The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

Chapter Nine

Lang went perfectly still when Hope, trying to be casual and failing, removed her cover-up and dropped it on the boat seat behind her. It had been enough of a surprise that she’d joined him in the cover-up with her slim legs showing. Beautiful legs.

Trying not to stare, unwilling to embarrass her or to upset her with too much interest, he’d given thanks for the reflective sunglasses he wore.

She’d hastily slipped on her own wide sunglasses and asked with a smile, “Ready?”

Wasn’t easy, but he’d found his tongue. “Yup. Here, let me carry that.” He took her oversize tote bag from her and, going for a nonthreatening move, put his hand lightly to her back.

She hadn’t moved away, and his thoughts had been spiraling ever since.

Now, alone on the boat out in the middle of the lake, seeing her in a swimsuit—an insanely modest suit that covered as much as it could—he felt like a high school boy headed behind the bleachers with his first serious girlfriend.

She appeared to be holding her breath, so he slowed the boat until they merely idled over the main body of the lake, then gave her his attention. He even pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head, which made her cheeks bloom with color.

“You look amazing, Hope.”

Her tongue slipped out over her lips. “You like it? It’s new.”

Tenderness nearly overtook sexual interest. Hope looked soft, but she had strength. The innocent expectation in her eyes nearly leveled him. He knew in that moment that he would do everything in his power to see that she was never hurt again.

He’d start with helping her discover her own empowerment. She had it; it was there in her intelligence and her generous nature, and with her desire to move on with her life, to step out of the past and explore the future without fear.

For too long, she’d convinced herself otherwise.

“Yeah, I like it.” Seeing her relief, he added softly, “You have killer legs, lady. You should show them more often.”

She licked her lips again. “You know why I don’t.”

“Yeah,” he answered softly. “I know.” Making sure they were far enough away from other boaters, he half turned toward her. “But it’s just you and me out here, and you can trust me.”

“I do,” she said in a breathless rush. She, too, glanced around, but the few other boaters on the lake paid them no attention. “I was thinking...”

Though his muscles clenched, Lang waited quietly.

“Would you want to kiss me?” Before he could answer, she rushed on. “Just a kiss. I want to, and I think I can, but I’m not sure—”

“Just a kiss,” he repeated, already standing from the driver’s seat, taking a step toward her. He drew a slow breath. Don’t mess this up, he warned himself. He didn’t want to give her too much time to think about it, concerned that she’d become anxious, or even start to dread it, so he touched her chin to lift her face and lightly brushed his mouth over hers.

The simple kiss packed a hell of a wallop, at least on his end. He wasn’t at all sure how Hope felt about it.

When he straightened away, she still had her eyes closed. Smiling, he stroked his fingers over her hair. It was every bit as silky as he’d imagined. “Hope?”

She swallowed. “That was...fine.” Her eyes fluttered open. “Nice, actually.”

“I’m glad.” Don’t push it. Don’t push it. Retaking his seat, he asked, “Fast ride or slow?”

With a suddenly blank expression, she asked, “What?”

The grin almost got away from him. “Want me to drive fast or slow? The lake’s not crowded, so we can either cruise like we’ve been doing, or you can settle into the seat, get a hold of something, and I can show you how much power she has.”

Her smile flitted into place. “Fast,” she decided. Dropping into the passenger seat beside him, she braced her feet and said, “Ready when you are.”

That did interesting things for legs, showing the slight muscles and emphasizing her trim ankles. She was such a small woman...and she was having such an incredible impact on his life.

Grinning with her, he said, “Hold on,” then slowly accelerated until the wind whipped back her hair and she laughed out loud. They cut through waves with only a few bounces. Overhead, hawks soared. Atop fallen logs, flat turtles sunned themselves.

For twenty minutes, he drove them around, keenly aware of Hope’s upturned face, the way the sunshine glinted on her glossy hair and the utterly serene smile on her lips.

He’d had a few serious girlfriends in his lifetime where love seemed possible, but he’d never felt anything like this. With Hope, all the emotions were richer, warmer, sharper.

As he neared the cove at the far end, he slowed considerably. A crane, standing with wings spread, watched them warily. Along the rocky shoreline, a large carp glided just beneath the surface.

Hope stood to look over the windshield. “I’ve lived here for four years now, and I’ve never seen this part of the lake.”

“Parts of it are shallow.” Elm tree branches spread out overhead, shading the area. “I can only go so far into the cove without risking damage to the prop.”

“It’s so pretty, isn’t it?”

In profile, she looked even more delicate. He visually traced her face, from her smooth brow to her inky lashes to the slightly upturned nose and parted lips. He didn’t mean to, but he cared for her, he wanted her, so it seemed natural to look at her body, too.

Glancing at him, her smile started to fade. “Lang?”

Damn. Trying to cover his interest, he asked, “Did you put on sunscreen? I don’t want you to burn.”

Not fooled but apparently not worried, either, she nodded. “I did. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be out, so I brought more, just in case.”

“Want me to drop anchor here? We could swim.”

Her eyes flared. “Here?” Looking around at the irregular shoreline, the towering trees and the dark water, she frowned. “I don’t think I’m quite that adventurous.”

“Is there anywhere else on the lake you’d be more comfortable?”

“Is there anywhere without fish?” she teased. “No, I’ll just observe this time. Is that okay?”

“Hey, whatever you want.”

“You should still swim, though. I don’t mind.”

“Then how about you sit on the swim deck and I’ll just take a quick dip?” Hopefully the cold water would have a head-clearing effect.

“The swim deck?” Curiously, she looked around again.

