Chapter 5
FORD
I’ve never forgotten that day. I’m sure we both think about it at some point between waking up and falling asleep, and here we are ten years later.
I can tell she wants to kill me. But she won’t. Brielle is the type of woman who makes you pull over to save a squirrel. Except, right now? Well, she may just flip.
Her eyes don’t tear away from the ring in the box that I’m holding in my hand.
This is unconventional, I know, but the opportunity has arisen.
“What the hell, Ford? Why is there a ring in your hand?” She quickly looks around the quiet lake, then her sight lands back on the ring before darting up to meet my eyes which are dead serious. “Unbelievable,” she whispers. “You trapped me in the middle of the lake so I can’t escape.”
“Maybe.” I smirk. “Get comfortable, we need to talk.”
I’ve been thinking about how I want this all to play out since I saw her the other week. Hell, this whole situation has been years in the making.
My feelings for her have always been constant, and I’ve done my best to keep the promise I made to her, but now I’ve hit my breaking point, and I’m not going to let us keep simmering under the surface.
“The r-ring, why?” she stammers softly.
I sit up and close the box then toss it between my palms, examining it. “Okay, so here’s the deal. Tomorrow Margo is expecting us, and she might be under the impression that you and are back together—”
“What?” she nearly spits out.
My shoulder slants up toward my ear. “She hasn’t been feeling her best lately, and she’s anxious about her move,” I remind her.
“I know, that’s why I promised to see her, but how does this—” she motions between us “—come into play.”
“She mentioned on the phone that she always wished to see us together and hoped it would be soon.” It’s the plain truth.
Brielle hums a sound before leaning back on the boat to get more comfortable on the slab of a seat.
“Sounds like something she would say.” A gentle smile of fondness displays on her lips.
“She always sends me a Christmas card, not so subtly mentioning how Connor is the perfect image of two parents’ love.
” She looks up at me. “But how does a ring come into it?”
I inhale a deep breath because maybe she will find this humorous… or not. “She told me her birthday wish, and it blurted out of my mouth that she didn’t need to wait.”
Brielle’s beautiful mouth gapes open. “You lied to her?”
“Is it a lie? It will make her happy.”
She runs her fingers through her hair. “Ford, you realize by lunchtime everyone else will think we are back together, and that eventually affects Connor.”
I have thought every scenario through. How would I not? Through the years, I’ve created a whole damn playbook of how our situation could go.
“She only really talks to Violet these days, and I’m sure my sister would get behind this to safeguard that Margo has an easy few weeks ahead. Connor wouldn’t find out.” Because by the time he does, then stage two of my plan will be in effect.
Brielle shakes her head slightly. “And let me guess, you didn’t just lie that we are back together, you upped it and said we’re engaged?”
Now I have to grin. “You know me so well.”
She huffs out a breath and crosses her arms over her chest, and she pretends to be furious, but after a few seconds, the faintest of entertained smiles forms on her mouth that she desperately tries to suppress.
But only for a second, as disapproval returns to her look.
“I don’t know, Ford. This is… not wise.”
I lean forward to scoop up her hand and hold it between my palms. The sudden contact startles her, mostly because it’s an electric shock between us, a current still strong, maybe more intense as time goes on.
“Margo is like a grandmother to me, always on our side, and when she told me on the phone that she really had hoped to see us back together before her time comes, because yeah, she got a little dramatic on the age front, then it just seemed like the right thing to do.” It’s the truth, although it’s only the tip of the iceberg for what I have planned.
Brielle licks her lips, debating. “I know where you’re coming from, I just…”
I duck my head down, then I peer up to catch her sight. “Don’t trust us faking it for a day?”
Her lips roll in, and she doesn’t answer, but her eyes say enough. She doesn’t trust us.
“You know what I think?” I prod.
“What?”
“We’ve been able to avoid the obvious for years because we had things to keep us on a path.
My hockey career, your education, Connor…
but now hockey is no longer a factor, and you finished college and law school.
” I notice her chest moving up and down, and I wonder if she knows what’s coming. “It’s our time to re-evaluate.”
She is quick to sit back, her hands falling out of my grasp. “Don’t! Don’t do this. You promised.” She’s enraged.
My body stiffens and shoulders straighten because it’s time to lay down some hard truths as the sun warms us and the water glistens around us.
“We both are exactly where we started.” Wanting each other.
