Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Grabbing the bag from the back, I hop out and begin to make my way through the high grass. Skylar follows quickly after me.
“Are we on a treasure hunt?” she asks. “Do you have all kinds of radar and metal detecting tools in there, Nicholas Cage?”
I laugh. “Not quite as exciting, but I think you’ll have a lot more fun.”
After a minute or two, I manage to find the dirt path that’s still there after all this time. I spin around and snatch Skylar by the waist and hoist her over my shoulder as she squeals.
“Okay, now I’m sure you’re going to kill me!” she giggles.
But moments later, we emerge through the trees onto the bluff, and I hear Skylar’s deep breath when she sees my surprise.
“Walker…”
Beneath us is the pond, smaller and not quite as impressive as the one where we met, but its water still shines bright and blue beneath the brilliant sun beating down on us from overhead. With a twirl, I set Skylar down beside me and smile as she looks down, jaw agape, at my surprise.
“It’s not quite the same,” I say. “But it’s close.”
“It’s beautiful.” She smiles, turning to me. “You really are amazing, you know that? Such a romantic.”
“Only for you.” I lean down and kiss her. It’s like I’ve been with her for years—like she’s my matching puzzle piece. All I want to do is make her happy, but I know nothing I do will ever be enough. I’ll just want to keep giving her more, doing more so I can see that bright smile on her face that could light up the world.
I reach down into the bag, set aside the towels I packed for the both of us, and find the length of rope I picked up this morning from the store. Skylar’s eyes light up.
“You really came prepared, huh?”
“Watch this,” I reply.
Quickly, I scale the tree I picked out beforehand and begin tying the rope to the strongest branch.
“Be careful!” Sky calls out. “Don’t break your neck!”
“Okay, Ma,” I tease as I tie the final knot. I shimmy down and land beside her, then scoop her into my arms. “Care to go for a swim?”
She smiles. “Let’s go.”
Like we did a year ago, we strip out of our clothes and stand naked before each other. All the other men in the world just have no idea what they’re missing out on. I’m the luckiest man alive.
Together, we take hold of the rope, and I plant a kiss on Sky’s cheek. “Here we go!”
The wind whistles in my ears as we swoop off of the bluff. I hear Sky screech in delight as we soar out over the water. We shake as she kicks her legs, and I laugh, feeling her warm body pressed against mine.
“Now!” I cry out as we reach the peak of the swing.
Together, we let go and plunge into the water beneath us.
The chill races through me, and I kick hard for the surface. We both come up laughing and swim for the shore. I snatch Sky into my arms when we reach the grass, pull her to me, and kiss her. She lets her legs spread and her mouth open for my tongue. She would let me have her now, and it’s not like I don’t want her either—I’m already growing hard—but right now there’s something else I have to do.
“Skylar…” I say, hoping my tone conveys the importance of what I’m about to say. She looks back at me, and I see from her eyes that she understands.
“Uh-oh.”
“No, not uh-oh.” I smile. “It’s nothing bad.”
“Okay, phew,” she replies, breathing a sigh of relief. “For a second there, I thought maybe you brought me here to butter me up before telling me something terrible.”
“No,” I reply. “But I do have to ask you something sort of important.”
“Okay…” she replies, sitting up. “What is it?”
Here comes the hard part.
I know what I have to say, but it takes me a moment to say it. This is even harder than I thought it would be.
“Skylar, what would you think about coming to Los Angeles with me?”
Sky blinks, frowns, then slowly shakes her head as if confused.
“Los…Angeles?” she asks. “Weren’t you just in Los Angeles?”
“Yes, I was.”
“And you are asking me to go there with you?”
“Your dad,” I reply. “He came into my room last night after we…well, anyway, he came into my room and told me he needs me to go back there, at least for a while, to deal with some things at the firm for him.”
“And you said yes?” I can hear the tension rising in her voice.
“No!” I reply quickly. “I didn’t. I said I’d think about it, but you know your dad. You know how things will go if I say no. You know what kind of problems it could cause in the family.”