Chapter 6

Small twigsand brush snapped under Braxton's shoes as he led Lily along the Westerly Lake Trail. They'd been silent for a few minutes as they followed the well-worn path. Now that they'd taken a break from the food tasting, they seemed to have run out of things to say.

Or at least Lily had. Braxton had plenty of words right on the tip of his tongue. Like how he was having a really good time and wanted to ask her if she kayaked. And would she be willing to meet him in the mornings at sunrise for a trip through the bay? Or if she'd like to join him on his day off to explore the hiking trails around Befana Bay. He wanted to ask how she felt about Thai food and if she'd traveled outside of Befana Bay much. And he wanted to know all about her writing, how she'd gotten started, and if she ever wrote anything other than her advice column.

But he didn't say any of that. Instead, he focused on putting one foot in front of the other and told himself that he needed to keep things between them strictly professional. Nothing good could come from getting closer to the gorgeous, feisty blonde. It would only mean heartbreak for one or both of them.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Lily asked him.

Braxton's foot caught on an exposed root, and he stumbled, nearly sending him sprawling onto the dirt path, but he managed to get his feet underneath himself just in time.

"Whoa!" Lily reached out and caught his arm with both her hands, helping to steady him.

The entire left side of his body tingled from her touch, and he stood there staring at her hands for a moment, saying nothing.

Lily squeezed his arm gently and then frowned when she let go.

Braxton, realizing he was making things awkward, cleared his throat. "Thanks." And then he pasted on a smile as he lied through an explanation for his clumsiness. "That's what I get for thinking about work instead of just enjoying the great outdoors."

"It happens to the best of us," she said, giving him a small smile as she nodded toward the path in front of them. "We're almost to the lake."

As Lily took off in front of him, Braxton followed, trying to shake off the feeling that if he just stood by and let Lily Easton go, he'd be making the biggest mistake of his life. But how could he not? If he followed his heart and started something with her, misery was sure to follow.

Anger started to creep in around the edges, and all the glorious lightness that he'd felt ever since Bethany Befana had done that cleanse started to fade away. He wanted to rage at his ex, his mother, and the universe. Instead, he sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out, doing his best to focus on the clean scent of the forest and the crisp cool air of the Pacific Northwest.

"Oh, wow," Lily said as the trees parted, and the bluest lake Braxton had ever seen came into view. She walked over to the edge of the water and paused, taking it all in. "I always forget how lovely this lake is."

"You've been here before then." It was a statement, not a question.

"A few times," she said with a shrug. "My mom brought us here once when I was younger, and then later I came with a friend when we were in our hiking era."

"Hiking era?" he asked, interested. "You don't hike anymore?"

"Oh, I do," she said, her features softening. "But my friend moved Back East, and now I don't have anyone who enjoys it as much as I do. So I tend to stick to busier trails just for safety reasons. And without a hiking partner, I tend not to get out as much. So this is a nice detour for me. Thanks for suggesting it."

"I hike, too," he blurted and then wished he'd kept his big mouth closed. Hadn't he just decided that getting closer to her was a terrible idea?

"Really?" Her eyes gleamed. "After this midsummer celebration is over, we should get out and try some trails." Then she reigned in her excitement and added, "If you're up for it."

"Yes," he said before he could stop himself. When it came to Lily Easton, he just couldn't seem to say no.

"Great. I'd love that." Lily hooked her arm through his, and together they walked along the edge of the glistening lake.

When they reached a dock at a public picnic area, they stopped and sat on the edge, peering into the crystal-clear water.

"It's amazing that this exists," Lily said quietly.

Braxton raised his eyebrows at her. "The dock?"

"No, this." She waved her hand at the lake. "I mean, obviously, the wonder of nature and all that, but more so that it mostly remains untouched. That us humans haven't ruined it. That we can walk here from town and find it mostly deserted. No trash lining the shore. No residences with cars and boats that have claimed ownership. It's almost like something out of a dream."

"It's really something," he agreed. They'd encountered a couple of people on the trail, but Lily was right. They'd barely seen anyone that afternoon. He supposed it was the cool and overcast weather that was keeping people away. That and the fact that it was a workday. He supposed on the weekend the trail would be hopping with people. Still, at the moment, their time at the lake felt a little magical, and Braxton was so content that he couldn't help himself when he whispered, "I think I'd be happy living in this moment forever."

A rustle from the nearby trees startled them, and they both turned to see a large white wolf come to a stop at the end of their dock.

Braxton stiffened and turned slightly, shielding Lily in case the wolf attacked. But the creature didn't feel threatening. He just stood there, watching with interest. Magic seemed to crackle in the air, sparking all around them and brushing lightly against Braxton's skin. He peered past the wolf, searching for a witch that might be traveling with the animal. But he didn't see anyone.

