by Jayne Frost
She broke to the far right and continued to paddle. “No hurry.”
From her position, a few yards ahead on the left, Tori called out to Taryn, “Hey! You said you weren’t going to do the drop! Get over here!”
Repositioning herself atop the tube, Taryn waved at Tori. “I want to grab a shower before it gets too crowded, so I’m taking the shortcut.”
Tori cursed as she floated to the left at the bend along with the rest of the group. It was the easier route by far, with calm water that spilled out onto the clearing where we would make camp.
I drifted to the right at the last moment, and followed Taryn.
She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Have you ever been this way?”
“Many times.” I dropped a hand into the water, paddling toward her, but the tide picked up, widening the gap. “I’ve probably been doing this float longer than you have.”
Minutes later, the trees became denser, blocking out a little of the sun. I sat up straight and examined the shoreline. The water was up at least a foot—maybe two—from the norm. This route was by no means treacherous. Tricky? Sometimes. But the sound of the falls ahead was louder than I remembered. Louder than it should be.
A sinking feeling hit my stomach, and kept right on going,
“Taryn!” I yelled. “Wait for me, baby.”
“I … I can’t stop,” she said through gritted teeth. “The water’s a little choppy.”
A little choppy? I was being thrown around pretty good, and I was six three and two hundred pounds. Taryn was almost a foot shorter, and couldn’t weigh more than a buck twenty.
“Just hold on, baby.” I tried to mask the urgency in my tone as I wiggled to free my legs so I wasn’t a slave to the tide. Head first in the tube was never recommended. In calm water it was fine. But in chop, you could slide under. I didn’t even want to think about what could happen in this position going over the drop.
I kicked furiously, but Taryn slipped over the falls before I could reach her. My leg scraped the jagged rocks as I followed her over, landing with a splash at the bottom.
I looked around in a panic. “Taryn!”
Spying her empty yellow float, I dipped under the water line. All matter of debris swirled in front of me as I tried to make out any shapes in the murky depth. Spotting her red bikini, I surged forward.
Please … please … please …
Grabbing her around the waist, I held on tight until I felt the muddy ground beneath my feet. A cough wracked Taryn’s body as I laid her on a patch of tall grass under a canopy of trees.
“Baby …” I slapped her cheek lightly. “Taryn, talk to me.”
“Chase …” She coughed out my name along with a mouthful of water.
“I’m right here. Open your eyes for me.”
Her hand shot to the back of her skull, and she winced. “Ouch.”
“Taryn, talk to me.” I slid my fingers into her hair, feeling around for a bump. “What day is it?”
“Saturday …” she mumbled.
“Where are we?” My stomach sank when she looked at me in confusion. “Do you know where we are?”
She nodded, her brow pinched tight. “On the river.”
I grazed the large goose egg hidden beneath her tangled locks, and she hissed a breath. “I think I hit my head,” she mumbled.
I pulled my hand away to check for blood. Nothing. Thank fuck.
Holding up two fingers, I asked. “How many?”
Taryn rose to her elbow and winced. “Two.”
“I think you’re okay. But I want to get downriver so I can take you to urgent care.”
“It’s just a bump on the head,” she grumbled. “I’m fine.”
Ignoring her protests, I tried to remember all the signs of a concussion.
Tipping forward, I examined her eyes. “Look to the right.” My heart sank when she looked to the left. “The other right.”
A bubble of laughter tripped from her lips. “It’s a thing. Right and left are hard for me. Even if I hadn’t bumped my head, I probably would’ve missed that.”
My shoulders sagged with relief when I realized she was okay.
“God, you scared me.” I rested my forehead lightly against hers. “Don’t ever go alone like that again.”
Taryn curled her fingers into my hair, and her free hand slid to my chest. “Your heart is beating so fast.”
“Yeah … well …”
Smiling, she pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Thank you.”
Since she was the one who kissed me, I laughed. “For what?”
“For following me.”
