However, she didn’t move at the sound of the truck or when we slammed the doors shut.
Jim pulled one cooler from the back, and I took the other. The boys cheered when they caught sight of us. I smiled and called them over for something to drink. My gaze drifted over to Michelle as I set the cooler down. She’d pulled up a section of her top, exposing her stomach to the early morning sun. That bare strip of skin tempted me.
“Emmitt,” Liam said, calling my name a second time as he tugged at my hand.
“Sorry, buddy. What did you say?”
“What kind of drink did you get us?”
I gave them each a juice box. Jim stole one, too, and the three of them wandered to the shoreline. I glanced back at Michelle. Still nothing. Her chest continued to rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm.
“Let her sleep,” Winifred said from beside her.
I nodded and joined the other three at the water. It was too cold for swimming so we built sandcastles and moats for a while. Sweat started to shine on their pink little faces by the time we finished, and the cold water didn’t seem so cold anymore.
Their splash into the water woke Michelle enough that she looked up. Then she went right back to her nap.
I was feeling attention starved. Deciding I’d waited long enough, I went to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water. I opened it and took a long drink, eyeing Michelle as I did so. She probably needed water, too. The idea of sharing the same bottle, our lips touching the same space almost like a kiss, set a heavy beat in my chest. Winifred didn’t say anything as I moved to stand beside Michelle.
While I was trying to decide how to wake her, some of the water from the cold bottle dripped onto her stomach. She made the cutest squealing sound and sat up.
“Sorry,” I said, trying to smother my insincere grin. I offered her the water. “Your head will start hurting again. Drink up.”
She took the bottle and eyed it for a second before arching a brow at me. She knew I’d had some. Would she care? I shrugged and waited to see what she’s do. She uncapped it and took several swallows.
No fear. Just her sweet pancake and syrup scent, getting stronger by the second.
It just made my need to be near her worse.
When she handed me the bottle, I settled on the edge of blanket, crowding her.
“Just like your father,” Winifred mumbled as she stood and went to inspect the finished castles.
Michelle remained where she was, eyeing me. Still not trusting me. I needed more answers.
“About last night,” I said.
“Don’t want to talk about it.” She moved over and went to lay in Winifred’s spot.
I moved fast, shifting positions in a blur so she’d be using me as a pillow. When her head touched my stomach, she sat back up and gave me a startled look.
“How did you move—” She shook her head, not finishing her question.
She was clamming up. Something she did all too well. I needed her to talk.
“I thought after showing you what I am, you’d have more questions for me. Other than if you could wear my shirt.”
She blushed and tipped the hat to try to hide her face. “Nope.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
It hurt a little that she didn’t want to know anything about me. I could understand not asking about the fur, but what about other stuff? My interests. My hobbies. The same things I really wanted to know about her, like her favorite color. Maybe I just needed to keep it simple and light.
“Green,” I said randomly.
She glanced at me. “What?”
“It’s my favorite color. What’s yours?”
“If I tell you, will you let me lay down again?”
I grinned, knowing she’d talk.
“I don’t know that I have one. I like looking at the sky, though, so maybe blue.”
Had she been so locked away that she’d often looked at the sky and wished for freedom? That made me a little sad for her and made my need for answers grow stronger. She talked when her guard was down. Alcohol worked, but I wouldn’t be using that again. As I studied her tired profile, I had another idea. Grinning, I moved over on the blanket and gave her space to lay back down. Maybe I could get something out of her if she was almost asleep.
She took the bait and lay down after a few more swallows of