Chapter 17
“Cheater!”
He climbs out of the water, winded from the exertion, and I take the moment to admire the ridges of corded muscle he keeps hidden underneath those dress shirts.
Leo Kingsley has the most incredible body I’ve ever laid my eyes on. His abs flex with definition and his bulging biceps practically beg to be touched. He’s all muscle and testosterone, and when he glares at me like that, with that fire burning behind his eyes, I want to melt in a puddle at his feet. I like to give him a hard time about being older than me, but truth be told, that’s part of his appeal. He’s a nurturer through and through … even when he’s looking at me like he wants to bend me over his knee … maybe especially then.
I hold up my hands. “It’s not cheating if it wasn’t stated in the rules.”
“It might not’ve been stated, but it was certainly implied, and you know it,” he growls out, and I pop my arms behind me, stretching myself as if his protesting doesn’t bother me in the least bit.
Of course, my apathy only annoys him more … which is exactly what I was going for.
His dark eyes scan my body, his gaze lingering on the thin, wet fabric of my bra. It’s hot and heavy and almost uncomfortable, but I don’t flinch despite the kaleidoscope of butterflies swarming to life in my belly. My nipples are hard and puckered beneath the wet fabric, begging for him to touch me, begging for him to give me even an ounce of relief.
“How did you beat me here anyway?” He looks around again, and I laugh, pointing to a small opening behind him.
“There’s a tunnel behind the rock where we started that leads straight to the waterfall. I found it when I was exploring before you showed up. I’m surprised you didn’t know about it, considering you used to come here all the time.”
“Oh, I knew about it. I just didn’t realize you did.” He huffs under his breath and rubs a hand behind his tense neck. “You played me …”
“Like a fiddle,” I say with a smile.
“Well, I only make honest deals, so the bet’s off. You can forget it. Whatever you’re thinking, I’m not doing it.”
I look him up and down, my eyes lingering on the massive bulge of his erection. “I guess we’ll have to see about that, now won’t we?”
He glances at his watch. “Come on. It’s getting late. We should head back to camp. I don’t want everyone to find us out here … like this.”
“You mean, soaked from swimming in nothing but our skivvies? The horror.” I feign shock.
He shakes his head as he helps me up. “Why don’t you lead the way since, apparently, you know all the shortcuts around here?”
I shrug. “Are you sure it isn’t so you can stare at my ass?”
“Fine. You’ve got me there. I’m going to stare at that perky little ass the whole hike back, all while picturing all the things I’d love to do to you. Happy?”
His admission makes my jaw fall open, but before I can press him on it, his massive palm envelops my neck in a firm hold, and I go completely still.
His voice is a low growl in my ear. “I said, lead the way, baby girl. Don’t look back at me. Let me enjoy this rare moment of peace before I go back to hating myself and you go back to pressing all my buttons. Can you do that for me? Can you do that for Daddy?”
I swallow a gulp, “Yes, sir.”
“Thank fuck for that,” he groans.
By the time we make it back to the camp, the sky’s painted in streaks of pink and bright orange as the sun sets behind the horizon, and the butterflies fluttering in my belly have mostly calmed down. It was an awkwardly quiet walk, but the tension between us said more than any words could. Leo goes back to pretending he’s unaffected by me, almost as if the moment we shared back at the waterfall never happened.
But when our eyes meet, there’s no denying the hurricane of attraction brewing between us, growing heavier and stronger with every passing minute. It’s only a matter of time before it’s too powerful to contain.
I untie my flannel from around my waist and shrug it over my shoulders.
There’s a chill to the air now that the sun’s gone down, another preview of what’s to come with the changing seasons.
“There you are. We were beginning to worry you got lost. I was about to send out a search crew to find you,” Frank says as he drops a few pieces of wood on the fire.
“Oh, honey, they’re engaged and in love. Probably sowing their oats all over these woods, if I had to guess.”
“Mom—” Leo and his brothers all say at the same time.
“What? You were all thinking it too. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a little exploration every now and again. Right, Franky?” She gives Frank a wink, and even in the dimly lit sky, I can see him blush.
“All right. That’s enough of that.” Leo claps his hands together. “What can I do to help with dinner?”
