Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  He shakes his head. “They’ve swam eight hundred miles from the ocean, all the way to here. Up waterfalls, past giant dams, dodging fish nets and predators. You think two harmless humans are going to bother them now?”

  I dive back in and kick against the current so I can get closer this time. They have red bodies and greenish heads. Their big, powerful tails move languidly in the current.

  I come up for a breath. “Do you want a turn?” I ask, letting the current sweep me to him.

  He shakes his head. “Nah, I’ve seen ‘em plenty.”

  I go back for one more look. I’ve studied the life cycle of salmon and all kinds of stuff about ecology. I could rattle off facts about how salmon lay their eggs, how they navigate by smell to their birth stream, how they are a necessary link in the life of the forest, but to see real fish, in their natural environment is something completely different. The only thing that could top this is if we watched a bear come down to the creek and snag one for lunch.

  “That is so cool!” I say after I come back to the surface.

  Caleb beams. “Glad you liked our nature show today. Stay tuned for tomorrow when we watch salamanders mating.”

  I fake punch him in the arm. “You’re so full of it.”

  “Ha! So much for my secret.”

  We wade out of the water. He hands me his t-shirt to dry off. “Not that I am eager to get out of here but if you want to practice your pitching down in the meadow before it gets dark, then we might want to mosey.”

  I slip on my bikini bottoms, then reach for my top.

  “Need any help with that?” he asks.

  I give him a look.

  He comes up behind me and kisses the crook of my shoulder, scooping both of my breasts. I sigh into his body.

  “I wish we didn’t have to go,” he says.

  “I don’t think my knees can take any more abuse from this hard rock,” I tease.

  “Why do you have to talk like that?” he groans.

  I slip the bikini halter top over my neck.

  “The only way I’m letting you put this on is if I get to take it off later with my teeth.”

  I laugh. “Your teeth?”

  “Do you know how hard it is not to want to gobble you up?” he replies, nipping the edge of my ear before helping me tie the second set of straps.

  “Tighter,” I say.

  “Say that again,” he moans.

  I shake my head. “Will you stop?”

  “Nope,” he replies, then cinches my straps tighter. “Why so tight, anyway?”

  “So, I don’t fall out of it,” I say.

  “Why is that a bad thing?” he whispers, then kisses the back of my neck.

  I let him linger as my blood sizzles, then spin around. He’s still naked, his rapidly stiffening erection jutting out from his smooth hips.

  Now it’s my turn to moan.

  “This is all your fault,” he says, waggling his finger at me. “I can’t keep this thing under control when I’m near you.”

  “Sorry,” I say with a laugh.

  His left eyebrow arches up. “Are you really?”

  I shake my head and continue dressing. Minutes later we’ve packed up the snacks and water bottle he brought and put on our socks and shoes. At the edge of the creek, I turn back for one last look, tucking every sweet memory into a special place inside my heart.

  Back in the meadow, we practice throwing softballs until my arm gives out, then wade into the lake towards the boat. The hard crystals of white sand prick my soft bare feet as I shuffle slowly through water so clear, it’s like a swimming pool. Caleb’s seasoned feet are of course made of steel, so he gets to the boat first. He reaches down for me and even though there’s a small ladder, he lifts me into the boat with one arm like Hercules.

  He pulls me into his arms for a tight hug, then a kiss, then reels in the anchor and sets it on the back deck.

  We motor slowly away from the shore and while he concentrates ahead, I look back, taking in the woods and the creek emptying into the lake, the jagged peaks, some still with pockets of snow, rising above it all as we get farther from the shore. Then Caleb accelerates, and I look away to keep the hair from whipping into my face.

  After anchoring the boat inside an empty, forested cove, we munch on sandwiches and Annika’s cookies. Caleb tells me stories about rafting, about the trips he and his family used to take when he was younger. His voice becomes edged with sadness when he talks about his dad, but I just listen. I love imagining him as a wide-eyed kid.

  An evening breeze cools the lake air and dusk falls. Stars pop out of the darkening sky one by one.

