“Just came for a swim,” Cort said.
Jesse eyed him, saying nothing. There was definitely bad blood between the three of them. Jesse suddenly smiled, a feral grin stretching across his face.
“Who’s the babe?” He lowered his head to look at me from under his lashes. A calculated move I’d seen many times. Out the corner of my eye I saw Maggie bristle. Just what I needed.
Neither Gideon, nor Cort, seemed inclined to answer him. I was getting more and more uncomfortable as the silence stretched on.
“This here is Cherry,” Maggie drawled out my name, giving me the evil eye.
“Cherry?” Jesse said my name. He smacked his lips like he was tasting the sound. “What an interestin’ name. How does somebody get a name like that? Is it short for somethin’?” He winked at me.
Pig. That was all I could think of. He reminded me of Cass with his cool demeanor and the way he liked to make himself look like the smart person by talking down to everyone else.
Gideon stepped closer to me, our arms almost touching. His voice quivered slightly when he said, “Watch it.”
Jesse glanced at Gideon then over to Cort, who stepped up to my other side. His eyes focused on me, and his lips twitched.
“It’s like that, is it? You Shepherd brothers do like to share everythin’.” He took a step in my direction. I thought that was either very brave of him or very stupid, maybe both. “If you wanna get wet darlin’,” he paused, “you come see me.”
“I’ll be sure to get a prescription for penicillin before I do,” I said just as sweet as I could. Jesse blinked then threw his head back.
“I like a girl who knows how to use her mouth,” Jesse laughed. Some of the other boys chuckled with him.
I flung my arms out, barring Gideon and Cort from taking another step. “Let’s just go swim,” I said, looking them each in the eye. Gideon nodded, grabbing my elbow, pulling me past the crowd.
“You should’ve let me belt him.” Cort grumped behind me when we were on the opposite side of the pond, under a smaller tree with a longer rope. Clearly this was the beginner’s tree. I unfolded my towel, draping it over a low hanging branch.
“I’m used to it,” I told him. “It’s no big deal. Let it go,” I raised my hands in the air.
“Jesse has no manners. He shouldn’t have talked to you like that.” Cort was like a dog with a bone.
“True,” I conceded, planting my hands on my hips, “But if all you’re going to do is sulk about it we might as well leave. You’re sucking all the fun out of me learning how to Tarzan out onto a pond.”
Cort squinted his eyes and slowly, almost cautiously, advanced in my direction. After almost two years of fending for myself I knew a plan of attack when I saw one.
Cort knew the moment I caught on. He grabbed at me, scooped me up in his arms, and tossed me over his shoulder. I squealed, kicking my legs trying to break free. He was laughing and trying to keep his balance while running awkwardly toward the water.
One minute I was hot and dry, the next I was under water. Cort released me the minute we hit the water. We surfaced at the same time. He was laughing. I was sputtering and splashing him. He splashed back.
“Look out below!” Gideon swung over us. He let go and Peter Panned to the left of us. A wave of water hit me, sending me back into the bank.
I crawled up the muddy side and onto the grass. For once I was glad I’d let Gideon boss me into doing some physical therapy for my arm. It was back to normal, minus a few aches now and again.
My sneakers were water logged. My feet made loud sucking noises when I pulled them off. I knew I had to take off the T-shirt and shorts and hang them to dry. I hesitated for the briefest moment. Then I threw caution to the wind and stripped down to the bikini.
“Come on, guys. Teach the city girl how to swing,” I called out from behind the tree. Gideon cleared the bank first, then Cort. Gideon stopped and just stared. Cort, however, howled appreciatively. “Dang, girl, you rock that bikini.”
I reached back for the T-shirt.
“Might as well leave it.” Cort laughed. “We already got an eyeful.”
“Shut up, Cort,” Gideon said. “Forget him, Cherry. He’s being a jerk.”
“Me? What’d I say?” Cort laughed knowingly. He took a running leap onto the rope, swinging it wide before letting go and falling into the water.
