Chapter 24

By the time Rix got down to the water, I'd already waded in up to my waist. When we were teenagers, we would strip down to our underwear and jump in, but I was glad to see everyone was happy to leave that part of the tradition behind.

Piper was wearing jean shorts and a bikini top but Cassidy, one of the women I'd met at the bonfire, was wearing leggings and an oversized T-shirt. Greg was sitting on the ground drawing something with a stick.

"Charlie!" Tana bounded over. She was dressed similarly but her old T-shirt had shredded sides and looked much cooler than mine.

She pulled me into a quick hug.

"Hey! Did you know about this?" I asked, gesturing around at the group.

Before she could answer, Carter grabbed her from behind and ran straight into the water. She shrieked as they were both instantly drenched.

"It's not my birthday asshole!"

I covered my mouth with my hands to contain my laughter. It was completely juvenile but I'd always loved a good birthday dunk. I hadn't gotten to do that many of them since the only person whose birthday fell in the summer was Rix. We'd hung out at the creek, sure, but it wasn't the same.

Tana climbed out of the water and then held up her hands in excitement when she finally saw Rix. "Hey big brother! Happy Birthday!"

Rix just stared at her.

"Is somebody in a bad mood? You know what will fix that? A birthday dunk. Birthday dunk. Birthday dunk." Tana chanted and before long everyone else joined in.

Rix glanced over at me and even though he didn't say anything, it felt like he was whispering right in my ear. Something grumpy like look what I'm doing for you or the things I put up with. But despite his obvious annoyance there was a thread of amusement there also.

He was having fun whether he could admit it or not.

In true Rix fashion, he couldn't do anything simply. He reached over his head with one hand and yanked his shirt off. I huffed out a soft breath.

Why was that so hot when men pulled their shirt off in one motion like that?

But I didn't have too much time to appreciate his truly stellar six-pack before he took a running leap into the creek, splashing all of us in the process.

A cheer went up and then we all raced in. I took two hands and splashed Tana before swimming away. The water wasn't very deep so even though I wasn't a strong swimmer, I felt completely safe venturing closer to the middle of the creek. The sun was low in the sky and the light dappled through the trees painting everything with gold. The cool water was a welcome relief from the muggy summer heat and I almost wished we were swimming in our underwear.

Rix floated lazily by. His eyes were closed and his hair was slicked back which made the sharp lines of his jaw even more prominent. Seeing him like this, I realized that it was the first time in a long time that I'd seen him truly relaxed.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" He didn't open his eyes.

"I am. I was just thinking that maybe we should all strip down like we used to."

His eyes popped open. "Not a chance."

"Just kidding. Although when did you turn into a prude? The only reason you weren't skinny dipping back in the day was because your sister was there."

"That was then. And I sure as hell didn't want you skinny dipping."

He rolled over and pulled me into his arms. Alarmed, I glanced around looking for Tana. I didn't see her but then we'd moved slightly farther downstream from everyone else.

"What are you doing? Someone might see."

He didn't move. "You should have known that I didn't mean to steal your shirt that day. I didn't want anyone seeing you naked."

There was something in his voice that made me shiver. "Is that right?"

Voices got closer all of a sudden and his fingers tightened around my waist. For a second, I thought that he wasn't going to let go but then he turned around.

Greg swam by, splashing a ridiculous amount considering how slow he was moving. Rix glanced over and we both dissolved into laughter.

"Come on. Let's go before Michael Phelps comes back."

* * *

By the time we swam back to the group, someone had already started a small campfire. I looked around curiously. Tana had disappeared. As I was looking, Carter emerged from the edge of the woods. A few seconds later, Tana appeared right behind him holding some sticks.

She stopped when she saw me. "Oh hey! Where did you disappear to?"

My face heated but I kept my voice as normal as possible as I answered. "I swam a little further upstream. I forgot how beautiful it is back here."

"Yeah it is. I got some more firewood. Piper is grilling some hot dogs but I thought we could roast marshmallows, too."

She deposited the sticks on the ground and started arranging some rocks around the perimeter. While she was busy, I looked over at Rix. He had pulled his shirt back on and was sitting on the ground nearby. I went over and sat beside him.

"So was your birthday dunk everything you wanted it to be?"

His scathing look brought me so much joy.

