Claire

“Wanna go for a boat ride?” Aiken hollered over the fence when I returned from my run.

He’d promised to leave me alone for the day…

“I thought you said you were going to let me get stuff done today?”

“I changed my mind. I let you run, have some time to your thoughts. Now I want to go on a boat ride. With you.”

“A boat ride? What the heck? Where?”

“I’ll show you…go get changed. We’ll take Smitty. Hurry.” He winked.

With my head cocked, hand on my hip, I tried to look formidable.

“It’s Sunday. You can get stuff done on Monday when you go to your office. Let’s go have fun.”

Sweat dripped down my cleavage and the backs of my knees. “I need a shower, and I have to grade papers.”

“Bring ’em. Come on, the clock’s ticking.”

Aiken sat on his back stoop, coffee mug next to his thigh, no shirt on, those beat-up flip-flops on his feet. Lord, help me, he was no match for my wavering mind. Not to mention my quickening libido.

Oh, and his running shorts sat low on his hips. I was a goner.

“You have an answer for everything.” I leaned against my side of the fence, still pretending to put up a fight. I’d capitulated moments ago.

“You’re not changed…either.”

He jumped up, snatching his mug. “Race ya.” And he disappeared into his house.

Smitty lapped at his water bowl as soon as we made it inside, and I grabbed a cold water from the fridge.

“Yep, my sentiments exactly. Gotta cool off after seeing that guy.”

Before I struck up an entire conversation with my dog, I stripped while walking up the stairs and jumped in the shower.

“Boo—”

“Eeek.” I jumped two feet in the air while toweling off. “Holy shit, Aiken, you scared me.”

“I’m ready.”

“What are you doing in here? How the hell did you get in here?” I clenched the towel tight to my chest.

“I’ve seen it all, Richards, and I like it quite a bit. No need to cover up.”

“Where did you come from?”

“The hidey key,” he said with a smirk, looking edible in a white T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts, bare feet. “You should really hide it better.”

“Tell me about it. Is this a Midwestern thing? Using other people’s hidden keys?”

“Nope, there we just walk in. No one bothers to lock their door.”

“Well, here we lock our doors for a reason.”

“Noted. Now, are you almost ready?” He sloughed off my protest, and I didn’t care enough to argue. I hadn’t had someone check on me for a long time.

“Do I look ready? Let me clue you in, buddy, it takes a while to get this,” I flung my free hand up and down my body, “ready.”

“I doubt that. Come on, I want to go.”

“Go wait with Smitty.”

I shooed him out, partially dried my hair in messy waves, put on some makeup and lip gloss, shimmied into jean shorts and a tank, grabbed flip-flops, and ran down the steps like a kid on Christmas morning. And thinking that didn’t even bother me.

Settled in his pickup truck, Smitty in the backseat, I asked, “Where are we heading?”

“Bald Eagle State Park.”

“Oh, that’s right, they have boat rentals there. Abby went once for a birthday party. Cried the whole time because her new light-up shoes got wet.”

“That’s the worst. Legitimately. No one wants their new shoes to get wet…they freaking smell forever, then, especially the light-up variety.”

“Glad to see you understand light-up shoes.”

“All about the shoes.”

“I can tell, especially when you wear those shitkickers.”

He gave me a deep laugh, one that felt exclusive to me, and I dreamed of ways to make him do it again.

I should’ve felt bad, laughing with Aiken, chatting about Abby so nonchalantly, but it felt the exact opposite. Refreshing.

“Here we are.” He parked at the far end of the lot and opened the door for Smitty, letting him jump out of the cab before leashing him. I jumped down on my own and looked up at the sky.

“Gorgeous.”

“Oh, that you are…”

“Stop.” I faux-punched him in the bicep, and he pulled me against him, placing a small chaste kiss on my nose.

“Come on.” He took my hand in his and kept the leash in the other.

“Are you stealing my dog?”

“Allow me to let you in on a secret…when a man has a good thing, he never leaves. Hence, Smitty is yours.”

“That’s not what my ex said.”

“Well, he’s not a man. He’s a pussy.”

My mouth opened.

“Don’t even think about arguing with me.”

Aiken walked up to a small shed and gave his name, and soon we were sailing away in a pontoon boat.

“So, I was a sure thing when you asked me on a boat ride?”

“Definitely. I called as soon as I beat you back from a run. You really have to work on your speed.”

“You better behave, or I’m going to push you overboard.”

“You couldn’t move me if you tried.”

That was pretty much how we spent the next hour, Smitty with two paws on the back bench looking out at the water, and Aiken and I joking, making easy conversation.

On the way back toward the boathouse, I asked Aiken about his mom.

“This is all hearsay,” he explained. “Bruce, the dairy farmer, said my mom had to be bailed out of jail a few times during college for some sort of protest. Shortly after’s when she got involved with the church. That’s when she must’ve met my dad.”

“At the Bible study?”

He nodded.

“Fast-forward…my grandparents passed away a while back, but before they did, they seemed relieved that my mom had left. Again, according to Bruce. No one knew where she’d gone, but my grandparents didn’t seem too bothered.”

“Hope you find her. I really do…I wonder if she had a nickname or something. Maybe she’s on Facebook with a nickname?”

“I don’t know. I finished with the dairy farm’s site, but I can ask Bruce.”

“If she went to the college, maybe they have some records. You should go by the registrar’s office.”

“That’s not a bad idea, and guess what? I can take my hot professor for lunch when I do.”

“Your hot professor?”

“Damn straight. You better not be anyone else’s hottie teacher.”

“Oh God, you’re making me regret this day.”

“Nah...by the way, those shorts do things to your legs. Makes my mind wander.”

I thought the same of his light hair reflecting the sunlight, his skin a deep bronze.

After we docked the boat, he pulled me in tight. “Wasn’t this nice? You shouldn’t spend all day Sunday locked up with your papers.”

“It was nice, but when we get back, I really have to work.”

“Can we make out at your back door?”

He didn’t give me a chance to answer. His lips met mine in a closemouthed kiss, leaving me wanting more.

The whole car ride back home, I regretted saying I had work to do.

“Well, now you can go inside and let your mind wander away,” I said as we pulled up in front of our houses. “My legs and I are going to get comfy in my chair with a glass of wine and a million papers waiting to be graded.”

It was an extremely poor attempt at flirting.

Obviously, I needed practice, because Aiken let me do just what I said I was going to do.