Chapter 27
Claire
Asher’s friends are something else. Nervous energy coursed through me when they barged through the front door, my body freezing in place on the sofa. I was caught between wanting to shake their hands and run down the hall for Asher like a coward.
In the end, the decision was made for me when the man I now know is Benji shouted, “You must be Asher’s Claire.”
Asher’s Claire.
They welcomed me with warm hugs, and a peculiar feeling of déjà vu flooded my system.
Like I’d been in this precise situation in another lifetime.
Despite how easy the introduction was, I was relieved to be called away for a medical obligation.
Surely Asher has been eager for some alone time to catch up with his buddies.
And if I interpreted the vibe they were giving off, they were itching to talk about me behind my back.
The tween girl who twisted her ankle while hiking with her family, is super chatty, regurgitating a ghost story she heard around the campfire last night.
Her animation and commitment to the spooky voices remind me of Bea.
Personable patients like her always brighten my day.
After she’s properly mended with an ACE bandage and her mom fills out all the paperwork, she gives me a giant hug and hobbles out the door with a smile on her face.
I wrap things up in the office, then stop by the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat and a takeaway iced coffee.
When I return to the cabin and discover that it’s empty, relief washes over me.
I’ve been yearning for a nap in the shade on the hammock Asher set up for me on the back lawn.
He claimed it was for Bea, but Jack let the truth slip when I bumped into him the other evening.
Just as I’ve finished changing into comfortable clothing, Millie FaceTimes me. Excited to talk to my friend who’s been too busy for more than random texts since her wedding, I answer quickly.
But it’s not Millie who pops up. It’s Bea.
“Hi,” she squeals. Her toothy smile fills the entire screen. By the way she’s already jostling the phone, I give it forty-five seconds before I’m nauseous.
“Millie, is that you?” I bluff. “You look different. Did you dye your hair?”
She giggles. “I’m not Lee Lee; I’m Dolly.”
“Dolly? When did Daddy get you a phone?” I tease.
Her responding cackle is a major ego boost, even if she’s five.
Off screen, Millie whispers, “Isn’t Auntie Claire silly?”
Bea’s laughter settles, her expression turning serious. “She’s not my auntie. She’s Daddy’s girlfriend.”
Heart lurching, I bobble the phone.
Between one blink and the next, my friend’s face replaces Bea’s.
Then Ezra is calling out, “Dolly, come help Kane and me in the kitchen.”
“Claire.” Millie’s tone drips with demand as she walks down the hall of their apartment, away from her husband and Bea.
“I-I… She…We,” I stutter, my face flaming. “I don’t know why she would say that. We’ve been careful.”
“Aha! I knew something was going on between you and my brother.”
“What?” My lungs seize up. “No. She must assume I’m his girlfriend because I’ve been staying at the cabin this summer, that’s all. Kids are so funny.”
“No… you said you’ve been careful. Which means something reckless has been happening.”
“I didn’t say that.” At least I don’t think I did.
“Bullshit, babe. You absolutely did.”
Fuck. How do I dig myself out of this grave?
Hello, operator, I’d like to order a time-traveling DeLorean, please, and pay for same-day delivery.
Except there’s no use in changing my name to Marty McFly now.
I’ve been silent too long, and from what I can tell in the tiny box in the corner of my screen, the truth is written all over my stupidly stunned face.
“Fine,” I concede. “We’ve been…” I choose the next word wisely. “Involved.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re talking to an erotic voice actor. You can say you’re fucking.”
“Mills.” I gasp. “He’s your brother. I’m so not discussing this with you.”
“Oh, grow up.” She smiles. “Besides, I’m not asking for freaky details.”
Groaning, I say, “Can you please not tell Asher you know? We said we’d keep it quiet.”
She studies me for a moment through the screen, her lips pursed. “I guess so. If that’s what you want.”
Millie may be dramatic and she may be the life of the party, but she’s consistently loyal and trustworthy.
“Thank you. So tell me how married life is.”
For nearly an hour, she dishes about Ezra, new audio projects, and her next musical production. Only when Bea accidentally pees her pants a little does Millie end the call.
I’m startled awake by Asher. He’s looming over me, his face cast in shadow. Disoriented, I try to sit up but give that up quickly when the world sways beneath me.
Hammock. I’m in the hammock.
As it moves gently, I take in the very pretty man standing close. He’s barefoot, wearing a backward hat, and damn… maybe dreams really do come true.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” His words are gentle when he runs his fingers through my hair.
“That’s okay,” I say through a yawn. “What time is it?”
Just the top crest of the sun can be seen behind the trees, and gray clouds have moved in, along with the smell of sulfur signaling the impending rain.
He removes his hat and tosses it next to me. “Time for you to jump in the lake.”
My brain swirls, not quite ready to process what he’s saying. “What? Why?”
“Come on, Doc. Jump in the lake with me. I’m sweaty, and it’ll be fun. Up.”
He rocks the hammock and I instinctively clutch the sides. When I don’t climb out, he loops his arms around my waist and throws me over his shoulder effortlessly. Before we get too far, I toss my phone onto the hammock.
With my face plastered to his sweaty shirt, I kick wildly. “Ew, put me down. You stink!”
“Rude girl.” He swats my ass, laughing, and strides toward the shore.
A family of ducks flap chaotically at our intrusion. Then cool water is splashing my face. As Asher treads into the lake, I brace myself for the inevitable cold plunge.
It may be summertime, but the water temperature is barely above seventy. Refreshing after a workout, but it’ll no doubt be a shock to the system after lying in the shade all afternoon.
He drops, and we’re under water. Right away he lets go and my gasp reflex kicks in when we bob up for air. I grab his neck for purchase and wrap my limbs around his waist like a pathetically soaked koala.
“I didn’t consent to this,” I sputter.
I opted out of a bra when I changed, and the ice-cold water has made my nipples so hard they could cut through this thin T-shirt. Asher notices immediately, dipping his head and clamping down on one with his teeth.
“Asher!” I yelp. “Someone could see us.”
He spins us around in dramatic fashion. “Who? The ducks?”
Heart thundering, I scan the area. He’s right. We’re hidden between the boat and the lush shrubbery that juts out into the water.
“Unless someone is creeping on us with binoculars from across the lake, I think we’re good.”
I roll my eyes but slam them closed when he crushes his mouth against mine, claiming me with an urgent kiss. The kind of kiss that makes my stomach swirl.
I’m out of breath when he finally breaks free. “What was that for?”
“Missed you.” He says it so softly I barely register the words.
Before I have the chance to speak—not that I have any clue how to respond—he’s kissing me again.
Thunder sounds with a jarring crack, and the sky splits open and rain pelts down in fat drops, but when I pull back from Asher, he heedlessly yanks me in tight against him.
“Just a little longer,” he says, nipping at my lower lip. “Mmm. I love kissing you, Claire.”
“I love kissing you too,” I breathe into him.
A dramatic bolt of lightning slashes through the steely sky, warning us to move on, and we hurry out of the water, my pulse racing.
But it’s not the weather frightening me. It’s the torrential storm in my heart.