Chapter 2
Tanner
Present day
I keep my eyes locked in with Aisling’s until she defiantly lifts her chin and swishes away, and then I’m turning around to face Hunter, jerking my thumb across the lake.
“Explain.”
Hunter blinks. “Explain what?”
“Aisling O’Malley,” I say roughly. “What the hell is she doing here?”
“She’s on summer break,” he says, like isn’t it fucking obvious? “I told you, I’m staying near Fallon while she’s doing her thing here. I mean, look at that place.” He tips his chin and I glance reluctantly across the lake. “How secure does that look to you?”
Aisling and Fallon are having a frantic conversation in front of a large wood and stone lake house, with large lower and upper story windows and an expansive wrap-around porch.
The forest stretches behind it, dark and dense.
I shove my tongue in my cheek, understanding Hunter’s point.
Two chicks in the middle of nowhere? Of course Hunter wants us to bodyguard them.
I look over to the left as the rest of our guys begin dismounting from their trucks.
We rented four cabins for the summer here in Larch Peak. Partially because a few of us have moved out of the hockey house at Carter U and are about to move permanently to Larch Peak, seeing as Hunter and I will be going pro with their home team this fall. But for me it’s also because I want to be close to home, knowing that my mom could be calling me about my dad’s deployment schedule any week now.
My dad’s been in the army for my entire life, and whenever he’s back on home turf it’s a fucking privilege for me to be able to see him. We know that he’ll be likely coming home this month or the next, and I want to get back to Carter Ridge as soon as that happens.
There are at least ten small wood cabins running along our side of the lake, and then the water curves and leads the shore around the base of the Larch Peak mountains.
Hunter and I are bunking in one, then Austin and Tristan, and then Hughes and Shaw. Plus, somehow we managed to convince Caden to join us, with the idea that staying by the lake with his chick would be, like, romantic or something. They usually spend the whole summer down at his ranch in Kentucky but it looks like she was down for something different this year. Which is why when Caden steps down from his rental truck and rounds to the passenger side door, we hear quiet girlish laughter, drawing our eyes in their direction.
Caden braces his forearms against the roof of the truck, smirking as his girlfriend scooches away from him with another giggle.
When he grips a fist around the ankle of her cowgirl boot and starts quietly murmuring to her, I clear my throat hard and look back across the lake.
Aisling and I could have had that , I think to myself. That would have been us if I hadn’t fucked it up.
“I’m going over there,” I decide suddenly, making Hunter’s eyes flash back to mine. I cross my arms over my chest as Aisling looks back at us over her shoulder. Satisfaction spreads through my abdomen as she gives me a sulky little once-over.
Would you look at that.
She might not like who I am but she’s sure as fuck into what I look like.
“Bad idea,” Hunter says as he opens up the back doors to grab his stuff.
“Yeah,” I agree, even though we both know that I’m going to do it anyway.
When my gaze settles on the house behind Aisling and Fallon, I frown in contemplation. The exterior wooden banister looks a little worse for wear, and is that the entire porch railing lying facedown on the rocks?
Jesus Christ. I roll my shoulders, not liking the look of that one bit.
I turn to Hunter. “How long are they staying in there?”
“’Til they’re finished.”
“Finished what?”
His brow creases. “The renovation,” he says slowly, like it’s obvious.
I duck my head and scrub my knuckles over my stubble, feeling kind of stupid for knowing so little about her plans. Especially when I’ve been crushing on her for four years straight.
I clear my throat and ask quietly, “Why, uh, why are they renovating a lake house? Is it, uh, Fallon’s or something?”
Hunter’s eyes are burning into the side of my face. I decide to fully turn around so that he can’t see how red I’ve gone.
“Christ. You really don’t know, do you?” he asks.
I stare down at my boots like they’re really fucking interesting.
“Tanner,” he says, but I shove a hand in my pocket and change the subject.
“You gonna let Fallon stay over there after we get settled?” I ask, given the fact that, as Hunter mentioned, the lake house doesn’t look half as secure as I’d want it to.
Hunter’s mouth curves, the answer obvious without him even needing to say anything. “Take a wild guess.”
I roll my shoulders and nod, because if I was him, I’d be doing the same. No way would I have my girl sleeping away from me across the lake when she could be safely and securely wrapped up in my arms.
