Chapter 21
M ac sat down beside Lauren at the end of the dock, the wood creaking beneath his weight. He pulled off his boots, peeled off his socks, and rolled up his jeans. His feet slipped into the lake, and a soft moan escaped at the shock of the cold.
The lake stretched out in front of him, dark and still, the last light of day bleeding into the water. It'd been a long day.
One of the camping parties—new folks, city types—had left their unlocked cooler out overnight.
A bear had torn through it like tissue paper.
They'd been furious, demanding refunds, asking why no one had warned them.
Mac had tried to explain food safety, bear behavior, and common sense.
Even pointed out the rules they'd all read and signed on their reservation.
But they hadn't wanted explanations. They'd wanted someone to blame.
He had no patience for people who couldn't adapt to his world. It was only a few rules.
He let the chill of the water settle into his bones.
"Tired?" Lauren's soft voice covered him.
He nodded. "Hectic day. There was a cooler incident. Bears don't care about your granola bars or your sense of entitlement or your five-hundred-dollar cooler you'll only use once."
She smiled faintly. "Is that what you told them?"
"Would've, but Cord took over. He's better with people than I am." He glanced at her. "How was your day?"
"I spent it taking pictures of wildflowers.
Once I started, I was surprised at the abundance of flowers in the woods.
There's this bright red one that resembles little feathers.
It was my favorite." She inhaled deeply.
"I thought about picking a handful, but it felt more like killing them than keeping them.
I left them all in the ground and was satisfied getting multiple pictures of each kind. "
Mac looked at her, impressed. "Indian Paintbrush."
She turned to him. "That's what they're called?"
"They grow wild all over the ridge. Hardy little things. They say you can predict winter by how many there are. If there are a few, then it'll be mild. If there's a lot, we'll get more snow."
"There were a lot."
He chuckled. "Either way, the snow will start falling by mid-October."
"So soon?"
"Yeah." He leaned back on his hands and looked at her.
Her bare legs, the curve of her shoulder, the way her hair fell down her back, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was quiet tonight. Thoughtful. And something about that made him want to stay longer.
"Are you going swimming?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. Not tonight."
"Why not?"
She hesitated. "Ol' Hookjaw."
Mac blinked. "You've heard of him?"
"Jetter told me. Said he's the reason nobody swims after dark."
Mac spanned his fingers across his jaw and pulled on his beard to hide his amusement. "Figures, you ran into Jetter. What was my son doing?"
"I promised not to say." She looked out at the water. "He wasn't doing anything that would hurt him, though."
"Let me guess." He went back on his elbows. "He caught a raccoon again."
"No." She laughed.
"Doing wheelies on his dirt bike?"
She shook her head. "Nothing that extreme."
"Playing with the prairie dogs?"
She clamped her lips together. He shook his head, amused. "That kid."
"He's a good boy. You should be proud of him."
"My dad had told Jetter that story about Ol' Hookjaw when he was little to keep him away from the lake at night. It'd worked. Maybe too well." He looked back at the lake. "It's safe to go swimming at night."
She laughed. "It's okay. It is getting cooler. I don't have to go."
"I'll keep Ol' Hookjaw away." He sat up. "I promise."
"He's a legend, from what I've heard," she whispered.
Mac grunted. "I'm bigger than a legend."
She raised an eyebrow. "You can't swim. You don't have any shorts on."
Mac stood up, unbuttoning his jeans. "I've never worn shorts in this lake."
She blinked. "Seriously?"
He stepped out of his jeans, bare now in the fading light. "I swim like men are supposed to swim."
Lauren grinned, eyes bright. She held out her hand. "Alright, mountain man, protect me from Ol' Hookjaw."
He pulled her to her feet, and she dropped her towel, slipped off her dress, and stood beside him in her swimsuit. She held out her hand, clasping onto him.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes."
Together, they jumped.
The lake swallowed them whole.
She came up laughing, water streaming down her face. "It's freezing."
Mac treaded the water. "Refreshing."
He needed something to cool him off. Lauren had distanced herself from him lately. He wasn't sure why, and he wanted to be with her again. Her vacation was almost over.
Her chin chattered. He took pity on her and grabbed her waist underwater. Turning her around, he said, "Put your hands on the dock. I'll lift you."
"You can't lift me."
"Why not?"
"No, I mean, you can't lift me. I'm too heavy."
"Bull shit." He lifted.
She squealed, coming out of the water. Once she got her knee on the dock, he put his hand on her ass and gave her the oomph she needed to sit on the edge. Once she grabbed her towel, he pulled himself up and sat beside her, shaking the water from his hair and beard.
Her hand landed on his back, sliding down his skin. One touch undid him. He leaned to the side and captured her mouth, pulling her wet body against him. The cold was only a temporary fix.
His cock was hard and wanting her.