May 31st
The perfect moment.
Damon
I was hoping that Ainsley would stay with me last night, but I understood why she wanted to be home to have breakfast with her family.
I do smile though when I see a text from her.
Ainsley: I’m going to miss drooling over your muscles at the gym today.
Willow came downstairs to everyone singing to her.
She had on princess pajamas, a crown, and was carrying a matching handbag.
Got her pancakes. Ran around in circles.
Then promptly fell asleep on her dad’s shoulder, like, an hour later.
Lee-Lee is going to try to take a nap. Everyone else is going to the amusement park to celebrate.
And that makes me smile as I head to the fitness facility.
“Looks like the girls bailed on us again today. Daine too,” Chase says as we stretch.
“That’s okay. I need to seriously burn some calories after that fish fry.”
“I know it was fried, but Mom said it wasn’t that bad. That they used a healthy oil and lentil flour to make the batter. So, it actually had quite a bit of protein in it. And that’s good since today is leg day.”
“Well, if there was ever a time for a cheat day, that was it. I always look so forward to it. The whole day was great, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I always love getting up early and fishing with the grandparents,” Chase says. “Crazy to think that, eventually, our parents will be the grandparents.”
My eyes get big in realization. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
He laughs. “Uh, no. I told you that we want to wait for kids. I suppose surprises can happen, but we both would like to get into our careers a little before we start a family. I was just thinking it’s not that far away.”
“Mimi scared us with the heart palpitations a couple of months ago. Fortunately, it ended up being caused by a new medication, but it got me thinking that they won’t live forever, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” Chase says.
We’re both quiet for a moment, and then Chase stands up and moves to start the leg circuit. I take the machine next to him.
“I’m thinking about a tattoo,” I tell him.
“Really? What do you want to get?”
“Our company logo, with the angel wings, like our parents.”
“We should all get them,” Chase says.
“If I tell you something, do you promise not to give me shit about it?”
Chase stops the exercise he’s doing and studies me. “Of course.”
“A couple of days ago, I took Ainsley for a picnic lunch. The weather was perfect, the setting was romantic, and she loved it. When we were there, these two butterflies kept flying around us, flitting between our faces, landing on us. They were beautiful, and it was kind of magical. And it just felt like the perfect moment, so I told her that I love her.”
“How did she respond?” Chase asks.
I chuckle. “She asked me if I was serious.”
“Well, you have been joking around that she is your future wifey.”
“That’s exactly what she said, but I told her that I wasn’t joking. That I was very serious. That I fell for her the first time I laid eyes on her. And get this—she said that when we locked eyes, she felt it too.”
“That’s cool,” Chase says.
“I think if we had been older, things would have started for us that summer. So, anyway, we got back from the picnic, and she had painted rocks with the little kids that morning. She made one for me with a football on it, and one of the little girls told her she had to do something nature-related on the rock, so she flipped it over and painted—guess what. ”
Chase squints his eyes at me. “A butterfly?”
“Yes! And it was so fitting after the picnic butterflies. And I started telling her all the numerology and Greek stuff that we’d researched when we were deciding what to name our company.
I told her about the angel meaning of our numbers and the two together.
About how your mom lost her parents young, how her dad called her Angel, about Angel the dog. ”
“That was rough, wasn’t it?” Chase says.
I nod. “It was. I’m really glad that we’ve always been there for each other. Always had each other’s backs. And I know we’ll always be brothers, but—”
“We’re going to have some different priorities in our lives, going forward, aren’t we?” Chase says.
“Individually, yes, but our parents have managed to stay friends. We just have to keep us a priority too, right?”
“Right,” Chase says.
“Am I crazy for thinking that the butterflies meant something? Like, we were given some kind of blessing or confirmation that we are soulmates.”
“With what I know about the experience my mom had when I was born and how she almost died, I don’t think you’re crazy.
I do believe in signs. I know Mom’s parents are watching over all of us, like Papa and Mimi, and Grandma and Grandpa Mac, just from a different place.
But maybe the butterflies weren’t for you. ”
“What do you mean?” I wonder.
“Maybe they were meant for her. You already know how you feel.”
“You might be right, because she told me that she loves me too.”
Chase smiles, stands up, and gives me a hug. “That’s awesome, bro.”
