by Joan Kilby
Mom was still at work and Zoe had left a note saying she was going to Grand Fork with Carly and her current squeeze, Justin. At least they weren’t around to get all excited because she’d brought a guy home. Their lack of confidence in her was downright embarrassing. She dated! Mostly geeky types with the odd environmental activist thrown into the mix. Certainly no one like Mr. BMW. Not that this was a date. Far from it. They were just cooling off after a hot day in the orchard.
She threw an oversize T-shirt over top and grabbed a couple of towels. Alex was waiting for her on the outside deck, leaning on the railing to look out at the lake.
Lord have mercy, the man had a body. Broad, muscled shoulders and a well-developed back tapered down to slim hips and strong legs. Justin’s swim trunks clung to Alex’s butt so tightly she could see the indentions in his cheeks. Not bad for a city slicker.
She clutched the towels to her chest. “Ready?”
He turned at the sound of her voice. She got another mouthwatering eyeful. His chest was a masterpiece of male engineering with well-defined pecs and sculpted abs. If he’d been making an advertisement for men’s beachwear he could have modeled it himself.
His gaze skimmed over her baggy shirt and he frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. Great, now he thought she was a prude. She wasn’t, she was simply modest.
“This way.” Emma ran down the veranda stairs to the grassy area above the small beach they shared with their neighbors. She led the way to where a huge old maple stood on an outcropping and leaned out over the water. Attached to one broad branch was a thick length of rope, knotted at the bottom.
“Want to go first?” she said, gesturing.
“Show me how it’s done,” Alex said. “I might break my neck.”
“Remember to let go once you’re over the water or you’ll swing back and crash into the tree.” Leaning out, she grabbed the rope and walked it way back. Then she ran toward the lake edge and leaped, scrambling hand over hand to get a higher purchase on the rope while flailing for the knot with her feet. And then she was spinning and soaring, the wind in her ears, tears streaming from her eyes, a weightless, quivery feeling in her stomach. The instant the rope slackened she let go. Flying and falling, shrieking with laughter, she entered the lake with a humungous splash.
Down she went into the cold, water filling her ears and getting in her nose, the T-shirt billowing around her head. Kicking hard, she swam back up to burst through the surface. She shook her head, her braids whipping around her face and broke into a huge grin, the sweat and fatigue magically washed away. “Your turn.”
Alex grabbed the rope as it swung back. Moments later he flew out over the lake and landing with a gigantic splash. He might be a city boy but he was a natural athlete. He broke the surface, gasping. “That’s fricking cold! Why didn’t you warn me?”
Emma laughed. “It’s a lake fed by a mountain stream, what did you expect?”
They swam back to shore and crunched over the pebbly sand. Great. Now the T-shirt was see-through and clung to every bump and hollow of her body. Plus it was uncomfortable.
“My sister’s bathing suit,” she explained, peeling the wet cloth over her head. “She’s got my one piece.”
“Please, don’t apologize.” He pushed a dripping braid behind her shoulder and his admiring gaze traveled over her body. “You really rock that bikini.”
Yes, good plan, call attention to her skimpy attire and force him to comment. Her cheeks burned, partly out of embarrassment, but also out of pleasure at his obvious interest. And then, of course, in her nervousness, she thrust Zoe between her and Alex like a shield because once he met Zoe, he wouldn’t look twice at her. “My sister was Miss Montana ten years ago and is still super hot. She looks much better in it than I do.”
Alex winked. “I bet she can’t climb trees as well as you.”
“No, she can’t but—” Climbing trees was for kids.
“Let’s go again,” he said. “Race you.”
Childish or not, those were fighting words. She threw the shirt in the sand and sprinted for the tree, reaching it a split second before Alex. Before she could grab the rope, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her aside.
“No fair, that’s cheating!” she cried, struggling to free herself from his grip. His fingers slid on her waist but hung on, his other hand keeping the rope out of reach.
