Sloane stared at Rick, disbelieving what she was hearing. Rick loved her? Like real love? Like what she was feeling?

This was unexpected and insane and totally irrational.

Or maybe it made complete and total sense.

Her body had known at seventeen what she had been too stupid and stubborn to see.

She and Rick were meant for each other.

He was staring at her intently, those green eyes dark and filled with love. He was squeezing her cheeks, hard, and she was getting dizzy from the Ferris wheel whipping back up into the summer sky, her legs dangling.

“Are you going to say anything?” he murmured.

There were a million things Sloane wanted to say. She wanted to gush and laugh and cry and ask him how they could do this. But then she realized all she really needed was to tell him how she felt. She nodded, raising her hands to place them over his. “Yes. I love you, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean?” She laughed. “I love you. What response were you expecting when you said you love me?”

“I thought you were going to say you want to try dating out in the open.” He studied her, eyes boring into hers. He kissed her. “I didn’t think you were going to stay that. But damn, I am grateful.”

Sloane closed her eyes and gave in to the wild freedom of the bucket spinning around and around and Rick’s lips on hers, and love.

Unrestrained, unapologetic, love for a man.

When they broke apart, breathless, Sloane laughed. “The ride stopped.”

They were one seat away from the exit platform and a glance down showed that a crowd had gathered. Her brother, Lilly, River, Axl, and her father were all there, watching them. Axl put his fingers to his lips and gave a loud whistle. Her brother shoved him. Her father was shielding his eyes against the sun and giving a little nod of approval. River looked smug. Lilly appeared astonished, holding Finn tightly.

“It did stop. And we have an audience.” He dropped his hands. “They can say whatever they want and it still won’t ruin this.”

Except it wasn’t words they used as they got down and walked through the turnstile. Her brother swung before either of them could react. She screamed, Rick managed to duck, but Sullivan still got him on the side of the jaw.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked, rushing her brother with a shoulder. They collided and went careening backwards into a garbage can. “Are you nuts? You have a baby two feet away!”

Finn had started to cry. River had big wet tears in her eyes and she looked terrified, clutching her funnel cake.

Rick was rubbing his jaw but he didn’t swing back. He just said, “Sullivan. Back off, man. This isn’t the time or the place.”

“But it was the place for you to make out with my sister?”

Sloane grabbed her brother by the arm. “Get over here. Now. I want to talk to you.”

“Get off me.” He tried to shake her off but she held on tight.

She yanked him toward the back of the lemonade stand. “Thanks for making us look like a Jerry Springer episode,” she snapped. “What is going on with you? Why do you care if I date Rick?”

Sullivan bent over and ran his hands down the front of his jeans. He took a deep, shuddering breath. “You don’t understand.”

“That’s why I’m asking. We have to talk about stuff. For the first time in our entire lives, we need to talk about our feelings.” She bent over too so she was more on his level.

He glanced over at her. “I miss Kendra.”

Her heart squeezed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t ever want you to feel this pain. I feel like I’m drowning. Like I keep grabbing for the surface and I can’t find it. The current just drags me back under.”

Sloane ran her hand over her brother’s back, tears rising in her eyes. “But Sul, would you have rather never met Kendra? Would you have missed out on that love if you could have?”

He stood back up, pressing his fingers to his forehead. “No. I wouldn’t.”

“Then let me have that. I’ve never had that.” Her voice caught. “I was married almost as long as you and I never had one one thousandth of that kind of love. I can have that with Rick. And if I get hurt, at least I tried. At least I feel something. I’ve been numb for years.”

It was true. She felt like for the first time ever she was actually alive and living.

“Did it have to be Rick?” He pulled a face.

“Better him than some guy you won’t like. Think how convenient this will be.” She nudged him. “I won’t interfere with poker night, I promise.”

“Fuck. Are you really happy?”

She nodded.

“Damn it. Then I’m happy for you. The idiot has been in love with you since the tenth grade.”

“Remember when he kissed me in the bathroom?” she asked, wanting her brother to understand. “I flipped out because the truth was it was the best kiss I’d ever had. Fireworks, baby.”

Sullivan snorted. “Now that’s funny. I have to admit.”

“It is. Now let’s enjoy the damn Fish Festival, please.”

“I guess I have to apologize, don’t I?”

“That would be helpful.”

Rick was holding River against his chest and wiping the tears from her eyes. “Don’t worry. Sullivan and I are still friends.” He looked over at him. “Right?”

Her brother swallowed. “Of course. I’m sorry. That was out of line. If you want to date out of your league, go for it.”

Rick laughed. “Thanks. I will.”

Her father was holding Finn now and he looked at her closely. “You good? Everyone good?”

That almost made her roll her eyes. That emotion thing was going to take some working on in her family. “Yes, Dad. I’m good. And yes, Rick and I are together. So everyone just be happy and let’s move on. Now I am going to go get a pickle on a stick.”

Rick grinned. “You’re so romantic, beautiful.”

For some reason, she blushed. She made eye contact with him and she legitimately blushed. There was just something about the way he looked at her that made her giddy and she could not wait to be alone with him again.

---

Rick held Sloane in his arms and sighed in contentment. They were out on Axl’s boat, enjoying a view of the Fish Festival fireworks being shot off a barge way out on the lake. The boat was gently rocking, the water inky, moonlight and the flares from the fireworks illuminating the surface. He was sitting on the back bench, Sloane between his legs, leaning against his chest.

Finn was asleep on Liam’s shoulder, his little life preserver engulfing him.

River was reading a book by flashlight. Normally he would have forced her to put it away and enjoy the moment, but he was too happy to worry about it right now.

“On a scale of one to ten how happy are you right now?” Rick asked Sloane.

“An eleven.”

That was the perfect answer. “Good. I’m an eight.”

“What? Why only an eight?”

“Because we’re not alone. We’re going to have to figure out how to sneak away later,” he murmured in her ear. “And have ‘I love you’ sex.”

Sloane wiggled her body against his and turned to give him a sassy look. “I already had a pickle today. I’m good.”

She’d come out to play. He laughed. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that when I get you home.”

“I can’t wait.”

Damn. She was everything he wanted in a woman, and then some.

Lilly leaned over several feet away and said, “I think we should make the charity event an annual thing. Sloane, you don’t care if Rick does another Tap That Dancers routine, do you?”

“Of course not. It’s for a good cause and he really, really likes to strut it.”

Oh, yeah, she was practically begging for a spanking. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” he said with a grin. “I’ll just make it very clear I am off the market.” He kissed the top of Sloane’s head.

Forever.

“I’ve always been taken,” he murmured in her ear.

“I love you,” Sloane said with a fervor that made him want to take her below deck.

“I love you, too.”

Sometimes, all you need to do is strip it down to see what was always there.

---