Your sister’s house looking at honeymoon pictures.
“Who was it?” Jane asked.
“Ali,” Chloe lied, keeping her anxious gaze on the phone.
“You two have plans tonight?”
“Maybe.” The message came seconds later.
Meet me at Mitchell’s in thirty minutes.
Excitement buzzed through her as she quickly typed: Why?
Taking out my dad’s boat and I want you with me. Wear your swimsuit.
Excitement bubbling within her, Chloe glanced out the window, saw Jane’s three children playing in the backyard with Jane’s new husband. They were happy, seemingly well adjusted now that their mom was married to Chris. Chloe liked him. He was solid, dependable, and when he looked at Jane, his love for her was written all over his face.
Chloe wanted a love like that. Not with Cam, she told herself quickly. Never with Cam.
Okay, maybe a little bit she wanted it with Cam.
“Want to stay for dinner? Mindy and the kids are coming over later.” Jane shook her head as she opened the refrigerator door and peeked inside. “Easing back into cooking meals every day hasn’t been fun. I was spoiled on my honeymoon.”
Chris chose that moment to walk in the house, an easy grin on his face. “I’ll make dinner.”
Jane flashed him a smile in return, pressing her head against his chest when he came to where she sat and gave her a quick hug, kissing her forehead. “And I won’t refuse your offer.”
“Not a surprise,” he said, glancing at Chloe. “You staying for dinner?”
“I’m afraid I can’t.” She needed to go see Cam.
“Another time, then. We’ll have a big family barbecue next time I’m off shift and invite everyone,” Chris suggested.
“That sounds great. Let me know when.” Chloe stood and went to her friend, kissing her on the cheek. “I’d love to stay but I can’t tonight. How about sometime next week?”
“Sure.” Jane looked startled at Chloe’s abrupt pending departure. “I haven’t seen you much since I’ve been back.”
“It’s only been what, a week? You’ve been busy! I bet the kids were glad to have you guys home.”
“Yeah, they were.” Jane studied her, her gaze narrowed. “And I hardly saw you at the barbecue on the Fourth. You disappeared for a while. I went looking for you.”
Everyone had gone looking for them. They’d hid in an excellent spot. “I was there, watching the fireworks. There were so many people around, it’s easy to lose sight of each other, you know?”
“Uh, huh.” Jane sounded like she didn’t believe her. Chloe couldn’t worry about it, though.
She had a date with Cameron to get to.
…
Cam hopped into his dad’s old fishing boat, tossing the giant backpack he’d brought into the bow. Inside he’d packed a couple of water bottles, towels, and a thin blanket.
Pretty much the same things he’d pack when he used to take Melanie on his dad’s boat. When they would go as far out as they could, closer to the dam where hardly anyone went. Where the water was deep and cool and the sun settled along the horizon, bleeding pink and gold across the sky until it finally disappeared behind the mountains.
It was a favorite spot, tainted by memories of a shitty girlfriend who’d broken his stupid teenage heart.
He wanted to erase the memory of taking Melanie out on the boat and replace it with Chloe. She was helping him erase all those other old memories, too, creating fresh and exciting new ones.
Like the night they’d grabbed a couple of ice creams at Mitchell’s store and spoon-fed each other in the back of his old truck. It had been one of the most erotic experiences he’d ever had. Licking the ice cream from her spoon as she fed him, his gaze had never strayed from hers. The hitch in her breathing when he’d leaned in and licked the melting creamy substance from her lips, their tongues cool and sweet as they slid against each other…