I’d been following Taryn from the first day we’d met, and there was no reason to believe I wouldn’t continue the trend.
“I’ll always follow you.”
Her brows turned inward, and she cupped my cheek. “What was Logan’s sister doing at your loft?”
Apparently, I was right about her assumption. Blowing out a breath, I took her hand and then fell onto the grass on my back. “Laurel’s had some problems. She’s staying in the space above mine for a little while until she gets on her feet. And don’t ask me why she put anything in my duffel, because I have no clue.”
For a long moment, there was only the sound of the rushing water and the rustling leaves. And then Taryn said, “I don’t think I can be just your friend, Chase.”
When I rolled onto my side, her eyes were closed, like she was bracing for a storm.
Grasping her chin, I turned her face to mine and smiled.
“Then let’s renegotiate.”
Chapter 28
Taryn
I cracked open one eye and groaned as a sharp pain traveled to my temple. Running my fingers through my tangled hair, I winced when I grazed the bump on the back of my skull.
“How’s your head, baby?” Chase’s voice drifted across the tent. “Do you need some aspirin?”
“No. That pill the doctor gave me upset my stomach. I told you I didn’t need to go to urgent care.”
Not that I had a choice. When we got to the campsite, Chase threatened to forcibly put me in the car and take me to the nearest hospital, and nobody raised a finger to stop him.
I sat up. “What are you doing over there?”
“Watching the sunrise.”
The Fender rested on his knee like a favored pet. He slid his fingers across the frets absently as he gazed out the mesh window.
I stood up and stretched before joining him. “How long have you been up?”
He set the guitar aside, then pulled me into his lap. “A while. You sure you’re okay?”
“Just tired.”
After the third time Chase woke me up to ask me what day it was and if I knew my birthday, I’d stayed awake, and we drifted in and out of conversation until a couple of hours ago.
When he brushed a kiss to my mouth, my senses ignited at the taste of coffee lingering on his lips. “Oh my God, where is it?” I looked around, zeroing in on the mug next to him. “You made coffee?” Before he could answer, I lifted the lukewarm brew to my lips and took a huge gulp. My eyes bugged as the liquid burned a path to my stomach.
“What is that?” I coughed.
Chase took the cup from my hand. “It’s Irish, baby.”
“Irish,” I spluttered. “Irish what?”
“Irish coffee. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought …”
I smoothed the tension lines bracketing his mouth with my thumb. “You didn’t sleep at all? Why?”
He forced a smile. “Who knows? I’ve got regular coffee. Let me get you some. Tori is probably going to bust the door down when she wakes up.”
“I know, right?” I chuckled. “Rhenn should have nicknamed her ‘Tenacious T’ instead of ‘Belle.’”
“Where did that come from … the ‘Belle’?”
“Um … it’s from Beauty and the Beast. Rhenn found out that Tori was obsessed with the movie. I mean, she still watched it, like, all the time until we were thirteen. So
he started calling her Belle.” I shrugged. “Then we all did. He used to say she was the beauty to his beast.”
Chase rested his chin on my shoulder. “What’s with the T-Rex?”
“Ugh. You had to bring that up? Tori’s boyfriend names her after a Disney character and mine …”
When I snapped my mouth shut, he pressed a kiss to my temple. “And yours?”
“Apparently I roar like a Tyrannosaurus-Rex when I’m mad.”
“And what do you call Beckett?”
Becks. “Asshole.”
His chest rumbled with laughter. “I like that. Let me get you that coffee.”
I slid off him and grabbed a blanket.
“This area is clothing optional. At the discretion of the owner.” Chase’s hands slid south, and he cupped my ass. “No covering up.”
“Then why are you wearing pants?” I tucked my thumbs into his belt loops. “Hardly seems fair.”
“If you want to get me naked, baby, all you got to do is ask.”
I did ask. I practically begged. I did everything but jump his bones, but he wouldn’t give in. My little bump on the head scared Chase more than it did me.
