We’ll bring chai,” Trevor said, coming to Riley’s rescue.
Their two cajoling grins almost garnered one out of me. Almost. It might’ve worked if I didn’t get the feeling there was something more brewing here—something Riley wasn’t saying. A surprise was one thing. A gut-gnawing sense of gravity was another. One I’d rather escape. Especially if it had to do with that thing Riley said needed tweaking.
“We can’t just pick up and go on a road trip.”
Jaycee scooted forward on the cushion. “Why not?”
I clambered up from the couch in search of some plausible excuse. Or at least a delay. I whirled around, arms crossed. “I haven’t packed.”
Jaycee motioned to the jumbo suitcases by the door. “Already done.”
Okay, now I was really nervous.
“Shouldn’t we be planning a graduation party for you? I mean, what about your parents?”
Riley reached me and interlaced his fingers with mine. “Graduation is just another day. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it. And I didn’t invite my parents.”
“What?” I let go of his hands.
“Em, I’m not exactly close to my family. I doubt they’ll mind missing it.”
“I find that a little hard to believe.”
He huffed. “You don’t know my dad.”
My fists sank into my hips. “I don’t have to. Family’s family.”
He stared at the baseboard and tapped his sneaker against it. “Not all of us are as lucky as you in that department.”
I grabbed his hand again, my heart aching for him. For what he’d lost with his dad.
“Besides,” he said, “our trip is going to be a perfect graduation present. I don’t need anything else.”
“Are you sure?”
He wrapped my arms around his back. “I’m positive. It’s more than enough. And so is this.”
Willpower conquered, I sighed in concession right before his lips warmed mine, every whim of protest devoured by his touch. I had to steady myself against the doorknob when he let go. Trevor cleared his throat. Jaycee flipped over a magazine page in her lap. But Riley didn’t tear his gaze away from mine.
“Trust me.” He fanned my hair off my shoulders and left his hand on my neck. “I still have something to show you, remember?”
So that is what this is about. If he needed a road trip to do that, it was more serious than I thought.
He nodded to the door. “C’mon. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”
My stomach dropped a little further with each step down the staircase.
Jaycee heaved her monstrous suitcases into Riley’s trunk. No telling what she’d packed for me.
In the passenger seat, I gripped my seatbelt and my last chance to protest. “What about Jake? We can’t just leave him.”
“Are you kidding? Jake and my landlord are both in doggy heaven right now. They’re gonna have a blast together. Not to mention Jake’s a bit of a seat hog. It would’ve gotten a little cramped in the back if he’d come.”
A laugh followed a visual of Jake climbing all over Trevor, hot breath in his face. “Totally would’ve been worth it.”
Jaycee bumped her knees into the back of my seat. “Girl, he would’ve been strapped in the front seat with you. These shoes are too expensive to be mauled by dog paws.”
Riley and I exchanged a glance and cracked up. Trevor shoved a wad of gum in his mouth to keep from joining us. At least we had entertainment for the ride.
A few exits down the highway, I twisted in my seat to face all three of my companions at once. “You guys realize I’m going to figure out where we’re going, right?” I pointed at a sign passing by. “I can read, you know.”
“That’s debatable,” Trevor muttered.
I rolled my eyes at his unsolicited comment. “I’m just saying, it’s not like you guys can blindfold me the whole way there or something.”
Riley swayed his head from side to side. “Not the whole way.”
“You can’t be serious.” I pivoted toward the backseat again. “Jae, help me out here.”
My jaw dropped to my chest. She was the one dangling the blindfold in her hands. “Jaycee McAllister. I can’t believe this—betrayed by my best friend.”
Trevor grabbed the blindfold. “Don’t worry, Em. It’ll be fun.”
“You’re lucky this seatbelt is holding me back right now.” Tightlipped, I swung my finger at my doubled-over friends. “You guys are so going to get it later, little conspirators.”
The last hour of our trip passed in units of sound rather than sights of the highway. The purr of the engine came to a halt. Riley waved my hands away from the blindfold. “Hold on.” He scooted it up to its designated level on my forehead. “Not quite yet.”
