I kiss her harder to make sure she knows that just because I didn’t pull her into my bed immediately last night like I very much wanted to, I want her in a way that goes so far beyond what we’ve shared before. This is new territory and I need her to feel the difference so there’s no mistaking my intention. Things can never go back to how they were. That scares the shit out of me, but it feels too good and right to worry much.

“I better go.”

“Have fun,” she singsongs.

Datson and I spend the first hour out on the lake just driving around. I can see my buddy relaxing more with every passing minute. He turns the black cap covering his hair backward and takes off his T-shirt.

“Now you look like a real farmer.” I point to his tan lines and then grab the sunscreen from a cabinet and hold it up.

“Nah, I’m hoping to even it out a little today.” He digs around in the cooler and gets us each an ice-cold beer. I put mine in a koozie and kick back in the captain’s seat. We’ve reached a quiet section of the lake, the same spot I brought Sydney on her first day. It’s my favorite part of the nearly two-thousand-acre lake. Don’t get me wrong, party cove is awesome, but this little secluded area is perfect for chilling, getting in the water, and just relaxing.

Datson and I do just that after he’s finished his first beer. The water feels like it’s warmed up a little over the week or maybe I’m just used to it.

He lets out a giant sigh and tilts his head up to the sky. “Now this is the life.”

“It’s not bad,” I agree. “Is the farm really that awful?”

“It isn’t the farm. I love the farm. It’s my family that makes it painful. I wasn’t home for two hours before my dad was cornering me to find out my graduation plans.”

“What happens if you don’t choose the farm?”

“They’ll hire someone else.”

“That’s it?” I can’t hide the surprise in my tone. I always assumed the ramifications must be pretty serious for as much grumbling as Datson does about it.

He stares at me blankly, like I just don’t get it. “Well, what about you? Have you decided what you’re going to do this fall? Baseball? Basketball? Both?”

A knot of annoyance tightens in my chest. “No and I’m not going to think about it until I have to.”

“What about that scout from the Dodgers? Have you heard any more from him?”

“No, and I don’t think I will. He was pretty hung up on getting me to answer which sport I was going to explore after college.”

Like everyone else.