CHAPTER FIVE #4
I was running out of options. Literally. Finally, not thinking about the fact that geese are superb swimmers, I went for the water.
“Cara, no!” I heard voices calling, but it was too late, I was already running into the lake, with the goose right on top of me now.
I was able to wrench my dress out of his grasp, but I still couldn’t get away from him.
He was in his element now. I did my best to swim away, but he just kept coming for me.
I was trying to make it to the floating dock, but the attack was much worse in the water.
I was having to shield my face from his beak, and he kept using his wings to push me under. Was this goose going to drown me?
Had anyone ever died from a goose attack?
Just when I was losing strength and imagining the stories my family would tell about the way I died, an amazing thing happened.
I heard someone splashing into the lake behind me.
I turned in time to see pretty much everyone jumping into the water to come and help me.
But it was Edward who pulled away from the others, swimming with strong strokes.
He swam over, did something to the goose to make it honk, hiss, and swim away, and then grabbed me in his arms.
“Are you okay?” He asked in a deep voice as he looked down at me, treading water.
I stared up into those clear blue eyes. “Yes,” I breathed.
He was beautiful, water dripping down his tanned face, eyelashes spiky.
“Get on my back, and I’ll swim you to shore.”
I was already in his arms, so I just crawled over onto his back, being careful not to choke him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He took me to shore in no time, and picked me up, cradling me in his arms as he took me over to Orla and Mom and laid me on the picnic table where they had cleared a spot.
He was breathing heavily, and his soaked T-shirt clung to him. It showed off all those new muscles he’d gotten over the past year. He looked like some sort of Greek god standing before me, and I couldn’t look away. “Thank you,” I gasped out.
“You’re welcome.” I saw his eyes rove over my body, and then he flushed and looked away.
I looked down at myself. My sundress was soaked and clung to me like a second skin.
I might as well have been lying there naked.
I felt my face growing red with embarrassment and my body growing warm and tingly with an awareness of how attracted I was to Edward.
“Oh my gosh, Cara, your pretty legs! Look at them!” Mom exclaimed.
Literally everyone did. They were covered with bruises from the goose’s wings. I winced. No wonder it hurt so bad.
“Mom, do you think you could cover me up a little? I’m kind of naked looking,” I hissed.
“Oh pish,” she waved her hand at me like that didn’t matter at all. “We’re all friends here.”
That might be true, but I didn’t want everyone staring at me. Luckily, Orla came to the rescue and tossed a tablecloth over me.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to her, and she winked at me.
Later, after I’d been home for a shower and a change of clothes, I rejoined the party. I felt awkward. So far today, I’d fallen right in front of the guy I had a crush on, and I’d been attacked by a goose. I could only hope that the evening would go better than the afternoon had.
It was heading towards nighttime now, and the lights had blinked on in the trees.
The tree frogs were singing, the little kids were chasing lightning bugs, and the smells of early summer perfumed the air.
It would’ve been a perfect night if I weren’t in pain from the goose attack.
Both physical pain and the pain of embarrassment.
Who the hell gets attacked by a goose?
“So, Cara, I’m thinking you need to provide entertainment at our parties all the time,” Declan said, laughing.
“Shut up, idiot,” I laughed shoving him hard in the shoulder.
“It might be the best get-together we’ve ever had here. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder,” Aidan agreed.
I just smiled. “Y’all are morons.”
He leaned in and whispered, “I didn’t laugh when that goose had you in the water. That shit was scary, and I’m glad you’re okay. Just FYI.”
I patted his face and gave him a quick smile. “I know.”
I looked up and noticed that Edward was watching them, his jaw tight and his face angry.
I walked over to him. “Come here,” I said, heading down away from them and towards the water.
“They’re just kidding,” I whispered to him.
“Besides, I’m sure it was funny. If it had happened to either of them, I’d still be laughing,” I admitted.
“I don’t like it,” he said simply. “You got hurt, and it could have been so much worse than that.”
I tucked my hand in his. “But I’m fine,” I smiled up at him, and his face relaxed.
“Watch out for geese, Cara!” Declan yelled after me.
“We’re going to have to put up ‘Beware of Goose’ signs now,” Aidan called out.
The two of them thought they were hilarious.
I could tell Edward was getting riled up again and was about to say something back to them.
Without thinking, I put my hand on his chest to calm him, surprised to feel that little zing of…
something pass between us. He looked down at my hand as if in wonder.
“Just ignore them. If you say anything, it’ll get worse.
And don’t worry. I’ve fully realized that for the rest of my life they’re going to bring up my goose attack story at the worst possible times,” I laughed.
He relaxed again and smiled. I didn’t move my hand.
“Thanks for saving me,” I said and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
He looked at me for a minute, then pulled me to him.
He lowered his head, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me gently but thoroughly.
When he finally pulled away, I felt a little weak in the knees, and it took me a minute to open my eyes. When I did, he was staring at me.
“I think you’re the most beautiful girl in the whole world,” he whispered. Then he kissed me one more time, and we held hands and looked out over the lake.
That was my first proper kiss. And that was the day I fell in love with Edward Ashton.
The rest of the summer passed too quickly. I didn’t have as much time to spend with everyone as I would have liked. I was so wrapped up in dance that it was hard to focus on anything else.
But I managed to focus on Edward. There were many quiet moments of stolen kisses and handholding.
I didn’t think we were fooling anyone, though.
A few times, he and Lufton stayed overnight with Declan and Aidan.
Then they’d all come over and toss pebbles at my window.
Olivia and I would climb down the tree outside my window and join them in a nighttime swim or covert campfire to make s’mores.
It was… the best. I’d thought the previous summer had been the best of my life. This one, though? It blew it out of the water.
Edward was something special. We were something special together. And I wanted to know where it might eventually lead.