Worth It

This girl had gotten under my skin, into my blood, and controlled all the major organs…probably most of the minor ones too. I needed to see her again, have her in my arms and hold her. Talk to her.

There had been so many times I’d thought of something I’d wanted to tell her. Bentley had reached for a toy, grabbed it, and put it into her mouth for the first time. I’d been all fired to race into the forest and tell Felicity all about it, only to remember she wouldn’t be there. And it had felt as if someone had sliced me opened I missed her so much.

But today, she was back.

So, here I loitered at the docks in the hopes she could get away from all her unpacking to come see me so we could catch up.

If she still wanted to see me.

I sank my top teeth into my bottom lip with a sudden thought. What if she’d gone to the beach and met some other guy? What if all this time away from me had pushed me out of her mind? What if she never came into the woods to visit me again?

Tossing a flat rock I’d picked up from the shore into my palm a few times, I eyed the calm strip pit, trying not to worry, and failing. Hating the uncertainty, I wound back my arm and heaved the rock out over the water. It skipped along the surface about a dozen times before sinking.

From behind me, someone clapped heartily.

I whirled around, afraid I’d find some other Bainbridge family member, but my breath caught as City stepped onto the ramp.

“Impressive,” she said, watching me with a shy yet utterly seductive smile. “I’ve never been able to skip a rock that many times.”

I couldn’t speak as she drew closer. So I nervously shoved my hands into my pockets and soaked her in. She’d gotten a tan and her cheeks looked permanently flushed, with maybe two or three new freckles added to the three she already had. Her top and shorts were something I’d never seen her wear before. They made her legs look longer and her waist smaller. The differences made me uncomfortable. I wanted her to be my same, sweet, amazing City. But then I saw her feet, and she was wearing a pair of sandals she’d worn out here before. So I relaxed.

“Welcome home,” I said. Then I took a breath and admitted, “I missed you.”

Her face lit up as if that was exactly what she’d been waiting to hear, then she dove at me, hugging me hard. I caught her against my chest and wrapped her up in my arms until I pulled her up off her feet, so relieved to be with her again. I buried my nose in her hair and breathed in her familiar scent. It enveloped me, and everything in my world was right again.

“I bet not hardly as much as I missed you,” she argued against my shoulder as she took a big whiff of me too. “I swear, these were the two longest weeks of my life.”

I hadn’t hugged her nearly long enough yet, but I set her back on the dock and forced a cheerful smile. “So…” I demanded. “Tell me everything. I want to hear all about your trip.”

Her forehead wrinkled into a frown. “And I want to kiss my boyfriend hello.” She stretched onto her tiptoes to reach me. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

This time, my grin was genuine as I set a finger against her lips. “Exactly. It’s been two of the most miserable fucking weeks of my life, stuck here without you. When I start kissing you hello, I’m not coming up for air for a good long while. So...we’re talking first.”

“Not coming up for air’s fine by me.” She tried to kiss me again, but I laughed and dodged away from her.

“Woman, stop trying to tempt me.”

She chased after me. “Then give in already.”

“No. I’m trying to be noble here and listen to you tell me about your vacation.”

“Screw noble. We can talk later. I want to make out and maybe revisit a couple bases.”

My body stirred, wanting the same exact thing. But before I gave in and let her have her way, she stumbled and started to tumble toward the water.

“Shit!” I caught her and jerked her against me. She clung to me a moment, breathing hard as she regained her balance. With my hands on her shoulders, I said, “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you. I don’t—” She looked down to see what she’d tripped over and blinked in befuddlement at the box wrapped in birthday paper with a sad, mangled bow on top.

I flushed, suddenly embarrassed with my pathetic gift. She was a Bainbridge, used to the best of the best, and I couldn’t even get my lame present wrapped decently.

“What is that?” She let go of me to kneel down and study it as if it were some foreign object.

“What’s it look like?” I had thought the words Happy Birthday splashed all over it would be a dead giveaway. Sitting next to the gift, I grinned at her reaction even as I worried about how disappointed she’d probably be when she opened it.