Swept Away (5 page)

Thumbing through the racks of bathing suits, Lily looked for a replacement for the one she’d lost. Could she be bold enough to try on a brightly colored string bikini? What the hell? New life. New rules. No more boring black. No more subdued colors to blend into the background. She grabbed a siren red, skimpy little number. The kind that would surely turn heads. The question was, whose head was she hoping to turn?

“Lily? I thought that was you.” The voice ran down her spine like warm honey. “It’s me, Carson.”

“Yes. Of course.” She turned and saw that he was just as big and strong as she’d remembered. She hadn’t built him up in her imagination. “I thought I’d check your place out.”

“You still up for rafting?” His smile both reassured her and made her even more nervous about coming here.

“If the offer still stands.” Lily hoped the slight tremor in her voice wasn’t too obvious. “If you’re busy or something…”

“Never too busy to help out a friend.” Carson said the word like it was something exotic and dangerous. Like friendship was the last thing on his mind.

“Well then, I’m here for my first time down the river.” Lily tried to keep her voice steady, pretending she wasn’t afraid at all. “In a raft.”

“You’ve come to the right place. I’ll text Cody and see if he still wants to go.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Part of her hoped he had other plans. But then she’d be alone with Carson. In a boat. On the river.
Just the two of them.
She wasn’t sure what scared her more.

“We can go down without him.” The look in his eyes said he hoped Cody was unavailable. “Or we could do it another time.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket. His thumbs flew over the screen and Lily couldn’t help but wonder what else he could do with those skilled fingers.

“He’s on his way.”

“Do I have time to change?” Lily held up the bikini, and she noticed his eyes widen in appreciation. “If it fits, I’ll pay for it before we go.”

“Yeah, sure. Meet us in the boat barn around back.”

Lily nodded.

“Oh, and make sure you have on plenty of sunscreen.”

As if that was going to keep her from getting burned.

* * * *

Carson was pleased to see Lily ready to brave the river again so soon. He was pleased to see her, period. So he’d had a bit of a squabble with Cody about her last night. They were mature, responsible adults. They’d be able to move past their petty jealousy and show her a good time on the river. Couldn’t they?

“Lily will be down in a minute.” His brother was busy pulling out gear for their impromptu trip. “She had to pick up a few things from the store.”

Like a red hot bikini. Was she trying to torture them? And why didn’t they stock one-pieces? Something modest, like the wool suits they wore in the 1920s. It wouldn’t matter because he already knew what she looked like underneath. He already knew what she felt like, and he had a hard time pushing the memory out of his mind.

Cody just grunted as he continued to gather the necessary supplies and equipment. So, he was still ticked off at him. Good. About time he learned the lesson that he couldn’t always get everything he wanted, when he wanted it.

The two men quickly fell into the routine of getting ready to put-in on the river. They must have done this a thousand times. He and Cody knew each other so well, they didn’t need to talk to communicate. A good thing since he didn’t feel like talking to his brother right now. He’d noticed the way Cody looked at Lily. Like he was dying of thirst and she was a fresh mountain spring. Jealousy bubbled up to the surface and Carson fought to keep it under control.

Normally he’d just step aside. Let Cody have his way. But he couldn’t let Cody have Lily.

Carson helped Cody pull out the boat and load it into the back of the truck. They gathered throw ropes, hoopi, and a hand pump. Carson grabbed his guide’s paddle and threw three others into the back of his truck. Having an extra paddle on the trip was a good idea. Having an extra guy along? Not so much.

A first aid kit, water bottles, and bailing bucket—all this equipment for just a couple of hours. They finished loading the gear, and Cody tied down the load, making sure everything was secure. Carson threw extra hoopi in the back of the truck. He didn’t want to be caught without one again.

Lily appeared in front of the boat barn wearing her new bikini and a tentative smile.

“Let’s get you fitted for your life jacket.” Cody handed Lily an orange life jacket and she wriggled into it. Carson nearly knocked Cody over as he moved in to check the straps. Cody shot him a look that made it clear he didn’t appreciate Carson stepping in, but he didn’t care. He needed to make sure Lily was safe. Even if it meant keeping her away from Cody.

