by Janice Lynn
Justin’s arms and face glistened in the sunlight with a deepening tan, and memories of his bare chest flashed through her mind. She didn’t recall any tan lines on his arms, but there must have been. Next time she’d look closer...
Next time?
There would be no next time.
Justin laughed at something the guide had said and Riley’s heart missed a beat. Face on fire, she dragged her gaze away from Justin’s muscular arms and ordered her brain to never, ever go again where it had just been.
Fortunately Kyle, still holding a wiggling Daisy, wanted her attention.
“She wants to get down, Miss Riley, but I wasn’t sure if I should let her,” he told her, keeping a tight grip on the dog, who was doing her best to wrangle her way free.
Poor Kyle. Riley was impressed that he continued to hold on to Daisy, despite her escape attempts. Although only six pounds, Daisy could be a handful.
“It’s probably best if we put on her leash since we’re in a place that’s strange for her,” Riley told him.
She’d left the short cord that had attached their lifejackets to each other back in the kayak, but she had brought Daisy’s leash with her in the fanny pack she’d filled with treats, her phone inside a sealed plastic bag, a small bottle of sunscreen, and a protective lip balm. Being careful not to dislodge any of the other items, she pulled out Daisy’s leash.
“Does she need to leave her lifejacket on?” asked Kyle.
Riley nodded. “I don’t think she’ll go in the water, but let’s leave it on just in case. I’ll hook this to her collar and then you can let her down.”
She attached the leash and Kyle set Daisy down—although it was more a case of Daisy leaping from his arms the moment he relaxed his hold.
Daisy sniffed the ground for a few seconds, but then, rather than run off, she got on her hind legs and danced around at Kyle’s feet, making him laugh.
“She likes me,” he said, bending to pet her and baby-talk to her before taking off toward the other boys when Justin called him.
“That she does,” Riley agreed, walking behind Daisy as she sniffed rocks, grass, a few stray bushes, then pulled against her leash with a backward glance that said Come on. Riley let the leash out, and wasn’t surprised when Daisy went to the outskirts of the group where they were resting.“Funny girl,” Riley teased the dog.
When Daisy had finished her business she went back to the group and once again wanted to be the center of the boys’ attention—which they eagerly supplied even though they were supposed to be listening to the guide talking about the Congaree National Park.
Not wanting to get the boys in trouble, Riley scooped up Daisy and stood beside Justin, listening to the brief talk about how the forest around them boasted the tallest specimens in the United States of at least fifteen different varieties of tree.
“Anything I can do to help?” she whispered to Justin when he moved away to start unpacking a cooler.
She wanted to be useful. Or maybe she just wanted an excuse to be near him, to watch him with the boys and marvel at this unexpected side to him.
Someday Justin was going to be a great dad.
The thought was like a punch to the uterus. Justin would be a great dad, but that was nothing to do with her. She didn’t want it to be anything to do with her. She’d never be a mom—wouldn’t risk failing a child the way her father had failed her. And after Johnny’s betrayal she’d given up all thoughts of being a mother.
But she couldn’t quite shake the image of a little boy with sparkly blue eyes, a quick grin, and his dad’s dark sun-streaked hair...
“You being here is enough.”
Justin was answering her question, unaware that her mind was casting him in a paternal role. Thank goodness!
“Just relax and enjoy the scenery,” he said.
Not wanting to be in the way, and needing a moment to shake the image, Riley led Daisy to the water’s edge to let her get a drink, then followed her as she explored their immediate vicinity.
Keeping a hold on Daisy’s leash as the dog sniffed the ground near a wild rhododendron, Riley let her gaze go again to Justin. He was busy with the kids, leaving her free to watch from behind her sunglasses without worrying that he’d catch her.
The kids adored him. That much was easy to see. And no wonder. He knew each kid well, called them by their names, and obviously spent time with them on a regular basis.
Seeing him with them had brought to light the fact that there were a lot of things she didn’t know about Justin. Other than that he was a great coworker, a fantastic orthopedic surgeon, a phenomenal lover, and that she enjoyed being around him.
Justin had motioned to the guide that he was ready, and the young man lined up the boys. Justin squirted sanitizer into their hands, then inspected them prior to letting the boys move along in their makeshift lunch line. Stan handed each kid a bagged-up sandwich, while the guide joined them and let each one pick a piece of fruit and a bag of chips. Each boy had their own water bottle with their name printed on it, which they’d had tied to their kayaks during their float and had removed at some point.
“All right, mateys—what do we do with our trash?” Justin gave the kids an expectant look that said they’d reviewed this often in the past.
“Bring it all with us,” one said.
“Not leave any trace of it,” another said.
“Eat it!” Stephen said, giggling, causing all the boys to burst into laughter and his dad to frown at him.
“Good answers,” Justin praised, then eyed the giggling boy. “Except Stephen, who has to eat his trash or walk the plank.” He winked at the kids. “The rest of you bag it up for us to take back with us.”
“Yes, Captain Brothers!” they said in almost perfect unison, giggling as they said it.
