She stepped outside just as a breathy voice called, “Sy!” A woman—a girl, really—in an apron jogged up to him, her long, blond ponytail swinging. Her flawless cheeks were flushed pink, and she had the biggest, bluest eyes Maggie had ever seen. This was exactly the kind of girl Maggie hadn’t been in high school. No acne, voluminous hair, and an overflowing self-confidence that compelled her to bound up to the cutest guy in school and expect him to like her.

“Heard you and Michelle broke up.” Bubbly Blonde hooked an eyebrow expectantly.

Silas looked at Maggie and then back at Bubbly. “We did,” he said.

“You should have called me. Didn’t I tell you to call me if you two ever split for good?”

“Well now, that wouldn’t have been fair to Michelle,” Silas said. He looked at Maggie again and then took her hand. “Or Maggie. Mags, meet Arabella. Bella, meet Maggie.”

“Hi, Arabella. It’s nice to meet you.”

Arabella wasn’t nearly as excited to see Maggie. “Oh. Hi,” the girl replied flatly.

Score one for the late bloomer. Maggie Nichols had something the cool girl wanted. Being in such a position of power made her feel magnanimous.

“Don’t worry,” Maggie said with a wink. “I’m only in town for a few weeks.”

Hope must bloom eternal in Arabella, she guessed, because the girl brightened.

“See you around, Bella,” Silas said, dragging Maggie away.

“I like your shoes,” Arabella called after them, pointing at Maggie’s boots.

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t crowded on the deck. Just a few couples enjoying the early start to their evening and a group of twenty-somethings talking over each other about their white water rafting. Silas pulled her to a table on the upper section of decking. The lake, an unbelievable blue-green, stretched out before them in a bowl of gently rolling hills.

“Well, that was fun,” she teased, taking a seat and snatching the drink menu out of its holder.

He shook his head. “I do not know what’s gotten into that girl. I’ve known her since she was born practically.”

The bourbon barrel porter on the list caught her eye. She slid the menu across the teak table to him and leaned back in her chair. “I could hazard a guess.”

“I really don’t want to spend our third date talking about other people.”

“Third date? Things certainly seem to be moving along,” she quipped.

“You’re taking things slow and being respectful,” he explained. “But if you play your cards right tonight, I might just let you kiss me.”

Maggie’s quick inhale sucked saliva into her lungs, and she started coughing.

“You all right?” he asked.

She nodded, still coughing.

“Totally. Fine,” she rasped.