My car door opened thirty seconds after Riley’s door closed. Holding my hand, he guided me up a series of stairs to a leveled platform, where he untied the fabric. “Okay,” he said. “Open your eyes.”
My arms fell limp at my sides.
This couldn’t be real.
chapter thirty-five
Unveiled
A reflection of the evergreens behind us filled the oversized windows on the front of the house like a painting. I ran my hand along the intricate blend of wood and stone siding to make sure it was real. “How did you know how to find my uncle’s lake house?”
Riley edged closer. A sideways grin slid right into place. “I can’t reveal all my secrets. Surprised?”
Dumbfounded was more like it. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t believe you thought to bring me here.”
“I wanted to make it special for you. I know this place holds a lot of memories.” He draped his arm down my back and drew me in front of him. “Which is why your mom and Austin will be here tomorrow.”
“What?” How had he arranged all this? “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’re ready for an amazing weekend.” He handed me a key and lifted both our bags from the ground.
I reached up to kiss him. “It’s already amazing.” Amazing how much I loved him. Amazing how much this place looked just as it had seven years ago—the same Life is Better at the Lake decoration dressing the glass storm door, as always.
The cedar interior engulfed us in a fragrant welcome. Trevor and Jaycee scurried past us in a beeline to the deck out back. Couldn’t blame them. Nothing compared to the alpine vistas here. Not even the mountains I grew up with in California.
Riley followed me down the hallway into one of the side rooms. The sight of the queen-sized bed halted me mid-step. A twinge of heat prickled up my face.
He set my bag on the dresser while keeping his own in his hand and nodded behind me. “Trevor and I are staying across the hall.” With a wink, he lugged his bag over his shoulder and crossed into the bedroom opposite ours.
Unpacking could wait. Though still and quiet, the house pulsed with memories. I wandered through every room, gliding my fingers over each piece of furniture.
Among a series of pictures garnishing the wide fireplace mantle, one caught my eye. I traced the outline of the rugged wooden frame and blew off the covering of dust collected on top of the glass.
A
side ponytail and braces. Wow. I couldn’t have been older than eleven or twelve. Austin’s awkward middle school phase was as funny now as it was then. But nothing gripped my heart like Dad’s face. It was just how I remembered him. Youthful. Vibrant. Chasing us around with endless energy all the way until he carried us to bed after we’d crashed in the middle of the living room or kitchen floor.
Old memories melded into new ones. Maybe there didn’t have to be a tug of war between the two. Maybe my past and future were really just two colors on the same paintbrush—both adding to the mural Dad had seen all along.
I held the frame tight. Eyes closed, I could almost feel his arms wrapped around me the way he had them wrapped around us in the picture. Strong enough to wrestle with Austin, safe enough to protect me from my fears, and tender enough to reignite the look of first love on Mom’s face, even after twenty-five years. Arms that had never left me.
Riley’s hands rubbed the tops of my shoulders. “He’d be very proud of you. Proud of the woman you’ve grown into and proud of the way you’ve stayed his little girl.”
I set the picture frame back in its place among the other memories, turned, and sank into Riley’s arms and words I was finally starting to believe. He locked his fingers behind the small of my back. I looked up into his tender blue eyes—the ones that held as much belief in me as Dad’s had always held.
“You know, I think the reason I never wanted to lose that little girl is because I’m not supposed to. I’ve spent all this time chasing after a way not to disappoint him. So sure I’d find his promises in a degree, a career, even in love like he and Mom had. But I think all he really wanted was for me to find myself.”
I peered at the mantle again. My reflection blinked back at me from the glass frame. “Guess you were right. Some things are easier to see from the outside looking in.”
Riley lifted a hand to my neck. “I’ll never stop showing you.”
Trevor and Jaycee barreled in through the sliding back door. “Two words,” Trevor said, face beaming. “Jet skiing.”
Jaycee smacked him in the shoulder. “Tomorrow, adrenaline junkie.” She bent in half to stretch to her toes. “Hey, Em, will you take me for a hike around the neighborhood? I want to get a little workout in after being cramped in the car all day.”
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