Lora shivered in pleasure as she rolled through the pools of sunlight and shade. It was still early morning, and she had left when she had just to get as much time here as she could. Her father had left her the old cottage when he had passed away the year before and she hadn't had any time to actually come out since. She had had so much to take care of for his funeral and then she had taken a summer school rotation and then it was right back into school work. But she was all caught up with her papers and she had sent her students home with what she hoped was fun homework and she was taking the two weeks of Spring Break off for the first time since she was in her last year of college. She had the top on her car down and the wind streamed through her long hair and she was happy as she rode through the rural Ontario countryside and turned up her Creedence CD a little more.
She didn't really want to blast the wildlife but something about CCR made her want to turn the volume up. She had spent every summer out here when she was growing up, the only child of a single father, and she missed it the last few years while she was in college. She had come out with her dad the last year of his life, but she had been attending to him in his convalescence and easing him through the last months of terminal cancer. But now she was eager to return to the comfortable place and the warm memories that lived in every part of the little house. She passed through Sault St. Marie at a sedate pace and took in the old buildings and the friendly atmosphere, she waved at a few people she knew and she marveled at how busy the town was. Then she passed out the other side and drove for another two hours before she found the turnoff for the lake house.
It was another half hour out to the house and when she finally stopped the day was warm and the blue sky over the lake was clear and open, without a single cloud. She smiled and stretched before she got out of the car and just walked around. She could see that the place would need some TLC; the gutters were almost ready to harvest, she would have to chase campers out of the thicket that was the front yard, and there were enough fallen branches in the yard to build a guest house out of. The old place needed a coat of paint and some of the cedar shakes had come off of the roof. She sighed and smiled, already loving the idea of the next two weeks here, and this summer after that.
She hugged herself and felt a tear at the idea that her father wouldn't be there with her. Biting her lip against the familiar grief that she couldn't seem to shake and didn't really want to, she turned and looked at the dock that jutted out into the lake. The boat was on blocks and under a tarp in the yard and she'd need help if she wanted to get it down to the water, but the lake itself sparkled invitingly. Smiling she glanced at the shore as she walked down toward the water, kicking her shoes off as she saw how far away the other cabins were. She felt suddenly mischievous and she reached back and unhooked her bra then stripped off her white tank top and the bra and dropped them at the top of the dock before she pushed her cutoffs and panties down her legs and stood bare in the warmth of the spring day. She stretched again, smiling and reveling in the feel of the air on her skin then she took off running down the dock.
She had swum in college for three years and in high school for four years and she was a very strong swimmer. Her long legs propelled her along the dock as fast as she could go and she launched off the end in a graceful arc toward the water. She had enough time in her flight to see the head and shoulders that were jutting out of the water, the shock of dark hair and the eyes as wide as dinner plates as someone floating in the water at the end of the dock watched her dive. She felt suddenly mortified and her body chilled an instant before she hit the cool water and vanished with a splash and a yelp.
* * * * *
Christian had several small jobs that summer, more to keep occupied than anything else. He had enough to live on comfortably with his inheritance from his grandfather and the sale of a few paintings, but he liked to get out and work, so he took odd jobs. He had parked his old pickup in the cul-de-sac in the trees out of sight of the house and gone down to have a look at the dock. David Owens had paid him well in advance to keep the dock in good repair and he took the job seriously, even though David had passed away. Christian's father Brian had been good friends with David and Christian made sure to take care of the place. He was going to have to come out with his mower and tools later, then get in touch with David's daughter, who owned the place now and see what she wanted to do with it.
He went around and made note of what work needed to be done after the winter, he cleared the brush away from the boat and chased away the family or raccoons that were trying to nest underneath it, then he stripped down to his shorts and walked to the end of the dock. He slipped into the water just as the little Saturn convertible pulled into the driveway. He took a deep breath and dove down to feel around the pilings for any damage caused by the winter freeze. He came up for air and wiped the water from his face and looked up as a shadow crossed over his face. He made eye contact with Lora as she arched over him, bare-ass naked, and he got an eyeful of her graceful body before she vanished into the water with a yelp. He stared at the spot for a long time, waiting for her to resurface and yell at him and he was just starting to build up the courage to dive after her when he heard her voice off to his left.
"Jesus! What the hell are you doing out here?" She said and he turned to answer when she splashed water at him. "Don't LOOK. Dammit! You scared a year off of my life! Stay facing that way." He obliged and he heard her climb out of the water and onto the shore. He risked a look and saw her hair slicked down her back, her long legs jogging up toward the cottage and between was the most perfect ass he had ever seen in his life. He caught just a glimpse between her thighs then felt guilty and turned back to the water.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be here today Lora." He said loudly and he heard a laugh.
"I'd hope not! If I thought you were laying in wait for me I'd be moving a lot faster, I can tell you that." She said, humour in her voice as she pulled on her tank top and shorts, the fabric getting wet from her skin but covering her. She paused then started back down the dock, her bare feet slapping on the wood softly. "And how do you know my name?" She asked as she reached the end of the dock and looked down at her trespasser. When she saw him she froze, he was gorgeous.
"Because we used to play together all the time." He said as he treaded water and looked up at her. "I'm Christian Underwood, my dad is Brian. We used to come over every time you were here and you and I would play in the woods and the water." He said. He hadn't seen her since she was a gangly thirteen year old, all lanky limbs and knees and elbows, her hair in braids and her clothing more pink and frilly. She had really grown out in the twelve years since.
"Holy shit, Christian Underwoods." She said with a smirk, remembering the 'S' she used to add to his last name to annoy him when they were kids. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked.
"At the moment, checking the dock for damage and trying not to realize that your shirt is wet enough for me to see through." He said with a smile and he was rewarded with a sudden intense blush and a 'meep' as she covered her chest with her arms and turned away.
"You don't have to stare, asshole." She said with a smile and he laughed.
"Fine, next time I won't say anything." He said and she shot him a dark look before she started back up the dock.
"Yeah, I remember you alright." She shot back over her shoulder and he laughed as he went back to his work.
He was just finishing when he heard the drum of her feet, a whoop and a splash as she hit the water again. He turned around in surprise and she grabbed his feet and dragged him under. He was shocked and he struggled to the surface and found himself face to face with her. She was laughing at him, her already beautiful face made angelic by her good humour and he splashed her as ironically as he could manage. She splashed him back and he couldn't resist her infectious humour anymore. He swam toward her and she backed away playfully, pushing at his chest with one small foot that he was just a little too slow to catch. They spent the next hour or so chasing each other around the water, laughing and dunking each other and trying to tickle one of the loons that came over to inspect the two noisy visitors on the water. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon as they made their way out of the water and sat on the end of the dock together, feet dangling and they caught up with each other.
She had dressed in a dark blue swimsuit that complemented her bright blue eyes. They were both cool and a little tired and both of them were in a very good mood. He couldn't believe that this beautiful woman was the same bratty kid he had known years before and she couldn't believe that this hot guy was the broody, antisocial kid that had twanged her bra strap and managed to pop the hooks at the same time. They had both grown up and matured and they shared stories about the years since they had seen each other.
