Chapter 29
This was torture. They were in the middle of the lake, all alone, night closing around them, and he was lying inches from
the woman he’d spent his whole adulthood reminiscing about. Sure, he’d been working with her for over four weeks. But this
was different. Out here there were no distractions.
There was nothing but time and her .
Moonlight draped over her form like an ethereal blanket. He smelled the sweet scent of her shampoo. Heard her shallow breaths.
Felt her shivering. He could easily alleviate her suffering by pulling her into his arms. But that would take his own torture
to a new level. Anyway, she’d been still for a while. Maybe she’d finally fallen asleep. It was probably his own bedtime by
now. Too bad he was wide awake.
She rolled away from him, moving slowly and carefully. A moment later the light of her phone illuminated the boat. She wasn’t
asleep after all. She was still holding out hope for a rescue. The phone went dark again and her quiet sigh drifted through
the night air.
“No signal?” he asked.
The boat rocked gently as she glanced over her shoulder. “I thought you were asleep.”
Her chattering teeth disrupted the flow of her words. Shelby got chilled in an air-conditioned restaurant. She used to carry a sweater with her even in the summer. Under the current conditions she was probably miserable.
Guilt sliced through him. “You’re cold. Let me warm you up.”
“That’s okay.”
“Your shivers are shaking the boat.”
Nothing but silence. He got it. She wanted the warmth but not his nearness. He couldn’t blame her. The closeness would serve
as a reminder of what they’d once had. He wasn’t too keen on jogging his own memory. But it was getting colder. He wouldn’t
mind a little warmth himself. Maybe then they could both fall asleep and forget they were stuck in the middle of the lake.
“Come on, Shelby. I’m not proposing marriage. Just a little shared body heat.”
Water splashed nearby as a fish jumped.
“Well... when you put it like that, I guess it would be foolish to say no.”
Taking that as permission, he slid over and pulled her against his chest. He tucked his knees into the back of hers and put
his arm around her. His hand accidentally fell on hers, and he would’ve let go except it was like a block of ice. He wrapped
his hand around it, half expecting her to jerk it away.
But she didn’t. Instead she scooched back into his chest, tucking her head under his chin.
And holy smokes. She felt so good snuggled up against him—and not just her warmth. His heart hitched. Do not make this personal. All you are is a warm, willing blanket.
“You really are a furnace.”
“And you’re an ice cube.”
“It’s colder than I thought it would be.”
The frigid water and metal beneath them didn’t help.
He tightened his arm around her, cupped her hand more tightly.
“Maybe we can get some sleep now.” That might be true for her, but his chances of sleep had just decreased exponentially.
Because the scent of her hair teased his nostrils, and the feel of her soft curves against him made him recall other times he’d had his arms around her.
Like that first kiss on the Fourth of July, for instance. He’d known they had something special the minute his lips touched
hers. She was hardly his first kiss, but hers made all the others irrelevant. The way she yielded to him made him downright
heady. He couldn’t believe Shelby Thatcher was kissing him back and with so much fervor. She was so soft. So responsive. All
he wanted from then on was to make her his own and to belong to her in return.
When it actually happened, it was like a dream come true.
Getting to know her was the kind of pleasure he’d never experienced. Having her in his corner brought a wave of relief he
hadn’t even known he needed. It was no longer him against the world. They were a team. She was on his team.
And when they were alone... She had this ticklish spot on the side of her neck. Every time he kissed her there, even if
they were half gone with passion, she hitched her shoulder and giggled. He often did it on purpose just to get that very reaction.
The sound of her laughter lit him up.
“Thank you for staying in Grandville.”
Her words cut through the silence, and the pleasant memory evaporated.
“I know I haven’t been very welcoming.”
A band tightened around his chest. “It’s okay. I definitely owe you big-time.”
“I probably expected too much from you back then.”
“Nah.” He shifted his hand on hers, warming her fingertips. “I was the problem, not you, Shelby.”
“We were just kids though. When does that ever work out?”
Maybe that was true. But he’d wanted them to work just the same. Thought they’d have a future. His childhood had just warped
him. Caused him to make a poor decision he would later regret.
