The Hometown Hoax (The Hoax Series)

by Heather Thurmeier

  Her secret was safe with him. He wouldn’t tell. He’d already pissed her off once with the whole car accident and had only recently won her favor. He wasn’t about to risk getting on her bad side again. Her good side was so much better.

  “I promise I won’t get in the way, and I’ll turn a deaf ear to any girl talk. Mary invited me, and the thought of seeing the view sounded too good to pass up, but I won’t go if you want time alone with your sister. If I had siblings, I’d probably want to spend time alone with them bonding too.”

  He could practically see his words sinking in as Tessa’s stiff posture eased. She bit her lower lip, looking up at him sheepishly. “Of course you can come.”

  They started up the path at a leisurely pace, clearly in no rush to reach the top or wherever the lookout was. After a few minutes, they were so far into the brush already that he couldn’t see the cabins or hear people in the campground. The only noise was their footfalls, the rustling leaves, and birds. The wide trail allowed them to walk side-by-side. Its gradual incline was enough to make his breathing increase marginally, but not so much that it was any kind of struggle. He’d walked a harder incline on his treadmill. The girls, however, seemed to be having a more challenging time. Already, they breathed loud and fast.

  “You girls okay?” he asked.

  “Fine,” Tessa answered.

  “Actually, can we stop for a minute?” Mary asked. “I want to find a walking stick. Once the path gets steeper, I’ll need it.”

  “Sounds like a good idea for all of us,” he said. And it would give them a chance to rest before they started up again.

  Tessa wandered off the trail a few steps to retrieve a stick that came up to her shoulders. Logan looked around for a few minutes before finding one. He had no question about being able to hike the steepest sections even without the help, but he wanted to be part of the group. So if the girls were using walking sticks, he would too.

  He was about to suggest they continue when Mary’s cell phone rang.

  “Hey, James. What’s up?” she asked, perching on the edge of a large boulder. “Oh crap. I forgot about that. I’m about twenty minutes up the lookout trail with Tessa and Logan. I can probably be back in half that. Can you wait for me?”

  Apparently, Mary was supposed to be in two places at once. The thought of her heading back to camp by herself on the trail didn’t sit well with him.

  “Sorry, guys. I’ve got to cut my hiking trip short,” Mary said after ending her call. “I forgot James and I are supposed to cook tonight. I have to head back and run into town to pick up the stuff we need.”

  “Can’t James go by himself? He is an adult now and can buy a few groceries.” Tessa’s voice sounded simultaneously annoyed and nervous. An odd combination.

  “He could, but then we’d likely end up eating Doritos and beef jerky for dinner.”

  Tessa groaned. “True. Remember last time he was in charge of the meal himself? Nothing says camping like fish sticks with macaroni and cheese for dinner. It was as if he forgot we weren’t a bunch of five year olds.”

  “See why I need to go?” Mary laughed. “I’ll make sure we eat something decent tonight.”

  “Can we walk you back?” Logan asked, hoping she’d say yes. Hiking alone could be dangerous.

  “No. I’ll be fine. I’ve hiked this trail a thousand times and I’ve got everything I need in my pack.” Mary pounded the end of her walking stick into the ground as if testing its strength. “Besides, it’ll take me half the time to get back and you’d have to turn around and start your hike all over.”

  “Are you sure? It’s no trouble?” Tessa added, shooting a sideways glance toward Logan. “Maybe we should head back too.”

  “It’s your favorite place here. Take Logan. It’s an amazing view and one you shouldn’t miss because I have to go grocery shopping.” Without waiting for more discussion on the subject, Mary gave them a huge smile and started back down the trail, calling over her shoulder. “Have fun. Don’t hurry back. Dinner will be late tonight!”

  As Mary disappeared around a bend, he turned to face Tessa. He grabbed his own walking stick and nodded toward the trail leading the opposite way of Mary. “Ready?”

  Tessa stared after Mary for another few seconds. “This way,” she said with a shrug.

  He walked alongside her, easily keeping her pace. A few minutes of silence felt like a million. Tessa sighed every minute or so, and each one sounded progressively more annoyed. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “You seem really irritated to be hiking with me. We can turn back if you want.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “Will you tell me what’s bothering you?”

  “Nothing’s bothering me.”

  He laughed. “Famous words said by every annoyed female in history.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s not you, but I can’t believe Mary bailed on us.”

  “I don’t think she meant to. Besides, it’s still fun to hike this trail, isn’t it? I promise I’ll be good company. And if it will make you feel more comfortable, I’ll even call you Tessa-bear so you feel like your family is here with you and you’re not alone in the woods with a guy who’s basically a stranger.”

  “First, don’t you dare call me that name. It’s one that’s been around since I was a kid and I’ve hated it my whole life. And secondly, you’re not exactly a stranger anymore.”

  He smiled as her tone and mood shifted to something more upbeat and friendly. “Don’t forget how I saved you while paddle boarding,” he added, goading her on.

  She scoffed. “You did not save me. In fact, you’re the reason I ended up in the water to begin with.”

