Chapter 5
FIVE
REESE
“The waterfall is this way.” I point down a trail as the sound of rushing water grows closer.
“I’m right behind you,” Jayde calls out.
Still, I pause and wait for her.
It’s not that she’s not much of a hiker—I mean, she’s not—but I think this is her first time in nature.
Ever. The girl stops every few feet to squint at a tree or look at the sky or study a flower.
It’s cute and endearing and even though we are way behind schedule and our lunch picnic is heavier than I thought it would be, I don’t have the heart to rush her.
I think she’s actually enjoying this. And I’m sure as hell enjoying watching her enjoy it.
“This is so cool,” she gushes—gushes!—when she hears the rushing water.
I grin. “You ever hike before?”
“Huh?” She raises her eyebrows. “Oh, sure,” she feigns casual.
“Right,” I snicker.
Jayde rolls her eyes. “Reese, do I look like a girl who hikes? In nature? With bugs?”
“Kind of,” I say honestly. “You’re always wearing combat boots and—”
“That’s for fashion.” She gestures wildly around her surroundings. “This is for people who like sunshine more than air conditioning.” I burst out laughing and Jayde smiles. “But I think I’m becoming one of those people.”
“Good.” I hook an arm around her shoulders, and we set off down the trail. “Let’s see if the waterfall can cement that for you.”
She grasps the back of my tank and through the thin material, I feel the tips of her fingernails. They’re polished a dark blue and I recall them, vividly, moving down my chest last night.
What a freaking night. I’ve never been captivated by a moment, by a woman, like that before. My body felt like it was flying, my head was a jumble of thoughts and wants and needs, and Jayde fulfilled every one of them.
I hold her tighter, wanting to remember every detail of this weekend.
“Ahh! Shit! Look at that iguana!” Jayde shrieks, pointing wildly.
I trip over my own feet, catching myself at the last minute, and laugh.
She turns her small frame into mine, the graze of her fingernails now piercing. “I take it back. I’m not a nature girl.”
I shift the weight of my backpack and swoop her into my arms, holding her fireman style.
“Reese!” She shrieks again, planting a hand on the top of her baseball cap to hold in place. “What are you doing?”
Shaking my head, I carry her the rest of the way to the waterfall. “Before you quit on nature, I need you to see this.” I place her gently on her feet.
We’re standing behind the waterfall and the water is gushing, flowing in a perfect stream, clear and cool.
Jayde’s eyes widen. “Wow.”
“I know,” I agree, but I’m looking at her.
Tentatively, she runs a finger through the stream, her smile breathtaking as the water rushes over her hand.
“Want to swim?” I drop my backpack to the ground.
“Can we? Here?” Her voice is filled with excitement.
“Hell yeah. You hungry?”
“Not yet.” She whips off her shirt and shimmies out of her tiny shorts and I stifle a groan.
Jayde is sexy as hell. In combat boots and leather miniskirts, she’s a knockout. Naked and blushing, she’s a hundred on a scale of ten. But in a bikini, with all the necessary bits covered but teasing, taunting me at what lies beneath, she’s gorgeous.
And she knows it because she shakes her ass like there’s reggaeton music playing even though it’s just us, the waterfall, and some iguanas.
“You coming?” Her voice holds a teasing lilt.
I kick off my sneakers and lose my tank. Then, I step beside her and grasp her hand. “You ready?”
She snorts. “We’re jumping.”
“We’re jumping.”
“On three.” She moves closer to the edge.
I love that she’s got a wild streak, that she’s a little bit daredevil, seeking a thrill. For most of my life, I played it safe, never even skirting the edge of adventure. But I want to. I want spontaneity and excitement; I want to seek out new experiences and embrace them.
“One, two,” Jayde counts.
“Three!” we say in unison, our hands clenched together, as we push off the rock wall and jump into the waiting pool below.
My body slices through the water. It’s refreshing and cool, wiping away the sweat of the hike in an instant. I don’t let go of Jayde’s hand and when we break the surface, we’re both laughing, clutching at each other as we get our feet beneath us.
“I had this awful moment, midair, when I wondered if the water was deep enough!” She grips my shoulders, her braids swinging.
I grin, shaking my head. Droplets of water spray her cheek. “I checked with the tour company. I knew it was safe to jump.”
At my response, she tosses her head back and laughs. The sound is loud and genuine, completely uninhibited.
“You’re the best person I know, Reese Keller,” she tells me a moment later, her eyes serious, her mouth still twisted in mirth.