He poured us each a cup of coffee, adding a teaspoon of powdered creamer to mine. “I didn’t think the cream would keep. So, you’re going to have to settle for Coffee-Mate.”
He handed me the mug and then took a seat on top of the sleeping bag.
“Thanks.” I stared into my drink as I sank down beside him. “You don’t even like cream. Why do you have Coffee-Mate?”
“Because you make a face when you’re forced to drink black coffee. I learned that after our sleepover.”
It was such a small thing. And maybe I should be offended that Chase had planned to lure me into his tent for a romp and then serve me coffee with instant creamer the next morning. But really, I wasn’t.
“So you assumed that sometime during this trip I’d be drinking coffee with you?”
He smiled into his next sip. “You can’t blame me for hoping.”
The cicadas serenaded us as we sat in companionable silence.
When he finished his coffee, Chase swirled the grinds in his cup. “Why is Twin Souls so interested in getting me to work with them? Is it you or Tori that’s pushing this?”
It was Chase’s decision. And I didn’t want him to think the offer had anything to do with a stupid fight between Tori and me.
“You know your brother’s work,” I said. “And you’re also really talented, so it makes sense.”
“You still didn’t answer me. Are you trying to make me over in someone’s image? Is that what this is about?”
“No. But Twin Souls offers representation to a select few. It’s a great opportunity to have your music showcased in front of a larger audience.”
“And you’d be in that audience?” he pressed. “You like that kind of stuff? That life?”
A tremor, like a tiny earthquake, rumbled beneath my skin. “Not really.”
Chase tipped my chin to look into my eyes. “I wouldn’t mind doing some arranging. But I’m not sure.” He took a big breath. “The music business … for me … it doesn’t really …”
It took a second to register the thundering voice outside the tent.
“Where is she?” Beckett roared. “Which tent?”
“Dude, leave her alone,” Dylan implored. “She hit her head. Chase is just making sure she’s okay.”
“I’ll bet,” Beckett replied sarcastically. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I don’t think that’s what she wanted. Even if they are, you know, seeing each other again, it’s her choice. And I wouldn’t get all possessive and push up on the dude. The whole bunch of them can brawl. Haven’t you heard the stories about Logan?”
“He ain’t Logan,” Beckett snarled. “He’s a fucking wannabe. And he’s a suit. He runs a fucking business. Chase Noble doesn’t have the juice to go three rounds with me.”
“Stay here,” Chase growled as he jumped to his feet.
He yanked the zipper on the entrance with such force the whole tent swayed in protest.
“You want to find out how much juice I have? I’m right here!”
“Whoa, let’s calm down.” Cameron’s voice entered the fold as I tugged the Night Owl shirt into place and stumbled out of the tent.
Dylan stood between Beckett and Chase, while Cameron had his arm wrapped tightly around his brother’s chest.
“Get off me, Cameron,” Chase warned.
“Let him go,” Beckett taunted. “You think I’m concerned that the CEO is going to land a solid punch?”
Thick veins bulged on Chase’s neck as he strained against his brother’s grip. “I’m not the one that just made the cover of People Magazine for their looks, asshole. Or maybe that’s because of your girlfriend.” He laughed wryly. “Your new girlfriend, that is. She’s the supermodel, right?”
The verbal blow ricocheted off Beckett and hit me square in the chest.
“Enough!” I croaked, staggering toward them. “Both of you.”
Beckett glanced me over. “How’s your head? Did your friend kiss it and make it better?”
Anger tightened my throat. “Beckett … Jesus. What’s wrong with you?”
“Why don’t you tell him the truth,” Beckett said. “Tell your boy here that you’re not going to get all hot and bothered if he makes the cover of The Wall Street Journal. That’s not what does it for you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tori jogging toward us. Everyone was out of their tents, the campsite silent as they watched the spectacle.
“Beckett,” I said. “Shut up. Now.”
