“Why wouldn’t he feel the same?” Jill turns onto her side, tucks her arm under her head, and continues to watch me.
“I don’t know.” I turn on my back now and stare at the ceiling.
“Why wouldn’t he feel the same, Cara?”
“Because I don’t understand why he’s interested in me in the first place.” There. I said it out loud.
“God, you’re dumb.” Her voice is hard and almost angry.
I whip my head back toward her in surprise. “What?”
“You’re an idiot if you don’t understand why he’s interested in you, Cara. I love you, but you have got to get over your insecurities. The frumpy, frizzy-haired, chubby girl from high school is long gone. Have you seen you lately?”
I frown at her and process what she just said. “But I am still that girl.”
“No, you’re not.” She sighs and rubs her hands over her face. “You’re beautiful, and Josh sees it. He sees you. Men who just want to fuck you don’t call to check on you late at night just because they’re worried about you.”
You’re more than just a fuck buddy.
She’s right.
“Okay, fine, I’m fabulous.” I look back up to the ceiling and feel myself smile. “And my boyfriend is fucking hot.”
“Yeah, he is,” she agrees with a sigh.
“And Jilly?”
“Yeah?”
“He’s fucking awesome in bed.”
“God, I hate you.”
* * *
Knock, knock, knock.
A light tapping on the hotel door wakes me from a light sleep. I glance over at Jill, who is knocked out, still lying on top of the covers. Moving quickly and as quietly as possible, I peek through the peephole before opening the door wide.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper at Josh as he moves into the room and scoops me up into his arms.
“Couldn’t sleep without you,” he whispers into my ear. He bends to pull the blankets back on the bed and lays me down onto the sheets before disappearing into the darkness again. He reappears moments later with a spare blanket from a small closet and spreads it over Jillian before joining me in the bed, both of us fully clothed.
“How did you know what room we’re in?”
“I asked, baby,” he replies dryly.
“You have to work in just a couple of hours,” I remind him softly, both of us on our sides looking at each other in the darkness.
“Louie and the guys can handle it. Plus”—he leans in and kisses my cheek—“Zack’s back. He’ll pick up my slack today.”
“You didn’t have to come here.”
“Yeah,” he sighs, and pulls me to him, resting my cheek against his chest, and kisses my head. “I did, baby.”
“If you two have sex with me lying three feet away from you, I will cut you both in your sleep.”
Josh laughs hard and loud and hugs me close.
“She’s really violent,” I inform him with a giggle.
“I mean it.” Her voice is stern, but I can hear the smile on her face.
“Can I talk you into a threesome?” Josh asks over his shoulder, earning a punch in the arm from me and a pillow in the head from Jill. “Can’t blame a guy for asking.”
“Perv,” I mutter with a laugh.
“I’m just kidding,” he calls over his shoulder at Jill, who just waves him off and turns on her other side. “You’re the only one I want,” he whispers in my ear for only me to hear. I burrow down deeper against his chest, wrap my arms around his waist, and fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
* * *
“Holy shit, your house is a mess.” Jill wrinkles her nose and holds her hand up to her brow, shielding her eyes from the sunshine as she gazes at my little white house, covered in plastic and lumber. We’re walking through town, on our way to Ty’s house to surprise him and to check on the progress of my own place.
“It looks so much better,” I inform her. “They say it’ll be done on Wednesday.”
And then I’ll have to leave him.
“Wow.” I’m suddenly wrapped in one of Jill’s superstrength hugs and I feel the air leave me in a whoosh.
“Can’t breathe,” I squeak.
“I’m so happy that you’re safe.” She loosens her grasp and rests her forehead on my cheek. “What would I do without you? What if you’d been seriously hurt?”
“I’m fine, Jill.”
“I wanna kick that tree’s ass.”
“We really need to discuss these violent tendencies of yours. I don’t remember you being this hostile.”
“I must be PMSing.” She smirks as we walk away from my house and toward Ty’s. It’s the Fourth of July, so most of the town is closed to observe the holiday, and we’re hoping to catch Ty at home.
