CHAPTER 6. Connor
The clink of silverware against china plates fills the room as I sit beside Noah at the massive oak dining table, trying not to make it obvious that I’m watching Rick across from us.
He’s watching Noah when he thinks no one will notice, his perfect smile slipping just a fraction whenever Noah leans closer to me.
I take a sip of wine—some expensive red that Daniel insisted everyone try—and let my knee press against Noah’s under the table.
The roast beef on my plate is perfectly cooked, but I barely taste it, too focused on playing my part in this increasingly complicated charade.
“I’m just saying,” Maya announces to the table, waving her fork at me, “there was definitely some cheating happening in that lake.”
I look up at her, one eyebrow raised. “Cheating?”
“Yes!” She points her fork more emphatically, nearly sending a piece of roasted potato flying. “You conveniently forgot to mention you were basically Michael Phelps before challenging me to a race.”
Noah turns to me with a surprised look. “You raced Maya?”
“And destroyed her. Twice,” Daniel adds with a laugh, raising his glass in my direction.
“I thought you were just some gym rat who’d be useless in the water,” Maya continues, her expression dramatically wounded though her eyes sparkle with amusement. “And then you’re suddenly cutting through that lake like a damn torpedo.”
I shrug, fighting a smile. “I might have been on my high school swim team.”
“Might have been?” Maya scoffs.
“It was fifteen years ago,” I say, taking another sip of wine. “I didn’t think it would give me that much of an advantage.”
“Oh please,” Maya says, rolling her eyes. “Once a swimmer, always a swimmer. Those shoulders don’t lie.”
Noah chuckles beside me, his body relaxing a fraction. It’s the first real smile I’ve seen since we sat down for dinner, and something warm stirs in my chest at the sight of it.
“Well,” Daniel says, refilling his wine glass, “Noah was always the least athletic Caldwell growing up, so it’s probably good he found someone who balances him out.”
I feel Noah stiffen beside me, his smile faltering.
Caroline immediately jumps in, her voice sharp. “Daniel, that’s not true. Noah was on the track team in high school.”
“For one semester,” Daniel says, though his tone is affectionate rather than critical. “And only because you made him join an extracurricular.”
“He was also on the debate team,” Caroline adds. “And he won that regional competition his junior year.”
“Debate isn’t exactly a sport, dear.”
Noah shifts in his chair, his discomfort palpable as his parents talk about him like he’s not sitting right there. I slide my hand onto his knee under the table and give it a gentle squeeze.
“Noah actually rode really well earlier today,” I say, redirecting the conversation. “He’s a natural.”
Noah’s eyes dart to mine, surprised at the praise.
“You went riding?” Rick asks, looking up from his plate. The question is aimed at Noah, not me, as if I’m not even there.
“Yeah,” Noah says, reaching for his water glass. “This afternoon.”
“We all went,” Maya jumps in. “Except Mom. She stayed in the cottage reading her soft porn.”
“It’s not pornography, Maya!” Caroline exclaims, her cheeks flushing, while everyone laughs. “It’s just romance, which is very tasteful, for your information.”
“Do the trails go around the whole lake?” Cassidy asks, her eyes bright with interest. “I’d love to go riding tomorrow.”
“There are a few different trails,” Daniel explains. “The one we took follows the shore for about two miles, but there’s another that goes up into the hills with some incredible views of the valley.”
“The ridge trail is my favorite,” Maya adds. “You can see three different lakes from the top, and there’s a little gazebo where you can stop for a picnic.”
The conversation shifts naturally to all the activities around the property. Daniel describes the hiking paths through the woods while Caroline chimes in about the small farm nearby that sells fresh produce and homemade pies.
“What else is everyone planning to do this weekend?” Caroline asks, looking around the table. “Besides celebrating Daniel’s birthday tomorrow evening, of course.”
“I’d like to try kayaking,” Cassidy says, her perfectly manicured hand resting on Rick’s arm. “Rick promised to teach me a while ago, so now we finally have a chance.”
Rick nods, smiling at her with practiced affection. “First thing tomorrow morning, before it gets too hot.”
“We could all go,” Maya suggests. “Make it a group thing.”
I catch the quick flash of irritation on Rick’s face before Cassidy smiles and says, “That would be fun.”
“I’d rather hike,” Noah says quietly. “Maybe take some photos on the ridge trail.”
I turn to him. “I’d like that too.”
His eyes meet mine, and I see relief there—that I chose his plan over Rick’s without hesitation.
