Chapter 8

eight

. . .

River

T he rush of water around me muffled all other sounds as I cut through the length of the pool. I needed this. The sensory deprivation swimming offered me was like no other when it came to helping me manage my churning thoughts. Here, I didn't have to be on the lookout for someone who needed something from me, or worse, dangers and distractions that left me destitute. You might say it's my coping mechanism for dealing with the trauma I experienced when I was eighteen.

Before leaving everything I'd ever known to live with my grandmother in Hemlock Harbor, I'd never had this kind of fear. If anything, I'd have said I was fear less . Growing up around rugged cowboys, I'd wanted to prove I could do anything they could do, but I also knew beyond all doubt that they'd keep me safe. I'd naively assumed the same would be true in Hemlock Harbor. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Instead of a warm and loving grandma, I'd found an abandoned house and a tombstone. Within twenty-four hours, I'd been mugged, and all that birthday money I'd shoved into my bag was gone. Along with my phone, laptop, and the pretty solitaire necklace my parents had given me only a couple days before.

It had been sink or swim, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that I sank. I sank fucking hard before learning how to swim. Thank God for Bear. If not for him, I may not have survived a week, let alone the ten years I'd managed. He was the one who took me in when I was finally able to call home and found out my parents had been in their accident. Senior had been the one to break the news. He'd also been the one to tell me not to come back until he called me home. Not for any reason. Not even their funeral.

So with nothing left for me in Devil's Grove except heartache and threats and a trust I couldn't access, Bear helped me start over. He also helped me channel all my pain. He gave me a job. Taught me how to defend myself so the next time a punk tried to steal from me, I could fight back. And he offered me a choice between the pool or the ring for dealing with my simmering anger.

Even though I could scrap with the best of them, I'd never been a fan of boxing, so the pool it was. It had been my safe place ever since. Sort of church and meditation and exercise all rolled into one.

I flipped at the end of the pool and pushed off the wall, coming to the surface and turning on my back for a set of backstrokes to cool down. The Cross boys had me tied up in knots. I couldn't stop thinking about that fury-filled kiss in the hallway, the taste of Cross's blood in my mouth, the way he'd ground his hard cock against me even after I bit down on his lip. Meanwhile, Walker, with all his tattoos and bad-boy charm, had starred in a highly inappropriate dream just last night. And then there was Sterling. Wounded. Strong. Supportive. We'd shared a moment outside, one I couldn't deny. He saw me in a way no one else had.

They called to me. All three of them.

And not a single one of them could ever be mine. That's not why I was here. God, if Gigi heard about this, I'd never hear the end of it. She'd have me in the middle of a cowboy triple-decker sandwich before we ended our phone call.

I'd just completed my lap when a familiar shadow fell across the water.

I pushed my goggles off and squinted up at my visitor. All I could make out was the brawny form and cowboy hat, but backlit as he was, I couldn't place him. That is, not until his amused drawl hit my ears.

"You should'a told me you were going for a swim. I would have joined you, darlin'."

The way Walker said darlin' shouldn't have sent a tingle between my thighs, but it did. Damn him.

He squatted down, those inked forearms of his on beautiful display. With one thick finger, he poked my goggles. "Cute. I especially like the rings they leave around your eyes."

Suddenly embarrassed, I pulled them off and glared at him. "Shut up."

"Make me."

The twinkle in his eyes reminded me of when we were teens and we'd play chicken in this very pool with school friends. We were always teamed up, with me on his shoulders. We'd been the reigning champs. Not quite undefeated, but damn close. Thanks to that one time Cross and his bitchy girlfriend Colleen challenged us. That was the last time we played. I was seventeen and am embarrassed to admit my boobs spilled out of my bikini top as I popped up out of the water. Cross and Walker both saw everything. It was safe to say we didn't play chicken again after that. And I invested in about seven new bathing suits. I'd been a late bloomer and hadn't been prepared for the way everything that had fit at the beginning of the summer didn't by the end.

Guess it was a lesson for all three of us.

"You about done?" Walker asked, pulling me from the memory.

"Yeah, help me out?" I reached for him, but he gave me a dubious glance in response.

