He took her hands in his, lifted them to his lips, and kissed every one of her knuckles before meeting her gaze. “I love you, Lacey. And before you say anything or nothing at all, which would be okay, I needed you to know that. These past several days have been the best in my life. Thank you for picking me out of all the people on the beach. I’m so thankful for that… so thankful you kissed me. That will be forever ingrained in my heart. I just didn’t want you to get on the plane without knowing that.”
A lone tear leaked out of each corner of Lacey’s eyes, and more followed. “You do?”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, with all of my heart. You made me believe in love at first kiss.”
Drew wasn’t sure what Lacey would say to that, didn’t know if she would complete the thought she’d uttered out loud in her sleep. But Drew did know that if she said those three words to him, it would make him the happiest man in the world.
The driver leaned toward them. “Miss, we’re going to cut it close to your departure time if we don’t hurry.”
Lacey gave the driver a weak smile, nodded, and held her pointer finger up before pulling Drew aside. His heart thumped harder, and for the first time doubt about how she truly felt started to form in his head. Was it possible that she didn’t feel the same? Maybe he’d misread her?
He cleared his throat. “You don’t need to say anything. I just needed you to know.”
“Drew Mitchell…” He arched a brow at her use of his full name. “You made me believe that romance isn’t dead. That maybe it could be possible to have a relationship again. I’ve been a bit of a skeptic lately, but you’re a special man.” Drew shrugged, giving her a smirk. Lacey laughed and swatted at his shoulder. “I’m going to miss you a lot… but…” She rolled on the balls of her feet and kissed him one last time before turning back toward the car.
Drew opened her door. “No buts. Be safe and don’t worry about your cab fare; it’s been taken care of.”
Lacey slid in the car and looked up at him. “Thank you, Drew.For everything.”
Even though his heart ached at having to say goodbye, he mustered a smile. “I’ll be back in Chicago in a couple days. We’ll talk soon, Lacey.”
“Okay.”
Drew knew Lacey was still skeptical of where their relationship could go, but he wasn’t. He knew exactly the direction it was headed.
It didn’t matter how many vacations were spent at Spero over the years, this one had been the best, though his next two nights weren’t going to come close to measuring up. There was something to be said about falling asleep with the one you love in your arms and waking the same way. Drew always thought saying the wordsI love youto a woman would be difficult or take years devoted to a relationship, but with Lacey, it was just as easy as saying “Hello.”
Though only two hours had passed since Lacey left, Drew had looked at his phone no fewer than fifty times. He needed to occupy himself, and thankfully Ethan had taken time off; the two men would be heading out with George on an all-day fishing excursion.
Ethan met Drew at the dock and smiled brightly at his friend. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make it.”
“Where else would I be?” Drew asked as they climbed into George’s swaying boat.
“Wallowing?” Ethan chuckled, but Drew’s eyes shot laser beams at him. “Hey, don’t give me that look. I saw your face after Lacey’s cab pulled away. To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t checked out and changed your flight.”
Drew spun his hat around just like it was when Lacey first kissed him. “Believe me, if I could have changed my flight, I would have.”
George climbed up the short staircase from the galley. “Hi, boys, are you ready to catch your dinner?”
Both men greeted the captain with handshakes and took their respective places at the bow. The engine roared to life, and the three men set out for a day of relaxation and bonding.
Once out to a prime fishing spot, George anchored the boat. The guys dropped their lines and sat in silence, waiting for something to happen. Drew wondered if Lacey had ever been fishing. Did her father take her when she was a kid? It broke his heart knowing she didn’t have a family. One day, they would be a family—Drew would make sure of it.
He could picture it as clear as the day was long. First, they’d get married, and Lacey would look stunning walking down an aisle toward him to exchange their vows. He would spend the rest of his life being the best husband and partner he could be. Then they’d have children… a little girl as pretty as her mother and a little boy who would love them just as much as he did. Drew had never wanted anything more.
The buzz of the reel spinning interrupted Drew’s thoughts; Ethan was doing his best to pull his catch out of the water.
“A little help here,” Ethan beckoned with a firm grip on the now-bent pole.
George stood next to him, a bucket in hand, waiting to help gather the fish as soon as it broke the plane of the water. “You got a big one, son. Maybe you’ll finally beat my record.”
Drew took his place on Ethan’s other side, staring at the rippling water as his friend struggled to reel his catch in. He knew the other two men had a small competition between them.
“She’s a fighter!” George bellowed. “Do you think you can handle her, or do you want my expert assistance?”
Drew laughed, but Ethan leaned forward, gathering line with each spin of the handle. After what felt like forever, the line went a bit slack, and the ripples started to slow down. “Got her!” A fish the size of a small shark started to appear through the water. Drew held his breath, the excitement of the moment mounting. Just as Ethan was about to pull in the fish, his line went limp, and his hook wassuddenly empty.
George chuckled. “Looks like she got away.” He clapped his buddy on his shoulder. “Nice try, though.”