Carson pulled up on her shoulder straps, but it was too loose. When he tugged on the chest strap, Lily let out a sharp gasp.

“Sorry.” He’d forgotten about her injuries. “Are you sore from yesterday?”

“A little.” She held her breath while he tightened the lower strap. “But I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”

“Proper fit is important,” Carson assured her. “If it’s too loose, you might as well be wearing nothing at all.”

“Been there. Done that.” Lily managed a smile, but her face was a shade paler than it had been.

“You can take this off until we get on the river.” Carson unhooked the buckles and slid the life jacket down her arms. It was only then that he noticed the bruises on her side. His concern deepened. So did his admiration. Getting back on the river so soon took courage. Plenty of it.

“Let’s roll.” Cody slammed the tailgate of his truck and glared at him before shooting Lily his most charming grin. “Lily, you can sit up front. Next to me.”

“Sure.” She stepped toward the red truck and then stopped in her tracks. “I thought the truck was white.”

“That’s Carson’s boring truck.” Undertones of resentment seeped to the surface. “I like a little more excitement. I really like red.”

Cody fingered the string of Lily’s new bathing suit top, grazing her neck with his thumb and sending a noticeable shiver down her back. This could be a very long trip. Carson would have to keep an eye on Cody. Make sure he didn’t get too close to Lily. The river was too shallow to hide his body for long.

As he drove, Cody filled Lily in on what to expect on the river. When it came to doing his job, the man was a true professional. He delivered his standard safety speech flawlessly, injecting enough humor and personality to guarantee that guests felt like they were in good hands.

Trust was their most important equipment. More important than the boat, life jackets, or safety ropes. On the river, Cody was more than trustworthy. He not only made his passengers feel safe, he also made each and every one of them feel like the trip had been designed just for them.

If only Carson could trust his brother on dry land.

“Let’s get the boat inflated.” Cody parked at the put-in spot and jumped out of the truck. He started pulling the raft out of the back of the truck all by himself. Showing off, probably hoping Lily would notice his muscles flexing with the weight of the raft.

“Let me help you with that.” Carson was at his side in an instant. “You know better than to try to lift one of those things by yourself.”

“That’s right. You’re in charge here.” Cody nearly dropped the boat on his foot.

“No. You’re head guide for this trip.” Carson had decided to let Cody be the guide. If he was focused on the river, he’d have less time to make a move on Lily. “I’m just your grunt.”

He pulled the rest of the gear out of the truck while Cody inflated the boat with the electric pump plugged into the outlet provided for commercial and private rafters’ use. Carson double checked the first aid kit, and made sure there was plenty of water.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He hoped Lily hadn’t overheard the way they snipped at each other. Not a good way to instill confidence if she was worried about them taking a paddle to each other’s heads.

“No, you’re our guest.” Cody turned on the charm. It was as if he’d never even thought a harsh word in his life. “Just relax and get ready to enjoy the ride.”

“Should I put on my life jacket?” There was a hint of anxiety in her voice, but Lily was doing her best to control it.

“Sure, but you don’t need to buckle it until we get down to the water.” Carson wanted her to be comfortable. He needed to start by making amends with Cody. They were a team. It was time they started acting like one.

“If you want to put any personal belongings in this ammo can, it will keep everything dry.” Carson opened the metal box.

“Okay, sure.” She tossed her keys and her T-shirt into the can. “Is this an actual ammunition case?”

“We get them from the military supply store,” Carson told her. “They come in several sizes, for everything from first aid kits to groovers. And they’re completely watertight.”

“Groovers?” Lily looked skeptical.

“Porta-potties. For overnight trips.” Carson hadn’t been on many lately. Cody preferred to take the two-days. “They’re actually quite convenient. They take up a lot less space than commercial models. Watertight, odorless, and surprisingly comfortable.”

“Probably more than I needed to know,” Lily said.

Carson shrugged and threw his own wallet and cell phone into the can. “Cody, what do you want in the dry box?”

Cody drew his wallet out of his pocket. The unmistakable ring of a condom marked the well-worn leather.