Knowing that I’ll want a few minutes alone with Aisling, Hunter signals to Fallon across the lake that he’ll be over in three. I leave my stuff in my car and begin walking up to the head of the lake, rounding it so that I can make my way to the girls’ side.
When I reach their side of the shore I push my hair back from my forehead, roughing up my fringe and letting my gaze settle on Aisling.
She’s fucking beautiful. She’s got these big sparkly eyes, soft bouncy hair, and she’s wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts that show off her toned cheerleader legs.
She’s also narrowing her eyes on me in a bone-chilling kind of way.
My voice comes out deep and husky.
“Aisling,” I say, unable to resist giving her another once-over. My eyes pause on the padded bag that she’s clutching and I tip my chin at it, holding out a palm. “Pass that to me. I’ll help you get your stuff inside.”
She clutches it tighter and closes the tiny gap between us.
“What are you doing here?” she snaps, the bag in her arms now pressing up against my abdomen. My Adam’s apple slides heavily in my throat as we search each other’s eyes.
“You know,” I say levelly, “I was just asking the same question.” I stare at the bag for another few moments, and then suddenly I’m frowning. “Wait. Is this a sleeping bag?”
She drops her chin, looking up at me from under her lashes, momentarily making me forget what we’re talking about because she’s so goddamn pretty.
“Right. So you’re saying that we just randomly happen to be vacationing at the exact same lake, in houses that are situated exactly opposite from each other?” she asks in that light raspy voice of hers.
I swipe my tongue over my lower lip. Then I start trudging towards her porch.
“Hey!” I hear the sound of her angry footsteps marching behind me, her voice kind of breathless as she tries to keep up. “Where are you going? Your cabin is over that way.”
I mount the steps two at a time. When I reach the top I almost put my boot through the porch slats.
“Christ,” I murmur. “Who the hell did you rent this place from?”
I look down at her over the swell of my shoulder and she’s watching me with an unnerving amount of focus.
She huffs prettily. “That’s none of your business.”
I grunt and get back to scoping out the front of the property. I move over to one of the large first floor windows and as soon as I look through the glass I’m thrusting my fingers through my hair.
“Jesus. Hunter wasn’t kidding.”
I turn back around to face Aisling, a little gratified when she has to force her eyes away from my pecs.
“What the hell are you thinking? Staying in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, two small chicks and not one piece of furniture? Is Hunter right?” I ask her. “You’re renovating this entire lake house on your own?” I look back down at the bag in her arms. “And you’re gonna be sleeping in sleeping bags. For how goddamn long?”
She swishes her ponytail. “What’s it to you?”
Fallon sighs beside her and looks longingly across the lake towards our cabins.
I breathe out a laugh but after a sharp glare from Aisling I drop it, because we’re all thinking the same thing anyway. I mean, Fallon’s got a point. There are some perfectly good beds just over the water there, but I’m hardly going to suggest Aisling dropping the hostility and nuzzling into my chest for the foreseeable future, when it seems like one night in the sheets was all that she wanted from me.
No longer laughing I move around her and start making my way to the front door.
Aisling gapes, incredulous, as she pads quickly behind me.
“Have you lost your mind?” she asks. “There is no way that I’m going to let you–”
I give the handle a twist and the door swings wide open.
Not a single bolt or working lock in sight.
I look down at her dryly. “You were saying?”
She stares wide-eyed at the door handle as I walk cautiously inside.
I hear one little sandal step over the threshold and I shoot her a warning look over my shoulder.
“No,” I order. “Wait out there.”
Stubborn as hell, she waltzes right in.
“Jesus, woman.” I jab a blunt finger at the unlocked potential crime den that we’re currently standing in. “Let me check both floors before you come sashayin’ in here like that.”
Then I quickly turn around and trudge as far away from her as I can.
I can’t deny it, this place has potential. The interior seems to be all wood despite some of the stonework outside, and it doesn’t look like it’s sustained any elemental damage unlike the front porch. The panels have clearly been lacquered good because they’re that warm caramel colour, but the floor needs one hell of a cleanup because it’s got dust and debris all over it.
I head over to the staircase, give the banister an experimental shake, and then begin ascending the wide wooden steps.
When I reach the top I can’t help but glance back down at Aisling, something like relief spreading through my chest as we watch each other. She’s actually waiting for me to check out the upper floor and not being a little tyrant for once.
After a good two minutes I make my way back down the stairs.