We finish our workout and jog back to the house.
“I forgot to look at the board last night,” Chase says. “Do you know what’s going on today?”
“Well, besides my birthday party tonight, most everyone went to the amusement park today to celebrate Willow’s third birthday. And that means we have the boat to ourselves. Thought maybe we could ski, hit the tire swing, jump off the cliffs.”
“Dani is not cliff jumping,” Chase says. “Not after she sprained her wrist last time. And honestly, we shouldn’t either. We don’t want to go back to school injured.”
“True. We’ll skip that,” I agree. “And it will be good to hang out with you. Especially since you’re leaving for your honeymoon tomorrow.”
“Sorry we’re making you have your party a day early.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I’m just glad you didn’t leave right after the wedding. That we got to spend some time together.”
When we get down to the boathouse, Chase tosses me a beer from the outdoor fridge.
“Shouldn’t we be making a smoothie?”
“Nah, a toast, just the two of us. Happy birthday, bro. ”
We clink our bottles together.
“Oh, and Damon, don’t eff it up with Ainsley. I think you’re really great together.”
“Thanks, man,” I say.
So cute.
Damon
I go into the boathouse and up to my room, shower off, then text Ainsley instead of calling her—in case she’s still sleeping.
Me: Since everyone is at the amusement park, Chase and I thought it would be fun to go out on the boat. Sound good?
She texts me right back.
Ainsley: I’d love to. I’ll pack a little bag, throw on a swimsuit, and head your way.
We’ve been out on the boat for a couple of hours, and we’ve all already been on the tire swing. Ainsley and Daine jumped off the cliffs a few times. She said it’s one of her most favorite things to do when she’s in the Ozarks.
Now we’re out in the water by the shoreline, and she’s kissing me .
But then she quickly takes a few steps back and runs her palm across the top of the water, tossing it up at me.
“Oh, this means war,” I say, splashing her back.
She closes her eyes as the water hits her face, but she’s grinning and laughing, so I know she’s enjoying it.
Especially when she flips more water up at me.
She’s leaning to one side trying to avoid the water and covering her face with her hands, so I decide to try a different tactic and use my foot to kick more water in her direction. And it works really well because there is a lot more volume of water than when I just splash her.
She takes the hit, then stands up straight, pushes her hand through her hair, wipes off her face, and then smiles at me.
She looks so sexy. I just stop and stare. Her wet cutoffs cling to her body, and her skimpy bikini top is slightly askew.
I’m admiring her stature and grin as she takes two steps toward me.
She’s got her arms out, ready to pull me in for a kiss. And I can’t wait for that, especially when her hands slide around my neck.
I’m ready to feel her lips on mine.
And when she hooks her foot around my leg, I know things are really going to get steamy.
Until she shoves me backward. I want to say I fall into the water, but she actually pushes me down—her hands on my chest until she dunks me .
But when I come back up, she wraps her arms around me, lets out a beautiful laugh, and I know I’d gladly get dunked by her any day to feel like this.
Especially when she puts her hands on my cheeks and pulls me into a single wonderful kiss.
Then she proceeds to tell me just how awesome it was that she took me down. I let her gloat while she runs her fingers through my wet hair and kisses me again.
My favorite.
Ainsley
Dani and I are lying on the front of the boat, getting some sun.
And resting.
I’ve played on a tire swing. Jumped off a cliff. Gotten into a water fight. Waterskied. And kissed Damon a lot.
The guys have impressive wakeboarding skills—and I’m pretty sure Damon was showing off for me. Actually, all those flips and jumps were probably just par for the course for him.
I haven’t waterskied since last summer, and I probably overdid it. Damon and I were double skiing, and I was having too much fun spraying him with water to worry about that. But I’m sure I’m going to be sore tomorrow .
Haley is sitting on the boat’s back deck, which allows her to sort of be in the water without worrying about her leg, and the guys are floating on rafts.
“How did you know Chase was serious about you?” I ask Dani. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I said I love you to Damon. “I mean, he’s younger than you.”
“Well, Chase has always been serious about us,” she says with a grin, but then she studies me. “Or are you asking about my brother?”
“Damon isn’t that serious. He’s always cracking jokes.”
“Just because he’s funny doesn’t mean he treats his life that way. And he seems pretty serious about you,” she says.