“Yet you said it wasn’t your idea to come here ...”
I frown. “Okay, smart ass, but I didn’t not want to come here because I’m shy or reserved, I had other reasons. Normally, I would jump at the chance to take a break ...”
“What are those other reasons?”
I grin at him. “Maybe when you let me have a little more of you, I’ll let you have a little more of me.”
He grins. “Touché.”
Dammit, I actually like this man.
“Where are we going?” I ask, putting my paddle back in the water.
“I’ve got a spot.”
“Are you going to drown me there? We all heard about murder ranch, maybe it’s a theme?”
He shoves me with his paddle, and I laugh.
“That shouldn’t have happened, it won’t happen again. Enough shit goin’ on in this town for us to deal with, don’t need extras.”
“Oh, like what? More murders?”
“Can’t tell you.”
I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see.
We kayak to a beautiful area that comes off the lake, and it’s met by a small waterfall and a big grassy area where they’ve put a concrete table and chairs beneath a beautiful big tree. Oh yes, this is my kind of place. We pull up as close to the shore as we can, and Enzo drags the kayak up onto the surface. I walk over to the table with my lunch bag and sit down, closing my eyes and breathing in deep.
This is great.
“Knew you’d like it here,” he murmurs.
I pop my eyes open and stare at him; he’s sitting across from me. “Because you know me so well.”
“I can read people, you’re not hard to read.”
I roll my eyes, this time so he can see. He grins.
“And tell me, mind reader, what is it you can see when it comes to me?”
He stares at me in a way that makes my skin tingle and my body go a little funny inside. He’s so gorgeous, the kind of man you’d snatch up and keep forever, not because of his looks, but because of the entire presence of him. He radiates this strong, masculine energy, you know he’d always take care of you. That’s not something I’ve had a great deal of in my life.
“You’re hidin’ somethin’, somethin ’big.”
I blink.
My heart skips a beat, and not in a good way.
He can tell that just by looking at my face? How?
“Is that so?” I say casually, opening my lunch bag and pulling out an apple.
I bite into it, mostly so he can’t see how tense my jaw is right now.
“It’s so,” he murmurs, “I just can’t figure out what it is. It makes you put up the front you’re walkin’ around with, the carefree, I don’t like people front. Really, deep down, you fuckin’ need people more than you need your next breath of air.”
I snort.
Mostly because he’s right.
But also because I don’t know how else to react.
“Well, thanks for the run down,” I say between bites. “I’ll keep that in mind when I’m writing my next dating profile. Anything else I should add?”
He grins. “Your humor is contagious, June, but your face gives you away.”
I take another bite, holding his eyes, mine narrowed.
He winks at me.
“Ugh, I’ve changed my mind, I don’t like you at all. Come on, show me around this place before we get so close we start singing kumbaya together.”
His grin gets bigger.
I’m growing on him.
He stands and I put my lunch bag back into the kayak and follow him. We walk amongst some trees, through some grass and finally come out at a large field, so open, filled with beautiful purple flowers. I stare at it, completely struck by its utter beauty. I’ve never seen anything in my life that I’ve wanted to run through as much as this.
“This is ... This is incredible. What is this place?”
He leans in close. “It’s ... a field.”
I slap his arm with a laugh. “I know that, you idiot. I mean ... those flowers ...”
“They’re weeds.”
I blink at him. “Excuse me?”
“They’re actually weeds. We’re going to spray this field and bring the grass back up to put some more cows on.”
“Is this some sort of bad joke? There is no way those are weeds.”
“They’re weeds. Beautiful, but a pest.”
“I’ve never heard a better way to describe myself yet ...”
He smirks. “Well, beautiful pest, go in and walk through them. They won’t be here soon.”
“Why would you bring me to a field of weeds?”
“Just because they’re weeds doesn’t mean they ain’t spectacular.”
“Also a great way to describe me.” I grin, and then I turn and run into the field of weeds.
I put my hands out to the side, close my eyes, and spin in circles. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen —there are so many of them they’re just surrounding me, covering me in their pretty purple flowers. I’m full of joy in this moment, so utterly happy. I could lie in this field all day and never leave. I can’t believe they’re going to kill it all.