  He ignored her. “And let’s not forget the kiss. That’s not something strangers do.” No way could he forget that moment. The feeling of her lips on his was burned into his memory like they’d been branded on his brain.

  Tessa stumbled when her foot slipped on the path. He reached out and grabbed her upper arm, steadying her. “I’m fine,” she insisted, shaking her arm loose and starting up the trail again.

  “So why exactly do you hate your nickname so much?”

  “Because it’s childish.”

  “Lots of people have nicknames they’re given as children and they sort of cling to them, cherish them. Why don’t you? There must be more to it.”

  “It’s a childish nickname that makes me feel like I’m still a kid. And every time I tell them not to call me that anymore, they ignore me and do it anyway. It’s another way they don’t see me as an adult. They don’t listen to me or respect my opinion.”

  Now that made sense, but she was probably being a little hard on her family. They’d seemed nothing but loving and kind the whole time he’d been around.

  “What about you? Any nicknames you had growing up?”

  He shook his head. “My parents weren’t nickname kind of people. They took life seriously. Always worrying about everything.”

  “Guess you’re lucky on that account then. I’d take no nickname over the one I’ve been cursed with.”

  “I think you’re the one to be envied. You have a family who loves you.”

  “And meddles in my life and constantly nags me to move home.”

  “Because they want you close by. You’re lucky to have a family who cares.”

  “You want them? You can borrow them for a few years.” She had no idea what he’d give for a family like hers. “Did your parents care when you moved out of the city to the middle of nowhere?”

  His heart ached in his chest. Even after all these years, it still hurt. “Nope. They’ve got nothing to say about it. They’re not around anymore.”

  “Not around as in they moved or…”

  “Back when I was about seventeen my mom got breast cancer.” His breath burned in his chest as the elevation climbed and the trail got steeper. A sweat broke out on his back.

  Tessa’s hand slipped into his and squeezed. He held her tight, his large hand engulfing her tiny one. The
contact felt good, comforting. As if having her touch made his story easier to tell.

  “She started treatment right away and the cancer was small so she beat it and went into remission. I remember they were so happy, it was like a weight had lifted off them and they suddenly had a new outlook on life. They smiled more and stopped being so serious all the time. It was awesome.”

  “It’s amazing what a little perspective can do, right?”

  “Yup. So they decided to go on a huge trip around the world. I was about to graduate high school so I stayed home. They were somewhere in the Amazon when they went missing. They went into the jungle, but never came back out.”

  “I had no idea. I’m so sorry for your loss, Logan.”

  The tough shell that seemed to constantly surround her finally cracked. For the first time he got a glimpse of the woman she kept so closely guarded.

  The pain of losing his parents had lessened over the years but there were moments when he still hurt. Telling Tessa about them made his emotions surprisingly raw. And yet she made him feel completely comfortable in sharing his story. Most of the time, he glossed over what happened saying they died, period. But with Tessa it was different. He wanted her to know the whole story. He felt compelled to be completely honest with her the same way he wanted her to be completely honest with him.

  “How did you go on to become so successful after suffering a loss like that? I think I would have curled into a ball and stayed there.”

  “Well, I don’t know how successful I’ve become given that I had to shut down my business and become a temporary gym teacher instead.” He chuckled, but nothing about his situation was all that funny. “I guess I kept going because I knew that’s what my parents would want.”

  They started up the steepest part of the trail so far. “With everything you’ve been through, you have an amazingly positive outlook on life. I haven’t heard one negative thing out of your mouth all week. I don’t know how you do it, but I should probably start taking notes.” She tried to laugh but was breathing too hard.

  Even he had to admit this part of the trail was tough. “Life’s too short to wallow in what isn’t. So I focus on what is and what could be instead. Enjoy the moment, but plan for the future too.”

  Conversation fell away as the trail difficulty intensified even more. Tessa never stopped or complained as they climbed. The path was so narrow they had to go single file. If he hadn’t had to concentrate so hard on his steps, he would have taken more time to enjoy the view ahead of him. As it was, he could barely enjoy Tessa’s rear swaying in front of his eyes.

  The terrain suddenly flattened out onto a plateau. Without the incline, he realized how hard his legs had been working. His quads quivered with the sustained exertion. He could only imagine how Tessa’s quads must feel right now… He could almost feel the heat of her thighs on his fingertips. They were probably soft and smooth and muscular.

  “The lookout spot is over there, behind that outcropping of rocks.”

  A pasture of green opened up before them. It wasn’t huge, maybe only a couple hundred feet in every direction, but it was large enough to be spared the shade of the tree canopy. Running through the middle was a small river with a five-foot waterfall that emptied into a pond before the water continued over the edge of the mountain they’d climbed.

  “This is gorgeous. I can’t believe there’s anything better up here than this place.” Seriously, if they’d climbed the whole way to see the lookout point, and she’d never even mentioned this beautiful spot, he couldn’t guess how stunning the view from the lookout must be. Sweat trickled down his back. The thought of going for a dip to cool off was too good to pass up. “I’m sweating like crazy. I’m going to take a swim to rinse off. Want to join me?” he asked, pulling his shirt over his head and walking toward the pond.