Kyle tugged on Justin’s sleeveless shirt, where it was poking out from beneath his lifejacket. “Stephen doesn’t have to really eat his trash or walk the plank, does he?”
Justin laughed and rubbed the boy’s head. “You think I should let him off the hook?”
Kyle nodded. “This one time, Captain.”
Justin winked at the boy. “Guess we’ll let him bag up his trash, too, then.”
Kyle grinned. “Thanks, Captain.”
“You’re welcome.” Justin returned his attention to the rest of the crew. “Now, you pirates—eat, cleanup after yourselves, stay where I can see you, and we’ll be back on the river in thirty minutes, to plunder the rest of these waters for treasure.”
When Daisy had thoroughly checked out her immediate surroundings, she eyed the boys who were gathering their food with longing, like the little scavenger she was.
“You can’t have the boys’ lunch,” she warned the dog, but Daisy’s expression said, Yeah, right.
Riley spotted an old log about twenty meters back from where the group was gathering for their lunch. Leading Daisy, she walked over to it, sat down on the log, and watched as Justin and the other two adults got the boys settled.
Even in this environment, where Justin was doing anything but trying to look sexy, Riley found him so. How could she not with the sunlight glinting off his hair, highlighting every natural hue? With his arm muscles perfectly displayed in his sleeveless T-shirt and lifejacket? With his easygoing rapport with the boys and how their eyes filled with adoration when they looked at him?
Ugh. She should not be finding his parenting skills sexy. His parenting skills were none of her business.
As if he sensed her thoughts were on him, he looked her way, grinned, then came over to her, held out the hand disinfectant.
“Can’t have you picking up any germs on our trip,” he teased, squirting a generous dollop into her palm. “I’d miss you if you had to call out of work.”
She rubbed her hands together and held them out for his inspection, as the boys h
ad.
He made a show of checking them. “Guess that’ll do.”
“Thanks, Captain,” she replied, unable to resist the tease. “Good to know I pass muster.”
His gaze met hers from behind his mirrored sunglasses and heat filled her at what shone in his face.
Lust and so much more.
Her insides trembled with the recall of what it had felt like to be the sole recipient of his attention.
She didn’t need to hear his, “Oh, you pass muster, all right...” to know she wasn’t the only one battling physical attraction.
CHAPTER SIX
RILEY DRAGGED HER gaze from Justin’s face to what he held.
“Sandwiches are all the same, so I hope you like peanut butter and jelly.”
“No problem. I know we captives can’t be choosy. But are you sure you have enough for me to have one? I don’t want to take anything away from the kids.”
“I brought plenty for the kids—besides, even pirates’ captives have to keep up their strength when they’re expected to man their own ship.”
“There is that.” Her gaze dropped to the sandwich and her stomach growled. “I am hungry.”
“Floating down the river works up an appetite.”
Were they talking food or a different type of appetite? If so, the river had nothing to do with how starved she felt. Justin alone was responsible for the cravings rocking her.
Taking the sandwich and removing it from the bag, she eyed him before taking a bite. “You know, when you said ‘floating,’ I pictured a relaxing trip, enjoying the scenery—not all this paddling to keep pace with the kids. They seem to think we’re in a race to get to the end.”
“They always do.” He walked over to the makeshift lunch line and grabbed a sandwich of his own, some fruit, and a couple of individual-sized bags of chips.
Once back to where she sat, he joined her on the log. “Banana or apple?”
She took the apple and the bag of chips he held out. “Best sandwich ever. Thank you.”
“Admit it,” he said.
Taking another bite of her sandwich, she glanced toward him in question and purposely avoided looking at Daisy, who was expectantly waiting for a bite.
“You’re glad you came,” he clarified.
Chewing the bite she’d taken, she nodded. “Beats working in my yard any day of the week.”
Even if her yard work wouldn’t have left her wanting to wrap her arms around Justin’s neck, to run her fingers through the damp hair at his nape and feel his lips against hers.
“What kind of yard work? I could help you,” he offered.
Face warm, Riley avoided looking toward him. “Just cleaning up my landscaping, putting down some fresh mulch...that kind of thing. Why would you want to help with that?”
“You’ve helped me today,” he reminded.
“This...” she waved her hand toward where the kids were sitting near the river, eating their lunches, with the two other adults sitting close, chatting about how great the weather was “...doesn’t fall into the same category as yard work.”
“Agreed, this is awesome, but I’d be glad to help you—especially since I’ve kept you from getting it done today.”
She shook her head. “There’s no rush. I’m just sprucing things up and doing some weeding and trimming.”
“I could come later—or even tomorrow. With both of us working you’d get finished a lot quicker.”
She eyed him from behind her sunglasses. “Did you just invite yourself to my house?”
He grinned a bit sheepishly. “Consider it more an offer of free labor.”
Justin at her house. Doing her yard work. How could she explain that she didn’t want him there for fear that she’d invite him inside?
“I wouldn’t feel right, having you over to work.”
