She nodded without looking at me. The blush she wore had me inhaling the rich scent of syrup-soaked pancakes. I loved knowing what that smell meant. She was feeling the pull. And based on her averted gaze and grip on the bar, she was trying her best to ignore it.
I hesitated a moment, trying to think of something to say to get her to hold me instead of the stupid bar. Winifred’s words had me closing my mouth. I wouldn’t rush Michelle. I’d give her some time.
I put on my sunglasses and handed a pair back to Michelle. I was confident she wouldn’t need a helmet or other gear. My reflexes were too quick for anything to happen to her even if I somehow managed to dump the bike. But the glasses would help with the wind, which I couldn’t do a thing about.
She kept her center of balance as I pulled down the driveway and followed Winifred onto the main road. My hope that she’d change her mind and hold onto me withered after she tucked her hair into her shirt at the first stop sign.
Frustration had me taking off again a little faster than I should have. Her gasp and laugh, though, let me know it was all right, and I opened up the throttle.
When we caught up with the car, Jim stuck his hand out the window to show me the digital camera. I passed Winifred and let him take a picture. I really wanted to know how Michelle looked behind me.
A few minutes later, I turned onto the graveled lake entrance. The county kept the place nice even though not many people came to use the beach. When we reached the parking lot, I didn’t miss Michelle’s quiet “wow” or the excited exclamations from the boys in Winifred’s car as we parked.
“Did you like it?” I asked, turning to look at Michelle.
Her gaze met mine as she nodded, and I really hoped that meant she’d touch me on the way home.
I kept the bike steady as she got off and listened to Aden ask Jim about the water. Was it like a bathtub? Did they have to use soap? Were there toys they could use?
The questions had me doubting the kid had ever gone swimming before. And, the way Liam stared at the water, I began to suspect they’d never even seen a lake in their lives.
Michelle didn’t seem quite as awed as she walked with them to the water’s edge. Her bothers stomped in to their ankles and just stood there. She tested the water and backed away.
“We need to show them how to have fun,” Jim said.
I wholeheartedly agreed.
“Chicken?” I said.
“Oh yeah,” he said with a devilish grin.
* * * *
Liam and Aden were naturals at the game of chicken. What brothers weren’t good at pushing each other around? Jim watched me closely, waiting for me to look away so he and Aden could push their advantage. I tended to look away a lot. Michelle was on the blanket. Winifred had given her a magazine, but I could tell Michelle wasn’t reading it. She was watching us. But, was she keeping an eye on her brothers or was she looking at me?
The last few times I’d looked up and caught her gaze, she’d blushed. I was fairly certain that meant she was looking at me.
My attention wandered back to the beach and the blanket. She’d kept her shorts and shirt on but I was positive she wore her suit underneath. Maybe I could convince Liam to—
Liam’s weight shifted under Aden’s sudden attack. I braced my feet in the sand, but could feel the boy was going over. So I leaned us to the side and kept his head above the water as he fell.
“We win again!” Aden cried.
Liam scowled at me.
“Sorry, bud. Next three rounds are ours.”
I stayed focused and tied the score. After that, I forced myself to keep my mind on Liam and Aden and show them how to play like cubs. Michelle would come around on her own.
Before the sun started to set, we packed up. Michelle hadn’t strayed too far from the blanket, but the boys had enjoyed a full day at the beach like every kid should.
Once everything was in the trunk, I sat on my bike and waited for Michelle to buckle her brothers in. She seemed to take her time. Jim noticed it, too, because he winked at me and quickly claimed the front seat again.
Michelle mounted the bike the same way, but a sweet pancake smell clung to her as she gripped the back bar. Yep, she was coming around. I grinned the whole way home.
As soon as we parked by the porch, Jim announced a fireworks show and went inside for the goods. Winifred shot a look in his direction, but Michelle and the boys didn’t notice.
“I think I’ll take this stuff in and make us some dinner. You two should go rinse in the shower and change,” Winifred said, looking at the boys.
Michelle led them upstairs, and I helped Winifred unload.
“It was a good day,” she said.
“Yeah. Those boys really enjoyed the lake.”
“They seem to enjoy everything outside. Almost as if they’ve never had the chance before.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I said, setting the beach bag on her sofa.
“She was watching you,” Winifred said as she set the cooler on the floor and started unloading items into the fridge. “She was trying really hard not to, but she was.”
The seriousness in Winifred’s tone cut off my preemptive grin.
“Her scent would change from curiosity to fear in an instant. My guess is that she’s acknowledging her interest but is afraid of getting involved with you. Maybe it’s not just you. Maybe she’d afraid of getting too close to anyone.” Winifred closed the fridge and turned to me. “It’s good you brought her here. She does need us. We need to figure out what’s haunting her and put her ghosts to rest. Until we do, I don’t know that she’ll ever be ready to trust us.”
“And how will we find out about her past unless she trusts us enough to tell us?”
Winifred gave me a quick grin.
“That’s for you to figure out, boy. Now, go keep an eye on your brother before he shoots a bottle rocket through a window.”
By the time I heard the boys on the stairs, Jim was ready with two sparklers. I lit them, and he held them out just as the cubs burst out the door.
“Is it hot?” Aden asked, leaning to look at Jim’s finger.
“The glowing end is very hot. But if you hold the metal down here, you’ll be fine. And, you can write your name like this.”
The boys took their sparklers and started waving them around. I kept my eyes on the stairs as I got another two ready. Michelle didn’t disappoint me. She walked right toward me and accepted one of the sparklers. But when our hands touched, an odd look passed over her face, and I watched her pupils dilate in a very unnatural way. A second later, she was back to normal. Well, not exactly normal. She looked pale and shocked.
“Michelle?” I said.
“Sorry,” she said. “Daydreaming.”
Her heart skipped a beat with the lie, and her scent soured with worry. I didn’t push for more. Instead, I played along and moved away to help Aden light another sparkler.
Though I helped Jim with the kids, I was very aware of Michelle. When her sparkler sputtered and died, she wandered back to the porch and sat next to Winifred. She remained distant and distracted as the boys went through the sparklers then joined the women on the porch for Jim’s small fireworks show. Only her brothers’ joyful shouts seemed to penetrate Michelle’s deep thoughts.
Watching them, I realized the first step to gaining her trust was giving her a better reason to stay than fear. And, her brothers were the key.