“Competitive, much?” he taunted, easily resisting her efforts to hook a foot around his leg and bring him down.
“Takes one to know one.” His wet skin was warm beneath her slipping fingers, his chest hard and ridged with muscles. She tried to hip check him but his muscular legs were planted rock solid and he just laughed at her. Which only served to make her more determined to get that rope.
Of course it was a contest she could never win and before she knew it she was wrapped in his arm and held tightly to his chest, pressed up against him. Panting, she looked up at him, suddenly very aware they were both half-naked—and he was hard. Beads of water clung to his eyelashes and hung on the ends of his hair falling over his forehead. She had goose bumps on her arms and a melting heat inside. His mouth was within kissing distance. His eyes darkened and he lowered his head. She could meet him halfway. All she had to do was stand on her toes.
Instead she wriggled her hands between them and pushed on his chest. “You win.”
He loosened his grip and let her go with a dry expression. “You think?” Then he handed her the rope. “Ladies first.”
She swung out, eager to leave the scene of her cowardice and sink gratefully beneath the water, wishing she never had to come up. What was wrong with her shying away from a simple kiss? He must think she was a country hick. Maybe he’d be right.
Instead of heading to shore she kept swimming, parallel to the beach. Small craft dotted the lake—sail boats and fishing boats, wind-surfers and water skiers. She turned on her back and looked up at the blue and endless Montana sky. Alex was like a foreign plant introduced to the local environment, causing changes, taking over. Cherry Lake might never be the same again. She might never be the same.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said, swimming up beside her.
She closed her eyes so she didn’t have to see his handsome chiseled face or his broad tanned shoulders streaming with lake water. “I was just thinking that you’re like a weed. This isn’t your normal habitat and yet you make your presence felt.”
“I don’t belong here is what you’re saying. I know that.”
She opened her eyes at the odd, bitter tone to his voice. “I didn’t say it was bad.”
“That’s what weeds are, though. Pests. Your job is to get rid of them.”
“I don’t want to get rid of you.” She just wanted to understand him. She couldn’t say that, though. It sounded too serious for someone she’d just met. She stopped swimming and let her legs sink, moving her hands and feet to keep afloat. “Tell me something about yourself.”
He stood in the water, too, his eyes searching her face. “It’s my birthday today. I had a party on the weekend but this is the actual day I was born.”
The news was completely unexpected. “Really? How old are you?”
“Thirty.” His mouth twisted. “I didn’t think it would affect me but it has.”
“Happy Birthday.” She studied his face, noting the faint laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and the sensitive contours of his mouth she’d initially thought arrogant. What was he doing so far from home, by himself, on his birthday? The milestone must really be affecting him if he was willing to share with a virtual stranger. Suddenly she hated that he wasn’t happy and wanted to make him laugh.
“Let me guess,” she said, deliberately lightening her tone. “You’re feeling old and panicking that your best years are behind you. You haven’t lived up to your potential and now it’s too late to follow your dream of becoming a rock star. Is that it?”
Just as she’d hoped, he laughed. “You have a hell of an imagi
nation for a scientist.”
“Scientists have imaginations, just like anyone else.” She poked him in the chest. “I’m not sure about BMW owners, though.”
He grabbed her finger and hung on. “You’re just jealous.”
“No, I definitely am not. I love my broken-down Honda.” Oh, God, had that come out breathy because his fingers were wrapped around hers? Or was it because he was drawing her closer. Putting a hand on her hip. Leaning in. Kissing her. Just a glancing brush of the lips but it made her mouth tingle and her body come alive.
She kissed him back, tentatively at first, tasting the lake water on his lips, cool against the warmth of his tongue. He released her finger and slid his other hand down to grip her hips. Her hands found his shoulders—broad and sun-warmed. Their legs tangled as his tongue stroked hers. The sun was a white glow outside her closed eyelids. In the distance a motor boat purred across the lake. Children laughed very far away. Up close all she heard was her heart beating and the soft slap of the water around their shoulders.
