Chapter Five
As they drew closer to the island, Morgan knew she’d made the right decision.
The “yes day” might have forced her hand, but she wouldn’t go back and change her answer, even if she could.
She was still mortified about panicking after she fell in the water, but surprisingly, she was enjoying everything else about her paddleboarding excursion.
The clouds on the horizon were somewhat concerning, but she and Juliette were already soaked from their dip in the lake.
A little rain couldn’t hurt them now, and Morgan was grateful for the chance to spend more time alone with Juliette.
Plus, she’d never been to an uninhabited island before.
This one was only a few hundred feet from their rental house, but it was still a novelty.
“I see him,” Juliette said, relief palpable.
Sure enough, when Morgan squinted, she could make out the dog’s golden form on the shore ahead. “Thank goodness. I was worried.”
“So was I, even though logically I knew he was fine,” Juliette admitted, her lips quirking in what Morgan was starting to realize was a signature little smile. It was sexy, but then again, Morgan found pretty much everything about Juliette sexy.
“How long have you had him?”
“Five years.” There was no mistaking the affection in her voice.
Morgan didn’t have a pet of her own right now, but she was an animal lover, and she was a total sucker for someone who loved their pet the way Juliette obviously loved Roux.
Juliette’s strokes had remained slow and steady as they crossed the lake, but her pace increased slightly as they neared the shore where Roux waited.
Consequently, Morgan was slightly out of breath by the time her paddle struck the bottom.
The shore here wasn’t sandy like it had been at the rental house.
It looked pretty muddy where Roux was standing, but there were several large flat rocks that Juliette seemed to be aiming for.
Morgan hung back to watch her land first.
Juliette drew up beside one of the flat rocks and stepped carefully onto it before bending to lift her board out of the water.
She made it look easy, when Morgan felt sure it wasn’t.
Juliette gave her a few tips and then moved out of the way.
Roux trotted over to greet her, tail wagging enthusiastically.
Morgan took Juliette’s suggestion and got down on her hands and knees, then crawled awkwardly onto the rock, scraping one of her knees in the process, but she did manage to avoid the mud, which felt like a definite win.
When she straightened, she was surprised to see a gray tent pitched in the clearing before her.
“Oh geez. Are we interrupting someone’s camping trip? ”
Juliette shook her head. “No. It’s mine.”
Morgan’s eyebrows rose. “Yours?”
“Yes. I’ve been coming out here all week. It’s sort of my oasis, I guess. I prefer solitude to sitting around the pool with a bunch of people.”
“So you’ve been camping here?”
“Not camping exactly, just escaping for a few hours here and there to unwind.”
“Cool.” Morgan wanted to ask more questions about why Juliette would rather be alone here than by the pool with her friends, but they really didn’t know each other well enough for her to pry.
“Well, I’m glad I got to see this place.
Think we could hang out for a few minutes before we head back?
I’d love to take some pictures.” Not to mention, her arms really needed a break before she got back on the paddleboard.
Juliette made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Be my guest. I’m in no hurry.”
“Thanks.” She watched as Juliette took off her cross-body bag and unzipped it to pull out Morgan’s camera, which seemed none the worse for wear after their tumble into the lake.
Thank goodness for that waterproof case.
It had certainly paid for itself today. She snapped a few quick photos of the opposite shore with their rental house just visible through the trees.
The island was begging to be photographed, this perfect little oasis at the center of the lake, but there was only so far Morgan could walk with bare feet.
The clearing around the tent was relatively clear, but beyond that, she risked cutting her feet on rocks, sticks, and who knew what else.
She tiptoed around the clearing, capturing the way sunlight spilled through the trees and a small sailboat silhouetted against the shoreline.
She couldn’t resist taking a few photos of Roux splashing in the shallow water with a red ball.
Juliette laughed as she sloshed through knee-deep water with her dog to toss the ball for him.
Her arm arced over her head before she released the ball, throwing it out into the lake for Roux to retrieve.
Snap.
