“Yeah, I hope so. If you want to wash up and unpack a bit, go ahead. I’ll open things up and meet you out on the deck.”
I use the bathroom and change into a pair of cropped leggings and a loose tank top. I eye the bed longingly. After traveling all day, I’d love to stretch out there. But I’ll go see if Jax needs any help.
When I walk out onto the deck in my flip flops, he hands me a glass of wine.
I smile with delight. “Thank you!”
Then I spy a lounge chair. Jax has already arranged cushions on the all the furniture, bless him. I head straight to it, adjust the back so it’s reclining, and flop down onto it. I let out a gusty sigh. “Okay. I’m in heaven.”
I’m looking out over the lake, through some trees and bushes, although there’s a path leading to the beach. I think I can see a wooden dock, and I’m eager to explore more at some point. Right now I’m content to lie back with my wine and enjoy the view.
Jax takes a seat, a beer in hand. “Yeah, this is pretty nice.”
“Totally different from California. And yet…kind of the same too. Nature and water and peace. It’s beautiful.” I breathe in the air, cool and scented with fir trees.
“I loved spending summers here. Riley and I had friends here, and we’d ride our bikes all over and get in trouble.”
I smile at that. “What kind of trouble?”
“Nothing illegal. We caught minnows. Once I stuffed one down a friend’s shorts.”
I laugh.
“Caught crayfish. We’d build little ponds to keep them in along with the minnows. Raced our bikes, tipped each other out of canoes, bought bags of candy at the store.”
“That sound so…wholesome.”
“Tomorrow I’ll chop some wood for the fireplace. And we’ll need to pick up food.”
“You’re going to chop wood?” I lift my head to stare at him.
“Sure.”
“Eek.”
“What?”
“Don’t cut your foot off. That would end your hockey career.”
He laughs. “I’ll be careful.”
He’s changed too, into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He crosses one ankle over the other knee in a relaxed pose, gazing out over the lake also. His face is peaceful, his mouth curved into a slight smile.
He’s a beautiful man. Physically, of course; I’ve admired his hard-packed abs, strong shoulders and muscular thighs and butt. His face is lean and sculpted, with thick eyebrows, carved lips and cobalt eyes that all the Wynns seem to have. I always knew he was fun and charming, popular with everyone. But now I’ve had glimpses at what’s beneath all that, and I think he doesn’t let on how much he feels things because he feels them so deeply. He’s caring and thoughtful and intelligent, and that just makes him even more attractive.
I shouldn’t be attracted to him.
I’m hyper aware of him sitting near me. The only sounds are the rustling of the aspens, birds chirping, a squirrel squawking crazily in a tree. It’s so hard not to reach out and touch him. I grip my wine glass with both hands and stare determinedly forward.
“I hope you won’t get bored here,” Jax says.
I roll my head toward him. “We just got here.”
“I mean, after a while. It’s pretty quiet here. We won’t be partying or shopping or having spa days.”
“Jeez. Is that what you think of me? Parties and spas and shopping sprees?”
“No, no! That’s not what I meant. But you said yourself, you’re a city girl.”
“It’s beautiful here. I won’t be bored. Don’t worry about me. Just do what you want to do. I don’t need babysitting.”
“You’re hardly a baby,” he mutters.
I’m not sure what he means by that. He almost sounds angry. Hmm.
I let a few moments pass and then say, “I missed sleeping with you the last few nights.”
Jax chokes on his beer. “Jesus, Molly.”
I laugh. “You know I mean sleeping as in sleeping, not boinking.”
He coughs again. But if I wanted him to say he missed me too, he doesn’t. Damn.
What am I doing? I swallow a sigh.
Jax gets up and ambles inside, returning with another beer and the bottle of wine. He refills my glass.
“Thanks.”
“So what kinds of things we can do here?”
“Well, we don’t have a boat anymore, but we can rent one at the pier. We can fish or water ski.”
Now I’m the one choking. “I can’t water ski.”
He grins. “Okay.”
“And I don’t think I want to fish either.”
“That’s okay, I’m not that much into fishing.”
I huff. “Tell me things you want to do, then.”
“We have a canoe. That might be more your speed.”
I give him a reproving look, even though he’s right.
“There are tennis courts and a golf course. It’s a great course. There’s the beach, obviously. Different beaches. We can go out to the wishing well. There’s a bison enclosure at Lake Audy.”
“Bison?” I perk up. “That would be cool.”
“Yeah, it is. Maybe we’ll see a bear or some moose.”
My eyes widen. “Bear?”
“Yeah, they wander around all over the place here.”
I glance nervously at the bushes and sit up straighter.
He laughs. “I’m kidding. Well, there are bears, and they have been seen in town on occasion, but don’t worry.”
“Oh my God! Of course I’m worried. Bears!”
“There are also the shops and restaurants and the interpretive center. I think there are still bikes here, but we might have to pump up the tires. Or we could rent bikes. And there are lots of hiking trails. We should definitely do that.”
“Will there be bears?”
“Possibly.”
I’m a little nervous about this.
“If we make enough noise, they won’t come near us,” he assures me.
“Mmmm.”
“You sound doubtful.”
