And knowing Raquel, she wanted Evie to feel as out of place as possible. But Evie was done letting her cousin get under her skin or manipulate her emotions. That was in the past, and she wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel insecure or uncertain about herself ever again.
“It’s not awkward,” Evie said, her voice strong and poised. “As you can see, I’ve moved on. We’re all adults, Raquel. You two have your life, and I have mine, and actually, it’s pretty damn great. I’m sure you two will have a wonderful life together.”
Evie didn’t miss the troubled look on Graham’s face, but whatever the reason, it wasn’t her concern.
“Oh,” Raquel said, sounding almost . . . disappointed that she hadn’t made Evie feel insignificant.
“We’re heading down to the lake,” Evie went on, putting an end to their conversation because she had nothing left to say to either of them. “We’ll see you around.”
On that note, Eric tucked her hand in his and led her out of the room. She caught sight of her grandpa sitting at a nearby table, drinking his cup of coffee, and he gave her a small, supportive nod that told her he was proud of her for standing up to her cousin.
“Here’s the fruit you wanted,” Evie heard Graham say to Raquel just as they reached the door.
Raquel made a loud sound of disgust. “Are you serious?” she said, her tone irritable. “Half the plate is melon, Graham. You know I hate melon.”
She and Eric kept on walking, and as soon as they stepped outdoors, he turned to her, his face full of humor. “Jesus Christ, Evie. I hate to say this, but you dodged a major fucking bullet with that guy.”
She laughed, feeling lighter than air.
Eric stopped walking and crouched down in front of her, hands on his knees, presenting her with his back. “Hop on. You deserve a ride down to the lake after that awesome smackdown.”
Evie didn’t hesitate like she normally would have, because Eric wouldn’t have made the suggestion if he hadn’t been capable of carrying her. So, she leapt onto his back, securing her arms over his shoulders to hold on, while he tucked his forearms beneath her thighs and anchored her legs tight around his waist.
“That’s my girl,” he praised, and started walking the short distance to the water, where the canoe race would be held soon.
Her heart squeezed tight in her chest. God, she wanted to be his girl. So badly. Being with Eric felt so good and right. Like nothing else ever had with any other guy. There was an easiness with him, and he made her feel confident and secure . . . and so damn desirable.
The moment was so relaxing, until her brother zoomed by her and Eric with Aaron piggybacked on his back.
“Race you two down to the lake!” Garrett yelled, already sounding out of breath. “Last one there is the rotten egg!”
Evie burst out laughing. “What is he, twelve?”
“Right now he is,” Eric said, tightening his hold on her legs. “Hang on because my inner twelve-year-old has just accepted his challenge.”
Evie let out a startled scream as Eric bolted across the grass. His stride was smooth, his body agile and strong, and they passed Garrett and Aaron in no time flat. When they reached the edge of the water, with Eric having won the race, Garrett collapsed to the ground, taking Aaron with him, while wheezing and trying to catch his breath.
“Jesus Christ, Evie,” Garrett huffed out, his gaze staring at Eric in awe. “Your man is a goddamn beast!”
“Damn straight I am,” Eric joked, and crouched down again so Evie could slide off his back. He wasn’t even breathing hard, nor had he broken a sweat, like her brother had.
She and Eric sat down on the grass next to her brother and Aaron, since it would only be a little while before everyone gathered by the lake for the canoe race. Garrett, whose breathing had finally evened out, glanced at Evie with a concerned look.
“Hey, everything okay with you and Raquel?” he asked. He might be the younger of the two of them, but he’d always been protective of her. “I saw you guys talking and she looked like she was being a . . . well, not nice,” he amended. “Do you need your little brother to go back up to the lodge and kick some ass?”
Evie laughed as she drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “No. It’s all good. I’m good. I promise.” She really was.
Garrett smirked as he eyed Eric like he did play for the same team, and thank God Eric took it all in stride. “It doesn’t hurt that you have a fuck-hot boyfriend, while Raquel is stuck with a wuss who seems to have lost his dick and balls in the past three years.”