Morgan captured her mid-throw and again as she stood facing the lake, damp blond hair cascading over her shoulders, hands trailing over the surface of the water as Roux swam toward her with the ball in his mouth. When he reached her, Juliette bent to kiss the top of his head.
Snap.
Morgan nearly gasped when she saw the resulting photo in her viewfinder.
If they’d known each other better, she’d have framed it and given it to Juliette as a gift.
Since they didn’t, Morgan would email it to her so she could print it out herself, because this was a keeper for sure.
Juliette and Roux were cast in a golden hue by the sun, water droplets suspended in the air around them as Juliette pressed a kiss between his eyes while Roux gazed up at her adoringly.
Morgan kept taking pictures as Juliette played with Roux.
The shoulder with the tattoo was angled toward Morgan, and she couldn’t resist snapping a few photos of Juliette as she stood in knee-deep water, looking incredibly gorgeous against the backdrop of the lake.
Morgan zoomed in to take a few close-ups of Juliette’s tattoo, capturing the fluidity of the vines as they twisted across her skin, interlaced with delicate flowers.
Beautiful.
Morgan was more inspired than she’d felt in months.
This was the kind of photography she yearned to focus on.
Maybe once she got home tomorrow, she’d finally start working on her photography website, a first step to starting her own business, booking private clients, and earning a living doing what she loved most.
As she looked down, Morgan was shocked to realize she’d waded ankle deep in the lake without even realizing it.
The power of her camera . . . or was it the power of Juliette?
Because Morgan was no fool. She’d become increasingly smitten with Juliette over the course of the afternoon.
Juliette brought out a different side of Morgan, a bolder, more adventurous side, and she was surprised to realize she liked it.
She wanted more . . . more adventures, more opportunities to push herself out of her comfort zone, maybe even more time with Juliette.
Morgan was also starting to realize she’d taken entirely too many pictures of Juliette.
She’d show them all to her later to get her approval and delete anything she didn’t like.
While she’d been distracted by her camera, though, the golden afternoon light had turned gray.
Morgan was about to suggest they head back when thunder rumbled overhead. “Uh-oh.”
Juliette’s lips quirked. “The theme of our afternoon.”
“Think we can make it back ahead of the storm?”
Juliette turned to look at the dark clouds that had crept in while they weren’t paying attention. They flickered with lightning. “No. We’d better ride it out here on the island.”
Morgan pressed her lips together. Riding out a thunderstorm on an island in the middle of a lake seemed decidedly unsafe. “Really?”
“Yes. The tent will keep us dry.” She smirked. “Well, at least we won’t get any wetter than we are now. These afternoon storms usually blow over pretty quickly. We’ll be back at the house in no time.”
Discomfort twisted in Morgan’s stomach, warring with her newly discovered adventurous side.
Would she and Juliette really be protected from lightning in that tent?
It seemed risky, but at this point, it was probably less risky than heading back out on the lake.
Everyone knew to stay out of the water when there was lightning nearby.
“Hey.” Juliette stepped closer, one hand extended as if she wanted to offer comfort but was wary of touching Morgan, a reminder that they barely knew each other, despite their charged history . . . a history Juliette didn’t even remember. “We’re going to be fine.”
Morgan nodded, hoping to convince herself as much as Juliette.
She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone, all right.
Her comfort zone was on the other side of the lake in the safety of the rental house, not here on this little island with Juliette and Roux.
The dog stood beside Juliette now, dripping wet and unmistakably happy about their latest adventure, ball held proudly in his mouth.
As for Juliette, she radiated a sort of serenity Morgan could only hope to achieve. She seemed entirely unbothered by the incoming storm. Maybe this was no big deal for her. Maybe she had ridden out worse weather than this from the inside of a tent.
Maybe Morgan should follow her lead.
The rain started then, a few stray drops that quickly turned into a downpour. Juliette led the way to the tent, holding the flap open for Roux before turning to look over her shoulder at Morgan. “You coming?”
Heart in her throat, Morgan nodded, then crouched down to crawl inside.