Bryce

Chapter 8

It had been over a week since the funeral. Over a week since Bryce woke up next to Samantha. Over a week since he was last able to think clearly. He had been purposely keeping his distance but staying in the loop through Rayelle. Rayelle and Samantha had become fast friends, speaking nearly every day.

It was ridiculous for him to still have her on his mind, but there he was. Sitting at his desk pining away. They should take his man card for that. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned back in his chair trying to get a grip. It wasn’t his fault his brother’s widow was both gorgeous and fun to be around.

“Get it together,” he said to himself.

“Tough day?” Rayelle asked from the doorway.

Bryce quickly sat up straight. He hadn’t heard her come in. “Seriously, you have to stop doing this. I’m too old to have the shit scared out of me like that. What’s up?”

“Dom left for work this morning.”

“You can’t be bored already. It hasn’t even been a day,” he pointed out.

He could never get sick of Rayelle being around, but he loved to give her a hard time. She had once again interrupted his thoughts from going in a direction they didn’t need to go. He knew it must be difficult having a spouse spend most of their time away. Especially a couple as close as Rayelle and Dominic.

“No. Well, yeah, but that’s not why I’m here. Samantha got the part.”

“Oh wow. That’s great. I’m happy for her,” Bryce said with a genuine smile.

“Yeah. So, are you going to tell me why you two are avoiding each other?” she asked. “Oh my gosh did you two have sex?”

“No!” Bryce couldn’t shout fast enough.

“A little touchy touchy then?” she asked.

“No. What is wrong with you?”

“I’m just trying to solve the mystery,” Rayelle said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Make yourself at home.”

“I am, thanks,” she said, ignoring his obvious snark. “Anytime you come up in conversation when I talk to Samantha, she can’t change the subject fast enough. And you get all weird when I talk about her, yet you always want to know what’s going on.”

“So?” Bryce asked, unimpressed.

“So, there must be a reason for the change. What did you do?”

He scrubbed his face with both hands as he decided if he wanted to tell her or not. “She was all awkward and nervous that morning after the funeral. And it annoyed me when she asked if anything happened between us that night. So, I might not have responded to that question the way I should have.”

“What did you say?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

“That if I ever touch her, it will be when I’m sure she’ll remember it,” he answered in a rush.

Rayelle stared at him for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles. “That explains it.”

“Okay, you can go now. I do have work to do. That’s why I’m in my office.”

“I’m sorry,” she said between giggles. “Seriously though. If you weren’t like my brother, I’d think that’s kind of hot. It definitely explains why she’s acting the way she is. Did you mean it?”

“Ugh. Go home, Rayelle.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said smugly.

Bryce rolled his shoulders before stretching his neck from side to side. “Have you seen her? Yeah, I meant it. But I shouldn’t have said it.”

“I invited her down for a few days to celebrate her getting the part and to relax before rehearsals start. That should give you plenty of time to apologize.”

“I can’t do that. That would be breaking one of my rules.”

Rayelle rolled her eyes. “And what rule might that be?”

“I don’t apologize for something if I meant it. And I doubt apologizing would change anything anyway.”

“Listen. I really like her. We clicked right away. You’re my best friend. Do you think I could be friends with her, and not have you around us? That’s not even possible,” she explained.

“Okay, fine. I’ll talk to her.”

“Great!” she chirped in excitement. “She’s on her way. Join us for pizza tonight?”

“I’ll think about it. I still have a few things to do before I’m finished working.”

“And? It’s a five-minute walk from here to my house where the pizza eating will be happening,” she pointed out.

“All my work doesn’t take place in my office. I have to check on the community center and make sure everything is as planned and meets my standards.”

“Didn’t you just go by there the other day? I’m sure it’s fine.” She rolled her eyes.

“You know that project is important to me. It needs to be done right, and I didn’t allow any room for errors in the budget. Whatever mistakes have to be corrected, I’ll have to eat the cost. So yeah, I was there the other day, but I can’t afford to catch a mistake several steps after the fact.”

