“Yes, goodness, yes,” she says breathlessly. “The ring is so beautiful, and I love you, and yes, yes, yes!”
Tears spill down her cheeks as she wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me close, feathering kisses over my forehead and cheeks before finding my lips and kissing me until my blood is rushing.
“I love you so much,” she whispers against my lips. “This was perfect.”
“I’m so glad,” I say with a shaky laugh. “And honestly, I’m glad to have that over with. I was so fucking nervous all night.”
“Why?” She swipes at her cheeks as she pulls back. “You knew I was going to say yes, silly.”
“I don’t know.” I shrug, grinning as she plucks the ring from the jewelry box and slides it onto her left ring finger. It’s a perfect fit. “I guess I thought there was still a chance you might come to your senses and tell me to get lost.”
She wrinkles her nose playfully. “Never. Now, you’re mine, mister. And I don’t plan on ever…” She trails off, a frown creasing her forehead as she stares down at her feet.
“Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“Your leg is wet,” she says in a deceptively calm voice.
I glance down, surprised to see two inches of water filling the bottom of the boat, enough to soak the knee I just had bent and begin to seep into my shoes. I was so nervous and then so happy that I didn’t notice, but now, it’s abundantly clear that our boat is taking on water.
“Shit,” I mutter. “It was fine when I took it out a few hours ago to place the jewelry box.”
She giggles softly, making me lift my eyes to her face.
“This isn’t funny,” I insist, smiling in spite of myself as I reclaim my seat and grab the oars. “What if we can’t make it back to the dock before we sink?”
“Then I guess we’ll have to swim,” she says, her giggle turning into full-fledged laughter.
“What is wrong with you, woman?” I laugh with her, though I could do without a swim in a freezing lake in late October. But her laughter is just so infectious
“Nothing. I’ve just decided to embrace our bad luck. It’s funnier that way.”
I shake my head, pulling harder toward the shoreline as water continues to seep into the boat. “Our luck fucking blows. Maybe we’ve been cursed by a jealous god or something.”
“Probably a goddess, jealous of me for taking the hottest mortal man on earth,” she says with a wink.
“Seriously,” I grunt, my muscles straining. “Maybe we should go get our energy cleansed at that New Age place in Atlanta, the one that sells the crystals and shit.”
“We don’t need our energy cleansed,” she says breezily. “Our luck isn’t all bad. Your shop is doing really well, I’m starting a second career I love, and we’re engaged to be married. God, I can’t believe we’re really engaged!” she finishes with a happy squeal as she leans over to kiss me, the addictive taste of her distracting me from my work long enough for the water to reach our calves.
“Oh wow, that’s cold,” she gasps against my lips.
“Not so excited about that swim now, are you?” I haul at the oars, but I only manage to move us a foot closer to the dock.
The boat is getting too heavy, and the water is pouring in so fast it’s only a matter of minutes until the boat goes under. There’s no way we’re making it to the dock fifty feet away before we sink.
“Here, give me the box,” I say. “I don’t want you to have to hold anything while you’re swimming.”
“No, it’s okay, I can hold it. I’m a stronger swimmer than you are.”
“You are not a stronger swimmer,” I huff. “And you’re wearing a dress that will drag at your legs.”
“I am too a stronger swimmer,” she insists, shivering as the water reaches the bottom of our seats. “And you’re wearing shoes.”
I take off my shoes, hurling them hard at the dock, gratified when they connect with the wood with two hard thunks. “There, no shoes. Now give me the box.”
“Fine,” she says, handing it over. “But I really am a stronger swimmer.”
“Guess we’ll see, won’t we? Last one to the dock has to tell Joe we sank his boat,” I say, grinning as I stand.
A second later, I leap over the side. My head goes under the cold water long enough to make me dizzy, but then I’m popping back to the surface and pulling hard for the dock seconds before Melody splashes into the water behind me.
Melody
“No fair!” I sputter as I surface and swim hard after Nick. “You’re such a cheater!”
“Such a winner, you mean,” he shouts over his shoulder.
“Don’t think so, Geary,” I pant as I pass him on the left, muscles burning as I paddle just fast enough for my fingertips to grip the dock first. “Oh! Shutout!” I call as he groans in defeat. “And after you cheated, too. That must feel terrible. I hope you’re ashamed of yourself.”