“The hot tubs are fantastic too,” Daniel says. “Especially in the evening, when you can watch the sunset over the lake.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Maria chimes in. “Are they outside?”
“Yes, there’s one behind each cottage,” Caroline explains. “And they’re huge. Each one could easily fit six people.” She looks over at me with an encouraging smile. “What about you, Connor? What would you like to do tomorrow?”
“I think I’d like to do that trail with Noah,” I say. “After that, maybe go for another swim in the lake and then try the hot tub to warm up.”
“That’s a great plan,” Maya says immediately. “Count me in for the lake and hot tub.”
I turn to Noah, trying to gauge his interest. “Would you swim with me tomorrow, if we warm up in the hot tub after?”
Before Noah can answer, Rick cuts in. “Noah hates hot tubs,” he says casually, setting down his fork. “Makes him lightheaded.”
I feel it immediately. It’s not what Rick said—which could easily be an innocent comment from an old friend—but the way he said it. Like he’s reminding me he knows Noah in ways I don’t.
Noah hesitates, his fingers tightening almost imperceptibly around his wine glass. “I’ll try it,” he says finally, looking directly at me. “For you.”
Something about the way he says it—for you—makes my pulse quicken. I know he’s playing along with our act, but the willingness in his voice feels real.
I smile at him, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek without really thinking about it. It’s meant to be casual, to sell the boyfriend narrative, but Noah’s skin is warm under my lips, and he smells faintly of that cedar body wash from our bathroom.
When I pull back, I catch Rick pointedly looking away, his jaw tight as he takes a long drink of wine. Noah’s cheeks are flushed, and he reaches for his water glass, avoiding my eyes.
“Look at that,” Caroline coos, clearly delighted by this display of affection. “You’re already bringing him out of his comfort zone. The hot tubs are really spectacular. You can see all the stars without getting cold.”
“Perfect date spot,” Maria adds with a wink in our direction.
The dinner continues, plates being cleared and replaced with some kind of molten chocolate cake and ice cream that tastes like it has to be at least two thousand calories. The mood around the table keeps warming with every glass of wine, everyone relaxing into the evening a little more.
The older Scotts turn out to be better than I expected.
When Noah told me about Rick’s traditional family, I pictured people a lot stiffer than this, but sitting here next to Caroline and Daniel, they don’t feel all that different.
Brad and Maria are surprisingly attentive—not just to Cassidy, but to Maya and Noah too, and even to me, in that polite, careful way people get when they’re trying to make room for someone new.
There’s still something a little tense in the way they talk to Rick, though. They’re not fighting, exactly, but now and then there’s an edge to it that makes me think things between them aren’t as easy as they’re all pretending.
Honestly, I can’t even blame Rick’s parents, because he’s the only one at the table who really gets under my skin.
He keeps bringing up stories about Noah—little anecdotes from their shared childhood, jokes that no one but the two of them would understand—and every time, he glances at me afterward, as if checking whether I’m bothered by how far back he goes with him.
I’m not sure if he’s trying to show off in front of me or remind Noah of their connection, but either way, it’s clearly making Noah uncomfortable. He gets quieter with each story, shrinking a little more every time Rick brings the conversation back around to him.
I find myself doing it without even meaning to—asking Noah questions, laughing at his quiet jokes, touching his arm or thigh just often enough to keep him from going too far into his own head. Each time I do, Noah gives me a grateful look that makes something twist in my stomach.
I notice, with some relief, that he’s not jumping at my touch now the way he did when we first got here. Baby steps, I guess.
For a minute, Noah seems more relaxed, but it doesn’t last. Then Rick circles right back to him. “Remember that summer on Cape Cod?” he says to the table without looking at me. “When Noah was convinced he saw a shark and refused to go back in the water the entire week?”
Everyone laughs.
“Yup,” Maya says, grinning. “After that, he wouldn’t go anywhere near the water. Just sat by the kiddie pool instead.”
“It was a shark,” Noah insists.
“It was seaweed,” all four parents say at once, and everyone cracks up again.
Noah just sighs and rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t look too bothered.
Still, I slide my hand onto his thigh again. He doesn’t pull away.
“Speaking of Cape Cod,” Brad says suddenly, setting down his wine glass and placing an arm around Rick’s shoulder. “We’ve actually been meaning to share some news, now that we’re all together.”
Rick stiffens beside his father. “Dad, maybe not now,” he says quickly. “It’s Daniel’s birthday weekend. We don’t want to steal his spotlight.”