A Beautiful Thought (The Beautiful Series) (21 page)

After finishing the first chapter, I was completely torn between continuing to read and joining my man because I was entirely drawn into this amazing novel already. But as I watched Damon, I wanted to spend this time with him.

I carefully slipped my Kindle into my purse and murmured, “I’ll come back for you later, my precious,” before standing to my feet and heading toward Damon.

He reached over his right shoulder with the pole, making his arm flex in an eye-catching movement, and then he whipped it forward to cast the line.

“Hey you.” I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around to cop a feel of his taut stomach.

“There’s my girl,” he replied as he swapped his pole into his opposing hand and repositioned me until I was at his side. “Have you ever fished before?”

“No,” I admitted sheepishly. “I’ve only watched my dad as a kid from afar.”

“He never asked you to try?”

“Oh, he did,” I clarified. “However, he quickly gave up on the idea when he realized he was raising two daughters.”

“We’ll have to rectify that minor detail,” he teased and repositioned his stance so that I was in front of him. “Here.” He offered me the pole and set his own hands on top of mine. “Reel it in slowly, and I’ll show you how to cast.”

“Okay.” I smiled, open to learning.

When the bobber and the hook with the worm were dangling in front of us, Damon teased, “So, the first and most important rule is not to let go of the pole when casting.” He kissed my cheek.

“I’m pretty sure I knew that part,” I scoffed jokingly.

“That’s good.” He snickered and carefully extended our arms backward. “The second one is don’t hook yourself or anyone else or get the fishing wire tangled in a tree,” he added.

“Got it.” I laughed, moving in sync with him.

“Okay, now, as we get ready to cast it forward, press this knob.” He lightly maneuvered my finger over the button. “Hold it down until we cast forward. Then, you will let go of the knob, which releases the hook and bobber like a slingshot, going where you might or might not want it to go.” He was deliberately hinting at the nearby tree. He slowly pulled the pole back and forward again while indicating when to let go.

As I processed that information, Damon enthusiastically asked, “Ready?”

“Yep!”

“Go!” he exclaimed.

A soft squeal escaped my mouth as I threw my arm forward, following his directions. I watched as the line barreled onward and landed in the water with a small splash.

“Good job,” Damon said before kissing my temple. “And now, we wait.”

He gestured for me to join him as he lowered to sit down with his long legs hanging off the dock, and I sat in between them.

“Did you fish often as a kid?” I asked, eager to know more about him.

“My brothers and I used to go fishing all the time as kids.”

I tilted my head over at him. “Who walked away with the most catches of the day?” I questioned with a smile, enjoying this sunny day with him.

“I did.” He laughed. “But Jason always caught the biggest fish.”

“That seems like a fair trade-off,” I replied, checking my bobber.

The red-and-white bobber began to move, and then moments later, it dipped under the surface of the water.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. “I got one!”

Damon rose and looped his arms around me. Slowly, he started showing me how to hook and reel in the fish. I steadily turned the handle and felt the tension of the fish tugging against me. As it neared, I squatted down and pulled the dark-colored fish out of the water while raising the pole high above my head.

“Now, you just gotta grab him by the mouth, so you can get the hook out,” Damon instructed, kneeling beside me.

I pivoted on my heels to gape at him. “I’m not touching that slimy thing!” I squeaked.

“Aw, come on, you chicken!” Damon drawled with a grin, his voice laced with dare. “You can’t say you’re a fisherman until you’ve handled one!”

I had never been one to back down from a challenge. “I am not!” I bent forward, braced the pole in between my legs, and grabbed the fish’s mouth. Once it was in my hands, I bellowed out, “Gross! It’s slimy!” while removing the hook from the fish’s mouth.

“It is not!” he retorted good-naturedly.

With the fish free, it started flapping around wildly within my grasp. The feel of his tiny teeth brushed along my fingertips, causing me to jump and toss him back into the water. Well, I might have actually thrown him in. I just knew I didn’t want to hold it anymore.

“Aw!” Damon rolled with laughter. “You let him go!”

