Diving In

by Kristina Mathews

  Soon she was serving a hearty breakfast with plenty of strong, dark coffee. The color returned to the man’s cheeks and he ate with an enthusiasm she hadn’t seen since, well, since most mornings around here. The physical demands of their job gave most of the guides a hearty appetite.

  “I’ll bet you could use a nice hot shower, and maybe a nap.”

  “Oh, you’ve done enough, young lady.” He wiped his mouth with the napkin he’d placed on his lap. “I should get out of your way.”

  “Tell you what, if you give me your keys, I’ll have your car brought over while you get cleaned up.”

  “Well, I can tell you’re the kind of woman who is used to getting her way. I guess I’d better not argue with you.” His blue eyes twinkled with that unmistakable Swift family charm.

  “That’s right.” She smiled and extended a hand to help him up and lead him to the upstairs bathroom. The shower was at one end with a sliding door partitioning it from the dual vanities in the center. The toilet alcove was at the opposite end. It worked out well for the communal nature of their home.

  “There are towels on that shelf there, and I’ll bring a change of clothes and set them on the sink for you.”

  “Thank you.” He took her hand, holding it a little longer than needed for a simple thank-you. “I can see now that I didn’t need to come all this way. I was worried that he’d been blinded by the lifestyle, the fast cars, the easy money. That he couldn’t see how that all came at a price.”

  “What price?” Fisher dropped the man’s hand, a sick feeling sinking into her gut. What if Kyle was in danger? The man who’d arrived this morning didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would walk away from a million-dollar deal—no, a two-million-dollar deal—with just a shrug of his shoulders.

  “I’m proud of that boy. I’m proud of all my boys, but Kyle? He’s had it rough. He never had anyone he could count on. Especially me.” Joe Swift looked her in the eye. “I can see why he was seduced by Wilson’s flash and his cash. He didn’t stop to ask where all that money came from; he was just happy to get a piece of it.

  “Do you want to know the first thing he bought when he made his first big deal?” Joe didn’t wait for an answer. “He bought his mama a house. A nice little home, like the kind I should have been able to provide. I’ve never been so proud—and so ashamed—in all my life.”

  Tears pricked the man’s eyes.

  “I should have taken better care of her. I should have been stronger. Like my boys.” He placed an unsteady hand on her shoulder. “They’re good boys. All of them. No. They’re good men. Maybe someday, I can be more like them.”

  “Maybe you should stick around awhile. Get to know them.” Her voice had a catch in it, and her eyes felt prickly. “And your grandchildren.”

  “Grandchildren?” His eyes widened with hope, and then despair. “I don’t know if I can risk disappointing another generation.”

  “I don’t know if you can risk not trying.” There. She told him.

  “Okay. I’ll give it another shot.” He looked her square in the eye, the Swift look of determination shining bright. “If you will.”

  When she just stared at him, with her jaw dropped open, he chuckled.

  “I know about you, young lady. You’re the one who ran off on my boy this morning. Maybe you had good reason. But I can see that you love him. And I know he loves you.”

  She started to deny it, but what was the use?

  “Listen to an old man who learned the hard way.” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Regret is not something you want to get involved with. It’s worse than any drug. Any disease. It’s the worst kind of heartbreak there is.”

  With that, the man took his towel into the shower and shut the door.

  * * * *

  “Wow, I’m surprised you were able to get the Realtor to meet us on such short notice.” Kyle was still a little cautious when it came to Cody’s sudden acceptance of him. There was a small part of him that wondered if maybe Cody was going to lead him off into the woods where his body would be dragged off by mountain lions after he succumbed to the elements.

  But instead, they pulled up to a very nice custom home right on the river. There was something familiar about the place, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

  “My buddy from high school has the listing on the property. But since there’s no access from the main road, he’s going to meet us at my place.”

  “This is your place?” Kyle looked up at the cedar siding, expansive deck, and large picture windows and felt a slight twinge of the familiar envy. When Miranda came out to greet them, he felt even more of a tug. But instead of jealousy, it was more a push for him to go after what he wanted.

  Fisher.

  He turned away while Cody and Miranda greeted each other as newlyweds would, by wrapping themselves around each other. Not bad for a couple with two small children.

  They broke apart when a car pulled into the driveway. It was actually an SUV and out stepped a gentleman dressed in jeans, work boots, and a polo shirt with a Prospector Springs Realty logo on the chest.

  “Thanks for giving me a call.” The man shook hands with Cody. “It’s been too long.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been busy. This is my wife, Miranda.” He introduced her first. “And my brother, Kyle.”

  Both Miranda and the Realtor looked surprised.

  “Dave Meyers. Nice to meet you both.” He shook hands with Miranda and then Kyle. “Are you ready to take a look around the property?”

  “Sure.” Kyle was anxious to see if it would meet his needs. If it was good enough for Fisher and the life he wanted to make with her.

  He followed Dave to his SUV, wondering if he’d need a four-wheel drive vehicle to access the property. Both Cody and Carson drove 4x4 trucks and Fisher had a Jeep. And like most things around here, it wasn’t just for show. He’d bet they all spent a good deal of time off road.

