He returned my nod, those eyes never leaving mine. And as I turned my back on him, I could feel Simon’s gaze on me all the way back to the trailer. I stumbled on the steps and had to catch myself on the way in. Once the door was shut behind me, I bent over with my hands on my knees and groaned.
Simon. Simon Curtis was here. How? Why? I thought I’d never see him again. What had happened? Had our families reconciled? No, there was no way. I’d have heard about this; I was sure of it.
I leaned back against the door, keeping my eyes closed. My hands were still shaking, so I folded my arms across my chest and balled my fists.
My mind went back to the last night Simon held me. I’d been crying, and he’d stood behind me with his arms around me, murmuring comforting words in my ear; my heart ached at the memory.
The air stung my eyes when I opened them as I thought about the predicament I was in. How odd that he was here after I’d tried to keep him out of my mind all day. What did it mean that he had come? Simon returning was probably the one thing I could’ve wished for myself. I missed him so much these past few years. And even though his feelings weren’t the same for me as mine were for him, it didn’t mean he didn’t care about me at all. We’d known each other our whole lives and had been good friends. But we couldn’t have been as close as I’d thought, having never hearing from him again. Right?
I sighed, turning to the window next to me, and peeked out slowly. Simon was getting his things out of the bed of his truck. Despite feeling completely blindsided by it all, I grinned in pleasure at the man; he really was ridiculously handsome. Even the way he moved, lifting his bag over the truck, made his defined arms bulge. I pictured myself taking the liberty of feeling those arms and shook my head at myself. I was not going there.
Simon was looking out over the water and down at the kayaks. He smiled and glanced back at the trailer. I jumped and crouched down to hide, throwing my hand over my face. “I hope he didn’t see me,” I muttered to no one. After taking another moment to collect myself, I decided to get on with it before he thought I was completely rude, or mental.
I wasn’t sure if Simon was still looking this way, so I crawled on my hands and knees to the bathroom. My hair was down and probably a mess, and I had no makeup on; the wavy hair I didn’t mind, but the makeup I could remedy. I primped quickly, hoping he hadn’t gotten a long enough look at me to notice the difference.
Had I changed much since he’d seen me last? My hair was still the caramel color it always was, and my eyes were the same light blue. I was lucky to have skin that tanned naturally, so at least I had that going for me.
I checked myself in the mirror and decided to throw my swimsuit cover on, knowing I’d be self-conscious the whole time if I didn’t.
I paused just at the door with my hand on the handle and took a moment to remind myself this wasn’t Simon. Not the Simon I’d known. It’d been years since I’d seen or spoken to him, and I’d have to treat the situation carefully or I’d find myself feeling sixteen again.
Chapter 4
My heart was still going wild when I stepped out and saw him watching me. I wet my lips, smiled kindly, and met up with him as he walked back to his truck.
“Hey, there,” Simon greeted me as I reached him.
“Hi,” I said with a timid smile. It was foreign to me, to feel shy around Simon, but again, this wasn’t us as we once were.
We walked a few more paces, and my stomach was in a frenzy. I didn’t know what to say. “Um,” I started. “Is your family coming?” I asked, trying for nonchalance.
He looked over at me, a slight smile in place. “No,” he said quietly. His gaze remained on my face, and my heart disobeyed me with an extra beat; I looked away. I changed the subject and offered to help him carry his things so I wouldn’t have to fumble my way through a conversation.
“Can you get my sleeping bag and pillow from the front of the truck?” he asked as we reached it.
“I can do that,” I said with a nod, happy to have something to focus on.
When I opened the door and hauled myself into the passenger seat, I was instantly hit with a wall of Simon. His scent was all around me, and I breathed deeply a few times before shaking my dazed head and focusing again.
There was a picture on the dash of Simon and a small group of people, including his sister, a man, and a blond woman. I noticed he had his arm over the blonde’s shoulder. Was she just a friend?