“What else was I supposed to do with the slippery thing?”

“Eat him,” he teased with a broad grin.

“Funny.” I scoffed. “No way!”

“You don’t eat fish?” he asked, grabbing his own fishing pole to cast the line into the water.

“Nope.” I scrunched up my nose at the thought. “I’m not for eating things that smell atrocious.”

“Well then, I have to take you out for some well-cooked salmon,” he said with confidence. “If it is cooked right, it has a great taste.”

“I
might
give it a shot,” I teased, open to trying it. I hadn’t had some since I was a kid.

“It’s a date.” He winked at me. “All right, fisherman,” he said, sitting back down on the dock. “You’re one catch up on me, and I can’t have you stealing my most-catches status, so you’re on your own from here on out.”

“I think I can handle it,” I replied with assurance at my newfound skill while sitting down next to Damon.

As we sat for the next few hours, enjoying one another’s company, we stole glances at each other and even shared countless kisses. I could not help but bask in our time together.

In such a short time, he had become my everything. He was the reason I would wake up early. Just a few minutes with him before we’d go our separate ways to work would make my whole day, and it was why I’d race home at night, wanting to hear his voice and laughter as he held me on the couch before bed.

I pondered back to when Abbey had told me I must really like him.

No, I did not like Damon.

I loved him.

The very thought left me breathless, and I had no idea what to do. Telling Damon was out of the question. Every time I’d ever spoken to a man about getting serious in the past, he would run for the door without a good-bye, and I was not ready to give up my precious time with Damon yet. Pain pierced my heart, excruciatingly so, at the thought. I didn’t want to give up Damon—ever.

To top it off, I had no clue how to express my feelings to him or how he would react. Sure, I knew he cared deeply for me. Nevertheless, I was smart enough to know there was a difference between caring for someone and being in love.

What if I handed him my heart and something else kept us apart?

Damon was still uncertain if Lake Tahoe was a permanent move in his life. But it
was
mine. With my parents and Caroline here, I could not wrap my mind around the possibility of leaving them. My family would be heartbroken.

I pushed away the thought. Damon and I were not even at that bridge, so there was no reason to worry over how to cross it when it might never come up.

I just needed more time to process my feelings. All the while, Damon and I would each need the time to grow, so I handed my cards over to fate, and I went back to embracing the present moment with him.

Damon had caught nine fish throughout the morning, and I was feeling quite proud of my three.

It was nearly lunchtime, so I twisted to face him. “Do you want to take a lunch break?” I motioned north of us. “There are a bunch of places to eat about half a mile up the beach, if you’d like to walk.”

“Food sounds excellent,” he replied.

We stood, gathered our belongings, and carried them to my car. After locking them up in the trunk, Damon twined his hands with mine, and I began to lead the way.

“Do you come to the beach often?” he inquired as we navigated the path between the water and the pine trees.

“Caroline and I have always shared a love for the water, so yes, whenever I can carve out some free time, I like to walk along the beach,” I answered, gazing between him and my steps.

“I’m glad to see your sister is recovering so well,” he said in a kind voice.

“Me, too,” I replied, recalling all the updates Mom had given me throughout the week. “Mom told me this morning that Caroline should be coming home on Monday.”

“That is great news.” Damon smiled. “I’m relieved to see her memory returning like the doctor expected.”

“Yes,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s amazing to see how our brains can heal from such a trauma.”

“I wanted to ask you this before, but I didn’t feel like it was the right time with everything going on.” He gently squeezed my hand. “Does Caroline have a history of seizures?”

“Yes,” I answered, remembering all the frightening ones my sister had when she was younger. “Caroline’s are called epileptic seizures. She hasn’t had one in almost a year,” I explained. “The doctors said most of hers have always been very mild. Nevertheless, it’s still terrifying—”

“Extremely,” Damon said in agreement.

“However, our greater concern is
where
Caroline has them and who is there to help her because we never know where she’ll be standing when the seizure starts…” I trailed off as the memories made my heart ache profoundly.

