“I saw you dive in.” She threatened to splash him again and he grabbed her wrist. She gasped, laughing, and twisted free.

“You’re in a good mood today,” he said as she treaded out of his reach.

“I love the water. Surfer girl, remember?”

He did. He sang a line from the Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl.”

“My parents had a pool. Judy and I spent summers swimming with friends,” she said, treading closer so that he could hear her over the roar of the waterfall and kids shouting. She drifted close enough so that he felt the current her movement caused. A leg brushed along his. An arm skirted against his. Water rippled around his chest and his skin beaded. His gaze caught hers; he was curious about her reaction or if she even noticed. Because he wanted to grab that arm or leg and drag her close enough so that it was her mouth brushing against him instead. Her eyes briefly flared before darting away. She pushed wet hair off her forehead. “Let’s check out the waterfall,” she said, then dived underwater.

Dylan tailed her. They swam through the water curtain and perched themselves on a rocky, water-carved ledge. Joy shouted something.

Dylan held a hand to his ear. “What?” The sound of the fall was deafening.

Joy wrapped an arm around his shoulders and Dylan grabbed her hand, keeping her arm in place. He liked it there, and he liked her closeness. She spoke and Dylan leaned down to hear. “This place is cool, but superloud,” she shouted into his ear. “Let’s go back out.” She tugged his arm, but he wouldn’t budge. She laughed. “Come on, follow me.”

“In a sec.”

“See you out there.” She smiled and dived through the curtain of water.

Dylan looked around, not ready just yet to leave the seclusion of the airspace behind the waterfall. The place was cool. So was fun Joy, he thought, feeling himself fully relax for the first time since he’d set out on the road. Tension melted from his shoulders. He’d thought this trip would be a miserable waste of time. It was turning out to be quite the opposite.

He smiled. How did Joy know a day off was exactly what he needed? Between Jack’s death and his and Chase’s plans for Westfield Records, his life had been one project after another without any breaks. He’d also been more focused on putting Jack’s idea of a road trip behind him. He never considered he’d enjoy it, and he had been, thanks to Joy. He wanted to tell her so.

Dylan slid off the ledge and waded through the falls. He spotted Joy clinging to a rock off to the side and swam over to her.

She pointed at his shoulder. “What’s your ta—”

A kid shrieked, cannonballing off a rock. Water splashed.