“Nothing at all. We’ve got it all sorted out. Ivy, I hope you like hot dogs? It’s a Kingsley tradition. We’ve got all the fixings to go with it,” Mary says as she gestures to a folding table with an assortment of sauces, peppers, and cheeses.
My stomach growls at the mention of it all. I must’ve worked up an appetite with all that excitement back there. “Hot dogs sound amazing.”
“You heard the woman. Leo, grab your lady a wiener, would you?” Frank calls.
I start to argue, but Leo shakes his head, pointing at the empty seat in front of the fire.
I do as I was told, taking a seat while he takes my order and serves me the perfect hot dog. It’s funny now that I notice it, but Leo loves to take care of me. As much as I’d like him to know that I don’t need him to, I don’t want to rob him of the joy he gets from doing it.
Roman, Guy, and Luka all sit in a line next to me, already eating their hot dogs, and we fall into a comfortable conversation as the sun slowly disappears beneath the horizon. I tell them about the little trick I pulled on Leo at the waterfalls, leaving out the part about the wager we made, and he teases me about looking like a professional wrestler and how he’s afraid of me. Everything about it feels right, this place, these people. I have to pinch myself to remember it isn’t a dream.
Even before my family was broken apart, before my sister got sick and my dad ran off to start a new family with his mistress, it was never like this. It didn’t feel this easy and comfortable. My parents didn’t look at each other with hearts in their eyes, but rather resentment.
My parents didn’t create intentional moments for us to bond or grow closer. They were both miserable and doing their best to survive. Mom was depressed, and Dad was always traveling for work. If we wanted happy family memories, we had to create them for ourselves.
Then, when Fern got sick, I had to step in to play peacemaker to keep everything from imploding on itself. The last thing my sister needed to see in her final days was our family crumbling apart, knowing she’d be gone and she couldn’t do a thing to stop it.
So, I stepped up, took the weight of Fern’s treatment decisions off my mom’s shoulders, and took on a role I was never meant to hold. I kept her from falling apart, and I made excuses for my father’s absence so my dying sister wouldn’t have to know he’d already moved on with his life as soon as she was declared terminal.
And now that she’s gone and I don’t have to worry about taking care of my mom anymore, it feels like I’m finally close to finding my own peace. The thought of that terrifies me because the familiar always feels safer even if the familiar means clinging to the past. I thought I could run from it forever, but the more time I’m spending with Leo, in this town, the more I’m realizing I’m just delaying the inevitable.
One of these days, I’ll have to face my grief head-on … but luckily, today is not that day.
By the time we’re finished with the s’mores—and I’ve got sticky marshmallow covering every finger—I nuzzle my head into Leo’s neck, feeling so grateful for all of this. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me into him as he gently traces his fingers along my arm in a soothing, nurturing way. It feels so natural, and I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it.
Everything about this feels natural, and for a second, I find myself wishing this were real.
But I’m quickly pulled out of that daydream as the ping of grief stabs at me, reminding me all too well what the pain from losing someone feels like. I don’t think I could survive that kind of heartbreak a second time.
The thought has my walls pulled back up as I remind myself that this is just for fun. I can’t let myself get attached or get caught up in the fantasy that this could ever be my life.
“Tell me, how’s the festival planning coming along? Your dad said you two have been quite busy at the office,” Mary asks, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.
“Oh, it’s coming along great.” I clear my throat. “We’ve added all kinds of activities, something for everyone. I think it’s going to be perfect. Don’t you, Leo?” I bump Leo with my shoulder. “We’ve had so much fun, coming up with ideas. Leo can hardly shut up about it.” If I’m here to help him prove that he’s a changed man, I might as well lay it on thick.
Frank wipes his mouth. “Is that so?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s all he talks about these days. Sometimes, I have to flash him to get him to stop yapping about it.” I lean into Leo and squeeze his biceps.
“That’ll do it every time.” Frank laughs. “It’s good to see you enjoying yourself, son. I worry about you working yourself so hard.”
“Yeah, I’ve been guilty of that …” His voice trails off. “But this one keeps me pretty distracted.”
I shiver as a gust of wind blows toward us, and Leo wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me back into his warmth. He smells like aftershave and cedar and something else that’s unique to him. I wish I could bottle it up or make a candle out of it so I could take it with me everywhere I go and never forget it. I let myself relax, snuggling into his warmth.