“I don’t want to be eaten by a bear.”
“I remember when I was a kid, there was a problem with bears in town getting into the garbage. They brought in a bear trap, and one day we walked by and there was one in it.”
“Yikes. Was it…” I cringe. “Dead?”
“No, it was a live trap. But he wasn’t too happy. We were fascinated.”
“What do they do with them when they catch them? They don’t kill them, do they?”
“No, no. They take them into the back woods and release them. Anyway, it’s why we’re careful with the garbage here. Most of the refuse bins are bear proof.”
“Good, good.” I wipe a damp palm surreptitiously on my leggings.
“There’s lots of other wildlife we might see too—fox, moose, deer, elk.” He pauses. “Cougars.”
“Oh, come on! Cougars?”
“There are some, but we won’t likely see them.”
“I think you’re trying to scare me so I’ll go home.”
He laughs softly. “Not at all, Flynn. But I am amusing myself.”
“Jerk.” But I slant him a smile.
We sit out on the deck until the sun goes down, which is really late here because we’re farther north. It’s lovely, the air still warm and soft and freshly scented. But soon after darkness falls, the mosquitoes arrive.
“Jesus!” I slap at my arm. “I’m being attacked.”
“Uh oh. Let’s go in, then.”
“Aren’t they biting you?”
“No. They never bother me.”
“Well, that’s totally not fair.”
Inside, the windows are open to air out the cottage, but the screens keep the bugs out. I settle onto the couch.
“There’s enough wood here for a fire,” Jax says. “I’ll get one going.”
“That would be nice.”
“I’ll see if there’s bug spray around. There are usually a few cans of Deep Wood
s Off here.”
He opens the damper and sets to building a fire, looking impressively competent.
Jesus. I’m getting turned on watching him start a fire.
“Were you a Boy Scout?” I ask.
He laughs. “Nope. Never had time for that. Hockey took all my time.”
“Mmmm. I guess. But you know how to chop wood and start a fire and water ski.”
“That’s just from spending summers here. Grandpa made me chop wood, and I learned to start a fire from him.”
“And you learned to play hockey from your other grandpa.”
He flashes me a smile as he strikes a match. “Yeah.”
Soon the fire is blazing. With the darkness beyond the windows, it’s so cozy and charming I could just melt into a puddle of bliss. “I want to stay here forever,” I announce.
“Yeah?” He takes a seat on the couch too, at the other end. “Even with mosquitoes?”
“Bastards. I’ll douse myself in DEET. It’ll be fine.”
We exchange a smile, full of contentment, tranquility and…okay, a little tingle between my thighs. And when Jax’s eyes darken and his mouth softens as he looks at me, I think he feels something too.
I think about what Brielle said—what would be wrong if something happened? Jax and I are both single. Neither of us is looking for any kind of relationship.
But I know this isn’t the right guy to be my “rebound.” He’s Steve’s teammate. That’s a huge complication. It wouldn’t be fair to put Jax in that position. Except…nobody knows we’re here. Other than my girls. And they won’t tell anyone.
Heat starts low inside me and spreads through me until I feel like I’m glowing like the fire.
No. We can’t do that.
15
Jax
We spend the next few days touring around the park. We wander out onto the pier to gaze at the water, walk the town and explore the shops, which delights Molly, and swim in the lake, which does not delight Molly.
“Holy shit, this water is cold!” she squeals on our first venture in.
“Yeah.” I grin. “It takes a hardy soul to swim in Clear Lake.”
“I’m hardy.”
I raise an eyebrow. Luckily it’s a hot day, so we’ll warm up fast when we come out. She’s only in up to her knees. “I’ll help you…” I start toward her purposefully.
“Okay, fine.” She plunges in.
I laugh and follow her. Oh yeah, the cold water takes my breath away. “You get used to it,” I tell her when we both surface, reminding myself too.
“If you say so.” She sets out swimming in an attempt to stay warm, I think. “Are all Canadian lakes this cold?”
“No. This one is cold because it’s so deep. It’s also very rocky, which is why it’s so clear.”
Of course I have to dive deep and grab her foot to try to drag her down. I already know she’s a good swimmer. She fights me, laughing, and I end up with her in my arms, both of us wet and slippery and staring at each other. Suddenly the water doesn’t feel cold anymore.
We separate at the same time, forcing laughs, and head back to the beach to lay on our towels and warm up in the sun.
July 1 is Canada Day, so there are all kinds of activities going on to celebrate. We listen to music at the bandstand, dancing in the crowd, bare feet on the grass, then sit on a blanket near the beach to watch the fireworks set off on the end of the pier explode into color and light over the dark lake. I find Molly’s enthralled face almost more entertaining than the pyrotechnics, and she leans her shoulder into mine at one particularly breathtaking display. I slide my arm around her, holding her there. I know I shouldn’t. But she doesn’t move away.
Every nerve ending in my body is on alert with her next to me, her hand on my knee, her smile glowing as bright as the fireworks. I want to lower her to the grass and kiss the breath out of her beneath the sparkling sky.
And when they’re done, we gather up our stuff and as we trudge across the lawn in the dark I hold her hand so as not to lose her in the crowd.