  “You ready for me to show you my something?” I ask when it’s dark enough. From Caleb’s backpack, I tug out the blanket.

  “Anything involving you and a blanket has to be good,” he says, following me to the bow of the boat where I unfurl the blanket and lay down.

  Caleb joins me, settling close enough so his body warms my skin.

  I search the sky until I find it. There’re almost too many stars, all so bright. I’ve only seen this star once, on a field trip last year. “That’s Sagittarius,” I say, pointing at a bright star and adding in other notable landmark stars until he sees it.

  “Now, see the stars below and to the side? They form a teapot.” I pull out my phone and open the stargazing app, then point it at the sky so he can see the shape.

  Caleb peers at my screen, then at the sky.

  “And the Milky Way is the steam coming out of the spout.” I lower my phone and wait.

  “Oh!” Caleb finally shouts. “I see it!”

  I laugh at his childlike glee. I point to a reddish star below the teapot. “Now follow the curve of Scorpius’s tail down…” I arc my finger, tracing the arch of the scorpion’s back to its wide head. “There’s three bright stars, two are pinchers, the other is its head.”

  “Hmm,” he says, squinting, his face rapt in concentration.

  I walk him through the stars again, starting with the tail.

  “Oh, there it is,” he finally says, then reaches for my hand.

  “Early astronomers claimed Scorpius is chasing Orien, but we can’t see him right now.”

  “I bet he’s bending Cassiopeia over the Southern Cross,” Caleb says, sneaking a kiss.

  I give his shoulder a shove.

  “It’s crazy that I’ve lived here my whole life and never really looked for these.”

  I cringe. “It’s pretty geeky.”

  “What’s wrong with geeky?”

  “It’s not very sexy.”

  “Stars are very sexy,” he replies, rolling closer to kiss me. I kiss him back, caressing the side of his face.

  “Just wait until August,” I say when he breaks away to kiss down my neck.

  “What’s happening in August?” he asks.

  “The Pleiades meteor shower.” A thrill races through me but I’m not sure if it’s because of the idea I’ll finally get to see a meteor streak across the sky or because he’s nibbling behind my ear. “Sometimes there’s hundreds of them per hour.”

  “So, we’ll have to stay up really late under the stars to see them?” he asks, using the edge of his teeth on my ear.

  Tingles shoot through me. “The later the better,” I manage.

  “Where’s Saturn?” he asks, pulling up my t-shirt to kiss my bare belly.

  I squint at the sky. “There,” I say, pointing at the bright white star above Sagittarius.

  He gives the sky a glance, then squints at me with a sexy, dirty look that floods my body with heat.

  He tugs down my shorts. “Ready for your flight?”

  * * *

  By the time we return the boat to the silent marina, it’s almost one in the morning. Caleb ties up the boat and I help him secure the cover, then he replaces the key inside a locked cabinet he jimmies open with a tool on his Swiss Army knife.

  “Are you going to get in trouble?” I whisper as we walk down the dock, the planks sh
uddering under our feet.

  “Nah,” he says, and leans to kiss the side of my head.

  We step onto the sandy path edging the small log cabin-style resort set back from the lake. Through the sparse pine trees, quaint log cabins are just visible from the soft glow made by the porch lights. Compared to earlier, when the lake shore was packed with families enjoying the beach, water, paddleboats, and kayaks, it’s quiet enough to hear the soft waves lapping the shore.

  At his motorcycle, I sling the pack onto my back and slip on the helmet while Caleb starts the engine. I climb on and grip him tight as he slowly accelerates down the sandy road. Once we reach the highway, he turns north toward Penny Creek. The cool wind works its way into every crevice of the coat I’m borrowing from Caleb and chills my bare legs. I hold on tight and brace myself for the thrill—Caleb likes to drive fast. It still scares me a little. That and the way I can’t stop thinking about him and how this will all end.