What was she doing, kissing a hot shot with a fancy car who wouldn’t be here this time next week? It wasn’t in her makeup to have flings like Zoe. Next she’d be having meaningless sex on the beach beneath a blanket. Alex was hands down the sexiest guy she’d ever kissed but he wasn’t going to be around long enough for her to get to know his middle name.
So it was really dumb to start something that she wouldn’t follow through on. And yet she found herself sliding a leg up his hip and twining her other leg around his. Without kicking to keep them afloat, they promptly sank below the surface.
It was the dose of cold water she needed. The lake filled her nostrils. Choking and spluttering she shot to the surface. “That’s enough of that.”
“We were just getting started,” Alex said.
“No, that was a birthday kiss. A one-off.” To cover her obvious relish for the procedure she babbled on. “You probably had a ton of birthday kisses from your girlfriend in Seattle but since this is your actual birthday…” She took a big breath and then trailed lamely off. “I thought it would be a nice gesture.”
“I appreciate the thought.” His warm smile reached his eyes and was all the more attractive because he appeared to be genuinely grateful. She could resist his come-ons and his sexual innuendo, Hell she might even be able to resist his body. But she was a sucker for real emotion and coming from Mr. Slick it was lethal. But she simply could not believe he actually cared about a kiss from Emma Stanhope, a grown-up version of Anne of Green Gables.
“Don’t get sentimental, or read anything into it,” she went on, starting to move away through the water. “Everyone should have a kiss on their birthday. It’s like a public service thing I’m doing.”
“The government should be paying you. I’ll write to my congressman if you like.” A bemused smile curved his lips and a dark, slightly predatory dark gleam came into his eyes.
“Awesome.” Like she’d go around kissing complete strangers just to cheer them up. But at least she’d done that for him. She didn’t even want to think about why that mattered to her.
Time to bug out.
“Race you to shore!” She lit out even before she finished speaking, arms and legs churning.
She was a strong swimmer and could beat Zoe any day of the week but naturally, against Alex, she didn’t stand a chance. He passed her in seconds and pulled away with long, swift strokes. When she finally hauled herself dripping and exhausted onto the sand, he handed her a towel. But instead of the gloating, teasing remark she was expecting he wrapped the towel around her and rubbed her arms to warm her up.
“Thanks for the swim.” He tightened his hold on her when she tried to ease away. “Just curious. Are you and Will a couple?”
“No.” She shook her head to add emphasis. She loved Will like a brother but that’s all.
“Okay.” He released his grip and toweled off his wet hair. “I know it’s of no relevance to you but FYI, I don’t have a girlfriend back home. No one special.”
A world of possibilities opened up, huge and terrifying, that scared her on levels she didn’t even understand. “Right. Well, that’s…interesting.” She slipped her feet into her thongs. “We’d better get going. Linda likes guests to be on time.”
They walked back up the grassy slope to the house. Alex got a change of clothes out of his car and she insisted he have first shower, saying she was going to make a salad to take to the Jacksons. When she heard the water running and the rattle of the shower curtain she called Linda who, she knew, believed in the importance of celebrating birthdays as much as Emma.
“Linda, it’s me. You know Alex, the guy who arrived yesterday to pick? It’s his birthday today. I know this is incredibly short notice and you’re super busy but is there any chance you could rustle up a cake?”
“Funny coincidence. I made a cake today, just because I felt like it,” Linda said. “I’ll put candles on it and we’ll call it a birthday cake.”
“Fantastic! Thanks so much. He’s kind of a long way from home. I thought it would be a nice gesture.”
“No one should be without a cake on their birthday,” Linda agreed. “Keep it a secret till I bring it out so it’ll be a surprise.”
“I knew I could count on you,” Emma said, happily. “You’re the best.”
*
“Welcome,” Linda said warmly as Will ushered Alex and Emma through the front door into the foyer. She wore an apron over her denim shirt dress and her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the kitchen. “We’re just about to sit down to dinner.”