Jill bounces up the stairs of his porch ahead of me and knocks on the door.
“You could just go in.”
“Nah, it’s better this way.” She winks at me and waits patiently for Ty to answer his door. After thirty seconds she knocks again.
“I’m coming!” Ty yells, and swings the door open with a scowl. At the sight of his sister, his face transforms into a big, wide smile and he scoops her off her feet into a big bear hug, turning her in a circle. “Oh my God, Jillybean! When did you get here?”
“Last night.” She laughs. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“Best surprise ever.” He smiles at her widely. “How long are you here for?”
“I go back Tuesday morning.”
“Quick trip.” He tugs on her braid.
“I’m here for the holiday.”
“So we’ll all be at the party at the lake?” he asks as we sit on his porch, Jill and I in the porch swing, and Ty on the railing, leaning his back against the pillar in the corner.
“Of course.”
“When do you get your house back?” Ty asks me, and crosses his arms over his chest. He’s in a T-shirt again today, a Van Halen one this time, with ripped jeans. The muscles under his sleeve tattoo bulge with the movement and I can’t help but watch.
Any red-blooded American woman would take notice.
“Wednesday,” I respond.
“Good.” He nods and looks over toward my house. “It’s coming along fast.”
“It’s a good crew,” I agree, and cross my legs, enjoying the sway of the swing. Jill leans against me and rests her head on my shoulder.
“What’s new with you, big brother?” she asks.
“Absolutely nothing.” He pushes his hand through his raven hair and turns his eyes to Jill. Their eyes and hair match perfectly. No one would miss that they’re siblings. But where Jill is petite and delicate, Ty is tall and broad. Not quite as tall and broad as the King brothers, but then, few are.
“Nothing at all?” she asks doubtfully.
“Nothing at all.”
“You’re boring.”
“What’s new with you?” He narrows his eyes on her, and I know he sees what I do: pale skin and sad blue eyes.
“Nothing.”
“Now, I know for a fact that’s a lie.”
“I’m not in a courtroom,” she snaps, her voice hard, and it surprises the hell out of me. “Back off.”
He just tilts his head to the side and watches her for a moment, then nods. “Okay. For now.”
“You’re so pushy.”
He shrugs unapologetically and grins. “Job hazard.”
“No, you’ve always been pushy.”
He nods and grins at her, then turns his gaze to me and I squirm in my seat.
“I’m not in a courtroom either,” I remind him lightly.
“How are things with King?”
“Good.”
“He’s phenomenal in bed and he came to the hotel in the middle of the night just so he could snuggle with her,” Jill smirks, and evades my punch to her leg.
“Shut up,” I say.
“I really don’t need to hear about Josh’s sex skills,” Ty responds dryly, a smile
tickling the corners of his lips. Finally, he gives in and lets out a belly laugh.
“Jilly hasn’t gotten lai—” Jill’s hand covers my mouth hard, her eyes wide with panic.
“Mmmph mmph poph,” I mutter against her hand.
“What?” she asks, and drops her hand.
“Don’t fuck with me.”
“Cara’s a badass.” Ty laughs. “If you’re not good, she’ll show you the jail.”
“Yeah,” I agree with a laugh. “I’m a badass.”
“Let’s go get ready for the party, badass.”
CHAPTER
Eleven
I absolutely love the Fourth of July.
Cunningham Falls always does it up big. Most of the townspeople gather by the city beach, which is nothing more than about one hundred yards of sandy beach at the shore of a large lake at the edge of town. The kids swim, and adults bring coolers full of food and blankets to lounge on. Boats float in the lake or zoom around, pulling water-skiers swiftly about the lake.
It’s a day of fun and sun, and even the tourists get into it.
This year is no different. We’ve spent the majority of the afternoon with our friends, enjoying each other’s company, laughing and eating good food.
Josh and I are sitting in the shade, on a blanket, very much like the night at the movies. He’s leaning against a tree, me between his legs, and I’m leaning against his chest.