  We pass the first few buildings of Penny Creek, a motel, a river outfitter shop, the volunteer fire department, and Caleb slows to turn into town when a siren cuts the silence. In the bike’s mirror, a police car is bearing down on us fast, lights flashing.

  Caleb decelerates and pulls to the shoulder. Behind us, the police cruiser pulls over.

  After parking the bike, Caleb tugs off his helmet. “This’ll be fun,” he mutters.

  The officer saunters our way, his eyes narrowing on Caleb.

  18

  Caleb

  “I thought I heard you’d left town for good this time,” Officer Bill Tucker says.

  “Aw, but then you’d miss me too much,” I reply. Out of the corner of my eye, Lori’s watching me warily.

  Bill’s eyes flash, but he does a good job of hiding it. “You been drinking?”

  “No,” I say. “I’m not stupid.”

  Bill gives a silent guffaw that jolts his little paunch upward. “You’re entitled to your opinion,” he grunts.

  “To what do we owe the pleasure, Bill?”

  “It’s Officer Tucker,” Bill snaps.

  I hold in my grin of satisfaction for tapping my favorite nerve.

  “License and registration, please,” Bill says. He nods at Lori. “You too.”

  Lori’s eyes widen. “I don’t have mine with me.”

  Bill gives her a loaded look. “Then I’ll need your name and address.”

  Lori looks at me, confused, but stammers her information while Bill jots it down in a small pad.

  I open my wallet and secretly cringe. The edge of my fake ID is visible. In an effort to hide it, I whip my real ID from the clear pocket and hand it up.

  He beckons for more. “Let’s have that other one,” he says.

  I conjure up my poker face. “What other one?”

  “Falsifying your identity is a federal offense,” he says in that low growl he thinks scares me. “Give it up and I won’t tow your bike and toss your ass in jail.”

  Well, when you put it that way… I slide the fake ID from the sleeve.

  He snatches them both and shuffles back to his squad car.

  Lori whispers, “He doesn’t seem to like you very much.”

  “Just wait,” I say.

  Fuck! That fake ID cost me a hundred bucks. It was a good one, too.

  Sure enough, Bill steps out a while later holding a tablet. He hands me back my legal license, then thrusts the tablet in my direction.

  “I did you a favor with that ID,” he says.

  “Oh, so now I owe you something? Is that how this works?”

  “Just sign, you little shit,” he says.

  I scan the text, but like I can read the tiny words. Finally, I see the infraction that he used to ruin my night: failure to use my turn signal.

  I spread my arms wide. “Seriously? There’s not a single car on the road.”

  He shifts his big feet in the gravel. “It’s still the law.”

  Why do I get the feeling he’s been waiting for me all night?

  “Whatever,” I mutter, wondering where I’m going to come up with an extra hundred and sixty-six dollars. Let alone I’m now back to being underage until my birthday in three months.

  Reluctantly, I sign on the black line.

  “How’s your mom doing?” Bill asks when I return the tablet.

  My insides flush with ice water. “Stay the fuck away from my mom.”

  Bill’s expression darkens. “Look who’s getting protective now,” he says with a chuckle, but then his arrogant glare is back.

  He steps closer but I stand my ground.

  “Your daddy should have given you a kick in the ass a long time ago,” he says.

  Every nerve ending is firing. I strain to hold it back. “Is that the real reason for the stop, Bill?” I cross my arms. “You’re signing up for the job?”

  “Wouldn’t do you a lick a good now,” he says. “You’re a fuckup and always will be.”

  Bill spins away, tipping his hat at Lori as he does. “Ma’am,” he says to her in parting, then returns to his car. Moments later, he starts the engine and drives off, pelting my ankles with gravel.

  I watch him go, forcing my fists to relax.

  “Well, that was … intense,” Lori says when we’re once again alone with the river sounds.

  “Yeah,” I say, then release a giant sigh.

  We drive to my place. Slowly. I try to push the bogus traffic stop from my mind, but I’m too rattled.

  “I’m guessing you have a history with that guy,” Lori says after I park the bike.

  “About as long as my arm,” I reply, storing our helmets.