“Thanks for having me.” As he was led down a short hallway Alex caught a glimpse through an archway to his left of a living room decorated in colonial style furnishings with homy touches of dried flowers and rustic pottery. Over the fireplace was a painting of the mountains with the orchard a smudged line of pink blossoms at their feet.
“Go on in and take a seat anywhere.” Linda called up the stairs. “Jodi, dinner!”
Alex followed Emma into the dining room, breathing in her freshly shampooed hair. A long fat braid trailed between her shoulder blades, the ends curling. He could imagine her hair a tumble of reddish waves down her back. Her shoulders were tanned and freckled beneath her simple sundress and she wore thin leather sandals on her feet.
“Just in time.” Will, standing at the head of the table, waited to greet him. “This is Taylor. Taylor, Alex.”
“Hi, Alex.” Taylor looked about twenty-three or four years old, a younger, blonder version of Linda but just as immaculately groomed from her pearl studs to her button down pink blouse and white capri pants. While Linda wore her blonde hair in a neat bob Taylor kept hers in a sleek ponytail. She set a bowl of steaming corn on the cob next to a casserole dish and headed back to the kitchen. “Have a seat. We’re almost ready.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Emma set her salad on the table and followed Taylor.
Left alone with Will, Alex had nothing to say. Being welcomed so warmly when he was here under false pretences made him profoundly uncomfortable. Coming to his father’s house without Robert’s knowledge and blessing felt like a mistake, as if any moment he would be discovered and thrown out in disgrace.
“Sit anywhere,” Will said, completely at ease. “The girls will be back shortly.”
Alex sat next to the window and immediately wished he hadn’t. Staring back at him from the wall opposite was a collection of family photos of the three children at different stages of their lives as well as several formal portraits of all five, the type that was sent out at Christmas along with a chatty newsletter. There was one of just Robert, Linda and Will in which Will looked roughly the same age as Alex had been in the photo of him and his dad in the orchard. His hands curled into fists in his lap. How was that even possible? Taylor was a babe in her big brother’s arms in the next photo and a toddler when Jodi came along. Robert would have still been visiting him and his mom when some of these photos had been taken. Again
, he had to wonder just what kind of a man his dad was. Had his mom found out about this other family? Was that why she’d been angry that day in the orchard?
The Jacksons were a happy family, judging by the warmth and togetherness displayed. The photos on the wall showed them cycling on forest trails, swimming at the lake, skiing in the mountains, playing games and barbecuing, or just hanging out together around the orchard and the big log home. Robert clearly adored his children and spent time with them. Alex’s stomach started to hurt. Right there on the wall, in his face, was a pictorial record of everything he wanted and didn’t have. Didn’t even know how much he’d missed it—until now. If he could get up and leave without looking a complete jerk he would. Instead he was stuck there, stewing in anger and resentment and hurt.
Jodi, dyed black hair and multi-pierced ears, slouched into the room and took a seat. She was the youngest, about twenty-one or so, and clearly the rebel with her tattoos and studded black muscle shirt. She grabbed a roll out of a basket. “Hey.”
“I’m Alex. Nice to meet you.” Of all of them, she looked most like his father because of her coloring. And most like him, too, he realized with a start. While he was pondering this and the odd, tight feeling it brought to his chest, Taylor, Emma and Linda returned bearing more steaming platters and bowls. They all sat down and started passing dishes, helping themselves and talking all at once.
Alex had been to family dinners at school friends’ houses so he knew about the way siblings talked over each other, the minor squabbles, the dumb jokes and the laughter. Growing up, he’d always wished he had brothers and sisters. Or that his mother hadn’t cut herself off from her family. She’d been close to his grandmother and aunts but her father had never forgiven her for choosing not to marry Robert so they never went to extended family gatherings. Of course now that he was an adult those things didn’t matter. Much.