  “I didn’t bring a swim suit,” she said, following him.

  “Me either, but I’m not about to let that stop me.” He stopped at the water’s edge and toed off his shoes, then peeled off his socks. He paused with his hands on his waistband. “If you don’t want to see the rest, you better look away.”

  He didn’t miss the pink of her cheeks as she turned her back. Her coloring had nothing to do with the heat or their hike, he was sure of it. It was the same pink hue that had tinged her cheeks a couple of other times when he’d been bare-chested in front of her. Seeing him without a shirt caused a strong reaction in her, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

  “You’re leaving underwear on, right?” she asked.

  “Wrong. Hiking back with soaking wet boxers would lead to way too much chaffing of important parts. I’d rather go nude here.”

  “Oh,” she whispered.

  He stripped down, leaving his clothes in a pile on the dry riverbed. The water was cold as he waded in then submerged fully, and for a moment he worried about shrinkage. But Tessa probably wouldn’t get close enough to him to notice anyway. It was more refreshing than he’d imagined. Instantly, his body temp dropped and his energy revived itself. “You can turn around,” he said.

  “How is it in there?” Tessa asked. She pulled her shirt away from her stomach, making the material flutter, fanning her overheated skin.

  “Better than it looks. Stop being a prude and get in. I’m sure your bra and panties are no skimpier than that bikini you wore the other day.”

  “I’m not a prude. And if I come in with my panties on, won’t I end up hiking in discomfort too?”

  “Good point. You should come in naked. I’ll be honest. The cold water swirling around my junk feels pretty fantastic. You’re missing out.”

  She took off her sneakers and socks and dipped a toe into the water. “Swear you’ll be a gentleman and not look until I tell you it’s okay. And you’ll keep your distance. Deal?”

  “Deal,” he said with a wink before turning his back.

  Chapter Ten

  Tessa hesitated with her thumbs looped into the elastic of her panties. So far Logan had kept his word and hadn’t turned around. But would he continue to be good? The thought of his gaze raking across her naked body made her hotter than the sun beating down on her bare skin.

  “Are you in yet?” he asked.

  “No, don’t turn around,” she said.

  Pushing aside her last ounce of hesitation, she stepped out of her panties and tucked them into the pocket of her pants, then added her bra to the mix. She couldn’t stop the instinct to cover herself with one arm across her breasts. She attempted to cover the rest of herself but quickly gave up. She needed more hands.

  But not Logan’s hands.

  Giving in to the moment, she let her arms hang by her sides and stood completely uncovered. It was only skin, right? Besides, the water would cover her as soon as she got herself into it.

  Embrace nature.

  Her body might be hot and in need of cooling off, but that didn’t mean the water didn’t feel damned cold. “I thought you said this was refreshing.”

  “It is. If you’d stop being a baby and get in, your body would adjust to the temperature faster.”

  “I am getting in.”

  Cool spring water rose up her thighs. When it crested her hips, she shrieked.

  “Are you okay?” Logan asked, simultaneously turning and reaching for her.

  She shrieked louder and dropped into the water, her knees hitting the bottom like a cement block. “I told you not to turn around!” The cold water now hovered around her shoulders, almost stealing her breath while she adjusted to the temperature.

  “But you yelped and I thought you needed help or hurt yourself,” he said, shrugging. “I was prepared to save you.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  He grunted. “How was I to know you’d make that sound because of a little cold water? You could’ve fallen or twisted your ankle.”

  “Well, I didn’t. And I couldn’t help the noise. The water is cold and my body was hot and…”

  His gaze dipped down as if he could see thro
ugh the water to her naked flesh. “Yes, it was,” he said in a tone so low it was almost a whisper.

  What did that mean? He didn’t see anything, did he?

  Her head spun with the thought that he’d seen her naked breasts. But hey, why not? He’s already seen my ass so why not give him a peek of my boobs too?

  “You didn’t see anything, right?” she asked, resisting the urge to cover herself. The water did that job for her, didn’t it? She couldn’t see anything below his waist where the water line hit him—not that she was looking—so he must not be able to see her either. At least, that’s what she’d keep telling herself, since climbing out of the water wasn’t an option. He’d definitely get an eyeful then.

  “Not really.” He looked her in the eyes and she instantly knew the truth.

  He saw my boobs.

  As if in response to the confirmation, her nipples beaded. Damn it, they wanted his attention. Well, they weren’t going to get it. Tessa swam deeper into the water. Getting involved with Logan was not an option if she planned to keep her ties to Cutter’s Creek limited. He’d just become another reason to feel the pull to come home. “How do you keep seeing parts of me naked?”

  “How do you keep finding yourself naked and in situations where you need help?” he countered.

  “I didn’t need help this time.”

  “It sounded like you did.”

  “I think you wanted a peek.”

  He grinned. “If I wanted a peek, I would’ve turned around and watched. I only turned when you shrieked. So it’s your fault I saw anything. However, if it’s any consolation, what I saw, even fleetingly, was pretty spectacular.”