She closed her eyes and felt the light flick of his tongue. His hand rested softly on her shoulder, urging her closer as he deepened the kiss. The longing that whispered in the leaves returned in a rush, but it did not compel. It flowed through her in waves, but it didn’t drag her under.

Reluctant to leave this hidden meadow in the heart of the forest, she idled on the blanket for an afternoon that seemed to span three days. Quiet conversation ebbed and flowed. She dozed and woke to his kiss.

When twilight fell, he took her hand, and he didn’t let go until they returned to the farm. In total darkness, he emerged from the barn with a lantern and guided her to the van.

Even the rumble of the motor couldn’t break the spell. “What happens now?” she asked.

“We finish the gazebo.”

Through the open car window, his lips met hers in a kiss full of promise. The day was too beautiful to ruin with thoughts of the future. She gave herself the gift of one perfect picnic with no care for what came next.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

With the sprinkler teetering on her fingertips, Tessa strained to reach the top shelf in the garage. She could easily grab a stepstool, but less than twenty-four hours after hiking and swimming and dam building, stretching felt good. Her muscles lengthened, and her T-shirt pulled from her waistband, allowing soft, summer air to stroke her skin. Today, she wanted to touch the sky.

A trickle of water leaked from the pipe and dripped onto her cheek. It was warm and slimy, the polar opposite of the crisp creek water that stopped her heart the day before. She brushed it with her shoulder and hopped, attempting to shove enough of the sprinkler onto the shelf that it would balance and stay. It teetered on the edge and tipped back into her hand. She was tall, but not quite tall enough.

“Close your eyes.”

The unexpected voice hissed in her ear, cutting through the whir of the fan and the hum of the freezer. She gasped, and the sprinkler rolled off her fingertips and clattered to the floor. Whirling, she came face to face with Jonas. Or rather, face to chest. He was very close. Dropping her hands to her hips, she steeled herself against the wooziness that turned her kneecaps to oatmeal every time he came near. “Why are you sneaking around my garage?

“I wasn’t sneaking.” He fished the sprinkler from under a lawn chair, reached over her shoulder, and slid it onto the shelf. “Now, close your eyes.”

The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth belied his firm tone. “Yes, you were, and why are you smiling?”

“Close them.” He thrust his hat in front of her face.

The straw scratched her forehead, and she jerked, bumping her bottom against the shelves. “Fine.” She huffed and squeezed shut her eyes. “Happy?”