"Why did you do this when you hate the creek?"

He didn't answer at first, just stared out at the water. Then he shrugged. "I hate the creek. But you don't."

That was it. When he was being his usual grumpy self, I had at least some defense against him. Yes, he had the kind of bedroom eyes that could make you agree to almost anything and an ass that was damn near impossible to ignore, but at least he was kind of a jerk most of the time. But this version of Rix, the one who seemed to know me even better than I knew myself, was a problem.

How was I supposed to resist falling in love with him when he kept doing these ridiculously sweet things?

"What happened with that guy in New York?" he asked suddenly.

The sudden change in conversation left me reeling. It was also a shock to realize that I hadn't thought about Aaron in the six weeks since I'd been here.

Well, you've been busy, I thought. But deep down, I knew that wasn't the real reason why.

It was because I didn't miss him. Not even a little bit. It should have been a relief that I wasn't that attached to the guy who had been so quick to discard me at the first sign of trouble. But what did it say about me that I'd stayed with him so long in the first place? Maybe I wasn't quite ready to think about that.

"Why are you asking about him?" I stalled.

Rix shrugged. "Just curious."

I thought about the girl who'd been about to hump his leg at the bonfire. "What happened with your ex?"

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

I made a face. "That didn't work even when we were kids."

"It was worth a shot."

We watched the group that was now roasting marshmallows over the fire. Tana was sitting right next to Greg and she was giving him the fake smile she only used when flirting.

"It's him," I whispered. If Tana was trying to keep her fling with Greg a secret, she was doing a terrible job.

"What's that?" Rix asked.

"Nothing. I'm just hungry. Those marshmallows look good."

He hopped up. "I'll get you one."

As he walked over to the group, I watched Tana and Greg more closely. They were talking so much at the bonfire that I should have seen it then. Although I wasn't sure why she would be so secretive about it with me? I could totally understand not wanting everyone else to know. Their moms would immediately start planning a wedding and knitting blankets for their future grandchildren. But she knew I would understand the need for discretion. The gossip mill in this town was relentless.

As far as I knew, Tana hadn't dated anyone local in a few years. She'd dated a chef about six months ago that she'd met online. But once they'd broken up, she'd channeled one hundred percent of her focus into her business.

Rix came back then with a still smoking marshmallow on a stick and a handful of graham crackers. I held it while he placed a few squares of chocolate on one cracker and then carefully used the other to slide the marshmallow off the stick. It smooshed into ooey gooey chocolate perfection.

"That is a work of art."

He waggled his eyebrows. "You like how I did that, right?"

I took the s'more and bit the edge. Sweetness exploded on my tongue and I moaned.

"Don't make that sound," Rix grumbled. "I can't walk around with a hard dick in front of all these people."

Chuckling, I held out the s'more to him so he could bite the other side. Chocolate oozed out onto his lower lip.

"Fuck, that's good."

"Exactly." I didn't bother to hide my moans and groans as we finished the treat.

Rix folded his hands behind his head and gazed up at the stars just starting to appear in the sky. It was that magical time just past dusk when the sky looked smoky and endless.

"Janelle wanted me to be something different," he said suddenly.

Shocked that he was actually talking to me about this, I moved slowly as I lay down next to him. Rix didn't open up easily and I didn't want to move too fast or ask too many questions.

"Different how?" I finally said when he didn't seem like he planned to elaborate.

"First it was moving in together. Because that's what people do when they've been dating almost a year, right? Then suddenly she wanted to know when I planned to get a real job. Because why was I doing these odd jobs instead of working for my parents? Then it was why aren't we engaged?"

He closed his eyes. "Everyone wants me to be someone I'm not. Like my life isn't enough unless I'm making a certain amount of money. Why can't ‘Hendrix small town handyman' be enough?"

My stomach sank with every word. Was that how I'd made him feel when I told him he could sell his art in New York? That hadn't been my intention but it was hard not to see the parallels. No wonder he'd snapped at me that day.

I had been just one more person making him feel like he wasn't good enough.

"Rix, I think that you should do what makes you happy."

He looked over. But just then Tana flopped down on his other side.

"How did you convince this one to celebrate his birthday this year?" She elbowed Rix and he grunted in response.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't even know where we were going when we started driving."