“But look at you now. You didn’t stop reaching for your dreams. And somehow, despite the way you were treated, you became
a wonderful person.”
Her words warmed a cold spot inside him. “If that’s true, it’s only because I had good people around me. You and my grandma.
Your Gram.”
“Still, I’m really proud of you for doing everything you set out to do.”
He smiled against her hair. “Thanks.”
For someone who’d been so uncomfortable moments ago, Shelby suddenly felt more at peace than she’d been for a long time. She
let the sweet feeling wash over her. Maybe this was the forgiveness Gram had been urging her to find all these years.
“Or maybe it’s just those strong, young arms that have you wrapped tight as a burrito.”
Gram’s voice invoked a smile. She’d always been president of the Gray Briggs Fan Club.
Shelby thought of Gram looking down on them right now. I guess you must be pretty happy with yourself right now. But don’t be getting any ideas.
Though, yes, those strong, young arms did feel awfully nice—and not just the warmth. A niggle of guilt threaded through her.
These were not the arms she was supposed to be thinking about or wishing for.
But while his warmth might not be a matter of survival, who could blame her for wanting to ease her discomfort? At least now
she’d be able to sleep, rocked by the gentle sway of the boat.
Shelby shifted in her sleep, snuggling deep into the delicious warmth, and drifted off again. Her alarm was going off but she ignored it. She was so tired. And it was the middle of the night. But the buzzing grew louder.
Go away.
She whimpered, reaching once again for that deep state of oblivion.
“Shelby. Shelby, wake up.”
“What...?” She pried her eyes open to darkness. And that buzzing. It wasn’t her alarm.
She was on the boat with Gray. And judging by the direction of his voice, she faced him now. Her head rested on his arm, her
face pressing into his neck. And her knee— Ack! It was tucked between his legs.
She jerked it away, putting a few inches between them. The boat rocked in response.
“Someone’s coming.”
That buzzing was getting louder. A boat! She sprang upright and blinked against the docking lights cutting through the darkness. The spreader lights revealed the craft
as a pontoon. Caleb. He must’ve gotten her message after all.
“Looks like we’ve been rescued.” Gray stood and began stowing the life vests.
There was no reason to flag Caleb down as he was already heading directly their way. She crossed her arms against the breeze
and waited.
“You okay?” Caleb called over the water.
“We’re fine,” she said. “Did you bring gas?”
“No, your message cut off so I didn’t know what happened. I’ll just tow you in.”
She didn’t have to see his expression. His tone informed her he was unhappy to find her stranded with Gray.
Caleb turned the pontoon and backed toward the front of the boat, then shut off the motor. “I’m throwing you a line.”
The rope landed inside the boat with a thunk. Gray grabbed it and knotted it to the bow cleat.
Once it was secure Caleb called, “Hang on.” He towed the boat toward the pontoon, and as they grew closer, even the darkness
couldn’t hide the irritation on Caleb’s face.
Which probably accounted for Gray’s silence.
“I wasn’t sure my voicemail went through at all. We haven’t had much of a signal.”
Caleb said nothing more as he towed them closer. When the boats connected, Gray stepped onto the pontoon and held out a hand
for her. Then she took the line from Caleb and secured it to the pontoon while Gray settled at the stern.
The boat lights illuminated Caleb’s scowl—which he aimed directly at her. “Really, Shelby?”
Why did her brother always catch her in the most compromising positions? “It was business, Caleb. We weren’t exactly out here
for a joyride.”
He took in her appearance: Gray’s voluminous sweatshirt and her disheveled hair. She resisted the urge to smooth it. She imagined
them as Caleb must’ve seen them just now, popping up from the hull of the boat like—
“Yeah, well, you looked pretty cozy out here to me. Maybe you’ve forgotten the way he left you, but I haven’t. You think he’s
changed? People don’t change. You’re headed for heartbreak and you don’t even know it.”
Shelby bristled. He was wrong about all of it. They had been out here on business. Gray had changed. And they’d only huddled together for warmth. But she didn’t feel like explaining any of that. “I called for help,
Caleb, not a lecture.”
Their gazes held for a long moment, two stubborn wills meeting and clashing.
“Have it your way,” Caleb finally said. Then he headed for the captain’s seat.