Chapter 11
ELEVEN
KRISTA
Thursday, One Day Before the Summer Swap
Krista couldn’t stop replaying that kiss.
The warmth of his lips, his hands on her waist, the way the world had gone still while her pulse raced.
She’d felt so alive. It had been a long time since she’d let herself have a little fun, and Joe Valerio was definitely fun.
Not only that, he was pure, irresistible trouble.
A full-blown distraction who kissed like every nerve in her body was his to command.
Like he’d been waiting for her forever, and she’d been waiting for him.
By the time they reached shore, it was almost ten o’clock. The sun had climbed higher, scattering gold across the dock. Krista’s heart still fluttered whenever she smiled, but she pushed it down, tucking the memory of that kiss somewhere private. To revisit later.
“Morning, you two!” Elsie called from the beach, phone at the ready.
She wore white denim capri pants and a floral blouse.
Her black high heels kicked off to the side.
Her hair was styled high in a fashionable ponytail, the ends curled perfectly.
“Hope you don’t mind. I thought I’d grab a few photos before our meeting. ”
Krista glanced over her shoulder. Joe tousled his dark hair, shrugging.
“It’ll be quick,” Elsie said, picking her way up the sand. “Couple shots on the boards, maybe a boomerang of you falling in—kidding. Mostly. Then we can go over how the Summer Swap fundraiser is going to work. Oh, and look at the Hideaway listing.”
Krista’s stomach dipped. “The…listing?”
“Yeah.” Elsie dug into her tote and produced her tablet like a magician with a prop. “You said you were putting the place up for sale, right? I mocked up a draft last night. Figured I’d use my marketing prowess and make sure it’s picture-perfect before you post it.”
The sunlight suddenly felt too bright, her pulse too loud. She’d told herself she was ready, that selling was the right, smart thing to do. But hearing it out loud made her chest ache.
“Oh. Right. Sure,” she managed, forcing a smile. “I’d love for you to take a look.”
“Good.” Elsie grinned, waving them toward the water. “Now, back on the boards. Stand there. Closer. Like you don’t secretly want to push him in, Krista.”
“I don’t secretly want to push him in,” Krista said.
Joe snorted. “She wants to do it openly.”
They waded into the shallows, boards bobbing gently. Krista tried to shake off the tight feeling in her chest.
“Okay, for this one,” Elsie said, lifting her phone, “I want you both on one board. Cute, chaotic, a wee bit dangerous. The internet will love it.”
Krista shot Joe a look. “Absolutely not.” She wasn’t letting him baptize her again.
“Oh, come on,” he said, nudging her board closer with his foot. “I’ve got it down now. Promise. ”
“Sure you do,” she muttered, stepping on anyway. The board wobbled immediately.
Krista mentally blamed Joe because she was a master at this. But something about his presence tripped her up.
She windmilled one arm. “Nope. Bad idea. Terrible?—”
Joe stepped up behind her, board dipping under their combined weight. His hands, warm and firm, came to rest on her waist.
“I’ve got you,” he said quietly, breath brushing her damp hair.
Her body went still.
The board rocked again, but his grip tightened, guiding her feet a little wider, thumbs brushing just above her bikini bottoms. Heat shot through her in a way that had nothing to do with the sun.
“Bend your knees,” he murmured. “Trust it.”
Trust you , her brain supplied unhelpfully.
She inhaled slowly, lake air cool in her lungs, and obeyed. The board steadied beneath them.
“That’s it,” he said. “See? Not so bad.”
“So, you’re the teacher now, huh?” Krista said, trying to keep her voice light.
“Oh my God, this is perfect,” Elsie crowed from the shore. “Stay just like that—Krista, maybe don’t look like you’re contemplating your life choices.”
Krista forced her shoulders to relax, pasted on a smile, and tried not to think about Joe’s fingers still on her hips. The anxiety in her chest softened, replaced by something steadier.
Elsie snapped a few pictures—Joe, steady and tall behind her; Krista, paddle in hand, trying to look casual while her entire nervous system hummed.
“That’s it,” Elsie said at last. “Back on land. Boards behind you, shoulder to shoulder, big Maple Falls smiles. Pretend you’re having the time of your lives. ”
Joe and Krista hopped off the board together in the waist-deep water. The loss of his touch felt like stepping out of sunlight into shade. They moved up onto the sand, boards propped behind them, standing side by side, smiling into the morning.
Ten minutes later, Krista sat at a patio table, hair still damp, wrapped in a towel, scrolling through Elsie’s mock-up for the Hideaway’s online listing.
The bright, cheery photos looked fine. Great, even.
But she didn’t want to think about the place selling, even though she knew she should.
And truthfully, her mind was only half on the screen.
Mostly because Joe was behind the counter, towel knotted low around his hips, apparently determined to make her coffee.
Sunlight traced the lines of his chest and shoulders, droplets sliding down his neck to the hard planes of his stomach.
He moved with easy confidence, all broad shoulders and lean muscle, a faint V-shape vanishing beneath the towel.
Krista tried to look away, but her eyes refused to comply. Every flex, every subtle movement drew her in.
She took a sip of her water to cool off, watching him over the rim of her glass as he squared up to the espresso machine. He pressed a button. Nothing. Pressed another. The machine beeped at him in a way that felt vaguely judgmental. Joe frowned, studying the display.
