“That was a blast,” Denise said after she got back from a ride on the jet ski with Mitch. Her hair was damp, and her cheeks flushed. “Are you going to go for a ride?”
Belle shook her head. “I’m not sure—”
Denise laid a hand on her arm. “You really should. It’s a ton of fun.” The woman turned to watch as one of the boats again passed by them at a distance. “I’m hoping to try skiing next.”
Though Belle could see that the others were having fun, there was no way she was going to get on skis or an innertube. She had never been that brave even when she’d been younger and more willing to try fun things. Still, she had to admit she was enjoying herself more than she’d thought she would.
At the encouragement of Maya, Jasmine got on the jet ski behind Tristan. Belle turned to watch as Tristan guided the jet ski away from the houseboat before opening it up. Jasmine’s scream of delight drifted across the water, making Belle smile.
“You gonna go out on the water, sis?” Rory asked as she took the seat Jasmine had abandoned.
“I was just telling her she should,” Denise said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
“Are you going to, Rory?”
“Yep. I’m up with the next group going on the boats. I want to try the inner tube.”
“Me, too!” Denise said, excitement clear in her voice. “We should go together.”
The sound of a jet ski drowned out their conversation, and Belle looked over the edge of the houseboat to see it had pulled up beside them. The motor cut out as Mitch stood, grabbing onto the lower metal rail as he pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head.
“Wanna come for a ride, Belle?” he asked.
“Um…I’m not sure.”
“You should go with him,” Denise said, apparently totally fine with her boyfriend giving another woman a ride.
Belle stared at Mitch, surprised to find herself wanting to say yes. “It’s not really my thing.”
She glanced over her shoulder when she felt Rory poke her in the side.
“Go. You know you want to.”
Belle looked back at Mitch. He leaned closer to the boat as he stared up at her. “Do you trust me?”
And wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Belle trusted him with her business, but could she trust him with her safety? She already knew she wasn’t prepared to trust him—or anyone, for that matter—with her heart. If he had even wanted that.
“Belle,” he said again. “Do you trust me?”
“Oooh…” Belle heard Denise say softly beside her as if she’d just realized something.
Heart pounding, Belle nodded, hoping that Mitch realized that she was just trusting him about the ride, not anything else. “Yes, I do.”
A smile immediately spread across his face, crinkling the tanned skin at the corners of his eyes. “Excellent. Get a life jacket on, and I’ll circle around and come to the back of the boat to get you.”
When she nodded, he settled back down on the jet ski, lowering his sunglasses over his eyes. Slowly, he accelerated away from the boat.
“C’mon,” Denise said, getting to her feet and pulling Belle with her. “Let’s get you a life jacket.”
Casting a glance at Rory—who gave her a grin and two thumbs up—Belle allowed herself to be pulled to the back of the houseboat.
“Do you have a swimsuit on under your clothes?” Denise asked. “You’d probably be more comfortable in just that, if you do.”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Perfect,” Denise said. “Take those off, and I’ll put them with your stuff.”
Belle hesitated for a moment before quickly pulling off the over-size T-shirt and the shorts she wore. Once she was just in her swimsuit, Denise handed her a life jacket. After Belle had slipped it on, Denise helped fasten it at the front.
“There you are. You’re all ready to go.” Denise gave her an encouraging smile. “And don’t worry. Mitch is a good driver. Out of all of them, I’d trust him or Tristan the most.”
Belle was still curious about the relationship between Denise and Mitch, but she was starting to think that it wasn’t what she’d assumed it was. Together they watched as Mitch approached the back of the houseboat and cut the engine again.
“Just step down onto that landing part,” Denise said. “Then Mitch will help you onto the machine.”
“Ready to go?” Mitch asked as she approached him.
“I guess so,” Belle said. “Denise said you’re a good driver.”
“The best,” he said with a wink. Mitch held his hand out to her, waiting through her hesitation until she reached out and took it.
He helped her get settled on the back of the jet ski then looked at her over his shoulder. “Grip the sides of my life jacket. You’ll feel more secure if you have something to hold on to.”
Belle had kind of expected him to tell her to wrap her arms around him, so was thankful she didn’t have to do that. It was enough that her knees were pressed against his hips. Lifting her hands, she grabbed hold of the jacket as he started the machine up.
Though she had anticipated a more rapid departure from the boat, Mitch made it a gradual thing. Once they were further away, he slowly increased their speed and made a gentle arc away from the houseboat.
As they picked up speed, Belle tightened her grip on Mitch’s life jacket. They headed for the end of the island and then Mitch guided the jet ski around the tip where there was a lighthouse. A short time later, Mitch slowed the machine down, guiding it to a stop.
“That’s the cabin up there,” Mitch said, pointing at a small cliff.
Belle looked up and saw the sun glinting off the large windows facing them. “You realize cabin is a little misleading.”
Mitch chuckled. “Yeah. I guess it’s more like a lodge or something.”
“Having seen the size of your family, I guess you couldn’t do with a smaller one.”
