Graham laughed. “We’re not even forty yet.”
“Look at us, Graham. I’m dressed in white shorts and deck shoes, with my striped pullover sweater. I belong in the catalog for what retired women should wear when boating.”
“You’re ridiculous; come with me,” he said as he got up. He walked up the stairs into the galley and then down the small flight to where the bedrooms were. He went into the master bedroom and waited for Rennie to join him.
“What are we doing?”
He closed the door and then went around to make sure the windows were closed as well. “Strip.”
“What?”
“Get naked,” he told her as he dropped his shorts. Rennie gawked at him and slowly undressed. She stood before him, naked. “Now, lie on the bed. I’m going to show you how sexy and not old you are.”
She did as she was told. Graham lay next to her, resting on his elbow. Slowly, he touched every part of her body, saying he loved the spot behind her knee because it was so ticklish and how the curve of her hip fit his hand perfectly. Each time he’d get to a random part of her body, he would comment and massage or kiss the area. By the time Graham came to her neck, she was panting. She wanted him, but each time she reached for him, he batted her hand away.
“Graham,” she drew his name out through ragged breaths.
“Ren,” he replied. When they’d finally figured their lives out, he’d promised never to call her love or darling. Both nicknames triggered fits of anger in her, and he never wanted her to be upset with him.
“Can you?” Her chest heaved up and down as his finger trailed over the goose bumps on her skin. “I need . . .”
“What do you need?”
“You. I need you.”
“Okay.” Graham dropped his hand onto her waist and pulled her toward him, hitching her leg over his thigh. He cupped her face between his hands, and she gripped his wrist, as if to hang on. He flexed his hips and watched her intently. Her eyes fluttered, and as soon as her mouth opened, he kissed her.
When the sun came up the next morning, Graham was thankful they only had one thing on their list to do. The rest of their vacation would be on the boat, just the two of them. He rose early, showered, and made his way to the rental agency, where he was able to get the scooter he wanted. When he pulled into the marina, Rennie was waiting for him in the parking lot.
“Oh my. Is this safe?” she asked as she slipped her helmet on.
“We aren’t going far,” he told her.
Rennie climbed on the back and wrapped her arms around Graham’s waist. He drove them out to the field he had shown her back in January, and when he pulled into an open parking spot, she jumped off the scooter and walked toward the fence.
“Graham, this is beautiful,” she said after she took her helmet off. “These fields are so vibrant.”
Graham secured the scooter and took Rennie’s helmet from her and set both helmets on the seat. He reached for her hand and started them off on the trail that would take them deeper into the lavender.
“I can’t believe it’s taken my whole life to see this place.”
With those words, Graham turned and got down on one knee.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
In his hand, he held a black-velvet box, and he said to her, “I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to ask you to be my wife. Rennie Wallace, will you marry me?”
Rennie covered her mouth with both hands and nodded. “Oh my God, yes. So many yeses,” she told him as she tackled him to the ground. They lay there laughing at her exuberance for a moment until Graham rolled them onto their sides. It was an awkward position, but he was able to slip the halo solitaire onto her finger.
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to do this.” He kissed her hand once the ring was in place.
“Are you kidding me? We’re so much stronger now than we would’ve been. We needed to grow up, be stupid, and find our way back to each other. I love you, Graham Cracker.”
After their hike through the fields, they returned the scooter and made their way back to the boat. Graham caught Rennie holding her hand out, angling her ring so the sun would hit it, and each time it sparkled, she would giggle.
When they boarded the boat, it was business as usual. Graham started the engine while Rennie untied them from the dock. Once they were out in the open sea, Rennie curled up on the couch and opened her book. Every so often, Graham would glance over and find her looking at him.