Lily placed her hand over Braxton's, squeezing softly, and Braxton could have sworn that the wolf's eyes focused on their connection. Then the wolf looked right at Braxton, his eyes flashing from gold to bright blue just before he turned and disappeared back into the trees.

"Wow," Lily whispered softly.

Braxton nodded, knowing they'd just witnessed something incredibly rare. He looked down at their joined hands and, for once, didn't feel the urge to bolt.

His gaze met Lily's, and the attraction was there. That pull that had compelled him to kiss her twice before. He couldn't help it when he focused on her lips and remembered what it felt like to have her in his arms, to have her pressed up against him, tasting her. Wanting her.

Lily cleared her throat. "We should probably get back to town and finish our taste-testing mission before they close up for the day."

"Right." Braxton jerked his gaze away from her sweet lips and stood quickly. Holding a hand out to her, he helped her to her feet and then quickly shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from touching her again.

Lily gave him a searching look before quickly shaking her head. Then she headed off the dock and back onto the trail. "Let's get a move on. We still have a lot to do before we catch that last ferry."

Braxton jogged to catch up until he fell into step beside her. Neither said anything for a long moment before Brax finally broke the silence. "I didn't know there were wolves in this part of the state."

"I've heard there have been a few sightings," Lily said. "But none that were magical."

"You felt it, too?" Brax glanced at her and quickly looked away, afraid he'd start staring at her lips again.

"Sure did. I don't know what it means. Maybe he walks this life with a witch here on the island," Lily said. "I've heard about a witch in Keating Hollow who has a special bond with a wolf down there."

"Maybe," Braxton said with a nod. "That would make more sense than just a random wolf wondering around."

"Either way, I'm glad he showed himself to us." Lily's eyes lit with excitement. "That's probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"I imagine it is." Braxton felt so connected to Lily in that moment that the urge to reach for her was overwhelming. But instead of taking her hand, he paused and pretended to re-tie his shoe, just to break the spell he was under.

She paused just ahead of him, and once he had himself under control again, he rose. And this time when he joined her, he picked up the pace, needing the day and their time together to be over as soon as possible.

They were all business when they made their way back into town. After trying out a handful of more food trucks, they made their selections and were able to book enough so that their festival wouldn't be lacking for food options. Then they made their way back to the ferry.

But when they got there, the ticket booth was empty, and a sign had been left on the glass.

Due to the storm, the ferry is canceled. Next run to the mainland is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:00.

Braxton blinked at the sign. Then he read it again and let out a curse. "Storm?" He glanced up at the darkening sky and noted that the wind was picking up. "When I looked at the weather report, it called for rain, but it said nothing about a storm."

Lily shrugged. "Sometimes the winds come on quickly. Then she let out a sigh and said, "Well, that's inconvenient. We'd better get to the inn before they run out of rooms."

Inconvenient was an understatement.

But there was nothing else to do. The only way off the island was via the ferry or private boat, and if the ferry wasn't running due to a storm, there most definitely would be a small watercraft advisory.

As he and Lily walked back toward the village, Braxton pulled out his phone and called The Enchanted Outdoors.

"How's your date going?" Dante asked the moment he answered his phone.

Ignoring his friend's taunt, Braxton said, "The ferry stopped running early due to the storm, and we're stuck here on the island for the night. Can you close up and open in the morning? I'll take over once I'm back in town."

Dante let out a bark of laughter. "You're stuck on the island all night with the girl you've been mooning over for the past month, and you're wasting time calling me? You do realize a quick text would have been sufficient."

"Dante," Braxton said with a warning note in his tone. "Yes or no? Can you do it? If not, just close up early and I'll open when I get back to town."

Lily glanced at him with her brows furrowed.

Braxton shook his head, indicating it was nothing to worry about.

"Relax, Brax. I'm on it," Dante said, sounding exasperated. "Of course, I'll do it. What else do I have going on?"

"I don't know, but I didn't want to assume you were free."

"Even if I did have plans, I'd change them. That's what friends do. Now go enjoy your night with your girl. I'll handle everything here," Dante said.

"I don't have—" Braxton started.

"Bye, Brax. See you tomorrow." The call ended.

He shoved the phone in his pocket and looked up to see Lily staring at him. "That was my assistant. Just letting him know I won't be back until tomorrow."

"I heard," she said, sounding amused as she stopped in front of the Victorian-style inn. "Is there a reason he thinks we're dating?"

Braxton froze. "You heard that?"

She laughed. "Yeah, you might want to turn the volume down on your phone."

"I didn't tell him we're dating. He's making assumptions. Ones I've already tried to disavow. He just won't listen."

Lily pursed her lips and studied him for a long moment. Then she said, "I don't think dating would be so bad. Maybe you shouldn't try so hard to resist the idea." Lily winked at him, pulled the door to the inn open, and disappeared inside.