Gideon held his hand out to me. “Let’s swim.”
I took Gideon’s offered hand. He gave me a reassuring squeeze, leading me to the swing. He showed me how to hold the rope, where to put my feet, and told me when to let go. I was a fast learner, but I found myself pretending to be a dummy so I could feel those hands on my waist and shoulders again and again.
I was playing with fire. I shouldn’t even consider letting myself feel anything more than friendship for Gideon. But this was the first time I ever felt the rush of my heart. Its wings fluttering under my breast from a single touch. The thrill of adrenaline as his fingers brushed over my skin was addictive and I wanted more.
I turned to tell him I was ready to be pulled back. His face was right there in front of me. I could have leaned an inch forward and brushed my lips against his if I wanted to, and I really wanted to.
His whiskey brown eyes were serious as they studied my face. He lowered his gaze to my lips. My tongue darted out nervously. Gideon’s eyes snapped back to mine. He seemed to be conflicted. His breathing quickened, and his lips parted. My heart hitched in my throat, anticipation coiled in my belly.
“Any day now,” Cort called out from the water.
Gideon took a step back. “I think you’re set,” he said.
The moment was gone. I gave my head a swift shake to clear the cobwebs. This almost kiss by Gideon was better than any actual kiss I’d ever gotten. I was giddy with the knowledge that Gideon might feel something for me.
“Here goes,” I offered him my biggest smile, then hollered, “Look out, Cort, here I come!”
Chapter Twenty-One
The sun began its slow descent in the sky. Clouds shaded in pinks and purples melted into the coming darkness. I walked leisurely down the tree-lined drive. It was beautiful this time of day, or night. I guess it was somewhere in between.
It had been a month since the day Gideon and Cort had taken me to Miller’s pond. Gideon took me driving every Sunday after brunch, but we never came close to having another moment as we did that day.
I had to resort to stealing glances at him when I thought no one was looking. Watching his mouth as he slowly sipped his tea, staring at his big callused hands when he passed me a bowl or plate. Catching his eyes and seeing the sparkle of my own interest reflected back in his.
It was like striking a match just to watch it burn.
That was me, going up in flames.
I exhaled loudly. Not for one second did I forget that I was married. I didn’t forget that my husband was out there, looking for me. Waiting for me to screw up and give him a clue as to where I was.
But hiding from Cass meant I could never marry anyone else, because if I did, I’d have to get a divorce, or an annulment, or something. And that meant Cass would know where I was. That wasn’t happening. What a mess. If my mom was here she’d know what to do.
Thinking of my mom made me think of Aurora.
We’d been spending a lot of quality time together, bonding over recipes. She was smart, funny, and very maternal. I found myself wanting to tell her my story. I wanted to ask her what she would do if she were me. But that wouldn’t happen.
We couldn’t stay here forever. That I did know. I didn’t want to leave. This was the happiest I’d been since my mom died.
I saw headlights ahead. Someone was speeding up the drive. I stepped off the blacktop into the thick Kentucky blue grass. The racy sound of a car engine told me it was Maggie. The last person I wanted to see. She’d marked me for death since that day at the pond. Part of me felt sorry for her. It couldn’t be easy for her to have her boyfriend hit on another
girl, especially right in front her.
On the other hand, it wasn’t fair of her to take it all out on me. I was guessing she was mostly mad because I spent the day with Gideon. That was too bad because I wasn’t going to roll over for her to have Gideon, even if I couldn’t have him myself. I was going to enjoy the time I had with him until we had to go. When I left, Maggie could throw herself at him and they could live happily ever after. The thought of them together made me ill.
I kept walking, hoping she wouldn’t see me. She certainly was driving fast enough to miss me. She blew by in a blur of red. I sighed in relief. It was short lived. A second later the screech of tires had me swiveling around.
“You,” she hollered, climbing out of her little convertible.
Everything in me said to ignore her and keep walking. Instead, I stopped and turned to face her. She was leaning against the open door of her car with her hand on her hip, glaring at me. I stood there, hands hanging at my sides, waiting.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she barked.