I know it’s just for show and that we’re pretending, but I could get used to being held like this. I trace my fingers along his corded forearms and up his biceps, loving the way his body feels wrapped around mine. I feel safe and protected, like when I’m with him, even the pain of my grief can’t hurt me.
“You two look so happy. You have no idea how relieved I am to see my oldest son finally living his life,” Mary says, and guilt pinches in my chest. I hate that we’re lying to her like this, and I hate I’ll be the reason her heart breaks when it’s over.
I’m relieved when Guy changes the subject. “Ivy, have you ever heard the story about the infamous Ashford Falls Phantom?”
Leo’s muscles stiffen, but he doesn’t take his arm off me. “Guy, don’t start with the ghost stories; Ivy doesn’t like being scared.”
“Oh, come on, big brother. It’s all a part of the camping experience,” Luka adds.
I brush a hand over his jaw, sensing his protectiveness over me, or maybe it’s his own fear rushing up to the surface. “It’s fine, Leo. I can handle it. Besides, it’s just a story, right?”
“We’ll take this as our cue to leave,” Mary says, and Frank stands to join her. “Please don’t scare my future daughter-in-law off. I’d like her to at least give Ashford Falls a shot before you send her running to the hills.” Mary gives them a warning glare, and I don’t miss the sharp tone in her voice. Whatever the story’s about, it’s obvious she believes it.
We say good night as they make their way to their tent. Leo stands to add more wood to the fire, and I take the opportunity to move closer, warming my body from the chilled air.
“I think I’m going to need a drink for this. Who wants to join me?” Luka asks as he pours whiskey in his compostable plastic cup. He doesn’t wait for an answer before he’s passing us each one of our own, and when he gets to Leo, he gives him a knowing wink.
It’s a small gesture, microscopic even, but something tells me there’s more to it than meets the eye.
“Here, sit in my lap if you’re that cold.” Leo pulls me into him, and I gladly take the warm seat and snuggle into him, sipping my own whiskey.
“You might’ve heard of the Phantom, but has Leo told you how he’s connected to our family?” Guy asks, bringing my attention back to him.
I shake my head, thinking back to the spooky stories Fern loved to scare me with.
“Stop with the theatrics and get on with it,” Leo says as he takes a long pull of his drink.
Guy holds up his hands. “I’m merely setting the tone, big brother. No reason to get your panties all twisted.”
He stands from his seat, moving closer to the fire, stoking it with a long stick. As if part of the performance, the fire roars to life, flames lapping higher and brighter.
“Now, where was I? Oh, right. As the story goes, the very first encounter with the Phantom happened almost exactly one hundred years ago in a cavern inside what we know now as Phantom’s Reach.
“A poor woman, whose husband had fallen ill due to the toxic fumes emitted from the mines, was down to her last crumb of bread. Her husband’s health was rapidly declining with the sickness, and she had no way to feed her four children. So, in a desperate attempt to put some food on the table, she disguised herself and set out to work the mines while her husband recovered. However, her plan didn’t work out the way she’d intended.
“When she arrived at the mines, her own chest began to hurt, and she quickly found that the men were acting odd, many of them confused and bickering among themselves. She tried to push through the fog in her brain, but quickly found herself just as disoriented and confused.
“She tried to find a way out of the cavern, but only seemed to be walking in circles as people began collapsing all around her. Hours passed, which soon turned to days, as she searched for a way out, pacing back and forth until her feet were blistered and bloody.
“She began hallucinating with visions of rescue, only to come to and realize she was still trapped in that cave. On the third day of her entrapment, something happened that would change the course of our history …
“A sickly, rancid odor filled the cavern, and suddenly, the air grew cold. She opened her eyes to find a monster towering over her. He had massive wings that spanned across his back; his skin was black and smooth, like leather; and on his head sat a crown of antlers, as if he were a king or royalty of some kind. He stared down his nose, his fluorescent-green eyes illuminating the space around him in a soft glow, as the woman crumbled helplessly beneath him.”
Leo’s hand tightens its grip on my thigh, and I cover it with my own. I take another sip of my whiskey, feeling my muscles loosen as I listen to the eerie story.
“She scrambled to her knees and began pleading for her life, begging him not to kill her. And when he finally spoke, he didn’t open his mouth, rather she heard his voice in her mind. It was gravelly and deep with a strange accent she didn’t recognize. The words she heard were, ‘I’ve come to warn you about the sickness in this land, sickness brought on by you and your people. I come to you as a harbinger that if you should continue your destructive ways, there will be deadly consequences to pay.’
