Serena’s mouth was open and she seemed to be gasping for air or trying to scream – but no sound was coming out. The temperature of the water had shocked her and her body trying to figure out what was happening to it. Freddie needed to get her out of that water – and fast.

  He leaned over the side of the canoe. “Serena, you’re going to be okay. You hear me?” The last thing he needed was for her to panic and pull him in as well. She nodded her head, her teeth chattering as she gripped the edge of the canoe. “This is going to be tricky, but I’m going to pull you up. You need to stay as low as possible and kick like you’re swimming, then barrel roll into the canoe. No standing, got it?” He started to pull and the canoe danced from side to side as he tried to counterbalance Serena’s weight. “Stop trying so hard,” Freddie said. Serena let her body go limp and as he dragged her into the canoe like a seal while the edge of the canoe kissed the surface of the water, but thankfully didn’t dip under. She huddled up into a ball on the bottom of the boat, her hair was soaked and her teeth were chattering, but Freddie knew that she’d be fine. The whole ordeal had happened in slow motion for both of them, but in reality, the polar bear plunge and subsequent rescue had taken place within the space of one minute.

  “I’m not being a perv, Serena. But you need to get out of those clothes.”

  “I-i-i-i-it’s ooooookkkkkkay,” she chattered.

  “No, it’s not. You need to get out of those wet clothes and warm up. Here.” Freddie unbuttoned his flannel shirt and held it out for her. “I won’t look, I promise,” he said softly, flapping the shirt.

  She gripped the sides of the canoe and gingerly sat up, releasing one hand to snatch the shirt from his hand. “Turn your head,” she said.

  Freddie obeyed. “Just, for the love of God, don’t stand up again,” he said.

  “That should’ve been rule number one in your canoe lesson, don’t you think?”

  “I didn’t think you’d stand up,” Freddie said. “Everybody knows that you’re not supposed to stand up in a canoe.”

  “I’m not everyone,” Serena snapped.

  Freddie smiled. She was right. With the return of her sassiness, he knew that she was going to be just fine. Ripples spread across the glass calm lake as Serena shimmied out of her wet clothes. “Is it safe to turn?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Serena replied.

  Freddie turned to face Serena. She was still sitting on the bottom of the canoe, her small body swimming in the fabric of his shirt. Black lines of eye makeup ran straight from her blue eyes down her cheeks. Circles of wetness were forming on his flannel where her wet strands of hair dripped just above her breasts. She pulled her knees into her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

  He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life.

  “Serena, do you trust me?” he asked.

  She scoffed, “Are you joking? After telling me that these boats are stable?”

  “Yeah, I shouldn’t have done that. They’re tippy as hell.” He was trying to play it off, but he knew that he had been an idiot. If she had hit her head, or if the whole canoe had tipped and if they couldn’t self-rescue, they both could have gotten hypothermia and drowned. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m a moron. You have every right to hate me.”

  She looked up at him through her raccoon eyes. “I don’t hate you, Freddie. And you know what the weird thing is? I actually DO trust you.”

  He was surprised and pulled out Serena’s phone. “Let me take a picture of you.”

  “No.” She reached out to grab the phone from him, but in the process threw the balance of the canoe out of whack and she rolled to the side.

  “Serena, please. Let me show you what I see right now.” Freddie said. He reached out his hand and helped to right her.

  “Fine, but I reserve the right to delete it,” she said and crossed her arms.

  He smiled and snapped a few pictures of her. But it wasn’t until he moved to put the phone away that he saw it, without the screen in front of her, she relaxed and the reflection of the snowy peaks glinted in the pupils of her eyes. He whipped the phone back out and snapped the shot before she registered what was happening.

  “Done,” he said and handed her the phone. He picked up the paddle and returned the canoe to shore. When he felt the bow of the canoe scrape the patch of gravel at the shore, he hopped out and the cold water almost took his breath away. Serena was truly, very lucky. He pulled the canoe halfway up on the shore and reached to help her out.

