Chapter 19
McCrae
By the time we pulled up to the lake house and walked to the door, it was past midnight. The night air was cool and crisp, carrying the scents of pine and water, but it didn’t take the edge off my exhaustion.
Sky yawned. “Did you have a good party?”
I smiled at her. “I did have a good party.”
I punched in the code, and then we walked inside. The familiar atmosphere of home welcomed us, a stark contrast to the crowded, perfume-filled air of the party we’d just left.
“Did you have a good time?” I asked, turning to her.
I thought about the fact that I’d had a mini breakdown at the party. About Rose. To her.
She smiled. “I had a great time. It was fun to get to know your mom and sisters-in-law and sister. Plus, random people from the town would introduce themselves. Of course, all of them knew I have amnesia and that I’m staying with you.”
I tossed my keys on the counter and then glanced at her, remembering how I’d kissed her. I hated letting things just go without saying anything.
I rubbed the back of my head. “Look, I—I was out of line back there. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I was just, I don’t know … I was thinking about it at the party, and I don’t—I don’t want to be that guy. I mean, you don’t even know who you are. You don’t know if you’re in a relationship.”
The soft glow from the small lamp in the corner caught the red highlights in her hair. Her eyes, tired but bright, watched me carefully, reading every expression that crossed my face. “It’s fine.”
I shook my head, suddenly feeling all keyed up. “No, it’s not fine. I—I’m a police officer, and you’ve trusted me. I’m not going to betray that trust.”
“McCrae, it’s fine.” She turned away and walked down the hallway. “Let’s talk more in the morning, okay?”
I watched her disappear into the guest bedroom, and I felt like I was going insane.
After I locked up the front door, I went back to her room and lightly knocked on the door. “Listen, I’m going to go row on the lake, so I won’t go too far. I just wanted to let you know.”
Suddenly, the door opened, and I saw that she had already changed into shorts and a T-shirt. She grinned. “Can I come?”
I had not been expecting that. “What do you mean?”
“I want to go out on the lake,” she insisted, reaching back and grabbing tennis shoes. “I can row, or I can just sit there, but don’t leave me. Let me come.”
Maybe it was because I was so attracted to her. Maybe it was because I was worried about her. Maybe it was because I wanted her with me. Whatever it was, I couldn’t say no to her. “All right, let’s go.”
We went out onto the deck and then walked down to the dock. The wooden steps creaked quietly beneath our feet as we descended toward the water. The night had grown cooler, there was a breeze coming off the lake.
The canoe was waiting just ahead. There was actually another set of oars, so I pulled them from the little boathouse next to the dock. “We’ll have to practice rowing together, but I think you’ll like it.” I was happy that she was coming. It would be fun to share this with someone.
When we got in, she let out a light laugh. “I’ve never done this before. Well, that’s not true. Maybe I have done this before, but I don’t remember it.”
The canoe wobbled as we settled into position, the water lapping gently against its sides. The only sounds were our breathing, the gentle splash of water against the hull, and the occasional call of a night bird.
At first it was clunky, trying to get her to match my rowing, but then it was easy. We started rowing in tandem. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
The water beneath us was dark, yet somehow comforting.
Out here, in the middle of the lake with Sky, all the complications of the day—Rose, the party, my birthday—seemed to fade away.