A pang of jealousy went through me when I thought of her and him together. Even the idea made my stomach turn over. I shook my head at myself—surely he had his own life.
“They should just be on the back seat there, I think.”
“Okay,” I called back. I turned my back on the blonde and reached over the seat, hauling the sleeping bag over first, knocking his pillow to the floor in the process. “Shoot,” I muttered.
When I picked it up, I noticed something else on the floor. I stilled for a moment, wondering if it could be what I thought it was. Leaning over the seat, I stretched myself to reach it.
I was thrilled when Simon and I took off in his side-by-side 4-wheeler; alone time with him was something rare, but I craved it more and more.
“Are you ready for your birthday to start?” His gray eyes turned to me, and he had a crooked smile.
I nodded, smiling in return. “Where are we going anyway?” I asked curiously.
“Well, I was thinking we’d hit the Enchilada Hills first and decide from there.”
I laughed at the childhood term we used to name the hills we liked to ride on. We’d called them that as kids, thinking they looked like enchiladas, and the name had stuck. “Sounds good to me.” I grinned. “Are you sure Caleb’s okay staying behind for the day?”
“Oh yeah.” He chuckled. “Caleb was getting an eyeful of Amy last night. I’m sure he’s fine.”
The Enchilada Hills with Simon were a blast. He started on the smaller hills for my sake, working up to the big ones by the end. We jumped the wheeler over and over, catching as much air as we could each time around, and I screamed wildly with a death grip on Simon’s arm.
After the hills, we decided to head for a tiny reservoir that wasn’t far from where we were. The aspen trees grew thicker the farther we went, and the wildflowers were pretty, so brightly colored against the grass. The sun slumped behind a cloud, and I looked at the sky.
“Do you think it’s going to rain on us?” I grimaced.
He glanced up, and his eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know—it might. But it usually doesn’t last too long. There’s a tarp in the back if it gets too bad, but I don’t think we’ll need it.”
I eyed him doubtfully. “I’ll bet it does. It rains a lot in the afternoon, this high up.”
He gave me an I-know-better face. “It’s not going to rain.”
Simon climbed back into the wheeler, soaking wet. The rain had come, and we were trapped in the wheeler with the tarp as a cover. I’d offered to help him with the tarp, but he’d insisted there was no reason for both of us to be wet. He wiped his face with his hands and ran them through his dark hair. I had to look away so he didn’t catch me gawking at him.
“Fine, you were right,” he admitted, patting at his wet clothes.
A cheesy grin spread across my face, and I shook my head.
“What?” he asked with a smile.
I shrugged. “Show me a girl who doesn’t smile when a man tells her he’s wrong.” I raised a challenging eyebrow at him.
His mouth moved as if he was about to say something but he just grinned at me and shook his head. I kicked off my shoes and pulled my feet up, leaning against the door to face Simon.
“Are you hungry? I packed some things for us.” Simon reached for the bag he’d brought in with him.
I leaned toward him, having an excuse to get closer, and lingered as I picked through the bag on his lap. I could see his eyes on me and noticed his slight shift, which brought him closer. My hand stilled in the bag; his face was
inches from mine, and I felt the heat in my already flushed cheeks. I grabbed a couple of things and looked over at him.
Simon’s lips twitched. “Are you done?”
My eyes widened a little and I nodded, settling back into my own seat. While I missed his nearness, it was intoxicating, and I couldn’t seem to get a grip on myself being that close.
“So, how’s this last year been for you?” he asked as he settled his back against his door.
I smiled doubtfully at his attempt at small talk.
He opened his small bag of peanuts. “I really want to know how you are, Kate.”
I watched him for a moment before I answered, unsure how much to say. “Fine, I guess. Same old school, same old people.” I opened my water bottle and took a drink. “How about you?”
He shrugged, tossing a peanut up and catching it in his mouth. “My life’s boring. I go to school and come home. I don’t really go out or anything.”
That surprised me. Simon was by no means a homebody, and he was quite social. “What about Caleb—don’t you hang out with him a lot?”
