Chapter 34
NASH
Per Lynette’s advice, I’m on this pattern where I wait three days between every date I have with Sadie before taking her on another one. Luckily, today is a date day. Since it’s midweek and nothing is happening in town, I had to get creative.
“It’s really hard to walk with you covering my eyes.” Sadie’s hands reach out in front of her as if I’d let her walk straight into a tree.
“Almost there.”
She shivers, giving me the satisfaction of knowing my whispers against her neck affected her.
I guide her to the edge of the dock in front of her house and count to three before pulling the blindfold away from her eyes.
“Tada!” I say proudly, gesturing to the small red boat in the water.
“You put a Christmas tree inside my dad’s boat?” Her sideways smile gives me the impression she might think I’m crazy.
“Romantic, right?” I climb inside, literally rocking the boat back and forth. “I got the idea from that women’s Google site.”
Her eyes narrow. “Women’s Google? Is that a new thing that’s happened in the last three years that I don’t remember?”
“No, you know the thing where you, like, pin stuff?”
“Oh.” I nod in understanding. “You got the idea from Pinterest?”
“Yep.” I reach out to help her, but she doesn’t accept it.
“You put the Christmas tree in the center of the boat.”
“Yeah, mostly for balance but also so we could face each other and see the twinkling lights.”
“Well, if you help me in, how am I going to get around the tree to sit on my side of the boat?”
“Great question.” My hands go to my hips, assessing my design flaws.
“I’ll just climb in myself.” Sadie holds onto the edge of the dock as she lowers into the boat.
I can barely see around the tree to where she sits opposite of me, but it’s fine. It’s romantic, like I said.
“Watch this.” I tap the remote on the battery-operated lights, making the tree glow. It's the perfect ambiance between the moonlight and the fairy lights around the tree.
“Very impressive.” She leans her head to the side so I can see her smile.
“Thank you. I’m impressed with myself.” I grab the oars and begin rowing us away from the shore. “There’s a blanket by your feet if you’re cold.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“Yeah.” It’s my turn to lean my head out so she can see me.
I didn’t think of everything, or else I would’ve thought about how a tree in the middle of the boat would put miles between us.
Stupid.
I blame Pinterest for this.
I keep rowing, trying to engage in conversation, but it’s useless. The tree is a problem.
“I’ve had enough of this.” I stand, finding my balance between the rocking of the boat.
“What are you going to do?”
“For starters, I’m moving this stupid thing.” I try and lift the fake tree, but one of the legs is stuck under the seat.
Sadie half stands, reaching to undo it.
I can’t explain what happens in the next few seconds. All I know is that inertia takes over, and before either of us can stop it, our weight tips us— and the stupid tree —into the icy water.
A thousand tiny pinpricks stab my skin, and my breath freezes inside my chest the second I hit the water. The force of the fall slams my body into the ground, letting me know I can touch here. My feet scrape against the bottom as I come up for air. All I can think about is Sadie. She gasps beside me, finding her feet in the three feet of water.
“Are you okay?” I huff as my lungs thaw.
Her heavy breaths and frantic movements to get back in the boat let me know she’s at least alive and not frozen to death.
“I’m…going to kill you…Nash.” Her teeth chatter as she tries to get the words out.
I do my best to push her butt to hoist her back in the boat. Her body flops over the edge, and instead of climbing in, I decide to push the boat fifteen feet to shore.
“It’s a memory. You need more of those.”
“Not one this cold.”
“Use the blanket,” I say through my clenched jaw.
“I think my clothes are frozen to my skin.”
“Almost got it.” I give a final push, hitting the boat's bow onto the rocks. “Come on!”
She stands, and instead of helping her out of the boat, I pick her up and cradle her in my arms. My adrenaline kicks in, giving my frozen body the strength to carry her into the house. By the time we get inside, we’re both laughing through our shivers.
“I hate…your tree…idea.”
“This isn’t how I saw it going,” I say as I climb the stairs.
I push her bedroom door open with my foot and carry her the rest of the way to the bathroom, where I sit her down to turn on a warm shower.
She faces the mirror as she takes off her shoes and socks. “My hair is icicles!”
“Forget about that. We have to get you warm.” I begin peeling layers off of her as we both laugh.
“I can’t believe you dumped us in the lake.” She smiles, letting me pull her jacket off.
“Epic fail.”
I start to lift up her shirt but stop as our eyes lock. Suddenly, everything goes warm. The steam from the shower floats around us, shifting the mood to something entirely different, as if a fire has been lit inside our bodies.
Her frozen hands slide under my shirt, pressing against my chest. It’s the lighter fluid exploding the flame inside me. I drop my head, kissing her more passionately than I probably should, but she returns the desire, melting her wet body into mine.
Passion and excitement collide, intensifying everything. Her hands roam up and down my torso in a way so satisfying it’s maddening. I pull Sadie closer, feeling like no amount of her is enough.
My arms wrap around her waist, lifting her body to sit on the bathroom counter, knocking things over in the process. This kiss is different than the other one we shared on the pier. Hot and frantic desire replaces the slow gentleness from before.
This kiss rivals some of the best kisses of our marriage.
My body craves the next step so badly, to feel like we’re one again.
I know the survival guide stuff. I know we need to remove our wet clothes and use direct body heat to raise our core temperatures. I could easily justify my carnal desires, pass it off as something innocent. We’re married, after all. It’s nothing we haven’t done before, but no matter how much I want that— heck, maybe even need it —I know Sadie is not ready to add physical stuff to the emotional complications already in the mix.
So I stop.
The kind of control and willpower it takes to stop drains my soul. I’m a battery pack with nothing left to give.
My lips pull back, and I press my forehead against hers. I grab her hands out from under my shirt and hold them between our two bodies.
“I want this. I want you,” I breathe.
“So do I.” She presses her body into mine, trying to reignite what burned hot seconds ago.
“No, you don’t. Not like this. Not until you’re sure I’m what you really want.”
I kiss her on the cheek and exit the bathroom, rolling shut the barn door on my side, hoping for a day when Sadie truly feels like my wife again.