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Good people did exist The Reese family was proof

And it stirred e

"You’re still refusing to swi suit--thankfully a pair of board shorts and not a pink Speedo--was dripping and his wet hair hung down over his forehead

"Did you see the size of the fish Travis caught a ht show up for revenge at any rassy bank besideokay over here?"

"Yeah Today was fun"

He looped his ar thehter rang through the air as Tanner ducked under the water and pretended to be a shark

"Your faet it from"

He scooted closer until our thighs were touching "Is that why you’re over here, looking like you are on the verge of a panic attack?"

I torea line into the water at the other end of the pond "What?"

"Come on Don’t bullshit me You’ve been happy all day, and for the last thirtyup at the sky like you’re waiting for it to fall"

Wow That was…surprisingly accurate

Though I wasn’t waiting for the sky to fall, I’d been trying towas too right Too good Too teht then, I had them all

And it scared the hell out of me

At my silence, his eyes flashed dark "You want to talk about it?"

"I can’t decide if we’re too real or not real enough," I whispered

His body locked up tight "Confessional?"

"No," I said "Not here Not tonight Let’s just talk"

He cleared his throat and stared atto tell you, first and foreh There’s just real And there’s just us"

Guilt slashed throughabout us Well, not coreat it al to think I don’t kno to be happy Is that, like, nor norht I know that But are you happy?"

"Today? Unquestionably"

"See, for h these spurts where I’m really happy, and then I realize I’m happy and it scares me because I’et it, baby We’ve lived through a lot of sour over the years But this is the sweet Reet in the water, trying to figure out how to let go?"

My chest tightened, but not a single word ue, so I nodded

He pressed a kiss to er for several beats "One dip in that pond, knowing you were sitting on the bank, hter playing with her grandure out how to let go--I felt the pain disappear"

"See, rational thought tells y to feed the pain and hate when you’re surrounded by so oodness and love And yet I can’t seeraht"

"Sweetheart," he purred in understanding

I looked at the water "I love this life I’ve never been happier than I have been in the last week I closeto be there I still stress and worry about losing Travis, but it’s eneral rule, don’t like people"

He chuckled, but I wasn’t joking