"Oh, no. I'm not falling for that. You think I'm new here?"

Well, now that he'd given me the idea...

"Are you serious? We're almost thirty years old. I'm not going to pull you in."

He grinned and held out his hand. Trusting fool. The instant our hands were connected, I braced my feet on the side of the pool and tugged with all my might. He went down like a sack of bricks, sending water flying as he windmilled and sputtered.

It was so damn ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh. Even when I caught the promise of retaliation in his turquoise irises.

"This was a brand new pair of boots!"

"Oops. I slipped."

"You . . . Oh, you're gonna get it, ladybug."

"You'll have to catch me first." I was off and swimming for the opposite end of the pool before I finished issuing my challenge.

It may have been a while, but Walker still knew all my tricks, plus he had a few inches on me, and he was able to catch up enough to snag me by the ankle and reel me back.

He pulled me against his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me tight. "There she is. I keep seeing glimpses of the River I knew."

The lighthearted moment popped, and my smile faded as reality crept back in. "A lot has changed. I'm not that little girl anymore."

His eyes dropped to my cleavage, and his grin curled up. "No, you are not."

I shoved at him. "Walker."

"What? I was agreeing with you." The way his gaze trailed up to my eyes had my breath catching in my throat. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm all grown up too."

Swallowing through a tight throat, I nodded. "I gathered that."

"Are you two finished with whatever this is?" Cross's voice was a whip's unexpected lash, making me jump in Walker's hold.

I wriggled free and swam to the ladder, climbing out as Walker continued to stand in the pool. "It's hot. Thought I'd cool off."

"In your clothes?" Cross asked, his focus trained squarely on his brother.

I was thankful. I'd thought nothing of bringing this cheeky bathing suit when I'd packed, envisioning myself spending some downtime at the hotel pool. But now, with most of my ample ass on display in front of the Cross brothers, I was mentally adding a more full-coverage suit to my shopping list.

"Couldn't wait long enough to get my suit on, and I didn't think ladybug would appreciate me going au naturale."

"Still going commando?" I teased, more because I could see how much our playful banter annoyed Cross than because I really wanted to know.

Okay, that might have been a lie. I was a little curious.

Walker winked at me. "You know it, darlin'."

"What did I say about calling me darlin'?"

"That it gets you wet?"

I gaped at him. "I am not wet."

"Sweetheart, you're literally dripping."

"From. The. Pool."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Walker Wayne!"

He laughed. "River Danielle . . ."

"Jesus fucking Christ. You two are impossible. River, there was an envelope delivered for you by courier. If you're going to order shit, let me know. Tex had to drive out to the gate to meet the delivery guy."

Just that quick, my blood ran cold. "I didn't order anything."

"Well, the mail on your bed says otherwise."

"Wh-who is it from?" I wrapped my towel tighter around my torso.

"How the fuck should I know? I didn't look. You're welcome, by the way."

"God, Danny, you're such a dick," Walker said, climbing out of the pool.

A muscle twitched in Cross's jaw, reminding me that he despised being called Danny. I made a mental note to make sure to call him that as often as possible.

"I've got meetings the rest of the day in Dallas. I'm taking the chopper. I won't be back until morning." He leveled his stare at Walker. "You've got this?"

Got what? Me? The ranch?

Walker gave his brother a two-fingered salute. "All over it."

"Good." Cross turned back toward the house, and as he walked away, I called, "Thanks, Danny!"

His gait faltered, and I could see him clench and unclench his fists.

Score one for me.

Walker snickered. "Vicious, bug. Absolutely vicious."

"Nope. No bug." I tossed him a towel. "I'm not an insect. Also, that's the kind of name you call a kid. As you are well aware, I'm all woman now."

That panty-melting smirk again. God, he was dangerous. "It's that or darlin'. Take your pick."

I shivered, and a knowing gleam entered his eye.

"So what time am I picking you up, darlin' ?"

"For what?"

"Our date. It's Saturday, and our jailer is away for the evening. Time to go raise a little hell, don't you think?"

As much as I was itching to see what was in the envelope Cross had delivered, I could use a bit of mischief. And mischief with Walker Cross was an experience I never regretted.