“You worry too much. You don’t hire people who will make careless mistakes,” she said while giving his arm a pat. “Come over when you’re finished.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, grabbing his keys. “I’ll see you guys later. And I’ll talk to Samantha.”

It was a short drive to the community center. He could get there with his eyes closed, after being there so many times. He had become close to the couple who ran the center while serving his community service hours. Mr. and Mrs. Harper were the classic grandparents who everyone loved. They never had children of their own, and therefore never had grandchildren, but they easily took on the role for the neighborhood kids who spent time at the center. For a teenage boy who only sometimes had a mother, they filled a void.

He smiled as he walked through. The laminate floors looked great and would hold up well against wear and tear. The wall that separated the basement into two rooms was coming together as he had imagined. Instead of cramming everything onto the main floor, the main level would be used for activities such as games and movies, while the basement was being converted into a learning center where kids could get help with homework. One large room for elementary school-aged kids, and the other for junior high and high school.

He was worried since he hadn’t spent as much time getting his hands dirty in the past week, that the workers might get sloppy, but was pleasantly surprised. Rayelle was right. He didn’t hire the type of workers who didn’t give their all to a project; especially a project as important to him as the community center.

He drove his truck straight to Rayelle’s house after checking up on the job site. It would have been silly to drive home and then make the cold walk over to have pizza. He pulled into the driveway to find a small black car parked there. He hadn’t given much thought to how Samantha was getting to Rayelle’s house, but apparently, she had a car.

Stepping out of his truck, he paused to breathe in the cold winter air. He refused to admit to himself how nervous he was to see Samantha. It was silly. Nothing had happened between them. They were both adults, so although what he said to her may not have been the most appropriate thing in the world, it wasn’t a big deal.

He walked into Rayelle’s house to find the women on opposite ends of the couch engaged in an animated conversation. He didn’t miss the way Samantha’s eyes lingered on his before she looked back to her friend.

“You made it!” Rayelle exclaimed.

“Yeah. I made it,” he said with his gaze still set on Samantha.

“Samantha,” he said quietly and waited for her to look up at him before he continued. “Do you have a minute?”

He didn’t acknowledge Rayelle’s grin and nod of encouragement before Samantha spoke. “Yeah.”

Samantha pushed the blanket off her lap and slowly got to her feet. He hated how unsure of herself she seemed to be. If her nerves had to do with the way he had behaved, he would never forgive himself. She made her way over and looked at him, her brown eyes filled with uncertainty.

He started to speak but was entirely too aware of Rayelle pretending not to listen. “Do you have a coat?”

Instead of answering, she walked over to the closet and opened it. Taking her jacket off the hanger, she stepped into her boots as if she already knew what he had in mind.

“Let’s take a walk,” he suggested.

He opened the door and waited for her to step out before he followed. Putting his hands in his flannel-lined denim work jacket, he fell into step beside her. The air was crisp and cold as it had been for the past week. He was used to the New Jersey winters, but it had been unseasonably cold since the beginning of fall.

“Congratulations on getting the part,” he said as they made their way down the sidewalk.

“Thanks.”

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” he began.

“Yes, you have,” she said with a short laugh. “But that’s okay. I’ve been avoiding you, too.”

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. Her delicate features were illuminated by the streetlights; and even in the shadows, he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. He started walking again and she kept pace next to him. He hoped walking while they talked would put her at ease.

“I’m sorry if what I said made you feel uncomfortable,” he said after a few minutes. “I wasn’t expecting to react that way when you asked if anything happened. I don’t usually have such a short fuse. I just didn’t want you to have such low expectations of me.”

“I know. I haven’t known you for long, but I should have known better. I’m not used to feeling so awkward and unsure of myself. I don’t know where all that came from. I think I’ve just been in survival mode for so long that I stopped reacting normally to situations. And now that that part is over, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” she said, chuckling nervously at the end.

