Page 154 of Seasons of Love
“Is that your brother?”
“Yeah.”
“You look very alike.”
“People used to say that if it wasn’t for the age difference, we’d be twins. There are photos of us as kids that even my mom struggled to tell which of us was in it because she kept all my clothes for him.”
Ellis turns me to face him. I wrap my arms instinctively around his waist.
He runs his hands through my hair, resting them on my nape. I close my eyes and let myself relax under his touch.
Talking about my family is always hard for me, no matter how much I remember them daily. Somehow Ellis seems to know it.
He pulls me closer until we’re hugging and kisses the side of my neck.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” he says.
“Florrie and all?” I tease.
“Florrie and all.”
I pull back to give him a kiss. The knowledge that he’ll let me kiss him just how I want is the permission I need to believe that there may be something real between us. Small, but real.
22
ELLIS
Florrie is a hoot. I can only imagine what it would have been like to have her as a teacher.
As soon as we start the drive to the lake, she peppers me with all kinds of questions. She does it in such a sneaky way that I don’t even feel like I’m being interrogated or assessed until Milo intervenes and asks her to stop pestering me.
Fortunately, she’s still on the right side of appropriate, but there’s no tricking her. She knows something’s going on between Milo and me.
I stop pretending halfway through the journey and hold Milo’s hand while I drive us through the country roads. That seems to put a stop to Florrie’s questions.
The lake isn’t far from Stillwater at all, but the place I want to take them is.
When we get there, I find a parking spot in a shaded area. There are a few family cars around, but not as many as I expected, considering it’s a warm summer day and kids are on vacation.
“Florrie, do you want to take Sara while Milo helps me with the rest of the stuff?” I ask.
She takes Sara from the car seat as Milo stares at me. “Rest of the stuff?”
He follows me to the trunk and laughs when he sees everything inside.
“Are we spending the day or moving here?” he asks. “Just so you know, I’m good with bugs but not…general wildlife. You know, the kind that bites.”
I pull him close and give him a kiss on the lips. “I’ll protect you.” When we pull back, he’s blushing adorably. “Come on, you’ll thank me later when it’s hot.”
We’re on a fairly wide stretch of beach with a mix of sand and wild grass. We pick a spot, and Milo helps me build the small beach cabana that will provide us with shade as the sun moves across the sky.
After dropping Milo off yesterday, I went to my sister’s and borrowed a few things from her, like the small inflatable boat that makes a perfect bed to keep Sara comfortable and safe when she falls asleep.
I had to confess to my plans and beg her not to crash our day out. Having Florrie with us is already putting a big spotlight on whatever this is between Milo and me. My sister would totally blow it out of proportion before we even figure it out ourselves.
Florrie stays in the shade with Sara while we do the last trip to grab a chair for Florrie and the cooler with the drinks and food.
I close the trunk and lock the car. “I think—” When I turn around, Milo is in my personal space, looking at me like he wants to eat me for brunch.
