DELANEY
The drive up to Crescent Lake is a familiar ghost, with new gas stations and dollar stores dotting the road. But even with the townhomes replacing the old grove of birch trees, I could still find my way up here with my eyes closed.
I don’t remember when I first started performing.
There’s a home video of me singing an old Dolly Parton song at our little Ridgecrest Art Center talent show, and I can’t be older than four.
And there’s a clip of me singing on the kitchen counters as a toddler that my parents dredged up a few years ago when my team decided we needed to put out a documentary detailing my journey to fame.
I’ve been singing since I could talk, or so the story goes.
I’m lucky. I found my passion early.
But is it luck? Or has my whole life been one carefully crafted step after another? A fresh wave of guilt hits me in the chest. I must be a special kind of fucked up to not appreciate the dream I’m living.
And then there’s Connor. I swear, every time he opens his mouth, he shocks me more. Part of me is still mad at him. But the other part of me? The other part is hungry. I want to push and explore and see just how far those words of his will go.
A heavy hand lands on my leg, warm and inviting, and my breath hitches in my throat.
“Since we’re doing this whole raw honesty thing,” I say, desperate to get out of my own head, “you wanna tell me what the deal is with the orchard?”
Connor sighs, and the weight of it feels so similar to the burden I’m used to carrying.
He pulls into a grassy clearing, a makeshift parking lot for the lake, and lets out a deep exhale. “It’s a money pit. And the worst part is, I don’t care. Dad is so determined that I’ll keep it going, keep the family legacy going, but I don’t have the heart for it like he did.”
“So this is the great Connor Majors’ Achilles heel. Looks like I’m not the only one with daddy issues.” I tease.
Connor puffs out a little laugh and meets my eyes with a smirk. “Glad to know we’re both fucked up in the same way.”
“Oh, I’m definitely still more fucked up than you, but this does level the playing field a little bit. Has he always been this pushy, or is this a new development?”
“Things with him have gotten…” Connor pauses, searching for the words. “Complicated since you left.”
I nod as we both hop out of Connor’s car, accepting the silence between us as the answer to all the questions still swirling in my head.
If anyone understands complicated, it’s me. There’s still so much left unsaid, still so much about Connor I don’t know anymore. But I do know that these past few weeks in Ridgecrest have brought me more peace than I ever thought possible.
Connor leads the way down the path to the lake, careful to stomp down any overgrown plants in our way.
The still, glistening surface of the lake greets us as we round the final turn. And it’s just as picturesque as I remembered. The lingering tension between us eases with the gentle sound of the breeze on the water.
I let out a breath. “It hasn’t changed a bit. God, I missed this place.”
Calling Crescent Lake a “lake” is definitely a stretch.
But Crescent Overgrown Pond doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
Situated at the top of a small hill and surrounded by trees, it’s an East Tennessee oasis.
Pretty sure it’s on no man's land, backing up to some farmland that’s sat idle for years.
I let the sun warm my face, setting down all my worry for a moment.
Connor’s strong arms encircle me, his chin resting on my shoulder, and my body reacts instantly to the contact.
It’s electric being so close to him, and all I can think about is that kiss, that perfect kiss we shared on the choir trip.
“I’m sorry again if I was being too pushy about recording your own stuff.
You’re right, I don’t get it all. But I do know a few things…
” Connor mumbles into my ear and my stomach swoops low.
“I like you.” He turns me in his arms so I’m facing him, grinning from ear to ear.
“Like, really like you. And I know you don’t want me to fix things for you, but if you let me, I bet I can make you forget everything for a few minutes. ”
That smiling face silences the ever-present anxiety swirling in my head.
Connor lands one sweet and swift kiss on my forehead before stepping back, toeing off his tennis shoes. Eyes still locked on me, he yanks his T-shirt off over his head with one pull.
A laugh bubbles out. “What’s this, a strip tease?”
His hands move to loosen his belt. “Lanie Lou, I’ve been waiting dang near half my life to go skinny dipping with you at Crescent Lake. You really gonna make me keep waiting?”
My mouth pops open as his jeans fall to his ankles.
Finally, he breaks my gaze, kicking his jeans onto the growing pile of clothes and bending to pull off his socks.
Without a glance back, he takes off in a sprint to the edge of the lake.
In one quick movement, his last article of clothing comes off and his boxers go flying, and I’m left standing slack-jawed, staring at Connor Majors’ perfect, bare ass.
And just like that, he’s made good on his promise, I seem to have forgotten everything.
He runs in, the once still water splashing all around him. He wades in to his chest, then turns to face me, a shit-eating grin spread wide.
“What are you waiting for, a written invitation?”
I’ve spent most of my adult life with people staring at me. On stage, in interviews, even just walking down the street. But nothing compares to the way Connor is looking at me right now. It’s a mixture of anticipation and need. And I am more than willing to satisfy both.
I toy with the hem of my shirt while I kick off my shoes.
The heat in Connor’s eyes makes my heart race.
All these years, and this is what was waiting for me in Ridgecrest. I want to savor this feeling, but his expectant gaze is a force I can’t fight.
I shimmy out of my pants quickly and toss them with Connor’s clothes, my tank top coming off next.
Standing there at the edge of the lake in just my bra and underwear, I motion for Connor to turn around, and he dutifully obeys.