His heart stuttered at her admission. He kicked at a couple of stray stones that littered the sidewalk as they rounded the corner toward the small pond. He was a terrible brother. He should not have been having the thoughts he was having about his dead brother’s widow. Estranged or not, a man could not go after his brother’s girl. Even if he wasn’t alive to care.

“I really wish I could apologize for what I said. Especially knowing it wasn’t a jab at me. And knowing that after dealing with my brother, it’s no wonder you don’t trust people.”

She stopped and turned to him. “Okay? I mean, you don’t have to apologize. But I don’t get what’s stopping you if you wanted to.”

“Because I meant it. You’ve been on my mind since I met you. And if I touch you, it will be when you want me to, and when I’m certain you’ll remember it; not when you’re drunk or upset and I think I can get away with it,” he answered simply.

Samantha opened her mouth to react but was interrupted by the sound of a loud crack. They both whipped around to see where the sound came from. Instinctively, Bryce reached out and grabbed Samantha’s arm in case he needed to move her out of danger. His eyes took a moment to adjust in the dark, but his blood ran cold when he finally saw the source of the sound.

In the center of the frozen pond, a dog had fallen through the ice. It was no wonder. It had been cold, but not for long enough for the ice to be solid. The dusting of snow made it hard to see the pond clearly, so the poor thing probably didn’t realize he was on thin ice. Literally. His grip tightened on Samantha’s arm.

“Oh no,” she gasped, seconds after Bryce noticed the dog.

“Shit,” was all Bryce managed as he watched the animal paddle and struggle to keep his head above water.

“We have to get help! It’s freezing. Someone has to get him out of there!” Samantha shrieked.

Before Bryce realized what he was doing, he was unzipping his jacket and handing it to Samantha. He couldn’t watch the dog drown. And there was no time to get help. Dragging his shirt over his head, he stepped out of his work boots before rushing toward the edge of the water.

The thin ice immediately broke under his weight as he stepped into the icy water. He stopped for a moment as the cold took his breath away. He was vaguely aware of Samantha’s cries in the background once he continued to step forward. The icy water felt like knives stabbing his body. He knew the pond wasn’t very deep, so he lifted his arms and kept moving forward.

The dog paddled in circles, desperately trying to get free, but it wasn’t heavy enough to break the ice, or strong enough to climb onto the ice. Bryce could see the dog was getting tired, so he did his best to ignore the cold and the pain and move quicker. He had to get to the dog before it went under. Using his body to break through the ice, he trudged through.

Grabbing the dog by the scruff as soon as he reached it, he turned to make his way out of the water. The walk back should have been quicker without having to break through the ice, but he kept having to stop to adjust his grip on the squirming animal. As hard as he tried to ignore the cold, his teeth began to chatter. The dog kept kicking and scrambling, still in a panic, but Bryce kept moving.

“Oh my god!” Samantha cried, tears streaming down her face.

She helped him step into his boots and draped his jacket around him before snatching the wet dog from his grasp. At this point, his shivering was becoming more violent as he struggled to grasp his jacket.

“Hurry! We have to get you back inside!” Samantha shouted through tears as she wrapped the dog in Bryce’s shirt and pulled him toward the house.

Looking down, he could see blood on the hand that gripped his jacket. He was having a hard time concentrating on what was happening around him. His only focus was on the warm hand that gripped his cold one and the voice that kept shouting for him to keep going. By the time his vision began to blur, and his muscles had nearly given up the fight to cooperate, he recognized the front door of Rayelle’s house.

“Ray!” Samantha shouted as soon as she got the door open. “Help us! Take the dog! Where’s your bathroom?”

Rayelle rushed to them, clearly confused. “Bathroom is that way. What the hell happened?”

Samantha shoved the dog into Rayelle’s arms, ignoring her bewildered expression, and pushed Bryce toward the bathroom. He stepped out of his boots and followed her, trying to calm down his shivering. He was cold, wet, and beginning to feel groggy.