“Why do you care?” I replied.
“I don’t.” She started toward me, “I’m just wondering who else in my life you might be gunning for.” She stopped a few feet from me. “My grammy lives in Lexington, but she wouldn’t want you.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“First you become best buddies with Gideon and Cort. Then you try to steal my boyfriend. And now,” she yelled, raising her arm to point at me, “and now you try to horn in on my mama. That is the last straw!”
My mouth dropped open as she ranted and raved. But I was only truly surprised by her last statement. She thought I was trying to Single White Female her! When she stacked the evidence against me so clinically it did look that way.
“Maggie, you got it all wrong—”
“I don’t think so, city girl,” she cut me off. “You think you’re so dang smart. Well, my mama is off limits! Why don’t you go back to Baltimore to your own mom? Or doesn’t she want you? Yeah, that’s probably it. What’d you do to her? Did you steal her man?”
She was so busy railing at me she never noticed the horror that had to be showing on my face. How dare she mention my mother? And to say she didn’t want me? I snapped, launching myself at her like a rocket into space.
The look on her face was priceless. The way her big blue eyes bulged out and her mouth hung open. We fell onto the hard macadam and rolled into the grass. I grabbed her thick ponytail and pulled as hard as I could. She cried out, grabbing my braid in retaliation. I yelped loudly.
My shoulder started pulsing lightly. I hadn’t worn the sling in weeks and the hole was now a puckered scar, but the muscles were still being strengthened. I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and focused on kicking Maggie’s spoiled rotten bratty caboose.
I pulled back, ready with a good tight-fisted punch, but she slapped me hard in the mouth, drawing first blood because of a ring she was wearing.
I was screaming insults as I drew back and slapped her just as hard. I wasn’t wearing any rings, but I hit her square in the temple where I knew it would hurt the most.
We clawed at each other, scratching and pinching, rolling all over the place like two cats fighting over a bowl of milk. And then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. We collapsed on our backs, side by side, both heaving great gulps of air.
The silence of the night cushioned around us, leaving the two of us panting on the ground, shrouded in the pitch darkness. We laid there for some time, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Well, at least that’s how I felt. Let her apologize and then I can tell her to f-off, that’s what I was thinking.
“I think you broke my bracelet,” she finally said.
I was still torqued about the comments she’d made about me and my mom so I ignored her.
“You’re supposed to concede gracefully. All southern girls fight to the death then pretend to be over it so they can fight another day.” She rolled onto her side to look at me. I knew she couldn’t see my face any more than I could see hers, but we could see each other’s shapes well enough.
“I’m not southern,” I pointed out, staring up at the starless sky.
“You sure fight like it.”
I swear I could hear humor in her honeyed voice. I shifted to my side, squinting to see if I could glimpse any features on her face.
“Don’t ever talk about my mom again.”
“What’s the deal with you? I mean, you latched onto my mama like she was a half-off sale at Macy’s. She’s a little much at times, but she’s mine. So back off with the mother-daughter bonding crap.” Maggie huffed and puffed as she slowly got to her feet. I did the same.
We limped to her car. The headlights burned twin beams of light up the drive. She had grass in her hair, and her face was starting to discolor above her left eye. I wondered if I looked better or worse than she did.
“I like your mom,” I said. “She’s nice. She taught me how to make hot brown.”
Maggie put a hand on her hip. “You are so weird. You really like hanging out with my mama, stuck in that kitchen like a reject from the fifties?”
“I like to cook,” I offered lamely.
“You like to cook for Cort.” She drew herself up and crossed her arms over her ample chest.
“Cort?”
“Don’t play dumb. I see the way you two act all buddy-buddy around here. And don’t think I didn’t see the way you flirted with him at Miller’s pond.”
“Cort?” I was dumbfounded. I thought she liked Gideon?