  “Can I stand up now?” she asked, and smiled wryly, her chipped toothed smile making an appearance.

  “Yes ma’am,” he replied, and held out both of his hands for her. She shook with trepidation as she stood and stepped out of the canoe and onto dry land. He rubbed the back of her hands with his thumbs and the two of them paused. He knew that he should let go, but didn’t want to.

  She looked down at their clasped hands and tilted her head to look up at Freddie. “Last night, you said… I mean, the reason that we um, you know…”

  “I didn’t mean it,” he interrupted. She was either nervous or still cold. Either way, she was having a hard time forming a sentence. “I said I kissed you and touched you to make you feel better. That is the truth, but only part of it. He leaned in close to her ear, “You have no idea what I wanted to do to you last night.” He saw the crimson spreading along her jawline and down into the neckline of his shirt. “That was just the tip of the iceberg.”

  She looked up at him and parted her lips slightly. He wanted to pull that shirt of his over her head and do something he’d always dreamed of doing, make love to a sexy girl in a canoe. “But Serena, I care about you, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pants and yanked him towards her. And that was the end of his good-guy willpower. He held her face with both of his hands and pressed his lips to hers. She gasped into his mouth and he felt her body shudder before kissing him back hungrily. He swept her up in his arms and carefully walked across the rocky shore in his bare feet, kicking at the wooden latch on the cabin door until it creaked open. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before stepping in and tossing her on the single bed. ‘Thank you, volunteers,’ he thought to himself. Good Samaritans kept the cabin stocked and cleaned. Serena eased back onto the sheets and rubbed her feet together, her eyes trained on his every move.

  Freddie crawled on top of her and nipped at her collarbone while she clawed at the back of his T-shirt. He straddled her and raised his arms, allowing her to pull the shirt up over his head. She tossed it on the ground and then started to unbutton the flannel shirt she was wearing. He wanted to rip the shirt open, buttons be damned but fought that urge.

  He pressed his body on top of hers, their warm skin making its first connection, her nipples hard and cool against his chest. They eased down onto the bed together and Freddie kissed along Serena’s jawline while she gripped his ass with both of her hands. He ran his thumb along her cheek and then cupped the back of her neck in his hand drawing her lips to his again.

  He pulled back and looked in her eyes, “You’re beautiful, Serena,” he whispered.

  She smiled at him and fumbled with the button on the top of his pants. “And you’re sexy as hell,” she replied. “Now, get these pants off,” she whispered. Freddie almost came right then and there. “You are my fiancé after all,” she smiled.

  He laughed, “My beautiful, hillbilly fiancée.”

  She drew her fingertips to her lips.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Your teeth aren’t what makes you beautiful.” He placed his hand on her chest above her heart, “This is.”

  She pulled Freddie’s face to hers and kissed him both hard and soft at the same time, which Freddie didn’t think was possible. When she pulled back, he wiped away a lone tear from her cheek with his thumb.

  Serena ran her feet up Freddie’s legs, hooking her toes onto the waistband of his pants before drawing them down his legs. He raised his eyebrows at the monkey move and finished the job, kicking the pants off his feet. He eased her down beside him and pulled her striped panties down to her knees, kissing at her lower belly before pulling them off her feet and tossing them onto the worn floorboards of the cabin. She wrapped her smooth leg over the top of his waist and he could feel the strength in her thighs as she gripped his body. He kissed her and she playfully nipped at his bottom lip, her eyes meeting his, and then she nodded. He was hard, throbbing, and ready.