Tana shrugged. "Well, we need to hang out without the dead weight. There's only one bar outside of town but that's good enough. We need to get you laid."

Rix sat up immediately. "Really? I am right here."

Tana stuck out her tongue before she got up. "You can't hog Charlie. I need some bestie time. And a wing woman."

* * *

Two days later, my phone chimed again. Rix looked over and scowled. "Tana again?"

I picked up my phone. "She's not going to give up."

Tana had gotten it into her head that we needed a real Girl's Night. I looked back down at the text chain that had been going on since Wednesday at the creek.

Tana

We're getting drunk tonight.

Charlie

Good morning to you, too 3

Tana

Sorry. I really need to get out. This has been the week from hell. And this bar is slightly outside of town so we have a chance to meet some guys that we haven't known since kindergarten.

Charlie

I'm just not sure I'm ready to meet someone new.

Tana

It's not just for you. Piper hasn't dated since her loser ex cheated on her. She needs this night out, too.

Charlie

Fine but you're buying. I'm broke now, remember?

Tana

Girl, neither of us are paying. The jeans I plan to wear will be buying our drinks tonight.

Charlie

:laugh emoji:

Tana

Come on. I'll pick you up. I promise I'll be a complete gentleman all night.

"Looks like I'm going out. Your sister is determined we're all getting laid tonight."

He growled something under his breath.

"What was that?" I made a show of cupping my hand to my ear.

Rix grabbed the phone and threw it on the couch next to us. "I said, my sister is trying to kill me. You're going to be at the bar drinking while every man under sixty in the county is trying to hit on you."

"Jealous?"

He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, stealing my breath. "Maybe I am. You know things would be different if we just told her."

My stomach tightened. The idea of telling Tana I was sleeping with her brother filled me with dread. I wasn't even sure why exactly. Tana had never been catty with her brother's girlfriends. That just wasn't her style. She would be happy for us and it would definitely stop her from trying to hook me up with someone else.

But all I could think about was what would happen once it was over. No matter what we said, the Evers would make assumptions if they knew we were together. Assumptions about the future that I wasn't ready to deal with.

I'd done the whole serious relationship thing and it changed the way people viewed you. Tana would start making jokes about us being sisters-in-law and her parents would start including me in family events like I belonged there.

It hurt to even imagine being welcomed so warmly only to have it all snatched away when things between me and Rix inevitably cooled off down the road.

Besides, I didn't want Tana to think I was using her brother or treating him casually.

"Are you ready for your mom to start wedding planning?" I raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Because you know that's next if everyone knows."

"Good point." He kissed me again. "Maybe I'll call Carter and see what he's got going on tonight."

"How is his dad doing?"

I had seen Carter in town earlier that day and he looked like he was growing more tired by the day. I only knew a little bit about what was going on from Tana but I felt so bad for him. He'd been dealing with his father's drinking since we were kids.

"Not great," Rix answered simply. "I'm sure he could use a night out. Maybe I need to get him laid."

I snorted out a laugh. "When you invite him out, make sure you use those exact words."

* * *

That night, I set my phone up on the nightstand and set the timer to take a picture. There were no full-length mirrors in the house so I would have to hope this outfit looked decent. I was wearing a pair of black jeans and an old band T-shirt knotted at the waist. To make up for the simple style of the outfit, I'd added some jewelry and styled my hair more carefully than usual. Tana claimed it was a casual vibe so it should be fine.

It would have to be since this was the best I could do on short notice.

The doorbell rang and I grabbed my phone before running downstairs. Rix had left to meet up with Carter an hour ago. They were grabbing dinner at the diner and going bowling with Van. I was glad he wasn't here actually. The last thing I wanted was him hanging around in the background while Tana talked about us hooking up with someone.

I pulled open the door and then paused. "Wow. You weren't kidding about the jeans."

Tana sashayed by, swinging her hips. She was wearing a T-shirt too but it had been hacked off into a crop top. All the better to show off her tiny waist and the jeans which looked like they'd been painted on. Tana had been lamenting her small boobs since we were teenagers but the one thing the girl had was booty for days.

"Between your girls and these jeans, we're covering all bases. T A all day!"

I cracked up at that. "Let's get out of here. Is Piper meeting us there?"

Tana nodded. "She's probably already there. It's closer to her apartment."