“What are friends for?”
What, indeed? And was that what they were? Friends? Riley didn’t recall ever having any close male friends. Not even Johnny. She’d planned to marry him, so he should have been her friend, right? But she didn’t recall ever thinking he was her friend.
Which probably should have clued her in that she shouldn’t marry him.
Still, he’d been hardworking—or so she’d thought—handsome, and he had claimed to love her. She’d been reeling from her mother’s death and had been easy pickings for the suave salesman.
What was her excuse with Justin?
Johnny wasn’t fit to tie Justin’s shoes.
“Riley?”
She blinked at Justin, knowing her last thought was true. “Hmm?”
“Just making sure you’re okay. You got quiet.”
“Enjoying my lunch.”
Seeming to take her answer at face value, Justin stretched his legs out in front of the log. “It is nice, isn’t it?”
She nodded, took another bite, and refused to think of what the conclusions she was drawing about the man next to her meant.
Besides, lunch was nice—as were their beautiful surroundings. Off in the distance she could see Columbia’s skyline, and in the other direction lay the Congaree National Park. Gorgeous trees lined the river banks. The sky was a beautiful blue with the occasional dotting of a white puffy cloud. The sun was hot, but there was just enough of a breeze to make the day feel perfect.
The day was perfect.
“Beautiful,” she said, and meant it.
They finished eating. Stephen’s dad and five of the boys had waded into the water and were attempting to catch minnows. The guide had gone beyond the kayaks and was animatedly talking to someone on his cellphone. The other four boys were digging through rocks, looking for the fossils that they deemed highly valuable.
Spotting Daisy, Kyle came running over. “Can Daisy help us look for treasure?”
“Sure.” Riley handed the leash over and watched him run off toward the other boys, Daisy in tow. “He is a cute kid.”
“He is—although a bit of a Casanova, it seems.”
Riley glanced toward a grinning Justin.
“I heard him ask you to be his girlfriend.”
Riley waved off his teasing. “Sounds like Kyle has more than enough girls keeping him occupied currently.”
“I hope so.”
Wrinkling her brows at how serious his voice had grown, Riley glanced at Justin.
“Sorry. It’s just that I doubt he has much of a chance to keep any girlfriend for long.”
Wondering what he meant, Riley waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she asked.
“Kyle lives in foster care—has done on and off since he was two.”
Riley’s heart squeezed.
“All these boys do except Stephen,” Justin continued.
“I didn’t realize...”
She glanced out at the kids, watching them laugh and play. They looked so happy and carefree.
With further respect for the man next to her, she asked, “How did you get involved in their lives?”
“Long story short, Stephen is a bit accident-prone. Over the years I’ve reset a few broken bones. His dad and I hit it off. Three years ago he told me about how he wanted to do more, to provide good role models for foster kids. Knowing I wouldn’t say no, he asked if I’d help start this group.”
“Wow,” she said, truly impressed.
Justin would have still been in residency back then. For him to have volunteered with any group during that busy time spoke volumes about the man and what he’d done with what little spare time he would have had.
How had she ever labeled him as a player?
Okay, so he had gone out with several women since she’d met him, but maybe he just hadn’t found someone he wanted a long-term relationship with, and that was why it seemed he was always with a different woman at the social events they both attended.
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“At least twice a month we take the boys out on an excursion of some kind,” he continued. “We try to do outdoors adventures, as most won’t have that opportunity otherwise. But sometimes we just go for pizza and to the movies or the arcade.”
“How many kids are there in your group?”
“We have ten, but it’s rare all ten make it to an outing. That we have nine today is good.”
Guilt hit her that she didn’t make better use with her time outside of work. “Is it still the same ten boys as in the beginning?”
He nodded. “Our goal is to try to make a difference in these boys’ lives—to give them positive role models and to follow them through until they’re adults.”
“Great goals—and how lucky they are to have you in their lives.”
Justin shrugged. “It’s the other way around. I’m lucky to have them in my life.”
He certainly seemed to enjoy being with the kids. Still, Riley knew it wasn’t all fun and games to organize trips for ten kids. At least, she didn’t imagine it was. Reality was she’d never organized a trip for one kid, much less ten.
“Why did you call it Wilderness Group?”
One side of Justin’s mouth hiked up. “Would you believe it’s because they’re wild?”
She glanced at the playing boys, then gave Justin a skeptical look.
He laughed. “Stan came up with the name before we even officially formed the group. We needed to call it something, but we wanted a name the boys would like being a part of—something that was for them. Wilderness Group sounds good to ten boys who are in and out of foster homes because they have parents who can’t or won’t take care of them.”
Realizing what poor home lives they had, Riley stared out at the kids as they balanced on an old log, walking from one end to the other with their arms held out to their sides.
“That breaks my heart for them.”
Justin nodded. “Mine, too—which is another reason I love doing this. For at least a couple times a month they get to do fun, normal kid things. Don’t get me wrong—some of these boys are in great foster homes—but they’ve all known heartache none of them should have experienced.”