Samantha was in a panic. She knew the dangers of hypothermia and had to get Bryce warmed up fast. He was shivering uncontrollably by the time she shoved him into the bathroom. She put the lid of the toilet down and pushed him to sit before turning on the shower.

“Take your clothes off,” she ordered.

She reached her hand into the shower stream and tested the water. When she looked back at Bryce, he was still sitting down with his jeans and socks on, and his jacket draped over his shoulders. Knowing he was probably too cold to follow her commands, she tossed his jacket to the side and went for his belt buckle.

“You have to help me. Let’s get you out of these clothes,” she coaxed.

After fumbling with the wet leather, she was finally able to get his belt undone and his pants unbuttoned. She did her best not to lose her cool at his unfocused gaze. Giving his shoulders a shake to get his attention, she abandoned her plan to get him undressed.

“Come on. Let’s just get you in the shower. Stand up,” she pleaded.

The sound of her heart beating drowned out the noise of the shower and whatever else was going on in the background. She took his hands and pulled, then breathed a sigh of relief when he stood and stepped into the shower. She helped him sit in the bottom of the tub under the stream of warm water. Every instinct told her a warm shower or bath was the fastest way to warm him up.

After climbing into the bathtub with him, she pulled off his wet jeans and socks and tossed them to the floor. She closed the drain so the tub could fill with water and began to look him over. His chest was all scraped up from the ice, but he wasn’t actively bleeding. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it felt like trudging through the cold icy water.

Fully clothed but for her boots and coat, she straddled him in the bathtub and waited for signs that he was beginning to warm up. Her hands rubbed up and down his arms as she mumbled a garbled version of a prayer. By the time the warm water filled up to his waist, he shook his head as if getting his bearings.

“Are you okay?” she asked, fully aware of the warm tears streaming down her face as the hot water sprayed over the two of them.

He smiled up at her and gave a slow nod in response. “Is the dog okay?”

“Ray! Is the dog okay?” she shouted without looking away from him, causing him to flinch.

“He’s going to be fine,” Rayelle answered from the other room.

Samantha examined his scrapes more closely, her hands gently touching every part of his chest and arms. When her hands moved to his stomach, she felt his sharp intake of breath.

“I’m okay,” he said, taking her hands in his.

“Are you sure?” She moved her hands to his face, tenderly stroking his stubbled jaw with her thumb.

He leaned into her caress and turned just enough to kiss her fingertips. The heat that coursed through her was completely unfamiliar. Closing her eyes, she took in a ragged breath, trying to focus only on the warm water beating on her back. After an involuntary shiver, she opened her eyes and met Bryce’s heated gaze.

“I was so scared,” she admitted, her voice coming out as a strangled sob.

He gripped her shoulders. “I’m okay. It’s okay.”

Squeezing her eyes closed, she breathed yet another sigh of relief. When she opened her eyes, his gaze was still on her. Placing his hands on her upper arms, he pulled her toward him until his lips nearly grazed hers. She closed her eyes and held herself steady, keeping a firm grasp on his shoulders.

“It’s okay,” she felt him whisper against her lips before completely closing the distance.

His mouth met hers in what felt like both an apology and a demand. She parted her lips to the heat of his tongue as it tangled with hers, the warm water continuing to wash over them. She wrapped her arms around him, needing to get closer still. Her wet clothes clung to her. She struggled out of her shirt, needing to feel the heat of his body against hers, still not convinced that he was okay.

Gripping her waist with one hand, he worked his way up her side with the other, allowing his thumb to graze her breast. She arched into him, wanting more; moaning in desperation when he slipped his hand under her bra, dragging his thumb across her hardened nipple.

“God,” he groaned, moving his hand back to grip her hips before going completely still. “I’m sorry.”

She leaned back to look at him. He was dripping wet from the shower spray, and she didn’t miss the heat in his eyes. She was soaking wet, and it wasn’t just from the shower.

“I’m sorry,” she echoed. “Are you okay? Let me get you a towel and some dry clothes.”