  “What’s he got against you?”

  “It’s a really long story,” I say with a sigh. We enter my house and I lead her to my bedroom.

  “I’m a good listener,” she says, plopping down next to me on the edge of my bed.

  I flop backwards. “It started when I was eight years old. I was…” I pause to run my hands through my hair “…kind of obsessed with fire.”

  Lori lays down, propping herself up on her elbow, her eyes fixed on me. “I’m sure plenty of kids play with fire.”

  I shrug. “He and my dad never got along, either,” I say. “It’s one of the few things we could agree on.”

  “Will you tell me about him?” she asks in a kind voice.

  I stare at the ceiling. My last conversation with my dad flickers in my mind. Every day his face fades a little more, but I can still hear his disappointed tone as clear as day. It blends with the roar of the river, making the two forever entwined.

  “He was a dreamer, believed first and foremost in freedom,” I say as my heart tightens. “Being able to do what he wanted. Live his way. He loved a good time, too,” I add, unable to hold back my grin. “He and my mom used to have these raging parties.”

  “That sounds a little wild. What was that like for you and your siblings?”

  I pinch my lips together, combing my memories. “Heck, it was all we knew. Sometimes it was fun. My parents have some very interesting friends. It wasn’t as good for some of us, though, like Pete and Wyatt. Especially when they got older. They’d complain that it was too loud, that they needed to study or had a meet or whatever.”

  “What about for you?”

  I shrug. “One of my parents’ friends gave me dope when I was twelve. At the time I thought that was pretty cool.”

  Her eyes cloud. “But you were so young.”

  “I know,” I reply. “I’m not proud of it now, but as a rowdy kid I was all in.”

  “Did your parents find out?”

  A laugh rumbles out of me. “Are you kidding? They were higher than kites.”

  “Were you and your dad close?”

  A little pulse of hurt flares inside me. I don’t usually talk about my dad. Grady knows most of it, but I’ve never shared any of this with a girl. “Sometimes we would be. We both love the river. We both love music. But there were plenty of things we didn’t agree on.”

  �
�Like?”

  “School,” I say with a hard sigh. If only he’d listened to me. “And all the shit I pulled.”

  “What about your mom?” she asks, her warm palm resting on my chest. “When the officer mentioned her, it got to you.”

  I inhale a long breath. “He’s just messing with me.” I’m not about to go into Penny Creek’s darkest secret with her.

  I roll her to me and shift us up to the pillows.

  “Your turn,” I say to change the subject.

  She eyes me curiously.

  “What’s your dad like?” I stroke her arm. “Besides a calculus whiz.”

  Her gaze warms. “The best way to describe him is like an absent-minded professor,” she says with a smile. “He’s a brilliant scientist but he’s always losing his keys. Sometimes he’s so focused that he’ll forget to eat.”

  “You mentioned stepbrothers. When did your parents split?”

  “When I was ten,” she says, looking pensive.

  “Did you live with your mom?”

  “I lived with both. My dad bought a house close to my mom, so I could go back and forth.”

  “So, they’re friends?”

  “Sort of?” she replies, seeming to think for a moment. “Cordial might be a better word.”

  “What about your ma?”

  Her expression shifts but it’s so quick I almost miss it. “I love my mom.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” I reply.

  “She had cancer a few years ago.” Lori’s gaze flicks up to meet mine. “She’s okay, but it was kind of rough.”

  “I’ll bet.” I pull her to my chest and rub her back, wondering about the rest of the story. “Is your stepdad a good guy?”

  “Yeah,” she says simply.

  Why do I feel like I’ve hit a wall? I decide to let it go. I don’t need to know all her secrets, just like she doesn’t need to know all of mine. In a few weeks we’ll be saying goodbye.

  I ignore the pang of emotion tugging at my insides by combing back her long, silky hair.

  “You never said where you’re going to college.”

  She inhales a long breath that presses her soft breasts into my chest. My pulse starts to tap into my belly at the thought of touching her again.

  “Stanford,” she replies.