said. “What a treasure.”
Aden stared at Lily until she thought she might burst with giddy agitation. “Aden,” she finally said, “will you stop that?”
“Stop what?”
“Oh . . . just stop.”
He shrugged and flashed her a cocky grin. “How can I know what to stop if I don’t know I’m doing it?”
“You know well enough.”
His eyes glowed as he studied her face. “You have a gute heart, Lily.”
“Nae. None is gute but God.”
Anna and Felty, arm in arm, were already halfway to the pond. Aden picked up the basket and the blankets and shrugged Lily’s hand away when she tried to take something from him. “There is a nice spot under that tree where we can lay a blanket.”
Anna pointed to a weathered wooden jetty that stretched ten feet into the water. “That is where Aden’s dat asked Aden’s mamm to marry him. Isn’t that romantic, Lily?”
“It doesn’t look safe to walk on,” Lily said, “with no railing like that.”
Did Aden suppress a smile? “I’m sure my dat held tight to my mamm so she wouldn’t fall.” Without warning, he laid his armful on the ground and sprinted to the jetty.
Lily caught her breath as he jogged to the end of the jetty. With each step, the ancient wood creaked under his feet. She thought he might jump into the water. Instead, he shot Lily a mischievous grin and did a cartwheel that took the length of the small dock. He was quite limber for someone so tall.
Lily almost couldn’t watch. “Aden Helmuth! You’re going to fall in.”
“Such a fine young man,” Anna said.
“But thick in the head,” Felty added.
“Now, Felty. Lily doesn’t think he’s thick. Do you, Lily?”
Still showing off, Aden did a little jig backward and stood at the edge of the jetty with his back to the water. He raised his arms in victory as Lily’s nerves pulled taut. “Look at me, Lily. Not falling,” he called, taunting her with that irresistible grin. “Perfectly safe.”
Pilot, who never wanted to be left out of the frolicking, stampeded up the jetty at full speed. The look of surprise on Aden’s face was priceless right before Pilot crashed into him. They both flew into the water with a giant splash.
Lily let out a cry of dismay, and her heart stopped until Aden’s head bobbed to the surface. He spat out a stream of water and burst into infectious laughter.
“It’s gute he knows how to swim,” Felty said.
Pilot paddled around Aden as they both splashed and made an extravagant fuss. Aden pointed to his hat that floated out of his reach, and Pilot swam to it, captured it in his teeth, and made his way toward shore. Aden followed him with long, steady strokes, and soon they emerged from the water, bringing a good portion of the pond with them.
Aden stretched out his arms. “Want a hug, Mammi?”
Anna squeaked in alarm and waved him away. “Now, Aden, don’t try anything tricky.”
Lily pulled one of the blankets from the pile. “Here, put this around your shoulders so you don’t catch your death.”
Aden reached out, but instead of taking the blanket, he grabbed Lily’s hand and tugged her toward the pond. “The water’s fine. Would you like to try?”
Lily attempted to pull away from him as she pushed down that panicked feeling she always got when she contemplated doing something scary.
Aden kept hold of her hand and chuckled. “Sorry. Just teasing. I would never be reckless with you.” He squeezed her fingers and rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. Time paused as they both studied their clasped hands before Aden curled his lips sheepishly and released her.
Clearing her throat, Lily unfurled the blanket, reached up, and wrapped it around Aden’s shoulders.
His gaze pierced her skull. “Denki.”
Pilot decided he wanted to share his bath. He shook himself from head to toe, sending water droplets flying over everyone. Anna and Felty both shielded their faces but didn’t seem to mind the extra shower.
“Pilot!” Lily
Aden stared at Lily until she thought she might burst with giddy agitation. “Aden,” she finally said, “will you stop that?”
“Stop what?”
“Oh . . . just stop.”
He shrugged and flashed her a cocky grin. “How can I know what to stop if I don’t know I’m doing it?”
“You know well enough.”
His eyes glowed as he studied her face. “You have a gute heart, Lily.”
“Nae. None is gute but God.”
Anna and Felty, arm in arm, were already halfway to the pond. Aden picked up the basket and the blankets and shrugged Lily’s hand away when she tried to take something from him. “There is a nice spot under that tree where we can lay a blanket.”
Anna pointed to a weathered wooden jetty that stretched ten feet into the water. “That is where Aden’s dat asked Aden’s mamm to marry him. Isn’t that romantic, Lily?”
“It doesn’t look safe to walk on,” Lily said, “with no railing like that.”
Did Aden suppress a smile? “I’m sure my dat held tight to my mamm so she wouldn’t fall.” Without warning, he laid his armful on the ground and sprinted to the jetty.
Lily caught her breath as he jogged to the end of the jetty. With each step, the ancient wood creaked under his feet. She thought he might jump into the water. Instead, he shot Lily a mischievous grin and did a cartwheel that took the length of the small dock. He was quite limber for someone so tall.
Lily almost couldn’t watch. “Aden Helmuth! You’re going to fall in.”
“Such a fine young man,” Anna said.
“But thick in the head,” Felty added.
“Now, Felty. Lily doesn’t think he’s thick. Do you, Lily?”
Still showing off, Aden did a little jig backward and stood at the edge of the jetty with his back to the water. He raised his arms in victory as Lily’s nerves pulled taut. “Look at me, Lily. Not falling,” he called, taunting her with that irresistible grin. “Perfectly safe.”
Pilot, who never wanted to be left out of the frolicking, stampeded up the jetty at full speed. The look of surprise on Aden’s face was priceless right before Pilot crashed into him. They both flew into the water with a giant splash.
Lily let out a cry of dismay, and her heart stopped until Aden’s head bobbed to the surface. He spat out a stream of water and burst into infectious laughter.
“It’s gute he knows how to swim,” Felty said.
Pilot paddled around Aden as they both splashed and made an extravagant fuss. Aden pointed to his hat that floated out of his reach, and Pilot swam to it, captured it in his teeth, and made his way toward shore. Aden followed him with long, steady strokes, and soon they emerged from the water, bringing a good portion of the pond with them.
Aden stretched out his arms. “Want a hug, Mammi?”
Anna squeaked in alarm and waved him away. “Now, Aden, don’t try anything tricky.”
Lily pulled one of the blankets from the pile. “Here, put this around your shoulders so you don’t catch your death.”
Aden reached out, but instead of taking the blanket, he grabbed Lily’s hand and tugged her toward the pond. “The water’s fine. Would you like to try?”
Lily attempted to pull away from him as she pushed down that panicked feeling she always got when she contemplated doing something scary.
Aden kept hold of her hand and chuckled. “Sorry. Just teasing. I would never be reckless with you.” He squeezed her fingers and rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. Time paused as they both studied their clasped hands before Aden curled his lips sheepishly and released her.
Clearing her throat, Lily unfurled the blanket, reached up, and wrapped it around Aden’s shoulders.
His gaze pierced her skull. “Denki.”
Pilot decided he wanted to share his bath. He shook himself from head to toe, sending water droplets flying over everyone. Anna and Felty both shielded their faces but didn’t seem to mind the extra shower.
“Pilot!” Lily
Similar Books