He knocked the portafilter against the counter—once, twice—tapped it, checked it, tapped it again. Then he leaned in, close enough that his shoulders bunched and flexed, and muttered something under his breath that made Krista’s mouth twitch.
Finally, after he had the espresso mastered, he poured in one shot. And then another. And another. Enough that Krista was pretty sure she’d get a caffeine high after one sip.
“And,” Elsie was saying, tapping on her tablet, “if you post the listing on the tourism site too, you’ll hit a whole new wave of visitors before Labor Day. Maybe even a feature in the Midwest Getaway newsletter.”
Krista nodded absently. “Mmm. Sounds good.”
Elsie followed her gaze, took in Joe at the counter, and smirked. “Uh-huh. You have no idea what I just said, do you?”
Krista tore her eyes away, cheeks heating. “Of course I do. Labor Day. Tourism site. Great idea.”
“Sure,” Elsie said, laughing as she set the tablet flat on the table. “Okay, focus for thirty seconds, then back to ogling your very photogenic bartender.”
“I’m not?—”
Elsie held up a hand. “No lies before noon. Now. Summer Swap.” She swiped to a colorful little spreadsheet titled: Maple Falls Summer Swap––Overview .
Krista’s stomach dipped. “Wow, this is all very official.”
“Krista, this is the best content I’ve had in months,” Elsie said, her eyes shining. “It’s already working, and you haven’t even swapped lives yet.”
Krista blinked. “What do you mean?”
Elsie turned the tablet so Krista could see.
“I did a soft launch last night. Shared that bonfire photo of you and Joe and introduced the Summer Swap. Liam from the farm shop offered a dollar for every like and share––up to two hundred—for your grandparents.” She tapped the number.
“We hit a hundred and sixty-two before midnight. From one post.”
Krista stared at the number. It wasn’t huge. It didn’t magically fix everything. But it was real. It was something.
Elsie rotated the screen in Joe’s direction as he came to join them.
“And that was just the start.” Elsie grinned. “So, here’s how it’s going to work going forward, now that I’ve sobered up enough to organize it.”
She flipped to another tab, rows neatly color-coded. “Every day for the next five days, we’ll line up a Maple Falls business to sponsor you and Joe swapping lives. Flat donation, plus a small cut of their sales during a set window. Donations will pour in from locals too.”
Krista’s heart fluttered as she skimmed the names of businesses who’d already offered to sponsor them. The Maple Leaf Café, the Cinnamon Spice Inn, the Pumpkin Pie Bakery, the Cocoa Corner, the Cherry Crush Flower Shop. The town she loved, all coming through to help her grandparents.
“So tomorrow,” Elsie said, “we officially kick things off with the Cinnamon Spice Inn as our sponsor. They threw in a hundred dollars, plus a cut of their cinnamon roll sales.”
As Elsie continued, her excitement was contagious. Krista’s chest felt lighter than it had in days.
“Every night I’ll text you guys,” continued Elsie, “and we can do a little roundup of how the day went and what the plans are for the next day. You get to play musical lives, the town has fun, and your grandparents get help a lot sooner than if you tried to do this alone. Deal?”
Krista huffed a half laugh. “You really are dangerous with a margarita and an internet connection.”
“You knew this when we became friends,” Elsie said breezily, tucking the tablet back into her tote, glancing at Joe. “Go get caffeinated. Tomorrow we have a town to entertain.”
She stood, looping the tote over her shoulder. “And remember. The Cinnamon Spice Inn wants dreamy Maple Falls shots tomorrow. And I want at least one of Joe looking like a rugged lake god and a sexy barista. For the brand.”
Krista made a strangled sound. “Goodbye, Elsie.”
Elsie just laughed and headed down the dock, thumbs flying over her phone.
When she disappeared, the Hideaway grew quiet again. Just the hum of the espresso machine, the lake rippling beyond.
Joe held up a mug. “For you,” he said.
Krista eyed it. “Should I be worried? ”
“Never. This is a Valerio original.” He set it down grandly. “The Summer Sweet.”
“What’s in it?”
“Honey, strawberry syrup, oat milk, and probably too much espresso.”
She took a cautious sip. Smooth, light, a hint of fruit. “Okay…this is actually good.”
“I’m full of surprises,” he said, sliding into the seat across from her.
“Clearly.”
They sat in easy silence for a moment. Then Joe leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So,” he said, “what’s next, teacher?”
Krista hesitated, then pulled up her phone. “Actually…I wanted to show you something.”
She shared the journal entry she’d translated last night.
Joe leaned in as she read, her voice soft:
“ Tonight, the lake called me again.
The house sleeps, but my heart cannot.
When Jonah kisses me, I feel alive.
But this cannot last. Tomorrow I choose: duty or desire. ”
Silence stretched between them as Joe seemingly thought through Isabel’s words.
“Whoever Jonah was, she loved him,” he said after a moment.
Krista nodded. “You can feel it.”
He rubbed his chin. “The entry’s dated, right? If we hit the library, we can check the newspaper archives. Maybe we’ll find something about her. Or him.”
Krista’s eyes brightened. “Are you free now? I have staff running the Hideaway today to give me time to prep for the swap. I can sneak away for a while.”
Joe smiled. “I’m all yours.”