“Are you comfortable?” he asks into my ear, making shivers dance down my body.
“I am,” I sigh happily, and watch Zack and Jill chat with each other several yards away. She is telling a story about a mansion she sold in Bel Air, gesturing wildly with her arms, her pretty face expressive, and Zack is laughing with her.
Seth is sitting under another tree not too far away, clad only in his swim trunks, listening to his iPod.
“What time do the fireworks start?” I ask.
“At dusk, so around nine thirty, I guess.” I rest my hands on Josh’s bare thighs and grin when he inhales sharply. He never wears shorts, so to see him in his tan cargo shorts and sexy black T-shirt is a treat. His soft hair tickles my fingers as I rub them rhythmically against his muscular thighs. “But if you keep doing that, we’ll put on a fireworks display of our own, for all of our nearest and dearest to see.”
I laugh and look up into his soft chocolate eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I think I would.” He removes my hands from his legs, kisses them both, then links his fingers through mine and rests them on my belly.
“I like touching you,” I pout.
“You’re killing me,” he whispers. “I haven’t been inside you in almost twenty-four hours,” he growls against my ear.
“Oh, no! Whatever shall we do?”
“Smart-ass,” he mutters, and tilts my chin up to plant a soft, wet kiss on me, and I forget that our friends are standing nearby. His lips glide over mine, once and then again, and then he kisses my cheek and my jawline before pulling away to smile down at me.
“Get a room!” Zack calls out.
“They had one last night,” Jill responds dryly, also watching us closely. “Unfortunately, I was also in that room.”
“Kinky.” Zack grins and nods, earning a punch in the arm from Jill. “Ow! Easy there, killer.”
“The King men are pervs,” Jill complains as everyone laughs.
Ty grabs two beers out of the cooler nearby and hands one to Josh.
“Thanks, buddy.”
Just then, I notice Zack allows his gaze to roam up and down Jill’s body, paying special attention to her hips and her thick, lush dark hair. He takes a pull on his beer and turns away, looking for Seth.
I follow Zack’s gaze and then feel my chest tighten when Seth’s not still sitting at the base of the tree. His iPod is on the blanket, but he isn’t.
“Where did Seth go?” I ask as I begin looking around frantically.
Everyone joins me, looking around the crowd. Zack takes off down to the water to see if Seth’s decided to go for a swim.
“I saw him just a minute ago,” I murmur, and pull my sunglasses down as I stand and begin to roam around the area. “He can’t have gone far.”
“He’s in the water,” Jill confirms, and points to where Zack is standing at the edge of the shore, hands on his hips, glaring at the boy, who is splashing happily in the lake.
I sigh and shake my head. Seth’s swimming isn’t an issue, but he’ll get in trouble for disappearing without letting anyone know.
We’re all watching as Seth glances toward shore and sees his dad at the edge of the water. Zack just raises one hand and makes a “come here” motion with his fingers, and Seth scowls deeply, not moving closer to shore.
“Get your ass over here, now.” Zack’s voice is deceptively calm, but hard as steel. He’s in denim cargo shorts and a gray T-shirt, the cotton pulled tightly over his toned, muscular body, revealing ink on his biceps, and at over six feet tall he’s intimidating.
Much more so than Josh, despite their being identical twins. Something in the way Zack holds himself warns anyone off.
“What?” Seth asks defiantly as he approaches the shore. “I can’t swim?”
He juts his chin out and mirrors his father’s stance, arms crossed, body tense.
When he grows up, he’s going to look exactly like Zack.
“Why does he do that?” Josh murmurs from behind me, and wraps his arms around my middle.
“Because he’s angry,” I answer.
“You can swim just fine,” Zack responds patiently. “But you aren’t allowed to come down to the water without letting one of us know. You know the rules.”
“I’m right where you can see me.”
“I believe the correct answer is ‘Yes, sir.’ ”
“This isn’t the army,” Seth spits out defiantly.