She shakes her head, wishing not to listen, but damn, I know she believes in what I’m saying.
Energy shoots to my heart. I know relief is coming because I’m sharing it all.
“We are still waiting. Fuck, we tried over the years to move on. Kept ourselves busy, we tried to find other people, and it always failed because it’s not us, and Christ, the number of times I wanted to kiss you.
This isn’t new, you’re thinking this too. ”
“Ford, it’s true, hockey and becoming a lawyer are no longer our blockers, but we still have Connor to think about. I would hate myself if you and I were to try and it didn’t work out, he would be crushed.”
I stand up in a flash with a bitter laugh. “Do you really think we wouldn’t work out? Are you crazy?”
She points a finger at me, rising from her seat. “Are you? You are the one who brought me to the middle of a lake to have this talk.”
My hands come out to my sides, and I have a cheeky smile. “It’s a great play. We’re talking.”
“On the lake where we probably conceived our son,” she shrieks.
I hook my finger and nudge her cheek, purely entertained with her comment. “Ah, so that memory has flashed in your mind while we’re out here.”
She gives me a death glare and wags her finger at me. “Don’t even.” Her nostrils flare, and she wraps her arms around her body. Our eyes dance as we watch each other, standing in a rowboat on the lake.
Here is my chance. I’m throwing it all out there. “Stay the week with me and let’s be everything we wanted, give us this. One week, and then you can keep the ring or say we fulfilled our curiosity.”
Her jaw drops, and she moves to slam her hands against my chest, but she rocks the boat in the process. We both wobble, and I fall back to sitting against my propped hands, with my legs splayed out.
“Whoa!” She loses her balance, and her body lands right on top of me.
I have to smirk at fate giving us a hand. “See? Already in my arms.”
Brielle doesn’t move; instead, her nose tips up, and our mouths are dangerously close. I feel the magnetic connection between our bodies. It’s taking willpower beyond my known ability not to slam my lips onto hers.
I rake my fingers through her hair to cradle the back of her head. “Think about it, but I know you already feel your answer. I see it in your eyes, and I feel your heart racing.”
There is a glint in her eyes, they’ve already given me the answer I want to know. But my ears are waiting for her words.
She digs her fingers into the front of my t-shirt, and lucky me, her leg willingly adjusts so it’s hooked over my thigh.
It’s so perfectly clear to me. I’ve never seen her in a different light because she’s always been mine.
“Ford,” she pleads. “We are playing with fire.”
“I’d burn the earth down if it means we get a chance.” It comes out simply as my eyes stay fixed on her mouth.
I lean in to nuzzle my nose into her hair that smells of papaya.
“Row us back, Ford.”
“You haven’t answered.”
“I can’t think when we’re like this,” she says honestly.
“Because your body knows what it wants.”
She moves to return to sitting on her spot. She’s either burning from the sun or blushing, and I choose to go with the second option.
Brielle straightens her hair and avoids looking at me. “Row us back, please. I really need some space right now.”
Blowing out a breath, I grab the oars. “Only if you promise not to get in your car and leave.”
“I won’t. Either way, I promised to see Margo tomorrow.”
I begin to row and internally remind myself that I was voted MVP for four seasons straight because I’m always determined to win. And Brielle Dawson? She’s the only goal I’ve ever wanted.
Brielle is quick to march along the dock straight into the house. I let her go because I know when not to press.
Tying the boat up, I notice in the corner of my eye my neighbors Hudson and Spencer.
Hudson is in his forties, looks like he drinks age-defying water, and is the head football coach for the Chicago Winds, and Spencer is home for a quick break from his baseball season because he has grand plans for his girlfriend.
I wave to them and meet them halfway at the point where the dock ends. Hudson has his baby girl Grace in a carrier, and she’s staring at me, arms and legs out like a starfish.
Spencer is quick to pat my shoulder. “Hey, man, Brielle is here?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“I thought Connor was at camp,” Hudson asks.
Spencer chuckles humorously. “He is. But Ford here has a scheme he’s playing out.”
Hudson looks between us. “Do explain.”
I rub a hand across my jaw. “Brielle is staying here… we are working out a few things.”
“Really? That’s great.” Hudson is enthusiastic.
Spencer gives him a blank look. “He tricked her into coming here, letting her think Connor would be here.”
Hudson shoots his gaze to me. “Ooh, that’s… not good?” It sounds like he doubts what he should think.