I was touched by his planning. “Sounds lovely.”
Soon, we docked in the marina, and once again, I marveled at the ease he had handling his boat. He moored us to the dock, then jumped onto the wooden planks, extending his hand and pulling me up with him. He tucked me into his side.
“Let’s go find an adventure, my darling.”
I reached up and cupped his face, kissing him. He was smiling when I pulled back.
“What?”
“That’s the first time you’ve kissed me.”
“Maybe I was just getting warmed up.”
His green eyes glowed, and he kissed the end of my nose. He tugged his sunglasses down, then did the same to mine. “Good to know.”
I hugged his arm. “Let’s go.”
We wandered to the bike shop, setting out using the directions they gave us. In the end, we visited three wineries, filling the large baskets on the bikes with several bottles. We’d had a few samples, argued playfully over our favorites, then bought them all. We stopped at a small roadside shop selling local honey and preserves and added a few jars to the basket as well.
We detoured back to the boat, unloading the wine, then we headed back to drop off the bikes. We discovered an outdoor market and spent some time meandering among the booths. I bought a few local crafts that caught my eye, and Jordan picked up a new windbreaker one shop was selling. He slipped it on, pulling up the zipper, and waited for my approval. I pursed my lips, then shook my head. “The navy one. The white makes you look washed out.”
“Your lady knows you well,” the shopkeeper stated. “She’s right.”
Jordan tried on the navy jacket, and I gave my approval. “Perfect.”
He flipped through the rack and held up a matching jacket in a smaller size. “Try this on.”
Frowning, I slid my arms in and let him tug up the zipper. He stood back and nodded. “Yes.”
He turned to the owner. “I’ll take both.”
“I don’t need a windbreaker, Jordan. Where on earth will I wear it?”
He smiled and leaned down to brush his mouth against mine. “On the boat, with me.”
“Oh.”
Holding hands, we strolled the busy streets, stopping to look in windows. Jordan pointed out the Christmas store, and we went inside, marveling at all the Christmas items and displays.
“Makes me want to start decorating,” I mused.
Jordan chuckled. “A bit early.”
“I suppose.”
He kissed the end of my nose playfully. “I’ll bring you back in the fall, and you can pick a bunch of things.”
“Promise?”
He wound his arm around my waist, pulling me close. He dropped a kiss to my mouth. “Promise,” he breathed against my lips, then pulled back, smiling.
I was going to ask why he was smiling so hard, then realized the reason myself. He expected us to still be together in the fall.
I had to admit, the thought of that made me smile as well.
Finally, we went back to the boat. “I’m starving,” Jordan groaned.
“We ate those treats we got at the bakery.”
The sticky buns had beckoned from the window, the aroma enticing. We went inside and bought two, eating them as we walked, then licking our fingers to get rid of the stickiness.
“That barely tided me over.”
“Do you want to eat now?”
“No. I know a great little cove we can pull into and have lunch. I’ll have us there in ten minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll get lunch ready.”
Jordan sat back, patting his stomach. “Ah, much better.”
I laughed, plucking a piece of melon from the container and popping it into my mouth. “I think you gave Aiden a run for his money today.”
“I built up an appetite with the bike riding and all that walking.”
“We got some great things, though.”
He grinned, touching the sleeve of my windbreaker. “Like our matching jackets.”
I laughed. “Our boat uniforms.”
He joined in my amusement. “Yes.”
We had spread out a blanket on the deck and Jordan added a couple of pillows from below. With the sun still out and the breeze from the water, it was lovely. The little cove was deserted, the water calm, and it felt as if we were the only two people around. It was a relaxing way to pass the afternoon, and I was beginning to understand Jordan’s love of being on the water.
“Do you ever stay overnight on the boat?”
“On occasion. It’s not very big, but for a weekend, it’s fine.” He drew his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees. “I’d love to rent a houseboat and travel through the Thousand Islands and into Quebec. Spend weeks on the water, just drifting and exploring.”
“You can do that?”
“Oh yes. I went on a short trip once and enjoyed it. Some of them are quite luxurious. Well-equipped kitchens, sun decks you can sit on and enjoy the evenings. Spacious bedrooms.” He smiled. “It’s always been a dream of mine to do a trip on my own.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
He cocked his head, studying me. “Would that interest you, Sandy? Or is that too casual a vacation for you?”
“Casual? Aren’t vacations supposed to be casual?”
He stretched out his legs, leaning back on his hands. “I suppose. To me, the houseboat represents peace. Days spent in the sun wearing my swim trunks. Maybe a T-shirt and shorts. Casual and easy. The fanciest thing I’d bring with me would be a pair of Dockers and a polo shirt to have dinner onshore on occasion.”
I stared at him, my imagination going wild. I had seen Jordan bare-chested once. He’d been down in the gym with Aiden, Van, and Maddox, playing basketball. They were all laughing and talking smack, sweating with their shirts off. I was used to seeing the boys bare-chested, but it was Jordan who had drawn my eye. He had a muscular chest, and it was obvious from the way his muscles rippled he still worked out and took good care of himself. His shorts had hung low on his hips, showing off his still flat stomach, and he stood with his hands on his hips as he jeered at Maddox. His biceps bunched as he leaned forward, ready to defend the net.
He had looked so sexy, I had to step back and clear my head before letting them know I was there. I made sure not to look in his direction when I reentered the gym and told Aiden that Bentley needed him right away.
The thought of him wandering a boat in his swimsuit made my temperature rise.
Jordan frowned. “Sandy?”
I blinked. “Sorry?”
“I lost you for a moment.”
“Oh, ah, I was thinking about your question. I imagine an extended stay on a houseboat would be quite delightful.” I improvised.
“Well then, I suppose we’ll have to discuss that at a later date.”
“Oh, um, yes.”
“What about you?” he asked, sliding a piece of melon into his mouth and chewing. “What kind of vacation do you like?”
I shrugged. “I love exploring places. England, Scotland, other countries in Europe. But I also love staying closer to home. I love the idea of jetting off for a weekend. Somewhere different but easy to get to. We did that a few times, and I loved it. Just a break away somewhere different.”