One Night Only (Season 1: Deni's Story)

Chapter Twenty-Four

I already hear Hunter's voice and Paisley's shrieks when I step outside of my cottage that afternoon. There's a loud splash next, and then laughter, the noise and commotion carrying across the water from their part of the lake to mine. Instead of heading up to the road to walk to their cottage, I amble down toward the water, with a beach bag that holds my towel and sunscreen slung over my shoulder.

They come into view when I reach the shoreline. Paisley is in the lake, her head bobbing just above the water. Brooke is also there, next to her, practicing underwater somersaults. And then there's Hunter, who is flopped out across an inner tube and floating around. His eyes are hidden behind sunglasses and he wears swim trunks and no shirt, and the sight of him this way sends my mind spinning into overdrive. I've barely calmed down from our exchange this morning, and now I wonder how this afternoon might play out.

Paisley spots me and waves me over. "Deni! Come join us!"

I have Hunter's attention now, too. "Grab the raft," he calls out, pointing at an inflatable raft that's on the beach.

I threw a cover-up on over my two-piece swimsuit before leaving my cottage. I pull the cover-up over my head now and place it in my bag. Then I grab the raft, kick off my flip-flops, and head for the water.

It takes a minute of gradually wading deeper into the lake to get used to the temperature. It isn't cold, exactly, but it's also not a heated swimming pool. Once I'm in water that's close to my waist, I hoist myself onto the raft and use my arms to paddle out to where Hunter is.

"You forgot to bring your guitar," he says as I approach. "I'm crushed."

So this is how the afternoon is going to go. "Guitars aren't meant to go swimming," I inform him. "You'll just have to be patient."

"Being serenaded by you will be worth the wait. Plus, it gives you time to write me that song."

"You can keep trying, but I promise the song still isn't happening." I stretch out across the raft, positioning myself to soak up the rays of sunshine.

We settle into a relaxed quiet, and I'm struck by how serene and peaceful floating on the lake is. I'm used to the energy and roar of the Pacific Ocean, and lying on a beach while listening to the surf crash against the shore. The ocean also relaxes me, but this is pure tranquility.

I remove my sunglasses and turn my head to the side to look out over the water. In doing this, I catch sight of Hunter again. His arms and legs dangle over the sides of the inner tube, and he has his head angled up toward the sky. He appears fully relaxed and content.

My gaze roams from his face, taking in his sun-kissed skin and the lean muscles in his arms, which are probably from swimming. I wonder if he takes part in other sports, too. I could ask, I guess, but I'll never tell him the question occurred to me while I was checking him out.

I become lost enough in my thoughts that I don't notice my raft drifting closer to Hunter until it's perilously close to hitting the side of the inner tube he's on. He started watching me at some point, which means he knows I've been getting an eyeful of him.

"Earth to space cadet." Hunter takes off his sunglasses and perches them on top of his head. A sly grin creeps across his face. "Were you admiring me or something?"

I've been caught, but I refuse to admit it. "And if I was?" I try to sound unbothered so there's nothing for him to read into.

"Then I hope you liked the view." He's lowered his voice and speaks at a volume just loud enough that I can hear him but Paisley and Brooke can't. He peers straight into my eyes.

"No complaints." I'm still attempting to play it cool, even though my pulse quickens and I feel anything but this. I put my sunglasses back on as a way of punctuating my sentence and silently congratulate myself for getting through that exchange without giving myself away in front of Hunter, Paisley, and Brooke.