“No, not really, though the configuration of the cabin doesn’t really work well for us anymore. It worked better when we were all single. Girls in one room. Boys in another. Now, however, the married ones seem to want to sleep together for some reason,” Mitch said with a chuckle.
“Where are they this weekend? At the hotel?”
“No. They’re in RVs at the campground. It was just easier with the babies.”
“Well, it was nice of your family to offer beds to us. I had kind of thought we’d be at the hotel.”
He glanced over his shoulder, shifting a bit. “I hope it wasn’t too much of a disappointment to be at the cabin.”
Belle hesitated then said, “I’ll be honest. I’m not really used to sharing a room with anyone.”
“Well, hopefully the girls don’t snore as badly as some of the guys I’m sharing with do.” Mitch paused. “If you find you can’t sleep, you’re more than welcome to hang out downstairs. Grab a drink or a snack too. We’ve all had moments like that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Belle said, though she wasn’t sure she would feel comfortable wandering around someone else’s home in the middle of the night.
Instead of saying anything more, Mitch started up the jet ski and turned them back toward the tip of the island. He didn’t go right back to the houseboat though, choosing instead to go around another smaller island.
Belle took it all in, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. The wind through her hair. The spray of water soaking into her swimsuit. It wasn’t something she often experienced—or at all, really—but it was exhilarating. And she knew that she was enjoying it much more because she was with Mitch.
He guided the jet ski at a slow pace that allowed her to enjoy the experience and the view. This was a part of Hecla she hadn’t seen on her previous visits to the island. Granted, she hadn’t seen much beyond the hotel those times. All in all, she was coming to enjoy this visit more than any previous ones.
Disappointment began to spiral through Belle as Mitch turned the jet ski back toward the houseboat. She wasn’t sure that s
he wanted to go back just yet.
“Do we have…” She gave up saying anything more as the words seem to be swept away by the wind and the noise of the jet ski.
The machine slowed then Mitch cut the engine, allowing the jet ski to settle back into the water. Turning slightly, he looked at her. “Did you say something?”
She started to shake her head, then said, “Do we have to go back already?”
His brows rose a bit, but then he shook his head as he smiled at her. “Nope. We can stay out a bit longer.”
Keeping her grip on his life jacket, Belle held on tightly as they continued their journey around the lake. Belle still felt a bit disappointed when they eventually headed back to the houseboat, but it wasn’t as bad. For a few minutes, she’d been able to forget all about the stresses of her life. Out on the water, it had been just her and Mitch and the nature surrounding them.
She had been able to be close to Mitch without having to hold a conversation with him. It was more than she’d allowed herself in the past.
Back at the houseboat awhile later, Mitch brought the jet ski to a stop. Gabe was there to help her step back onto the deck.
Turning to Mitch, Belle said, “Thanks for the ride. That was a lot of fun.”
“Glad you enjoyed it.” His dimples deepened as he smiled at her.
“You better pull away, bro,” Gabe said. “The boat’s coming in.”
Mitch glanced out across the water then lowered his sunglasses back into place before accelerating, moving much faster than he had when Belle had been with him. After Mitch pulled away, Belle headed back to the main part of the houseboat.
She found that Jasmine and Denise were gone, but Rory was sitting there talking to a blonde woman who she introduced to Belle as Erin, James Dawson’s wife. Belle smiled at her as she pulled out the towel she’d brought and quickly wrapped it around her waist before taking a seat beside Rory. As usual, her older sister was happy to keep up the conversation, allowing Belle to just sit and watch all the activity taking place around them.
People continued to climb off and back onto the houseboat as the afternoon progressed. There were plenty of snacks and drinks sitting on a table in the middle of the area where people had tended to congregate. It was a gathering made up of all ages and types of people. She’d been surprised to see a player from the Blue Bombers football team, and it had been a bit of a surprise to also see a professional hockey player there. Mitch had never mentioned that he was related to a player in the NHL. It was a bit funny to listen to the professional football player and the professional hockey player rib each other throughout the afternoon about which sport was better.
Though Belle had gotten wet, she wasn’t soaked, so it didn’t take long for her swimsuit to dry. Having no plans to go back out on the water, Belle slipped back into her shorts and T-shirt. The day was going better than she had anticipated, given her earlier anxiety.
Denise and Jasmine showed up a short time later, both wet from their time spent on the inner tube pulled by one of the boats. Seeing Jasmine’s happiness, Belle was glad they’d come. Like her, Jasmine’s life tended to be wrapped up in the business though her little sister was a bit better at having an outside social life, and she definitely had more girlfriends than Belle did. However, neither of them had anything like this.
Maybe she needed to encourage Jasmine to spend a little less time at the boutique so that her younger sister could have the chance to enjoy a broader social life—even in the summer during their busiest months. While Belle was enjoying this adventure more than she’d thought she would, it wasn’t something she needed the way she knew Jasmine did. She’d been so tied up in her own issues with work and the move that she hadn’t even thought about what the increase in business was demanding of Jasmine. That was something she needed to change.
Mitch came onto the houseboat mid-afternoon. He took off his life jacket then tugged on a T-shirt before heading over to where they sat after making a quick detour to grab a small bag of chips and a can of soda.