“Both floors are clear,” I mutter, eyes flicking over to the empty fireplace.
“So I’m free to sashay now?” Aisling taunts, and I drop my gaze back down to meet hers.
“Funny.” I look over her head toward the doorway, where Fallon is now running down the porch steps into the arms of her boyfriend. My abdomen twists like it’s just taken a sucker-punch.
“If your car’s unlocked I’ll grab your stuff from the back,” I tell her, taking the sleeping bag gently from her arms. I see her tiny love heart freckle, just below her elbow, and something clenches tight in my chest.
I swipe a patch of the wooden floor with the toe of my boot, and then I set the bag down on the one area that’s no longer dusty.
She stares down at the rolled-up sleeping bag for one long beat. Then she brushes right past me so that she can beat me to the car.
I stroll lazily by her side as she jogs toward the truck.
“It’s my brother’s car,” she pants, “so you’re not allowed to touch it.”
“Okay,” I say, folding my arms over my pecs, waiting in silence for her to point to her bags. After a moment of pouty indecision she rolls her eyes, reluctantly pointing a dainty finger toward a number of expensive looking carry-ons.
I take a deep inhale, feeling guilty as hell that I’m about to dump maybe ten thousand dollars’ worth of fabric into the state’s dustiest abandoned cabin.
I look down at her for confirmation but she’s just staring at her nails, cheeks a little pink.
That seals the deal. Without another word I grab three bags per fist and begin trudging back up the rocky incline, making my pace a little slower so that maybe she can keep up with me this time. When we’re back inside the lake house I stand over the sleeping bag on the floor, warring with myself over whether or not I can actually drop the rest of her bags beside it.
I check over my shoulder and see Aisling leaning against the front doorjamb, watching me with a curious but fiery expression on her face.
I start lowering her bags. Her eyes narrow dangerously.
Damn. I glance around looking for a better spot, and then I realise that I could just prop her bags over on the bare kitchen counter. Without looking back I make my way to the kitchen, swipe my forearm over the wood to clear any dust, and then I heft the bags on the top.
For the briefest of moments, something catches my eye – one of her bags partially unzipped and a flash of faded fabric peeking out. Khaki fabric. Worn-in and familiar.
I have to do a genuine double-take before realising that I’m probably seeing things, so I just shake my head and try to push the notion from my mind.
Get it together, asshole. There’s no way that’s what you think it is.
I slap the dust off of my forearm and we get back to staring each other out.
It’s got to be at least fifteen seconds before I finally clear my throat, breaking the tension.
“That lock’s rusted to hell,” I tell her. “You need a new one, ASAP.”
She glances over her shoulder toward the guys at the other side of the lake and says, “I’m sure that I could acquire a bodyguard or two.”
I bet she fucking could.
“Yeah, I don’t doubt it. But that’s not sufficient.”
She turns back to face me. “My brother will be here in a couple of days,” she says. As if that makes it okay that she’s going to be living in an unlocked cabin. Then her voice turns all tempting and husky when she adds on, “with half of his football team.”
I shove my tongue in my cheek and feel my biceps tighten.
Great. More men.
I avert my eyes and nod once, telling her without words that I get the picture.
“Anything else you want to express an opinion on before you step foot out of my lake house for the last time ever?” she asks casually. She’s so unapologetically savage that it honestly almost makes me smile. “Besides, you’re on a boys’ vacation. I wouldn’t want to keep you from whatever it is that I’m sure you’re going to be doing.”
That catches my attention, because what the actual fuck is she talking about now? But to my surprise when I look down at her, her eyes are staring unblinkingly at her sandals.
Whatever it is that I’m sure you’re going to be doing? What the hell does that even mean?
I walk over to her, wishing that she’d meet my eyes. Give me some of her fire so I can see she’s as strong as I know she is.
When I’m only a foot away from her she lifts her perfect nose high into the air, defiantly meeting my eyes.
For some reason, something like pride courses through my chest.
There she is. That’s the girl that I know.
I stand there for one long moment, enjoying the sensation of being close to her after so many years of having to keep my distance. Look, I can take a hint, and I know that what we had was a one-time thing. But I also know that if it was up to me that wouldn’t have been the case.
But this isn’t the moment for a heartfelt confession. So before I step out of the door I jerk my thumb toward the large fireplace, savouring the way her jaw drops to the floor when I say, “Hearth’s empty. I’m gonna get you some wood.”