After giving Meatball a pat, Tana waited outside while I locked up. Rix promised to stop by after dinner to check on the little guy so he wouldn't be alone for too long.

I had been worried that Meatball would feel abandoned if were both gone but he was remarkably good at keeping himself occupied. He'd spent half an hour chasing a piece of lint floating in the air that morning and then slept for three hours afterward like he was exhausted.

Tana grinned once we were in her car. "Finally. It feels like we've waited so long to be living in the same place again. Did I mention how glad I am that you're here?"

I laughed. "I've missed you too, crazy."

She pulled out of the driveway and turned the music up. "We're hot. We're single. This is going to be so much fun!"

* * *

Tana took having fun seriously.

From the moment we'd arrived, she'd gone into hyper sultry mode. She found us a spot at the bar, cocked her hip, and immediately some guy appeared offering to "buy you ladies drinks".

And so it went.

For the next hour, I'd watched in amusement as Tana flirted with every man who approached. Somehow she seemed to know everyone and they were all greeted with a sweet smile and a kiss on the cheek. One of the men looked so befuddled by the attention that he practically just threw his wallet at her.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure what had gotten into her tonight, but her energy was electric and impossible to resist.

As soon as her latest admirer turned around, I bumped Tana's shoulder. "You weren't kidding about not paying for any drinks."

She hummed. "This booty needs to be good for something. Otherwise it's just knocking stuff off shelves and making it hard to find pants that fit."

Just then Greg appeared. His eyes scanned over Tana appreciatively before he yanked his eyes away. "Hey guys."

Tana grinned. "Hey Greg."

When she turned to face the bar and he caught sight of her ass in those jeans, he turned slightly red in the face.

"Uh, can I buy you another ring? I mean another round," he stammered.

It felt voyeuristic to watch their blatant flirting, so I shifted on my wooden stool and looked around the place. The bar was called The Brew House and seemed to be a weird mix of a dive bar and a family restaurant. Tana had explained that during the day it served breakfast and lunch before morphing into a typical pub atmosphere at night. Apparently there weren't many options for nightlight unless you wanted to drive a half hour over to Harrisonville.

"Let's dance," Tana yelled over the music. "The bar has been invaded." She gestured over her shoulder.

Greg was nowhere to be seen but a few seats over sat none other than Carter. Which meant…

"Having fun?" a voice growled from my other side.

I turned to my left and glared at Rix. "Funny seeing you here."

He shrugged but his lips twitched like he was holding back a smile. "After dinner we decided to come have a beer."

"On the same night that you knew I would be here?" I crossed my arms.

"You know how it is in a small town. There aren't many options."

Tana nudged my arm. "Ignore them. They aren't going to ruin our night. We can get a booth instead."

I followed her over to a booth where Greg was sitting with two other guys. There was only one empty seat but there was no time to wonder if I should take it because Tana promptly planted herself on Greg's knee. He looked stunned but his hand immediately curved around her waist to steady her.

With a strained smile, I slid into the other seat. The guys all introduced themselves but it was so loud that I just smiled politely. When I looked back over my shoulder, Rix was watching. Carter was too. With a sinking suspicion, I looked over my shoulder to where Tana was laughing at something Greg said.

When they got up to dance, Carter's eyes followed them. The sadness in his gaze tugged at my heartstrings. I had suspected he felt something for Tana back when we were teenagers. We'd both had crushes on him at some point. It was practically tradition to have a crush on your older brother's best friend in high school. Or just an older bad boy in general.

Tana had always known he wouldn't touch her. Hendrix had been his best friend for way too long and he sure as hell wasn't going to risk that.

But things were different now. He was a respected real estate broker. He graduated college and owned a house in Washington DC. He had his life together.

It wasn't lost on me that his situation had some eerie parallels to my own with Rix. Was I willing to risk my oldest friendship on a relationship that probably wouldn't last past the summer?

Tana appeared in front of me and grabbed my hands. "Piper just got here. Let's dance!"

Piper was in the middle of the dance floor rolling her hips to the music. She waved.

"I promised to be your date tonight," Tana yelled.

Putting Carter and forbidden crushes out of my mind, I figured what the hell. I joined her on the dance floor and laughed as Tana twirled me several times. I'd come here to dance and have a good time with my best friend. The rest could wait.