“I can’t believe you got me naked in the woods, Connor Majors,” I say as the last of my clothes joins the pile. The air whips around me as I tiptoe into the lake. “If I get bitten by a bug or fish, I’m gonna kill you.”
Connor just laughs, deep and sexy, and swims farther into the lake. I sink down to my shoulders, bobbing in the chilly water, then he turns back to face me.
My heart races under his gaze.
“Delaney.” He shakes his head, the glow of desire still burning in his eyes. The heat sends shivers through me. “Tell me what you’re thinking.” He bobs in the water, treading out deeper.
I tilt my head back, keeping myself mostly submerged. The sky is dotted with white, the sun hiding behind the clouds. The Tennessee sky I didn’t know I was missing. “I’m thinking about how this looks like all my favorite memories.”
“All my favorite memories look like you.” He replies simply.
“Damn, you’re just full of good lines today, aren’t you?”
He shakes his head again. “Baby, these aren’t lines. This is me finally being honest with you, and myself.”
That sends my stomach into cartwheels and I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face.
“Well, honesty suits you.”
“Yeah?” He says, voice deep. “You want some more?”
And fuck, if I wasn’t in over my head with him before, I definitely am now. I swim his way, suddenly desperate to close the space between us.
“I always want more.”
Connor dives down under the water and pops up moments later right in front of me. Water drips off his dark lashes, and his eyes twinkle with mischief as we tread water inches from each other.
“I honestly think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I send a little splash of water to his face. “That’s because you’ve never left Ridgecrest. Plenty more beautiful people than me in L.A.”
He shakes his head. “Nope, not possible.” He continues on. “I honestly believe you’re more talented than you let people see.”
My eyes trail over his face, searching for the lie, but all I see is sincerity. I let my gaze linger on his full lips, the memory of them forever burned onto mine.
His voice drops even lower. “And I honestly want to make you mine, for real.” His eyes slowly move downward as his hands find my waist in the water. The touch sends my heart into a frenzy.
Our feet brush, still spinning in the water to keep us afloat.
“Connor.” His name comes out like a prayer. Our bodies barely touch as we bob in the water inches from each other.
In one swift motion, he turns and swims back toward the shore, catching my hand as he does and pulling me with him. He plants his feet in the shallower water, and his defined chest peeks out from the surface of the lake.
That one point of connection, our joined hands, is all it takes. An overwhelming feeling of need, one I’ve never known before, has me wrapping my legs around his middle, gripping my arms around his neck, digging my hands into his neck. Anything to be closer to him.
“Delaney.” He whispers against my lips. “You know I want you more than anything.”
The evidence of that desire grows beneath me, and I let out an involuntary moan.
“But… I’m not fucking you in this dirty lake.”
“Killjoy.” I murmur into his chest as I plant kisses along his collarbone. He laughs, and I feel it through my whole body.
“I promise the wait will be more than worth it.”
I push back on his shoulders as he palms my ass in the water. “That’s quite the promise, Connor.”
“One I plan to deliver on, Delaney.” He plants his lips on mine, and I greedily take all he’ll give. I could’ve stayed like that forever, tangled together and lost in time. But a shrill voice cuts through our forever.
“Get the hell out of my lake!”
Connor pushes me behind him on instinct, and we crouch down in the water as Mrs. Crane comes into view, leaning over the handlebars of a red ATV.
We both stare in shock for a moment before Connor erupts in laughter.
“Connor Majors, is that you?” Mrs. Crane speeds to the water’s edge, squinting in the afternoon sun.
He swings his arm high in a wave, still laughing. “Yes, ma’am, sorry about this! We’ve been coming up to your lake since we were kids, and never knew it was your land.”
“Is that Delaney with you?” She snaps.
I poke my head out from behind his broad shoulders, careful to stay mostly submerged, and squeak out “Yes ma’am. Sorry.”
Mrs. Crane looks at us, then to the pile of clothes, then back to us. A little giggle croaks out, like she also can’t believe her ears. “Are y’all… are y’all naked?” She’s full on laughing now, shaking her head at us. “Oh my lands, this lake hasn’t seen two full moons since Nadine died.”
Now it’s my turn to choke on a laugh. The thought of Mrs. Crane and her partner skinny dipping in this same lake is endearing. And a little bit gross.
She shakes her head one more time. “Alright, well I’ll leave you kids to it. Just be sure to check all the nooks and crannies for leeches and ticks when you’re done! And text me next time you wanna use the lake!” And with that, she zooms back over the side of the hill.
I swat at Connor’s back. “Oh my God, I’m gonna die of embarrassment. Of all the people to catch us.”
Connor shrugs over his shoulder, long strides quickly bringing that perfect ass back into view. “Makes for a good story, Lanie Lou.” And I can hear the smile in his voice. He does a little shake, like a dog fresh out of the water, and steps back into his boxers.
I let myself take him in. Tall, toned, and delicious, he really is something to look at. “Hey, anyone tell you that you’re really fucking hot, Connor Majors?” I heckle, whistling for emphasis. “I could get used to this view.”
He spreads his arms wide, turning in a slow circle. “All yours, baby!”
I could get used to all of this, his easy laugh, how light I feel when I’m with him, how warm I feel when he calls me baby.
I could get used to this, but at what cost?