Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE | TARYN
The babbling creek below drifts through the trees, complementing the birds chirping in the lush canopy above.
The warm breeze whips past me, brushing a lock of hair across my mouth.
The strands cling to my lips, and I swipe them out of the way, smiling in contentment. The fresh air is sweet. Revitalizing.
It’s hard to believe that Elena and Tristan start school on Monday. Still, I’m grateful the guys decided we needed a fun Saturday activity to say farewell to summer before the kids return to their usual schedules and activities.
The guys have been occupied nonstop, preparing for the early and mid-harvest season. From what they’ve told me, that means primarily focusing on the plots producing the Gala, Honeycrisp, and Empire apples.
The last two weeks, we only converse in the evenings when they return from work since they are always up and out the door before the kids and I wake up. It’s more frustrating than it should be since I was brought here specifically to be a nanny for Elena and Tristan.
But I understand why the guys did it now. The reason why they took such drastic measures to ensure I didn’t leave them.
Tristan opened up to me one day while I was helping them write and draw pictures for their dad. Christian Lindenvale, the man behind bars, consistently writes to the two of them without missing a week.
Actually, I’ve learned their father writes letters to all six of them, though only five are delivered to the house now. Since Jessica’s letters are always missing, I assume he’s sending them to campus.
Tristan told me they always write back to him, except for Colten. Doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
What does he do with all those letters?
Does he open them and examine the words he wished would’ve never come in the first place, or does he stash them in the back of a drawer or on a shelf collecting dust?
There’s something there. A secret Colten hides in the depths, out of reach. He hasn’t said anything, but I feel it when I’m around him.
When I was around him.
He’s been avoiding me since the night I told him I like being here.
The topic of their mom, however, is brutal.
Despite a body never being found, Elena knows she’s gone.
Colten told her she’s never coming back, and she’s learned to accept it.
That doesn’t stop Elena from talking about her, even though she doesn’t remember her mother.
She imagines the idea of her. Putting pieces together based on the stories her siblings have told her.
But the moment Elena accidentally called me mom, my heart broke for her.
The worst part? It happened at the dinner table.
All eyes from her brothers held her in place while her glassy ones were hooked on me.
It was an accident. I know that. But the world stopped momentarily, the slipped word causing the boys’ breath to get trapped in their lungs. Their chests were unnaturally still.
Elena apologized shakily, and I soothed the anxiety that flowed out of her afterward. The twins couldn’t stop staring at me, and Colten…was Colten.
He ate a few more bites of food, his posture rigid and face brooding, then tossed his plate into the sink and left the room.
That was the last time I saw him that night. Besides a few words here and there, our interactions have been minimal. The sexual tension, on the other hand, is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Everyone is decked out in their swim gear, ready for a relaxing day at a swimming hole Cameron and Brennan said they discovered one day in high school.
I head to the back of the car and open the trunk, pulling everything we brought with us toward me—towels, the cooler, aired-up pool floaties taking up too much space, beach bags full of snacks, sunscreen, the whole nine yards.
Colten rounds the corner, his eyes instantly glued to mine. He brushes past Brennan and stuffs the keys into the pocket of his shorts. My focus drops to the motion of his hand. I’m no doubt blushing because Colten’s lips tip upward, unleashing a flurry of sparks that skitter across my skin.
I didn’t realize how much I missed his smirk.
God. I think I want him.
And I wish I didn’t.
If there’s anything I’ve learned about Colten Lindenvale, it’s that he feels. Everything.
But he doesn’t show it, discuss it, or want to acknowledge it in any way, shape, or form.
He was a man who instantly had to become the head of a household too young.
A young adult who lost his mother and watched as his father was dragged away to prison, only to be left with the responsibility of a multimillion-dollar company and his five siblings.
I don’t pity Colten. I admire him.
My parents may not be active in my life, but I still have them. They love me, although it’s different from the affection I wished for growing up. But the kind of love between all the Lindenvale children is irreplaceable and inspiring.
Colten’s shoulder grazes mine before he comes to a halt. “We’re going to go scope out the spot. We’ll be right back.”
I nod, swallowing. “Okay.”
Dear Lord, can he tell I’m frazzled?
His mouth twitches upward. Yep, he can tell.