“Enjoying the afternoon?” he asked as he sat down on a chair across from them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Yes. Very much,” Belle assured him. Quite possibly too much. Though she didn’t share that with him.
“This houseboat thing is amazing,” Denise added.
Mitch glanced around. “Yeah. After renting a houseboat for one of the bachelor parties, Dad decided we should have one for ourselves. So, he and Bennett found someone selling it down in the States and imported it. They stripped the boat down, and then rebuilt it.
“They didn’t intend to use it as a place to live, but rather they wanted to have it available for times like these. To accommodate a crowd and our family’s needs. They set up a special nursery room, so moms could bring babies on board, knowing there was a suitable place for them to nap. There’s also a small kitchen so we can bring food or drinks on board. And, of course, a bathroom and changing room. Dad just wanted it to be used like this. A place for people to hang out on the water but away from the glaring sun. Unless someone does want the sun. Then they can go up on the second floor.”
Belle was impressed with what they’d done to make it suitable for their needs. She could even see how the boat could be used for a small wedding and informal reception. It wouldn’t work for Gabe and Maya, but she could see it being a lovely place for a couple who didn’t want to spend too much money on a wedding.
A sunset wedding. That’s what it would be perfect for.
“This would be a lovely place to have an intimate sunset wedding,” Belle said.
Jasmine laughed. “Ever the wedding planner, eh, sis?”
Belle shrugged, giving her a sheepish look. “You know it’s a hazard of the job. I do tend to assess places for their suitability for ceremonies and receptions. And this would be a great place. Not that I’m suggesting using this one for anyone in particular. Just that it would be a lovely location for a sunset wedding.”
“You’re not wrong,” Denise agreed. “I’d love to have a wedding like that. The only problem is that my mom’s already written out her side of the guest list. That number alone would sink this boat.”
“Do you need a dress?” Jasmine asked. “If so, come see us. We can give you a good deal.”
“I see I’m not the only one thinking about the business,” Belle said, giving her a nudge.
“I’ve learned from the best,” Jasmine replied.
“Well, I don’t need a dress just yet,” Denise said with a laugh. “Have to find a boyfriend first. But I’ll be sure to keep your offer in mind if that time ever comes.”
“Just make sure you find us at our new location on Waterfront Drive,” Belle said, causing the others around them to laugh.
Maya had come over to join them as the laughter died down, and Denise said, “Hey Maya, once you and Gabe tie the knot, who’s next?”
“Given that the only one of the family currently in a relationship, but not married, is Kenton, I’d say it will probably be him and Avery.” Maya paused then added. “But who knows. Love can happen fast for some people.”
Denise nodded her head then glanced around. “I know they’re not family, but I would venture a guess that maybe Tami and Keenan will be ready to take that plunge soon.”
“I wonder where they’d get married,” Maya said. “After all, Keenan’s family is all in Chicago.”
While discussion turned to destination weddings or weddings where the families were in two different locations, people continued to come and go off the houseboat. It wasn’t long before Mitch’s brothers had gotten him back out on the water, this time on skis behind one of the boats.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Belle?” Denise asked when there was a lull in the conversation.
Belle shook her head. “I don’t really have time for one. There’s a lot going on at the moment. It’s our busiest time of year, plus we’re getting ready for the big move. There’s no time for a social life right now.”
/> “Well, there would be if you’d hire someone to help you out,” Jasmine said. “You’d think you were the eldest child with that Type A personality you’re showing once again. The need to control everything is definitely strong with you.”
“Do you think no one will be able to do the job as well as you?” Denise asked, her brow furrowed.
“It’s not that,” Belle said. “It’s just…well, it’s our family business. No one is going to work as hard for the business or work to uphold the reputation of the business as much as a family member.”
“That could be true,” Denise said. “But there are also plenty of people who take pride in their work and would do a great job because of their own personal work ethic.”
Belle knew her words had merit, but she still struggled to believe whoever she brought in would feel the same commitment that she did. Hiring people to help brides find the right dress was one thing. Hiring someone to plan their weddings was another. Belle had strong relationships with the vendors they used. Some of those relationships even went back to when her mother had been in charge of the planning. It wasn’t just the weddings that were at risk, but also those relationships. All they needed was for one misunderstanding, and they could possibly lose a valuable connection.
“Even my mom says Belle should hire someone, but Belle is a stubborn one,” Jasmine said, her smile taking the sting out of the words.
“I have heard great things about your business,” Denise said. “I’ve had several friends get married recently. Not all have used your wedding planning services, but the ones that have were impressed. They say you’re not cheap, but that you’re worth every penny.”
“And that’s why I prefer to handle the planning myself since we charge what we do for our services.”
Belle felt a bit of irritation at the fact that even out there on the water, she couldn’t escape the opinions of people—some who barely knew her—who felt she was working too hard. Well, she was the only one who could be the true judge of that. And she wasn’t delusional enough to say she wasn’t, but at the same time, she knew it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
A Touch of Romance_A Christian Romance Page 22