She scrambled out of the tub and out of the bathroom holding her wet shirt in front of herself in search of Rayelle. She had gotten dangerously close to crossing a line. Who was she kidding? Lines had been crossed. And she wanted to cross the rest of them. He had been hard against her most sensitive spot while she clung to him in the bathtub, and all she wanted was more. She covered her mouth in shock even though she hadn’t admitted it out loud. Her husband had barely been in the ground a week and she was already thinking about another man. And it wasn’t just any man; it was his brother. Oh well. If she was going to hell anyway for feeling relieved by his death, she might as well see this through.

“What happened?” Rayelle asked, jolting her from her thoughts.

“Do you have any clothes Bryce can wear? Where do you keep your towels? Would you make some more hot chocolate?” Samantha asked in a rush.

Rayelle grabbed hold of Samantha’s arm and forced her to look at her. “Samantha. Calm down and tell me what happened.”

Samantha took a calming breath and quickly recounted the events from their walk. Just saying it out loud had her right back on the verge of panicking. He had been in the water much longer than was safe. Thinking about what could have happened brought on a wave of fresh tears.

“It’s okay. He’s okay, right?” Rayelle soothed.

“I don’t know. I think he’s okay. I hope he is.”

“So, take a few deep breaths with me,” Rayelle instructed before pausing to breathe. “Now. Towels are in that closet by the bathroom. I’ll turn on the fireplace and make us all some hot chocolate right after I grab some clothes for Bryce to wear and some dry clothes for you. The dog seems okay. He’s asleep on a blanket in the living room.”

“Okay. Right. Everything is okay.” She closed her eyes and willed herself to gain composure. “Thanks, Rayelle.”

Samantha returned to the bathroom to find Bryce sitting in the bathtub with the shower turned off. His shivering had slowed, and he looked even better than he did when she left him only moments ago. She had one towel wrapped around her shoulders and offered the other towel to Bryce. After unplugging the drain, he stood to get out of the bath. Water dripped down his nearly naked body and his wet boxer briefs clung to him, leaving nothing to the imagination.

He gave her a knowing smirk before reaching for the towel and wrapping it around himself. “You’re all wet.”

“I am,” she agreed, squeezing her thighs together. “Rayelle’s getting us some dry clothes. We should wait in the living room where the fireplace is going.”

Her nerves dissipated as soon as he took her hand and led the way to the living room. He really was okay. And whatever that was that happened in the bathtub hadn’t scared him away. Unless his brain had been damaged by the cold and he just didn’t know what he was doing. Or his brain wasn’t functioning when he kissed her, and he would remember everything that happened except for the kiss. She chuckled at that. It would be her luck.

“Here,” Rayelle said a few minutes later, holding out two different sets of clothing.

“I’ll get dressed in the bathroom,” Samantha offered. “With the fireplace going this is the warmest room of the house. You should get changed here.”

Samantha made her way back into the living room after putting on the dry clothes and giving herself a pep talk. She deserved to be happy. She was doing nothing wrong. In the end, whatever people thought was their problem, not hers. She repeated it to herself mentally as she took the seat on the couch beside Bryce.

He picked up a mug of hot chocolate from the coffee table and handed it to her. Wrapped in a blanket, he was holding his own mug of the steaming drink. He sat back and watched her carefully as if he was afraid she might run. Looking down, she saw the dog he rescued sleeping peacefully at his feet. His thick brown fur was mostly dry, and he didn’t look any worse for wear.

“I still can’t believe you did that,” Samantha commented. “But it’s pretty amazing.”

“What I did was stupid. But I couldn’t just watch him drown.”

“Well, now what?” she asked, looking down at the dog. “I hate to think of dumping him at the shelter.”

Bryce absently rubbed the dog with his foot. “I’m going to call the dog shelter in the morning in case someone is looking for him. But I am going to see about keeping him with me at least until an owner shows up. Today alone was tough; he doesn’t deserve to be thrown into a shelter with a bunch of other dogs he doesn’t know, and get ignored.”