  Cody slid into the backseat and Kyle made himself comfortable in the front passenger side.

  “Now, this is a real fine piece of property. Almost twelve acres. Mostly level, but with some elevation changes. There is private river access and a nice little beach.” Dave was working the sale. “The main reason it hasn’t been scooped up yet is that there isn’t direct access from the main road. If you were to purchase the land, you’d have to apply for an easement from the public land adjacent on the northwestern part of the property, and it could be a little tricky to get a road in that corner.”

  Kyle assumed tricky meant expensive.

  “Now there is a neighbor to the east.” Dave glanced in the rearview mirror at Cody. “He’s been reluctant to give access. I think mostly because he had his eye on the property. Or maybe it was his brother.”

  “What am I missing?” Kyle turned around to find Cody with a big cocky grin on his face.

  “Yeah. I had thought about buying the place someday, but when Carson moved in with Lily, I didn’t see a need.”

  “So the biggest drawback of the place would be having you as my neighbor?”

  “Yeah. I guess you could say that.” Cody chuckled as they bumped over uneven ground and came out on a flat spot overlooking the water.

  Dave put the SUV in park and they got out. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

  Kyle looked around. It was a beautiful piece of land. And the river access was just about perfect. The spot they were parked on would be just right for a staging area for commercial trips. It was level enough to build a large equipment shed. There was even room for picnic tables and barbecue pits.

  “Now, if you take a little walk up this way”—Dave started to climb a small hill—“I think this would be a terrific spot for a homesite. You could put a two- to three-thousand-square-foot home without having to remove many trees.”

  “And you’d have plenty of space for a play structur
e for the kids,” Cody added hopefully.

  “Well, I don’t know about that.” Shit. He shouldn’t have said anything. Really, Fisher’s feelings about babies were the least of his worries. “I mean, I’m several steps away from needing a play structure.”

  “So what are your plans, then?” Dave asked. “Cody mentioned you might want to start your own rafting company.”

  “Yeah. They’ve got more business than they can handle and sometimes a little competition can actually increase business for both companies.”

  “Is that so?” Dave sounded like he was just going along. Being friendly. Or salesmanly.

  “Yeah, you know how as more and more wineries popped up in the area, the wine industry really started booming,” Cody added helpfully.

  “Maybe I should grow grapes instead,” Kyle joked. He knew nothing about the wine business, other than people liked wine.

  “Well, this property isn’t zoned for agriculture,” Dave mentioned. He was a straight shooter. Kyle liked that about him. “It’s currently zoned for residential or commercial use only.”

  “Good to know.” Kyle stood on the top of the hill, where it was indeed a terrific spot for a home. He tried to envision what Fisher’s dream home would look like. He knew it wouldn’t be fancy. But it would be of top quality. He’d make sure of it.

  The only thing he required in a dream house was his dream woman.

  His strong blonde.

  Chapter 21

  Fisher finally crawled into the shower a little before noon. Joe was sleeping soundly in her bed, and Brooke had wanted to hear all the details about what he was doing there. In all the excitement, no one seemed to notice that Kyle was nowhere to be found. His RV was still parked behind the house, but she had no idea where he’d gone.

  Maybe he had gone back to LA. If he was rich enough to make two-million-dollar deals, he could always send for someone to drive his RV back home. If that was the case, she’d just have to focus on her new mission. Getting her friends, her true friends, Cody and Carson, to get to know their father. She’d like to help them find forgiveness, and she wanted that for Kyle, too.

  Because she knew that if she did stand a chance of continuing a relationship with him, he’d need to heal his childhood wounds. Or at least make an attempt.

  Fisher found Brooke in the kitchen sipping iced tea.

  “I’m still impressed you rescued Carson and Cody’s dad.” Brooke set her glass on the table. “You are like a superhero, aren’t you? Saving your boyfriend from a snake, pulling old man Swift out of a ditch. What can’t you do?”

  “Well, until this morning, I…I had never changed a diaper.” She started to tell her that she’d never even held a baby, but that was a little deeper than she wanted to dig into her own issues.

  “What I still don’t understand is what was Dad Swift doing here?”

  “He came up to try to warn Kyle about someone he used to work for.”

  “The guy in the limo?” Brooke must have seen him pull into or out of the parking lot. “But why would Cody and Carson’s dad want to warn Kyle…? Oh my God. They’re related, aren’t they? They’re brothers. Of course. How did we not see it? Those eyes. Did you just find out this morning?”

  “No. I knew they were brothers. Kyle told me. But he wasn’t ready to tell them.”

  “Why?” Brooke stirred the ice in her glass. “Does it have something to do with their dad?”

  “Yeah. I think so. They’ve all got some serious baggage there.” Fisher sighed. Her heart ached for all of them. “And they’ve got it tied down so tight, it’ll take some time to unravel it.”

  “Or you could just cut through it all with one sharp slice.” Brooke placed her hand over her heart and made a slashing motion as if she were freeing the knife the guides all kept attached to their life jackets in that spot.

  “I’m not sure how.”

  “Get them all together. In one spot.”

  “What, like in one boat?” The river did have a way of working its magic on people.