“Yeah, every now and then. I thought it’d be good for him to come with me this trip, and I’m glad he did. He seems to be having a good time.”
I nodded. “I think Amy’s glad you brought him too.” I eyed him with burning curiosity. If he didn’t go out with friends, did he have a girl in his life? Did I really want to know? I’d known Simon all my life, but he’d never had a girlfriend I’d known of. Temptation for information got the better of me. “And no girl has caught your eye yet?” I kept my focus away from him at him, and fiddled with my granola bar wrapper, waiting for an answer I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. The thought of another girl’s face being as close to Simon’s as mine had just been; that he could lean in and press his lips to her neck. It was maddening.
Simon was silent, and I peeked at him from under my lashes. He was watching me with a slight smile and curious eyes. “Nope.” He paused to take a drink but his eyes never left mine. “No girls at home.”
I chewed my bottom lip to keep from smiling, not that it made any difference for me whether he had a girlfriend or not. I was careful to keep a casual reaction, though I was sure he could see right through me.
“What about you?” He smirked. “I’m sure your uncle’s having to beat the guys away with a stick to keep them from you.”
“You’re not far off, actually.” I laughed, thinking of a situation a few months back.
Simon’s smile fell a little. “Are you serious?”
I nodded, interested in how he’d react. “Yeah, I had a couple of guys this past year who wouldn’t leave me alone. You’d think they’d take a hint each time I turned them down. They didn’t get the message, though, until they both showed up at my house and got into a fist fight over me right there on the front lawn.” I chuckled. “Then Uncle Borys had to go out and give them the what-for about leaving me be.” Simon’s jaw was set, and he was just staring at me. I felt a little self-conscious, so I rambled on. “I know that doesn’t seem like much, but they were really irritating. I’d see them all over the place, like they were following me or something. At least I had Brandon—he always made sure they’d leave me alone at school. Anyway, they graduated this year, so I don’t have to worry about them now.” Brandon was one of my good friends at home, although I didn’t usually see him a whole lot outside of school.
“Brandon, huh? How do you like him?” Simon’s voice was steady, but his eyes told a whole different story.
My hopes soared when I thought of him being jealous of these other boys, but I banished the thought as soon as it came. I’d known Simon forever, and if he felt something for me, surely he’d have said so by now.
I popped a couple of grapes in my mouth and chewed slowly before I answered, letting him stew in the idea that I might have someone special at home. “I like Brandon just fine. He’s a hoot to be around and doesn’t put up with anyone’s crap.” I purposefully left out the part about him being just a friend.
“Well…at least he knows how to keep other guys from snaking his girl away.” Simon took another drink and as he watched me.
I gave him a crooked smile for once. “I never said I was his girl. You did.”
Simon’s eyes widened in what looked to be relief and surprise. He tilted his head to the side. “Kate Cassidy, you’re a little tease.”
I threw a grape at his face and laughed. “I am not! It’s not my fault; they just wouldn’t leave me alone…though I can’t think why.” I ended on a hushed tone.
“I can.” His voice was so quiet, I wasn’t sure I heard him at all with the rain pattering on the tarp. “You’re beautiful, Kate.” He searched my blushing face, but I couldn’t look away from him while he spoke to me like this. “I hope you know that. You’re more than beautiful, and you’re so kind, and so sweet, and I can’t believe you don’t have more guys beating down your door.”
My mouth was open slightly due to my heavy breathing. Simon had never been so forward, so candid with me this way, and it was causing a rush of heat inside me that I was unable to completely hide.
A slow smile crept on Simon’s face, and my heart was pounding at the electricity in this small space between us. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how to reply to the precious things he’d just said to me, and Simon wasn’t making it any easier. His eyes burned into mine, and I was sure he could see the desire written all over my face. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead; the heat and humidity under the tarp were making this long moment that much longer.