Zack leans in to murmur in Seth’s ear so he’s the only one who can hear. His eyes go wide and he swallows hard, but when his dad backs away to look down at him, he scowls again.
“I don’t care.” Seth drops his arms to his sides and fists his hands. “Why are you such a jerk?”
Zack laughs and props his hands on his hips, shaking his head in exasperation. “I’m not a jerk, I’m a parent.”
“Same thing,” Seth mutters.
“I’m gonna beat him up,” Josh whispers, and I chuckle.
“No, you’re not. Look, he’s softening.” I gesture with a tilt of my chin, and sure enough, Seth gives his dad a half smile. Zack ruffles Seth’s hair but drops his hand when Seth backs out of his reach.
“Can I swim some more?”
“No, it’s getting dark. The fireworks are about to start.”
Just as the words leave his lips, someone lets off a firework on the street, sending a screeching wail through the air followed by a loud boom.
Zack springs into action. He grips Seth by the shoulders and throws him to the sand, covering him with his big, strong body. His arms cover both their heads, and Seth’s legs are tucked neatly between Zack’s.
“Fuck!” Josh runs down to his brother, Ty close behind him, and squats next to Zack, carefully laying his hand on Zack’s shoulder.
“Z, you’re okay. It was just some fireworks.”
Zack won’t budge. He’s holding on to Seth with all his might, every muscle in his body taut with fear and adrenaline.
“Z,” Josh tries again. “Come on, man. You’re safe. You’re home.”
Zack slowly raises his head and looks up at his brother, then down at the frightened boy in his arms.
“Damn it,” Zack mutters, and slowly lifts himself off Seth. “I’m sorry, Son.”
“It’s okay.” Seth’s voice is small and shaky.
“I’m sorry,” Zack repeats, sitting back on his heels as he helps Seth up.
“I’m okay,” Seth says, but looks down at his dad with wide, sad eyes. “It’s okay, Dad.”
Josh and Ty step back, and we all watch in wonder as Seth starts
to cry and falls into his dad’s arms, burying his face in Zack’s neck and holding on tightly.
“I believed her,” Seth cries.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Zack murmurs, and holds Seth firmly against him.
“I believed her,” Seth repeats, and I feel my own tears on my cheeks as Jill joins me and links her hand with mine.
“Seth,” Zack begins, but Seth pulls back to look him in the eye and shakes his head, cutting him off.
“No, I believed her when she said you weren’t doing anything over there, that you just stayed there because you didn’t care about us.” Seth’s crying in earnest, his small hands braced on his dad’s shoulders, and neither of them cares about the audience they have right here on the city beach.
“People keep thanking you today, and I thought it was dumb.” Seth wipes his nose with his arm. “All these people saying thank you for going to war, but I thought it was stupid because you just left me and Mom, and I didn’t think it was anything great.”
“Hey,” Zack tries again, but Seth is on a roll.
“But you didn’t go because you don’t love me.”
It’s not a question.
“No,” Zack simply says.
“And she lied when she said that you didn’t want to talk to me on the phone.”
“She did. I suppose that’s why you refused to take my calls all these months?”
Seth nods and sniffles again. “And just now, when you thought there was a bomb, you were trying to save me.”
“Seth, I’ll probably always react that way to loud noises. It’s just habit.” Zack shrugs uncomfortably, but Seth is shaking his head adamantly.
“You were trying to save me.”
“I was,” Zack whispers, still looking his boy in the eye.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Seth wraps his arms around Zack’s neck and holds on tight. Finally, Josh leans down and murmurs in both of their ears, and they stand and walk back to our group.
Zack sits on Seth’s blanket and his son sits beside him, leaning his head on his shoulder. “Can I watch the fireworks with you?”
“Damn, that kid breaks my heart,” Jill murmurs, and I nod in agreement.
“Yeah, we’ll watch them from here,” Zack replies.
“I didn’t think Zack was going to stay for the fireworks.” I look over to Josh for confirmation.