“Like the stairs at school?” Damon questioned in a sad, quiet tone.

I could tell his mind was putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Exactly,” I answered, blinking back tears while wishing there were some miracle to keep Caroline safe. I wanted to be an angel, wrap my wings around my sister, and protect her from anything like that ever happening to her again.

“When does she start E2 Excellence in Education?” he asked.

I was grateful for the subject change because I did not want him to see me cry.

I swallowed hard. “My parents are now going to wait until next semester,” I responded. “That way she has more time to recover from her injures.”

“I think that will be better for Caroline, too.”

We reached the northern part of downtown and came to a four-way stop.

Damon scoped out the area. “There are so many places to choose from.”

“Yep.” I smiled up at him, wanting to lighten the mood. “So, you get to take your pick.”

Damon’s eyes kept searching onward. “Anywhere I want?”

My phone beeped from the front pocket of my jeans. I pulled it out, hit the silent button on the side without glancing at the screen, and sincerely replied, “Sure. It’s your day after all.” I tucked my cell back in my pocket.

I gazed back at Damon to see him release a devilish grin that made me question my previous answer.

“Freshies Restaurant it is.”

“Argh!” I groaned out loud as the fish fry dawned on me. “I can’t believe I forgot about that place!” I added as the building came into my sight.

Damon laughed at me.

I made a last-minute effort to curb his appetite. “There’s a good steak place another block up.” I used a persuasive tone and tugged on his hand.

He spun around on me, picked me up, and tossed me over his shoulder.

“Hey!” I screeched, looking around upside down at the bystanders who were luckily not paying us any attention.

“You said
anywhere
I
want, sweetheart,” he countered, striding onward with ease. “And this guy wants to see you eat a fish.”

“Shit,” I muttered, making him laugh again as I simultaneously wondered how I was going to survive the next hour.

Damon set me on my feet right outside the brick building with an orange canopy. His eyes were dancing with mirth.

I playfully glared at him. “You’re going to enjoy torturing me, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah.” He grinned, taking my hand back in his, as he pulled me inside the Freshies Restaurant.

I scrunched up my nose as I immediately smelled an array of seafood.

A young waiter approached us. “Table for two?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” Damon said, stifling his humor.

We followed the boy to the back of the restaurant, and Damon and I were seated at a booth that overlooked the water. I glanced out at the water, amazed by the stunning view.

“Can I start you off with a drink?” the waiter asked.

Is it too early to start drinking?

I ignored the urge, sticking with my better judgment. “A Pepsi, please.”

Damon lifted his hand. “Make that two.”

The gentleman politely dismissed himself, and I stared at Damon to see him regarding me with a mixture of apprehension and mirth.

“You look like you’re planning your escape route.”

I tipped my head to the far right. A sign that said
Exit
was not far from the restrooms. “It’s only a good thirty feet away,” I teased.

“I’ll catch you before you make it to the door.” He grinned as the waiter returned with our drinks.

I shook my head. “Not if I chuck plates into your path on my way out,” I fibbed before taking a sip of my Pepsi.

“Then, you’d
definitely
better hope I don’t catch you,” he countered, keeping my gaze. “Because when I do, we’ll be heading straight home and fast-forwarding to naked Sunday.”

A chuckle seeped past my lips as I peered at him over my glass, now planning to switch my tactics. “That sounds heavenly right now.” I smiled. “Let’s skip dinner and go home. I’ll let you lick whipped cream off my body.”

Damon’s eyes flared with heat and longing. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the wooden table. His right hand lifted to caress his morning stubble that he had not shaved before leaving, and he appeared to be contemplating my offer.

“You play dirty,” he crooned softly. “But there is still not a chance in hell I’m letting you get out of trying fish first.”

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath.

He was a tough nut to crack. I sighed in defeat and shifted my attention to the menu in front of me. I was overwhelmed by all the choices and names. In fact, I did not even know what half the selections were—let alone, how to pronounce a handful of them. Apparently, I had been a sheltered child when it came to seafood.