“Yes. Cort. Why do you keep saying his name like that? I’m not an idiot. I have eyes. Let me tell you something, City, I’ve been after that boy for half my life, and it’ll take more than a little scruffer like you to take him from me.”
I gave my head a little shake. Did she just admit to liking Cort? She wasn’t in love with Gideon? I giggled. She narrowed her eyes and looked at me like I was nuts. Maybe I was. Who cared? I was so happy she didn’t want Gideon.
“What’s so funny?”
“You,” I chirped. Her face puckered. I raised my hands in surrender. “I mean you, me, and them. All of us. I thought you liked Gideon.”
“Gideon?”
“Yeah. The way you lit into me in the stables that day—”
“Oh, that.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re really bad at the game of love. I knew Cort was in the tack house. I made all that noise so he would do exactly what he did.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’re unbelievable,” I said.
“Yeah, I know.” She frowned. “But my technique isn’t working with him like it does with the other boys. I feel like I’m spinnin’ my tires.”
“I think he thinks you like Gideon too.”
“Why, did he say something?” Her eagle eyes sharpened their focus on me.
“No, but he wears his heart on his sleeve when you aren’t looking. I just figured you knew and didn’t care.” I shrugged.
“You think I’m a coldhearted wench, don’tcha?” She smiled warmly. I was taken aback by the genuine friendliness of it.
“Well...” I hedged, kicking the blacktop with the toe of my shoe.
“A girl could do worse. I like that about me. People tend to do what I want when they think I’ll make a fuss.”
“You’re a terrorist.” I grinned.
“Pretty much.” She nodded, her smile fading to a frown. “But I never wanted Cort to think I liked Gideon enough for him to give me up without a fight. I just wanted to make him jealous enough to do something for once.”
“Well, I can tell he likes you, but he isn’t going to say so because he’s convinced you want Gideon. I think Cort is the type to give you what you want even though it means giving up what he wants. That, to me, is true love,” I lectured.
“Ugh. What a freakin’ mess.” She plopped into the driver’s seat. “I guess he’ll never ask me out now.”
I leaned my hip against the front fender, thinking.
&
nbsp; “Maybe not.” I tapped my chin with my forefinger.
Maggie tilted her face in my direction, waiting. I don’t know why, but all of the sudden it was important to me to help Cort and Maggie. Maybe it was selfishness. Maybe I was doing it to clear a path for me and Gideon. I gave myself a mental shake. That was never going to happen. Not in this lifetime. I guess the least I could do was help make someone else’s true love dream come true.
“Are we bonding?” She smirked.
“God no.” I made myself shudder with exaggeration. She tossed her head back and laughed.
“I think I might like you, City.”
“Great, then maybe you can stop calling me City.”
“We’ll see.” She closed her door, waving her hand, motioning me to get in. “What’s your plan?”
“Okay... this is what we’re going to do...”
* * * *
Maggie saddled up Sampson for me. I was a nervous wreck. I knew this was my plan, but after weeks of setting it up I failed to think clearly enough to realize I would have to actually get on the horse.
“Relax. You’ll be fine. Sampson is a perfect gentleman,” Maggie said, tightening the flank cinch.
“I’ve never been on a horse before, Maggie,” I said, licking my lips. “When I suggested this little scenario, I thought it would be you riding off into the great unknown.”
“Look, this is the perfect way to get Cort’s attention. You need to calm down.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re the one sweeping in for the rescue,” I whined.
“Just keep to the trail and you’ll be fine. Remember where I showed you to stop?”
“Yes, yes, I know all the steps.” I waved her off.
The plan was better in theory than in action. Now that I was about to kick off the chain of events, I wasn’t so sure they’d work.
“Stop worryin’.” Maggie giggled. “You’re like an old lady. This is a great plan. It’ll work. Giddyup.” She patted the saddle. I swallowed a rising lump and stepped into the stirrup.
OhGod.OhGod.OhGod.
Sampson stood perfectly still as I threw my leg over his back. He only snorted once, as if to say, ‘Get a move on.’
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