Incumbent(50)

Josh smiled, and before I knew it, Drake was at my side.

“Let me help you.” He reached down and grabbed the sunscreen from a bag next to his sister.

As we sat down next to her, Gretchen mumbled, “Don’t block my sun, Drake.”

Drake rolled his eyes and ran his hands now covered in lotion over my shoulders and down my arms. The gentle feel of his firm hands turned me on, but this wasn’t the time or place. After he was done with my back, I turned toward him.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile, and reached for the lotion. “I’ll do my front.”

“But that’s the best part.” Drake laughed, and his sister groaned.

“Geez, you two are killing me.”

“Sorry, Gretch.” Drake winked at me, and we lay back to enjoy the warmth of the sun until late afternoon, when we headed back to shore.

I was exhausted, and I hadn’t even done anything strenuous today. In fact, I’d done nothing but eat, laugh, and lie in the sun. It was the most delicious kind of tired.

When we got back to the house, everyone scattered to get cleaned up. While Drake showered, I lay down because I wanted a nap. He invited me to join him, but I was too tired.

When he came out of the bathroom a short while later, his wet hair slicked back and wearing just a towel around his waist, I opened my sleepy eyes and kicked myself for being lazy. His chiseled torso was enough to wake the dead, and the cut of the V at his hips looked mockingly at me as if to say you missed this, you idiot, because you wanted a nap.

As I stretched, Drake said, “You got some sun today.”

I glanced down to see my normally pale skin now had a nice light tan. But Drake looked as if he’d been in the sun a week.

“Not as much as you did. You look like a Greek god.”

He chuckled. “Call me Zeus.”

“I don’t think so,” I said with a laugh. “I need a shower.”

As I made my way by him, he stopped me for a quick kiss. “Think of me while you’re in there. God knows I thought of you.” He winked, and my girly parts woke up.

Definitely shouldn’t have taken a nap.

? ? ?

After dinner, we all sat around a bonfire. Gretchen stepped away to take a call from Scott, but she didn’t look pleased. I didn’t know what their story was. All I knew was he wasn’t around much, and her brothers didn’t like to see their sister unhappy. Drake told me they’d all tried to talk to her, but she stubbornly stuck by the guy.

When dusk fell, his parents went back to the house.

Dane popped open a beer and handed one to his brothers. “Do you want one, Lucy?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

My heart was heavy with the knowledge that my plan for this weekend was to tell Drake my story. Part of me wanted to wait until we got home, but he might need his family to deal with it. I might need them as well.

“What’s wrong?” Drake’s tone was concerned as I stared into the flames, mesmerized as I watched the sparks rise to the darkened sky.

It’s now or never.

With my heart in my throat, I whispered, “Can we go back to the house and talk?”

Worry flashed in his blue eyes. “Of course.” He stood and took my hand before addressing the others. “We’re heading back. See you all in the morning.”

His brothers glanced at each other, and Dane said, “You two have a good time.”

A good time. I doubted that was what we were about to have, but maybe it would turn out okay.

Drake closed our bedroom door, and I began to pace across the hardwood. Stalling, I scanned the room to take in all the nautical decor, including a small frame in the shape of an anchor sitting on the dresser with a picture of the family in it, and the white rocker in the corner that looked like an antique. Everything in the room was flawless, except for me.

He sat on the bed, watching me pace back and forth. “What’s wrong?”

Nervously I reached up to twist the ends of my hair, and once I noticed his worried look, I dropped my hands to my sides and clutched the fabric of my shorts.

“I have a story to tell you, and I’m not sure how you’re going to react.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him. “Please, let me get this out.”

“You can tell me anything, Lucy.”

“Okay.” Here goes. “You’ve asked me about my family and I’ve skirted around the issue, but I can’t do that anymore. As much as it hurts, I want to talk about it.”

Drake’s lips pressed together, but the tenderness in his eyes gave me courage.

“When I was in high school, I met a boy at a party the end of my sophomore year. We didn’t go to the same school, but he played football with some of my friends, so he was there. His name was Greg Madison. Anyway, he and I hit it off and we began seeing each other. This went on all summer. My best friend’s mom knew about us and told my parents, who flipped out because he was from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.”

I glanced at Drake, who was listening intently, so I pushed ahead.

“My father was a prominent businessman, so my parents were well off. They had a reputation to uphold, and when their only daughter decided she liked a boy from the poor side of town, that didn’t sit well. Anyway, I didn’t care what they or anyone else thought, so I’d sneak out to meet Greg. I was fifteen and he was eighteen when we met. He was my first love, and my first . . .” I stopped, my heart breaking a bit with each word.