Colten may not be talking to me much, but I’m thankful he returned my phone and keys. It didn’t stop there; he completely surprised me when he said Rossco could sleep in my room.
Peeking around the corner, I see Cameron unbuckle Elena and assist her in getting out of the car seat.
Tristan sprints to meet me at the back, Rossco trotting beside him. “I call the gator floatie!”
“I want the flamingo!” Elena shouts quickly after.
“What if I want the flamingo?” I joke.
Cameron appears beside me with Elena, her purple Little Mermaid one-piece swimsuit making me smile.
“Good luck with that,” Cameron scoffs. “She never lets anyone else use that thing. Tells us we aren’t allowed to because it’s pink.”
Elena sweeps her natural brown waves out of her eyes from the breeze blowing through the forest and peers up at me. “We can share!”
“Sounds like a deal.” Flattening my lips into a line to conceal my smirk, I side-eye Cameron. “She likes me more, I guess.”
His eyes roll. “I’ve known that for a while now. She isn’t shy about voicing her favoritism.”
That makes me grin.
Fifteen minutes later, all our stuff is spread across the beach in front of the swimming hole. Elena stands in front of me as I sit crisscross on a towel, her small body vibrating impatiently. My fingers swipe the sunscreen across her skin and blend it into her back.
There will be no sunburns on my watch—not with her delicate skin.
“Can I go now?” she whines, eyeing Tristan as he drags the gator floatie into the water while Brennan and Cameron toss a stick so Rossco can fetch it.
Three massive rocks surround the small, deep pool. A rushing creek gushes behind it, but the boulders and other rocks seclude the area, creating a calm swimming spot. A small waterfall flows between two boulders and into the pool, adding to the aesthetic.
This spot is incredible.
The sunlight filters through the trees, warming my skin. Nerves twist in my stomach at the thought of hanging out with Colten, Cameron, and Brennan in my bikini.
I chose one of my more modest options, a maroon halter top that reveals a little cleavage paired with full-coverage bottoms. But I already know I’m going to feel like I’m naked. I already do, and I have a white T-shirt and shorts on.
“Turn around quick,” I tell Elena. “You’re almost done.”
She spins quickly, the rapid movement making her almost tumble into me.
I laugh, squirting a bead of sunscreen on my fingers as I swipe it across her face. “Now you’re good to go.”
Elena darts away from me, grabbing the pink flamingo floatie on the beach near where Colten is setting up some camp chairs. The size of the flamingo appears massive next to her petite frame as she drags it into the water in her mesh swim shoes.
I watch from afar, mustering the courage to remove my T-shirt.
Ugh. It shouldn’t be this hard, yet here I am, nervous as hell about exposing myself. Both Colten and Cameron have already seen the more vulnerable parts of my body.
This is nothing.
Reaching for the hem, I toss my shirt onto the towel next to me. The wind glides across my arms, erupting my skin into millions of tiny goosebumps. After pulling my hair into a high bun, I grab the bottle of sunscreen and apply it to my legs, observing the guys as I rub in the protective layer.
Cameron and Brennan approach Colten, conversing about something I can’t quite hear over the rushing water of Cedar Creek. Whatever Brennan said makes Colten laugh, the raspy and warm noise soaking into my skin with the sunscreen.
Rossco sprints up the beach toward me, his fur dripping water onto the sandy shoreline.
“Hey, boy,” I croon. “Are you happy to have a water day?”
He pants, his tongue flapping about. Rossco shakes, and I flinch, the little chilly beads of water flying through the air and landing on my skin.
I chuckle, scratching behind his wet ears. “Thanks for that.”
My attention lands on Colten while my fingers dig into Rossco’s fur.
He grips the base of his gray T-shirt in his fists, ripping it off in one fluid motion that leaves my mouth watering.
The sunlight kisses the ridges of his sculpted muscles, revealing his flawless abdomen that I’ve felt pressed against mine, creating the kind of friction that sends my cognizance into a spiral.
Oh, dear God.
Cameron’s and Brennan’s shirts are the next to go. My hands pause on Rossco, so I can fully ogle their physiques. My eyes hungrily bolt over every inch of tan, exposed skin. They are all incredibly toned. Bodies that should be outlawed because they are so astoundingly distracting.