I wrap my arm around her waist and drag her to my chest, holding her there as I kiss her, hard and deliberate. The rushing water fades to the background, along with the chirping birds and rustling sounds of nature.
Jayde’s hands splay in the center of my back. She tips her head back and parts her lips and I don’t waste a second. I arch her as I deepen the kiss, wanting to show her what I think of her. What I know to be true.
I’m in love with her. Twisted up and turned inside out over every look she gives me, every laugh that falls from her mouth, and every kiss I drink from her lips.
But I don’t want to scare her, so instead of telling her, I tuck her under my arm, and we spend a few moments just breathing in the scenery, enjoying the moment.
She looks at me, studying my profile. In my peripheral vision, I spot the tiny smile that crosses her face. I know my feelings aren’t one-sided. Jayde is feeling this weekend, this thing between us, as much as I am.
“Come on. Let’s have some lunch.”
She holds my hand as we move back to the rocks, climb up to our perch behind the waterfall, and wrap ourselves in towels.
We sit down and I unpack our lunch: egg salad sandwiches, watermelon, sparkling water, and brownies.
“This is incredible, Reese.”
“I know,” I agree. But again, I’m looking at her.
Mick and Emily’s wedding is out of a magazine. In fact, I’m pretty sure their photos are being submitted for publication in Travel Bride magazine.
“This is next level,” Jayde says beside me, as if reading my thoughts.
“This is Mick and Em,” I explain, lacing our fingers together.
The ocean is before us, an endless stretch of blue-green water and pristine coastline. Lapping waves tickle the shore, stopping before an arch, decorated with soft, muted-colored flowers and greenery.
White chairs are lined up on either side of the petal strewn aisle and I guide Jayde toward the front of the groom’s side. We take our seats, twisting in our chairs to watch as Mick and Emily’s family and friends arrive, oohing over the decor and scenery.
“I’ve never been to a wedding like this,” Jayde says beside me.
I turn to look at her. Her hair is gathered over one shoulder, soft curls held together with some type of floral band.
It’s deep blue and violet, pairing well with the lavender, strapless dress that hugs her curves and cinches her waist. When Jayde dressed this afternoon, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
There was a wariness in her movements that bothered me because she’s so damn confident, sure of who she is.
But the flowers and lavender are uncharted territory for her.
Even at the hockey events and fundraising galas I’d see her at, she always rocked black.
With embellishments, but black is her staple.
“Like what?” I ask.
Her eyes swim with emotion and I lean closer. This weekend, I’ve seen and learned more about Jayde than in a year of quiet observation. Underneath her cool exterior are deep, complicated, messy emotions I wish she’d share.
“Just, so much…love,” she mutters, the word coming out of her mouth like a bullet. Sharp and deadly.
The music starts up and I reach for her hand. My thumb brushes over the backs of her knuckles as everyone stands.
By the arch, Mick is waiting, his eyes glued to the aisle, not wanting to miss a second of Emily walking toward him to begin their lives together.
When Emily appears, Jayde draws in a sharp breath, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overcome with emotion too.
Emily is stunning. Yeah, she’s wearing a fancy dress and her hair and makeup is professionally done. But she’s glowing, her entire being vibrating with a happiness you can’t fake.
I smile the second she steps into the aisle, unable to look away.
“He’s so happy,” Jayde whispers.
Frowning, I turn and realize she’s been watching Mick. And yeah, my buddy, the jokester and prankster, looks like he’s about to cry. Grinning, I turn toward the arch as Emily’s father gives her away.
We all sit as the officiant begins the ceremony and Emily and Mick say their own vows.
I clasp Jayde’s fingers as Mick swears to love Emily for all his days and Emily promises to support Mick as they live out their dreams. And I want that. All of it, the promise and commitment, the dreaming and loving, with the woman sitting beside me.
Even though I’ve mostly watched her from the sidelines, I know it to be true.
I knew it from the looks and smiles she used to toss my way.
From how she engages with children and stands up for her friends.
From the easy conversations, short but with flirtatious undertones, we’ve had traveling to away games or at youth outreach events. I knew it that night at Taps.
Deep down, I’ve always known but now I’m certain. This weekend with Jayde is just the beginning, the tip of it all. There’s no other woman for me. No other dream but this one.
I turn to look at her, noting how serious she’s watching the couple exchange rings. She can’t tear her eyes away.
She feels it too. This moment is so much bigger than us and yet, if we’re lucky, it will sweep us away and hold us together.
A lifetime of love.