Fragile Longing

As if she could see my uncertainty, she smiled. “I’m fine.”

Anna sat up on her sunchair.

Emma was in a bathing suit, a fact that surprised me. She arrived on the sundeck and arrested her brakes close to the edge of the boards. My eyes widened when she pushed up to her feet slowly. Her legs were shaky, and she had to grip the handles of the ladder leading into the water to steady herself. “I can stand and even walk a couple of steps with support,” she explained. “The accident crushed my spinal cord, so I have paresis.”

She let herself sink to the edge of the deck and awkwardly lowered her legs into the water.

“Did it get better over the years?” I asked.

Emma shook her head. “Paresis usually can’t be healed.”

I nodded and watched with worry as she lowered herself into the lake. Noticing Anna’s and my wide eyes, she said, “I’m a good swimmer, don’t worry.”

“Okay,” I said, then got into the water, just in case she needed help at some point, but soon Anna, Emma, and I swam around, chatting about wedding plans. Well, Emma and I chatted about them. Anna’s wedding date wasn’t scheduled yet. She’d be attending college first.

Emma acted so much freer and happier in the water, and we forgot the time.

“Girls, we’re about to barbecue the meat,” Samuel called from the upper deck where a grill was situated.

We got out of the lake and dried off, then Anna and I slowly walked up the trail to the upper deck so Emma could keep up. The sun was sinking over the forest, tinging the sky pink and orange, and I was beginning to feel cold without the rays warming my wet skin.

My belly erupted with butterflies when I spotted Danilo beside Samuel at the barbecue. It was the first time I’d seen him in a tight T-shirt and dark jeans, and he looked marvelous. Even if he’d been less of a Disney prince than I’d childishly hoped for, he was sexy.

“We shot a few rabbits,” Samuel explained but my eyes were on Danilo, who was skinning one of the small furry creatures with precision. When he was done, he looked up and his eyes locked on me. Bloody hands holding on to the knife and carcass, he scanned me from head to toe, lingering briefly on my short ponytail before his gaze wandered lower once more.

Was he checking me out?

It seemed too good to be true.

Samuel cleared his throat, and Danilo handed the skinned rabbit to him, tearing his gaze from me. Its bowels were already in a bucket at his feet.

“That’s disgusting,” Anna said.

“Don’t be such a diva,” Leonas muttered as he sauntered onto the deck, carrying plates.

I stepped up to the barbecue to be closer to Danilo, eager to coerce a reaction out of him, but he kept his eyes on the meat.

“You should get changed,” Samuel said sharply, giving me a hard look. “You need to make a salad if you want to eat more than meat.”

“So, we have to make the salad because we’re girls?” Anna asked.

“Next time you can go hunting if that’s what you want,” Samuel said.

Anna rolled her eyes, then together with Emma, we moved into the house. Emma had a room on the first floor while Anna and I had to go upstairs.

“Danilo checked you out,” Anna said.

If Anna had noticed, I hadn’t imagined it. Maybe Danilo and I were finally getting somewhere.The dinner was a relaxed affair. The guards joined us at the big wooden table. The men, even Leonas, talked about work, while we girls chatted about our plans for the next day and the school year.

I occasionally stole a glance at Danilo, but overall, I focused on Emma and Anna. Once or twice, I thought I caught Danilo sneaking a glance at me. Anna had advised me to wear a white summer dress and let my hair airdry so it curled naturally. She insisted the wild mane looked good despite the length.

After dinner, we settled around the fire pit. It got quite fresh out here at night, and goosebumps soon covered my bare arms despite the roaring fire. I didn’t want to go inside to grab a jacket—I was enjoying myself too much. Emma had been clever enough to bring a cardigan.

I rubbed my arms, trying to warm them up a bit. Danilo got up and headed into the house. A few minutes later, he returned with two blankets, one for Anna, and one for me. I gave him a grateful smile when he handed it to me. I liked this side of him. He walked back over to his chair and sank down. Samuel looked as if Danilo had committed a crime. Maybe he should try to act like a gentleman around Emma now and then.