Thunder cracked around us, and I jumped, which caused the grapes in my hand to go flying. Simon laughed, and I was grateful for the release. I chuckled and shook my head as I picked up the spilled grapes and tossed them out with a trembling hand. Taking a deep calming breath, I turned to Simon again, who had the box on his lap.
He smiled and inhaled a long breath. “Happy birthday to you…” His singing voice was low and vibrating.
I laughed and covered my face, talking into my hand. “No, what are you doing? You don’t have to sing; please stop.” I cried halfheartedly, which only made Simon get louder over my whining.
“Happy birthday to you…”
I peeked an eye between my fingers, watching him bring a hand to his chest and one out in front of him. I laughed and moved my hand to cover my mouth, shaking my head, letting him finish his serenade.
“Happy birthday, my Kaaaaate. Happy birthday to you.” He finished with his head bowed, and I snorted, unable to control my laughter. He lifted his head, smiling at me, and winked. I giggled, and clapped a couple of times for his efforts. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he teased.
“No, it wasn’t bad. I was wrong to have tried to stop it.”
Simon grinned.
“What?”
“Show me a man who doesn’t smile when a girl admits she was wrong.”
I laughed and swatted his leg. “I guess I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
He nodded. “Yes, you did. Here, this is for you.” Simon handed me the box.
I looked at it and went back to him again. Before even opening it, I wanted it. Something from Simon that I could always keep with me was more of a gift than whatever lay in the box. “You really didn’t have to do this,” I said with a shy smile.
“I know, but I’ve never been with you on your birthday before, and it was important to me that you have a good day. Although I probably just ruined it with my mad singing skills.”
I laughed and nodded to reassure him. “It was the best birthday song ever, and I’ll never forget it.” I winked at him and lifted the lid of the box. Under the tissue paper was a loose gray sweater with patches at the elbows, and I loved it instantly. I let out a little squeal of delight and slipped my arms through the sleeves. “It fits perfectly.” I flashed Simon a smile.
“Well, good, because I had some random girl try it on so I could get the right one. She was about your size”.
&nb
sp; “Are you serious?” I threw him a questioning look.
“Yes. She told me I was sweet to pick it out myself.”
He looked so proud of himself, I praised him a little longer. “Well, that was really sweet of you, Simon. Uncle Borys always gives Amy and me the money, and we go pick something out for my aunt.”
“If you want to exchange it for something else y—”
“No,” I interrupted. “I really do love it.” I folded my arms across my chest, feeling like I was getting a hug from Simon, wearing the sweater. He really had no idea how much it meant to me. “Thank you,” I said in a softer voice. “It really does mean a lot to me, coming from you.”
He gave me that smile I loved. “Happy birthday, Kate.”
Chapter 5
“Were you able to find them?”
“Aah!” A small shriek of surprise escaped me, and I toppled to the floor behind the front seat. I scrambled to right myself before Simon saw me in this embarrassing position. I sat up on the back seat just as he poked his head in with a curious look.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and a smile hovered on his lips. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“Oh, nothing. You just surprised me,” I said, a little breathless, and glanced down at my old sweater. I hadn’t seen that sweet gift since the night before Simon had left years ago. I’d lost it in the mine, but how could he have it?
I was torn whether I should reach for it or not but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if it was mine. The blonde came to mind again, and I decided to leave it.
“Alright,” he replied with mild amusement. He reached for his pillow and sleeping bag.
“Oh, I can help with those. Here.” I took his pillow from him and slid across the seat. Simon opened the back door for me and held his hand out to help me down. The thought of touching him, even this small gesture, sent an uneasy thrill through me. It’d been a long four years since we’d last touched. I wasn’t ready for it either. Just his presence was enough to knock my world off kilter. Instead, I pretended not to see the offering and stepped out on my own. I had my eyes averted, so I was unsure of Simon’s reaction to my dismissal. Simon closed the doors, and we walked side by side to the area he set up for himself just within the trees. “Do you have a tent or something that you need help with?” I asked.
Everything for You (Unforgettable) Page 3