Back at the cottage, we go to our separate rooms. It’s getting harder and harder to do that.
She told me she missed sleeping with me.
Christ, I miss it too, except I want so much more than just sleeping with her. It’s becoming torturous, and I almost regret inviting her to come here with me, except that if I hadn’t, she wouldn’t be here, and well, it’s tough to regret being with Molly. She’s like sunshine and glowing flames and starlight. I love how happy she is about everything I show her, full of questions and appreciation for the history and the beauty of this place that’s so special to me. It’s not new or fancy, but it’s comfortable and familiar.
Tomorrow I have something special planned, if the weather cooperates.
And it does.
“We’re going out later,” I tell her after dinner the next evening. “So don’t fall asleep.”
She tilts her head and gives me side-eye. “You told me no late-night parties.”
“Ha ha. It’s sort of a party. Dress warm and bring the bug spray.”
“Hmm. I’m curious.”
We’re watching TV, thanks to the satellite I installed on the roof a few years ago. I check a sports news channel, because as of yesterday, the free agency period began.
“Holy shit.” I stare at the TV and the news that two of my teammates, Olaf Pilkvist and Gabe Gandy, who are unrestricted free agents, have signed big contracts with other teams.
“What?”
Molly understands how it works and we discuss it. “We knew the team couldn’t keep all of us because of the cap. But they let Pilker and Gander go.” I shake my head.
“That’s good news for you, right?”
“Maybe?” I’d like to think so. “That definitely frees up cap space.”
Gander is one of my best buddies on the team. This sucks. But it’s a business.
I head into the bedroom to grab my phone so I can text my former teammates my congrats. These sound like great deals, especially for Gander, who’s a fourth-line winger. He played great for us last year, but I think it had more to do with his linemates than his own talents. Not being snarky, just realistic. Fans love him, though, because he’s gritty, so it’s kind of a loss for the team.
As we continue to watch TV, Molly dozes off. I let her sleep because it has to be really dark before we go. And I kind of like watching her sleep, admiring the smooth curve of one cheek, the shape of her lips, her bright silky hair spread on the dark cushion.
When I nudge her awake later, she’s a tad grumpy.
“What?” she mumbles. “What are you doing?” She frowns blearily at me. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going out, remember?”
“Ugh. I don’t want to. I just want to sleep.” She closes her eyes again.
“Come on. It’s the perfect night for it.”
She grumbles but hoists herself off the couch, wiping her mouth. “I think I was drooling.”
“Maybe a bit.” She wasn’t.
She trudges into the bathroom, then the bedroom, returning dressed in long pants, socks and a hoodie. I’ve already changed and have a big duffel bag packed with the things we need.
“Where are we going?” she whines as we climb into the car.
I have to smile. “You’ll see.”
A few minutes later I pull into the gravel parking lot of the Cove. I haven’t brought Molly here yet. It’s an open area for boat launching, which of course is not happening at this time of night. We’re the only ones here.
I lead her out onto one of the docks. It’s a floating dock and it rises and falls gently beneath us.
I drop the bag and pull out a double sleeping bag. I spread it on the wooden surface and pull out two cushions then the thermos of red wine and a plastic container of crackers and cheese.
“A late-night picnic?” She sits beside me on the sleeping bag.
“Sort of.” The distinctive odor of Deep Woods Off reaches my no
se. Not Molly’s usual perfume, but she’s still sexy.
“I am kind of hungry.” She reaches for a cracker.
I pour wine into a plastic glass and hand it to her.
“Thank you. This is…fun?”
I grin. “Look at the stars.”
She tips her head back and gazes upward. Above us, the Milky Way shimmers. Thank God it’s a clear night. “Wow,” she says slowly. “Look at them…so many…”
“Yeah.” I lay down, shoving a cushion under my head. “Amazing, isn’t it?”
“You don’t see stars like this in the city.” Then she swats at her face. “Damn.”
“I thought you sprayed yourself.”
“I did. They’re coming for my face.” She pulls up the hood of her sweatshirt and tightens the drawstring around her face so all I can see is her eyes, nose and mouth.
I can’t help the snort of laughter that bursts from my lips.
“What?” she glares at me.
“You look cute.”
“By cute, you mean stupid. I don’t care.” She too lies back.
She really is adorable.
“Look over there.” I point across the lake. “See that faint glow?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the Northern Lights.”
“That’s kind of disappointing.”
“Just wait. Hopefully it will get better.”
The pale gray haze just above the far shoreline of the lake shimmers and shifts.
“I saw a falling star!” Molly points. “I have to make a wish.”
My heart squeezes and I smile. “What did you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you that! It has to be a secret.”
“Ah.” Then a faint green line appears along one edge of the gray haze. “Look now.”
“Ohhhh.” Molly’s wide-eyed.
The green intensifies, moving and changing shape, so slowly and faintly.
“This is amazing!” Molly whispers to the dark sky.
We lie on the dock and watch as the lights grow bigger and deeper green against the indigo sky.
“It’s like magic,” Molly murmurs.
“Like snow.”
She turns her head and our eyes meet, her face shadowy in the dark. “Yes.”
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