“He needs a name,” Rayelle interjected from the other side of the room.

“Asher,” Samantha said without hesitation.

“Why Asher?” Rayelle asked over her mug.

Samantha smiled wistfully at the dog. “It means blessed or fortunate. I’d say he’s pretty fortunate that Bryce was there tonight. And he’s blessed that he seems to have found his new home.”

When she looked up, Bryce was looking down at her. His eyes crinkled at the corners and faint smile lines peeked out beneath the stubble of his short beard. She couldn’t look away. After a long moment, he looked back down at the dog.

“So,” Samantha said before waiting to have his attention. “How do you feel? Are you still cold?”

“No, I’m okay. Just a little sore.”

“You should let me clean up those cuts for you,” she suggested.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“It is not fine. You don’t know what’s in that nasty water,” she argued. “Rayelle, where do you keep your first aid supplies? I didn’t get him warmed up in a panic only for him to get some nasty infection.”

Rayelle grinned from her recliner. “Bathroom cabinet.”

“Take off your shirt, I’ll be right back.”

Samantha returned a few minutes later carrying an armful of supplies. She found peroxide, a box of gauze pads, medical tape, and antibiotic cream. She was mostly worried about getting his wounds clean, but she was glad she’d be able to cover some of the larger ones if she needed to. She went to comment on how well-stocked the medicine cabinet was but found Rayelle’s chair empty.

“Where’d she go?” she asked Bryce, who was waiting with his shirt off as requested.

“Said she had to make a phone call,” he answered with a smirk.

Their friend was giving them privacy. She was stealthy about making herself scarce, and if Samantha didn’t know any better, she’d think she might be trying to play matchmaker. For the second time that evening, she focused her attention on Bryce’s upper body. He was fit in a way that came from physical labor, not a gym. His chest was covered by a thin smattering of hair, and just below that was where most of his cuts and scrapes were. They didn’t seem deep, but they were red and irritated. Furrowing her brow in concentration, she began opening her supplies.

“You really don’t need to do this,” he repeated.

She poured some peroxide onto a gauze pad. “Let me take care of you.”

He flinched when she began to dab at his cuts. Placing a hand on his toned waist, she held him steady and continued to clean him up. When she looked up at him, his eyes were closed, and his jaw was clenched. She finished cleaning the area and then leaned forward to blow it dry. He gasped in surprise, and when she looked back up at him his eyes locked on hers.

“Sorry. My grandma used to do that when I was a kid and scraped my knee. It always helped,” she explained with a shrug.

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Thank you,” he breathed.

Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the warmth that spread over her. Such a tender gesture. She couldn’t allow herself to melt just because someone was finally treating her with genuine kindness and respect.

“Your forearm is pretty cut up. It’ll need a bandage,” she said, carefully holding his arm out by his elbow.

She gently cleaned the area on his arm with peroxide then put a thin layer of antibiotic ointment over it before wrapping it in gauze. She ran her hand down his arm and then stopped to squeeze his hand. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm before she could step away to put the unused items back in the cabinet.

“Thank you. I mean it,” he said when she turned to look at him. “I should take Asher and get home. Tonight was fun. Other than the hypothermia part… but even some of that part wasn’t bad.”

“Wait,” Rayelle said from where she had appeared in the room. “At least eat with us first, since that’s why you came over here in the first place. The pizza came while you were out trying to freeze your balls off. It’s in the oven.”

Samantha laughed in surprise. She was still processing the not-so-bad parts that Bryce mentioned when Rayelle had to go and mention his balls. Flustered didn’t begin to cover it. His brain must have been functioning properly during the events in the bathtub after all if he brought it up. She hoped he would stay a little longer.

“Well since you put it that way,” he said with a laugh of his own. “There’s no rush, I guess. What do you think, Asher?”

The dog looked up and wagged his tail like he knew his name.