“You know you really shouldn’t keep those in your wallet.” Carson whispered to his brother.

“Hey, I don’t carry a purse.” Cody kept his voice low so Lily wouldn’t overhear. “Besides, I use them up long before they have a chance to deteriorate.”

“Good to know you play it safe.” Carson dug his nails into his palms. Sometimes he marveled at the fact that he wasn’t an uncle.

* * * *

Lily didn’t want to be nervous. But the closer they got to actually getting on the river, the harder it was to remain calm. It didn’t help that there was unmistakable tension between the brothers that hadn’t been there the day before. She hoped it wasn’t her fault. Maybe they didn’t really want to take her down the river. Maybe they were just being nice. Or maybe they thought she was wasting their time.

Since they’d come this far, and they’d gone to this much trouble, she figured she’d have to go through with it. She just hoped she wasn’t getting in too far over her head. Even with the snug fitting life jacket, she worried about falling in.

She watched as they slipped the raft into the water. It was a calm spot, but she knew it wouldn’t be like that the whole way down.

“Now remember, if you fall in”—Carson’s voice was calm, assuring—“just lean back and put your feet downstream, like you’re relaxing in a lawn chair. We’ll come to you.”

“I’m sure you will.” Lily offered a quick smile.

Carson would keep her safe. She had to keep telling herself that. It was the only way she could put one foot in front of the other. It was the only way she could step into the boat.

“Ready?” Cody asked. “You hop in first. Take your paddle with you.”

“Oh, I thought you guys would do all the rowing.” Lily was now more than a little nervous. What if she couldn’t paddle hard enough? What if she dropped the paddle in the river? What if she fell in?

“I’m just your humble guide.” Cody smiled at her, flashing his dimples. She was sure if he wasn’t wearing sunglasses, he would have winked at her. “You and Carson take the front and follow my commands.”

“Oh, so we’re going with age before beauty?” Carson quipped. “He thinks he’s so cool because he’s older than me.”

“Just better looking.” Cody ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head like a model.

“Are you two going to bicker, or are you going to show me a good time?” Lily crossed her arms over her life jacket and stood there, daring them, hoping their banter was more friendly than serious rivalry. Anything to keep her mind off the thought of being tossed into the river, unable to get her feet under her. Unable to breathe.

“You’ll do just fine.” Carson leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Paddling will keep you engaged. You won’t have time for fear to creep in.”

Sure, except for the fact that the man seemed to read her mind.

Carson held her arm as she stepped into the boat. She tried to concentrate on keeping her balance, not on the feel of his hand on her skin. He let her take the right side and showed her how to keep her weight centered and use her paddle to keep herself balanced. After practicing paddling and a few simple commands, they were underway.

It didn’t take long for Lily to feel like she’d been doing this all her life. It didn’t hurt that the twins worked so well together. They were in such perfect sync that she couldn’t help but think they had some secret communication ability only identical twins had.

“Wow. This is great,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if I could actually do this, but it’s so relaxing. And exciting at the same time.”

“Yeah,” Cody added. “But we haven’t even gotten to the good parts yet.”

“It can’t possibly get better than this.” Lily lifted her face to the sun, soaking up its rays. Soaking in the experience. Here, on the river, the rest of the world drifted away. There was no such thing as stress or heartache. All the pain of the last year, all the disappointments from her marriage—from the obvious like the cheating and the inability to get pregnant, to the little things, the way Brian had always managed to make her feel inferior—were swept into the river, carried away like fallen leaves.

The river took her professional setback and put it into a new perspective. It wasn’t the end of the world, just a new course for her to take. And she was armed. She could paddle her way to the right future for herself. She could steer around the obstacles that cropped up. She wasn’t just a passenger, but an active participant in her own life.

“Whoo-hoo!” Lily shouted as they dropped over an exciting rapid. “This is living.”

“The next one is a swimming rapid,” Cody told her. “You up for it?”

“A swimming rapid?” Her voice squeaked.

“It’s one with a deep channel, few rocks, and big waves,” Carson explained. “It’s kind of like nature’s waterslide.”