“The woman told him that her husband had fallen ill, promised him that if he spared her life, she would do everything in her power to stop the mining. The Phantom saw the truth in her eyes and took pity on her. He took her word, agreeing to give her six months before he returned. But just as he was about to leave, she felt a searing, stabbing pain on her thigh as a reminder of his threat burned into her flesh.
“As the story goes, he marked her with the tip of his wing on the inside of her thigh. He carved out a gash, shaped like a crescent moon, which was rumored to have never quite healed completely and would start to throb the closer she was to him.
“Then, he was gone. The cavern air cleared of the rotting stench, and the other miners began to stir awake. The woman found her head had cleared of the fog and was able to find her way out of the cavern with ease.
“That night, she found her husband sitting up in bed, awake. It was as if he’d been magically healed. Although she was terrified, she knew she’d been blessed by the Phantom and soon began telling the story of her encounter to anyone who’d listen.
“They called her a fool.
“She became the laughingstock of the town, but she never stopped telling her story, never stopped pushing for change.
“As the weeks passed, she began to dream of the Phantom, as if he were reminding her of the ticking clock before his return. She was haunted by nightmares of explosions, seeing the people she knew and loved blasted into oblivion every single night and knowing there was nothing she could do.
“Despite her warnings, there was no change with the mining; in fact, they increased their production, adding more crews than ever. People were growing sicker by the day, and the land was barren of nutrients, making them solely dependent on the processed food they could buy from the few grocers that were left.
“Before she knew it, her time was up, and she was terrified to see his threat come to life. She intended on pleading with the Phantom to change his mind; it was her only hope. So, on the six-month anniversary of her sighting, she snuck away in the night, not even telling her husband where she was going, for fear that he’d stop her—or worse, follow her and get himself killed.
“When she arrived at the cavern, she called for him to show himself. And just like the time before, the air turned cold, and the sickly smell that she’d committed to memory returned. The Phantom appeared before her, even larger than she remembered, and when he spoke, he wasn’t pleased.
“He cast a curse on her and all her descendants for the next one hundred years, holding them responsible for the damage being done to the land. As the story goes, the curse would bring bad luck to those who poisoned the sacred ground where they stood.
“But should they choose to turn from their ways and heal the land, great luck and fortune would rain upon them with blessings and abundance.
“He warned her that because of the continuous harm they caused to the land, destruction would follow when they least expected it and made her mute for the next year as a punishment for failing.
“The woman ran home, horrified by her inability to tell anyone what had happened, and waited as the dreams and visions visited her night after night.
“And then, one beautiful summer day, not much different from this, they filed into the mines, where a massive explosion took the lives of sixty-three men and injured hundreds of others.
“Her voice returned the very same day… though, by then, it was too late.
“That woman was our great-great-grandmother and the founding member of Ashford Falls.”
“Wow, that’s sort of a buzzkill. So, why exactly is there a festival to celebrate this Phantom?” I ask, breaking through the tension in the air.
The brothers all share a look before Leo finally speaks. “We, uh … it’s more of an appreciation for what he represents rather than celebrating him. The part my brother failed to mention was that in the years that followed, most of the original town members died from illnesses caused by the mines. It wasn’t until our grandparents closed the mines completely that things started to improve.”
“And our luck,” Luka adds.
“Uh-huh. So, is that why your family started an eco-friendly company? You wanted to break the curse?”
Leo scratches the stubble on his chin and considers me for a moment. “Curses aren’t real, Ivy, but it was still the right thing to do.”
“And look at us now. We’re wealthy, healthy, and so is everyone else who lives here. I don’t need any other proof than that,” Guy chimes in.
“Well, cheers to creepy monsters and breaking curses, I guess!” I hold up my cup in a toast, and we clank our biodegradable cups together.
Suddenly, this man in front of me is starting to make a hell of a lot more sense.
“Now that I’m officially spooked … who’s up for a little fun?”
“Hell yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. What do you have in mind?” Guy says as he high-fives Luka and Roman.
Leo tightens his grip around my thigh. “Ivy, what are you doing?”
But I ignore him. “I thought we could play a little drinking game …”