* * *

An hour later, Piper grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the bar. "We have a problem."

I stumbled slightly before planting my hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

She pointed behind me. "That is the problem."

I turned to see Tana swinging her hair around as she danced next to the bar. I blinked. After dancing for a while, she'd insisted we get a round of shots to celebrate me moving back to town. But then someone had sent another round and she'd said it was rude not to take them. I'd tried to hand them out to everyone around us but Tana had swiped several from the tray before I could.

"She's drunk," Piper hissed. "And she keeps hitting on everyone. I'm afraid she's going to try to leave with someone we don't know. I don't know what to do!"

That made me stand up straight. There was a guy sitting right next to Tana who looked like he wanted to take a bite out of her and she was dancing in her own world, completely unaware.

"Let's get her out of here."

Piper chewed her lip. "I already tried that. She wouldn't come."

Hearing that made me more sure that we needed to leave. Tana wasn't a lightweight but she had definitely gone way past her limit. She could be a bit belligerent when she was drunk so you had to know how to talk her down. Carefully, I made my way over to the bar.

As I walked up I could hear the guy sitting next to her saying, "Let's get out of here."

When she swung her hair again, I grabbed her hand and pulled her against me. She fell into my side giggling.

"Charlie. We're celebrating!"

"We are! And now we're going to celebrate at my house."

I wrapped my arms around her waist like we were hugging. That seemed to work because she leaned into it instead of pulling away. The guy didn't look too happy that I was there though.

He glowered at me. "Actually, we were just leaving."

"No, we were just leaving. Because I'm not letting my drunk friend go home with somebody she doesn't even know. Do you know him?" I asked Tana.

She frowned. "Do I know who?"

"Exactly. It's time to go."

The guy stood up. "Who asked you, bitch?"

The aggressive tone made me take a step back but before I knew it, my view was blocked by a pair of shoulders.

"Watch your fucking tone with my girl." Rix put one hand behind him, like he was making sure I was there.

"Your girl needs to mind her own business. And so do you." The guy shoved him as he stood up. He wasn't as tall as Rix but had him by a good thirty pounds.

I gasped and grabbed Tana to pull her out of the way.

Rix just laughed. "You want to start some shit? Please give me a reason."

Just then Carter came to stand next to Rix. Greg appeared on his other side.

The guy looked around before he muttered something and then walked out. I didn't let out a breath until after the door swung shut behind him.

Rix turned around. "Baby, you okay?"

I nodded, still feeling like my heart was in my throat. "This is not how I expected the night to go. But I'm really glad you were here."

He slid a hand around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. My eyes fluttered shut and I temporarily forgot where I was. Then slowly the sounds of chatter and glasses clinking filtered through. I opened my eyes to see Carter and the other guys watching us.

"So much for keeping things quiet," I whispered.

Rix's hand flexed on the back of my neck. "Yeah well, Evers don't do quiet well."

"You just kissed Charlie," Tana muttered from behind us.

I spun around. Apparently Rix really had kissed me stupid because I had forgotten she was back there. As in right behind me. Tana leaned against the wall holding her hands to her head. She closed her eyes several times like she was seeing things.

She pointed at Rix. "You can't do that. You can't just kiss her!"

Oh boy. If I didn't get her out of here, there was about to be another fight. And this was a fight that Rix wouldn't win. Tana fought dirty.

"I think it's time to go home. Tana, give me your keys."

Tana shook her head and then groaned before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Clearly she was already paying for all the shots. She had to be pretty drunk if she didn't care about sitting on the floor considering how gross it looked.

Piper walked over. "I'll drive her home. I can stay with her tonight to make sure she's okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't have anything else to do." She looked between me and Rix and then lowered her voice. "But you have something way better to do. On behalf of all women everywhere, please do all the things. Then ride that man like the Pony Express."

I must have been tipsier than I thought because I cackled at that. Tana looked between us in confusion before Piper looped her arm around Tana's waist to help her up.

"Come on, boss lady. Time for a sleepover."

Once they were gone, I turned back to Rix. He couldn't hear what we'd said, so he just raised a brow in silent question. I shook my head and then waved him over. I'd had more than enough dancing and I was ready to go home.

Like Piper said, I had something way better to do.