  Freddie wanted to make love to Serena all day and all night but knew that if he kept going at this pace, he wasn’t going to last long. Just her touch was able to bring him to that critical moment, the point of no return. He pulled his body away from hers. Serena’s breathing had been heavy, her moans the only sound in the quiet cabin air. With his retreat, her eyes snapped open and she looked at him questioningly, propping herself up on her elbows. Freddie grinned and pushed her thighs open wide, kissing and nibbling at the softest skin on her body. Serena’s fingertips rested in his hair as he took his time between her legs, her moans and whimpers of pleasuring feeding his own desire. She gripped the sheets and arched her back, her hips bucking as her orgasm coursed through her body. Freddie looked up at her heaving chest from between her legs. He kissed his way up her body, goosebumps trailing behind where his lips had been. He reached down and felt for his backpack, crossing his fingers that at one point he had some condoms stashed in the front pocket and he breathed out a sigh of relief as he felt the foil packet.

  “Really, Freddie?” Serena smiled at him as he bit off the corner.

  “You never know,” he said as he rolled the condom into place.

  “Did you pack that thinking you were going to get lucky today?”

  “It’s best to be prepared,” he said, skirting the question, and kissed her. He always had condoms within arms’ reach, but she didn’t need to know that. She wrapped her legs around his body and pulled his hips forward with her heels. Freddie didn’t need any more coaxing and he moaned as he finally pressed into her. She gasped every time he thrust, digging her nails into his back. They rocked together like they had been in each other’s beds for years, the experience of a couple who knew how to move together but with the excitement and novelty of new bodies.

  * * *

  Freddie and Serena climaxed simultaneously and collapsed into each other’s arms, breathing as if they had just finished a marathon. She nestled into the nook under Freddie’s arm and rested her head on his chest, running her fingers through his brown chest hair. For such a blondie, she was surprised at the darkness of the hair on his chest and other parts of his body.

  It had been over a year since she had been with a man, and it had been worth the wait. Freddie was a considerate lover, and for a couple that were just getting to know each other, being naked in his arms felt easy and comfortable. She didn’t know if it was him, or the fact that he was from a small town, but Freddie was different from every single man that she had dated. Those guys were out romancing and dating every woman they could. She didn’t get that feeling from Freddie. Was she naïve? Maybe, but something in her gut told her that Freddie was different. If this hadn’t been an arranged relationship - if they had met organically - she knew that he would call her tomorrow. That he wouldn’t move onto the next girl in line. She looked up at him and kissed his jaw. She felt a stirring in her lower abdomen that rushed to her heart. Oh no. ‘Stop it,’ she thought to herself. She couldn’t fall in love with her fake fiancé.

  He trailed his fingertips over her shoulder and she practically purred. “Can we stay here forever Freddie?”

  She felt the pause of his breath under her cheek. “Wouldn’t you miss all the fancy restaurants and expensive shoes?”

  “I could be happy here.” She meant in his arms.

  “Here in this cabin, or Chance Rapids?” he asked, and twirled her hair around his fingers.

  Her question had been hypothetical, bordering on fantasy, but she realized that Freddie was taking the conversation seriously. Could she live in a small town? She hesitated. “I don’t think I’d miss that stuff.” But with the exception of Megan and Charlotte’s coffee shop, Chance Rapids was seriously behind the times. There was no nightlife, no turbo spin studios, there was nothing in Chance Rapids for Serena, except Freddie.

  “Could you live in the city?” she asked, already knowing the answer. The feeling of Freddie’s fingers in her hair was divine and almost putting her to sleep.

  “Maybe,” he said.

  She sat up abruptly. “Maybe? Freddie, you hate the city.”

  “There’s one good thing about it,” he reached his hand around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She could feel his hardness through the tousled sheets.

  They made love again, but this time Serena could feel another layer of emotion between them. Sadness, as if they both knew that each other was lying to themselves. Freddie couldn’t move to the city, Serena knew that. Asking him to do so would be cruel, like caging a tiger.

  Serena heard Freddie’s breaths slow and grow deeper. Even if they couldn’t be together, she needed to remember this moment forever. However, instead of reaching for her phone, she studied his face, saw how there was a touch of ginger in the stubble on his chin, and that his eyelashes were longer than hers and they were just so light they were almost transparent.

