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the thought from her mind. She loves her sister just the way she is.
    Brandon gives Grace a nod as a greeting.
    “I should’ve invited Michelle,” Grace says, moments later as they drive through the narrow winding forest roads.
    Ian looks at her with a surprised look on his face. “I didn’t even think of it! Should we go back and get her?”
    “No. She made plans with one of her friends. But I still feel guilty.”
    “Now I do, too.”
    They pull up to the shore near the lake where Ian and Grace had their first date. They all pile out of the car. It is a sunny, but crisp day, and the smell of pine fills the air. The air is fresh, and Ian takes it into his lungs with a stretch as Grace watches his chest rise and fall.
    Bailey and Brandon begin unloading the car as they argue.
    “Hey! If you two are going to start that crap, I’m taking you home!” Ian says, as he points at them.
    They look at each other and silently agree to disagree.
    “Wanna go for a walk?” Ian asks, as he comes up behind Grace, who is pulling a lantern out of the car.
    His breath on the back of her neck sends a thrill through her entire body. She turns around. He is so close to her that her back is pinned up against the car. He is staring at her with something behind his blue eyes, a look she has only seen from him one other time. The look he had in his eyes just before he kissed her.
    “I would love to, but what about all this stuff?”
    Ian throws his head back with a deep, guttural laugh. “What do you think I brought these two for?”
    Grace gives him a small, but gentle smack on his chest. Ian just laughs as he takes the lantern out of Grace’s hand and places it on the ground next to the car. He takes Grace by both of her hands and pulls her off the car. He then takes one of her hands into his and leads her away from the campsite. They walk along the shore of the lake in silence. A comfortable silence, not like the one they experienced when eating in the gazebo last weekend.
    “Gracie?” Ian asks, in a low voice that she struggles to hear.
    He stops their pace and grabs her other hand. She looks at him as the nerves crawl over her. Her eyes grow wide.
    “I like you a lot,” he says. “I’m really sorry I went so long without calling you.”
    His words pour into her soul and a gigantic smile spreads across her face.
    “Why didn’t you kiss me?” Grace asks, sternly.
    Ian gives his head a little, quick shake. “What?”
    “Why didn’t you kiss me?” she asks, in a slow voice, as if Ian has a hearing problem.
    “You mean last weekend?”
    “Yes, Ian,” and again she repeats, “Why didn’t you kiss me?” This time her voice is elevated.
    “I was trying to be a gentleman,” he says softly. “Believe me, I wanted to. I didn’t want your brother to see me kissing you on the first date.”
    Grace smiles up at him and stares into his eyes. All her apprehensions about how Ian feels about her are erased from her mind.
    “Well, your plan worked. James respects you.”
    “Then mission accomplished,” Ian says, as he leans in to kiss her.
    Their kissing becomes so passionate that they make their way to lying on the dirt by the shore of the lake. With every movement of their tongues, she falls for him more so than she already had. He breaks away from their kiss and looks down at her, one arm holding her back to keep it from touching the ground and the other lying carelessly over her stomach.
    “I don’t want to date you anymore,” he says abruptly.
    Grace smiles up at him. “I don’t want to date you anymore either.”
    “You wanna go out? I mean, will you be my girlfriend?”
    He appears nervous as he speaks. Grace has no idea why he is so nervous, but she finds it adorable.
    Grace leans up to kiss him again, and then breaks away from their kiss. “Of course I will,” she says, smiling.
    They spend hours talking about Ian’s music and Grace’s art as they lie by the shore, going from conversation to kisses as