Ignoring me, he continued. “You don’t want someone ‘close’ to the music. That’s why you dropped that record producer in LA after a couple of dates. You want a musician.” He shifted his narrowed gaze to Chase. “And this guy ain’t it.”
Shrugging off his brother’s grip, Chase took one giant step into Beckett’s space. “Don’t pretend that you know what Taryn wants just to make yourself feel better.”
Beckett laughed. “I’ve known Taryn most of her life. You’re the one who doesn’t have a clue.”
The silence stretched as the two assessed each other, and then Chase turned and brushed past me. I flinched when a loud crash sounded in the tent.
Beckett took a step toward me. “Babe—”
“You may be right,” I choked. “I might not know what I want. But I know what I don’t want.” I closed the small gap between us and spoke in a voice that was only for him. “And that’s you.”
Beckett’s lips parted, but I didn’t give him a chance to retort. I stormed to the tent I shared with Tori, rage and embarrassment quickening my steps.
Grabbing my toiletries from the open duffel, I emerged a moment later and made a beeline for Dylan. “I need the keys to the Hummer.”
He pulled the fob from his pocket. “You’re not going home, are you?”
I shook the bag of shampoo and face wash. “Clearly, I’m not. I just need a shower.”
“Are you going to finish the float?”
“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “Let me find out what Chase wants to do.”
“Go grab a shower,” Tori said as she slipped her arm around my shoulder. “Do you want us to wait?”
I looked around the campsite at all my friends. And then at Beckett.
“Nope.” I slipped out of her embrace. It was time to step away. Break away. Make a choice.
Head down, I walked slowly to Chase’s tent while Beckett’s gaze followed me. It was like I was crossing enemy lines.
Cameron and Logan fell silent as I approached.
“He’s not in there,” Cameron said quietly when I reached for the flap.
“Where is he?”
“Good question,” Logan replied, fury tensing his jaw. “He took off with my sister a few minutes ago. Neither of them are answering their phones.”
My stomach clattered to the so
ft ground. “Um … just tell him …” There was nothing to say, so I shook my head. “Never mind.”
Nausea accompanied me as I made my way to the Hummer, and on autopilot, I drove to the RV park a few miles down the road.
I stripped out of my clothes behind the thin curtain in the communal shower. My hope washed away with the trickle of water from the ancient showerhead, then pooled at my feet and swirled down the drain.
Numb, I dressed and headed back to the campsite where Cameron was loading his gear into Logan’s Mustang.
Holding the keys so tight I could feel the metal edges bite my palm, I wandered over to him. “Did Chase come back?”
“He’s on his way to Austin with Laurel,” Cameron said as he met my gaze.
A tight smile on my lips, I declined the apology he was sure to offer. “Okay, have a safe ride home.”
Acid burned in the pit of my empty stomach as I stared down at the trampled grass on my way to the campsite. A pair of well-worn boots came into view, and I looked up into Beckett’s cobalt eyes.
“Are you headed back to Austin?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m—”
I held up my hand. I didn’t want to hear his voice. But at least he was here. Beckett would always be here.
“Can you give me a ride?”
Chapter 29
Chase
Pacing around the loft, I waited for Logan and Cameron to arrive. I pulled out my phone to text Taryn. But what would I say?
Sorry I left without a word, dinner tonight?
I stared down at the blank screen as the apprehension bubbled inside.
Laurel groaned, so I abandoned the text and edged toward the couch.
She’d followed me into the tent after my dust-up with Beckett. High on who knows what, she’d babbled incoherently and tried to crawl all over me. Before she could do any more damage to herself or her brother’s reputation, I put her in the car and headed home. She’d slept most of the way, throwing up twice in the truck.
I crouched in front of her.
“You lied to me,” she mumbled, looking around with unfocused eyes. “You said we were going to go party.”
I also told her I wouldn’t call Logan, which I did, the minute she passed out. My hard ass approach wasn’t working.