  “Freddie,” she whispered but was only met with his deep breaths. Good, she didn’t want him to hear what she was about to say. “I think I’m falling in love with you.” She held her breath as she watched for any acknowledgment that he had heard her. When there was none, she didn’t know whether she was relieved or secretly hoping that he would say the same thing. She pulled the wool blanket up over her shoulder and over Freddie’s chest and fell asleep listening to the thump of his heartbeat.

  * * *

  A sudden metallic bang startled Freddie and his eyes snapped open. Serena had been sleeping in his armpit and had bolted upright with him. The sharp bangs continued like someone was pouring buckets of bb pellets on the roof of the cabin.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “It’s rain,” Freddie said and relaxed back down.

  “It’s so loud.” Serena pulled back the curtain and peered out the window. “I guess we’re not going back anytime soon. Freddie sat up beside her, his hair a messy compass, pointing both east and west.

  “These heavy rainstorms pack a punch, but they usually don’t last too long.” Freddie looked down and realized that he was still naked. He patted the sheets in search of his boxer shorts, but couldn’t find them. He shrugged and then rolled out of the bed. He pulled out a sandwich and chugged back one of the water bottles.

  “Should we be trying to conserve water?” Serena asked as he handed her the second bottle. “You know, in case we are stranded here?”

  Freddie chuckled. He knew that while it would be a wet walk, they would be able to head back to the car at any time. “You’re right,” he said and put the cap on his water bottle. “We could be stuck here for a while.” He pulled the wrapping off the sandwich and took a huge bite. Their lovemaking sessions had taken a lot out of him and he was famished. He handed Serena the second sandwich and waited for some kind of gluten objection, but she surprised him and devoured the entire thing.

  “You have more food right?” she said as she rolled the wrapper in her hands.

  “That was it. You just ate all of our rations,” he said as he finished off his sandwich.

  Serena grabbed the backpack and pulled out the energy bars. “I guess we still have these.” Her hands were trembling.

  Freddie sat down on the side of the bed and patted her knee. “We’re not going to starve. There’s another trail out of here, I can have you back to the truck in twenty minutes.” He had thought about playing into her fear, but after the canoe incident, figured she’d had enough adrenaline for the day.

  She smacked his arm. “But it took us hours to get here.”

  “I know, that route is way more scenic. I thought that it would be better for the photos. Speaking of which, we should probably get on that.” Freddie realized that Serena had hardly pulled out her phone all day.

  “Freddie, can I tell you something?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied.

  “I hate what I do for a living. It’s deceptive. People think that I have this great life when in reality, I’m…” she hesitated, “lonely.”

  He pulled her to him and squeezed her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back. “What do you want, Serena? YOU. Not what’s best for those around you,” he asked, and waited through the silence for her response.

  He counted the breaths, it took her five to respond, “I’d like to get back into my design work. Have a community of friends, like you have here. I’d like to just enjoy my life, not document a fake version of it.”

  “That doesn’t sound like it’s too much to ask.”

  “What about you, Freddie? What do you want?” she asked.

  Freddie hadn’t thought about what he wanted in years. He was a go with the flow kind of guy. He was happy with where he was, or at least he thought that he was. “Well, I like my job. I actually really love my job.”

  “That’s something most people don’t have,” she replied.

  “I’m not the kind of guy who sits around thinking about what he wants, Serena,” Freddie said, but as the words left his mouth he realized he was wrong. He saw what his brother had with Charlotte, and how Megan and Josh were each other’s best friends. He wanted that. He pulled back the curtain and saw that the rain had stopped and that the sun was peeking out as the dark clouds subsided.

  “We should get going. Aren’t we scheduled to go taste wedding cakes tonight?” Freddie asked.

  Serena checked her watch. “Oh, no!” She hopped out of bed and plucked her bra from the lampshade. She shook the covers out and shuffled the pillows around on the bed.