  “Or maybe you could start with something simple. Like lunch.”

  “I could get the wives involved.”

  “You definitely need to get the wives on board.” Brooke grinned. “And maybe a few beers, some wings, and those killer onion rings they serve at the Argo.”

  “Stop, you’re making me hungry.” But a public place was maybe a good idea. That way no one could just storm off or make too much of a scene.

  “Tell me about it. And I’m going to have to settle for leftovers.”

  “You’re not coming with me?”

  “No. It’s a family thing.”

  “I’m not family.” Fisher wondered if she was going too far. Maybe she should just butt out of it.

  “Oh, come on. You didn’t need to catch the bouquet last night. It’s pretty obvious that you’re next.”

  “No. Far from it.” Just hours ago, Fisher was certain she’d never see Kyle again. And now here she was plotting a forced family reunion for the Swift men.

  “Oh please. It’s inevitable.” Brooke shrugged and offered a knowing smile.

  “Yeah? What about you and Tyler?”

  Brooke blushed a deep pink. “Yeah, I know. I’m equally doomed. He’s talking about going to South America together over the winter. Either that or getting a place in Tahoe.”

  “Well, good luck with whatever you decide.” Fisher couldn’t imagine either of them making such a commitment.

  “Hey, but we’ve still got this summer, right?” Brooke’s grin widened and then Tyler entered the kitchen.

  “Hey, babe.” He dropped a kiss on Brooke’s neck. “You still want to go on a picnic?”

  “Yeah. I hear Lost Mine Winery is pretty this time of year.”

  “It sure is.” He stared lovingly into Brooke’s eyes.

  Fisher was ready to leave the two lovebirds alone when he stood up and asked, “Who’s the old dude in your bed? You stepping out on Kyle?”

  “No. It’s their dad,” Brooke interrupted before Fisher could answer.

  “Fisher’s dad?” Tyler sometimes played the part of the clueless dude.

  “No. Kyle’s dad. And Carson and Cody’s dad.”

  “Oh. Cool.” Tyler shrugged and then pulled Brooke to her feet, patting her on the fanny as he led her out the back door.

  * * * *

  “So what do you think? Are you ready to make an offer?” Dave held open the door to his SUV for Kyle after they’d thoroughly inspected the property.

  “I’m considering it.” Kyle thought it was perfect. But what would Fisher think? “I’m definitely considering it.”

  Cody had taken a phone call and they were waiting for him to finish his conversation before they drove back over to his house.

  “Hey, why don’t we head over to the Argo and discuss it over a couple of burgers and beers?” Cody hopped into the backseat, awfully cheerful for a guy who hated his guts just a few weeks ago. Now he was hoping they’d become neighbors?

  They made small talk on the way to the Argo. Or rather, Dave made small talk, pointing out the various amenities of the area, offering to make recommendations on local contractors, and basically acting like it was a done deal.

  Kyle had been confident like that, many times over the last few years. But he’d always known going in that he had a buyer. A buyer with unlimited funds. He shuddered when he thought about why he’d never wondered where those funds had come from.

  He’d just blindly followed the money. Thinking it would make him happy. Believing he had been happy.

  But in the last few weeks, he’d discovered true happiness. Fisher had taught him that money wasn’t the most important thing in the world. It was love. Friendship. Family.

  “So before we get down to figures and paperwork”—Dave had insisted the first round and lunch wa
s on him—“why don’t you tell me what your misgivings are, and I’ll see what I can do to address any issues moving forward.”

  The guy was good. But he also seemed genuine.

  “Cody says you went to high school together.” Kyle decided to let the man do his job. “Have you lived here all your life?”

  Dave leaned forward, grinning like he thought he was the luckiest guy around. “Yeah. Except for college. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. People first came here for the gold, but they stayed for so many reasons. The land being one of the main ones.”

  “And the river,” Cody chimed in. “Although I suppose that’s part of the landscape.”

  “Yes. The climate is almost perfect. Not too hot, except maybe one or two weeks of the year when it doesn’t cool down at night. The winters, even the wet ones, are usually mild. The snow levels are higher up, so you can enjoy winter recreation without having to shovel your driveway.” Dave continued to sell him on reasons that didn’t matter too much to Kyle. He had one reason to buy the property.

  But she was also the reason he hesitated.

  “So what are your concerns?” Dave sat back in his chair, not quite tipping back against the wall. “Besides having this guy as your neighbor? It’s not so bad now that he’s married. No more epic parties, huh?”

  “Well, wait until the twins start school.” Kyle couldn’t help but razz his brother a little bit. “I imagine there will be some major birthday parties. Times two.”

  “Yeah, be careful. Apparently twins run in our family.” Cody razzed right back.

  “Well, maybe I won’t have kids.”

  “Does Fisher know how you feel about it?” Cody dropped the casual, just-joking-around demeanor, and he sat up with genuine concern.

  “Maybe Fisher is the one who doesn’t want kids.” He really didn’t want to discuss it in front of a stranger. Especially not a stranger who had something he wanted.

  The waitress appeared with their food and Kyle was grateful to have a reason to stop talking, at least for a few bites.