Page 11 of On the Line

She smiles like she knows exactly what my problem is. This woman is going to be the death of me.

We cruise around most of the morning and then drop anchor in a quiet cove, and everybody piles into the water. Delaney swims straight at me.

“Race you to the boat.”

“You’ll lose.”

“Scared?”

“No.”

She takes off before I finish the word. I go after her, but she beats me to the ladder, partly because of the head start and partly because I spend the last ten feet watching the water run down her back instead of swimming.

She throws both arms in the air. “I won!”

“You cheated.”

“You’re a sore loser.”

“I’m not a sore loser.”

“You really are.”

I grab her around the waist, and she squeals. “What are you doing?”

“Demanding a rematch.”

“Put me down!”

“Apologize.”

“For winning?”

“For cheating.”

“Never.”

So, I toss her back in the lake and dive in after her. She comes up laughing and splashes me right in the face. We play in the water, splashing each other, before finally climbing back onto the boat. Everyone’s watching us.

“What?” Delaney asks.

Nora smiles. “Nothing.”

I know that smile. I’ve been giving it to my own friends all summer. It’s the smile you give somebody when you know something they don’t, or think you do.

We pull into the marina around lunchtime for sandwiches and ice, and I’m tying off when somebody behind me says, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

I close my eyes. Of course.

When I turn around, Ace and Chrissy are standing on the dock. Joel and Rayna are right behind them, and Forrest is holding a bag from the bait shop. All three of the guys look at Delaney. Then they look at me.

Ace breaks into a huge grin. “So…”

“Don’t,” I warn him.

“You’ve got a woman.”

“I do not have a woman.”