“There in the back. It’s made low to skim the water so it’s easier to get in and out of the boat.” Nonchalant, he turned off the motor, stood and stripped off his shirt.

He was very aware of Hope’s gawking. The sun on his shoulders felt good, but Hope’s interest felt better.

Removing the heavy anchor from a locker beneath a seat, he stepped up to the bow and attached the rope to a cleat.

“You’re good at that,” Hope said, moving closer to watch as he secured it. “Is that a special knot?”

He grinned. “The loop in the rope fits in and around the cleat.” Enjoying her attentiveness, he took a moment to explain the various parts of the boat and how to anchor it. “We’ll drift a little, but not enough to take us too close to the shore.”

She eyed his chest. “Are you, um, going to put on a life jacket or anything?”

“I can swim, but if it’ll make you feel better—”

“Yes, please.” She lifted her chin. “If you drown, what would I do?”

“Drive the boat for help?”

Already shaking her head, she said, “I couldn’t. I’ve never driven a boat.”

“After my swim, I’ll teach you.” They could go slow until she got comfortable. With any luck, she’d enjoy boating enough that they could go out more often.

Her lashes lifted and her dark blue gaze locked on his. “Okay, but before you jump in...” She inched nearer. “Would you mind giving me another kiss?”

Lang groaned, but again, he didn’t want her to change her mind so he lightly took her shoulders in his hands and drew her closer. “I will do anything you want, okay? You only need to tell me.”

“Thank you. I want—”

He put his mouth to hers, a little more firmly this time, a little more leisurely. Her shoulders felt small, her skin satiny, warm from the sun. She held herself still but breathed faster.

Just as he was lifting his head, her small hand flattened against his chest. Keeping a tight rein on his expanding lust, he teased his mouth against hers.

Still she didn’t move away. Ever so lightly, he touched his tongue to her bottom lip.

Drawing a deep breath, Hope whispered with wonder, “I like kissing you.”

“Probably not as much as I like kissing you.” Which meant he needed to get a grip before he pushed too fast. “I think I should take that dip now, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Snagging up a swim belt and buckling it around his waist, Lang stepped to the swim platform and jumped in. Cold water closed over his head, but thanks to the belt, he popped right back up. Refreshed but still turned on, he folded his arms over the platform and smiled up at her. “Come on. Sit and talk to me.”

Gingerly, she stepped onto the platform and lowered herself to sit, but kept her feet tucked to the side. “You’re sure there aren’t any snakes or big turtles or anything?”

“If there were, I scared them away with my splash.”

She smiled, peeked over the side and finally, with a load of caution, dipped her feet into the water. “It’s cold.”

His elbow touched her knee. At thirty years old, he shouldn’t even have noticed that, but he noticed everything about Hope, down to the smallest detail. “It’s not too bad. By mid-July it’ll be like bath water.”

“You’re used to lakes, aren’t you?”

“We were always around water. Corbin and I learned to swim when we learned to walk. We could spend all day in the water, but Mom wouldn’t let us be there by ourselves.” He grinned. “She likes to hover.”

Hope looked up at the sun. “Did she swim, too?”

“Occasionally.” He shrugged. “More often than not, she’d bring a book to read in the shade, only looking up to yell at us for something.”

“Who got in trouble more?”

“In the water? That’d be me, but only because I was always hot-dogging. You know, doing backflips off the dock, or climbing too high in a tree.”

Hope laughed. “It’s a wonder you survived.”

“Being around Justin now, I see it all differently. I’m surprised my mom didn’t go nuts.”

“He’s a great kid.”

“Yeah, he is.” Lang saw how the heat had flushed her face. “You sure you don’t want to get in?”

“Not this time. I’ll have to work up to it.”

“Then I should probably climb back in.” He didn’t bother with the little drop-down ladder, and instead hoisted himself up with his arms and plopped down heavily beside her. Lake water sprayed over her legs and arms, and a puddle beneath him snaked over to soak her bottom.

She laughed.

And he had to kiss her again. This time, he had her full participation. As if she’d been anticipating that reaction from him, her arms came up around his neck.

Scorched. That’s how he felt. And a little lost.

Why hadn’t he known a kiss could be like this?

Things had advanced quicker than he’d dared to hope, and he was pondering the best way to enjoy her interest without taking advantage of her lack of experience, when suddenly she jerked away with a screech.

His heart sank as she jerked her feet up and out of the water.

“Something bit me!”

Wait...what? That was so far from what he’d expected, Lang didn’t quite understand. And he was still breathing too fast.

Hope gave him a shove. “Something’s in the water.”

“There are all kinds of things in the water.”

“Yes, I know that.” Exasperated, she stared down at the water again. “It’s just that I’ve never got in there.”

“You’re not afraid of bugs,” he pointed out.

“I can see bugs. But in that dark water...”

He shook his head, as much to clear it as to deny any danger. He started to question her, but the outraged expression on her face as she peered down into the lake did him in. His choked laugh brought her pointed attention shooting back to him. The signs of humor made her eyes narrow.

That only made it funnier.

She pushed him again, without much heat, then her lips twitched. “I’m serious. Something nibbled my toe.”

“Are you okay?” he asked around a smile.

“Yes.” She looked at her foot. “All my toes are still where they belong.” With suppressed humor, she admitted, “It just startled me.”

He curled his hand around her small foot. “No damage done.” He glanced into the lake. “There.” He pointed at the silvery reflection of a fish. “It’s just a little blue gill.”

“Aw. It’s kind of cute, isn’t it?” Keeping her feet on the platform, her arms around her knees, she studied the fish, then glanced at him again. “It could have been something else.”

Damn, but she delighted him. “You taste so good,” he teased, “I can’t blame the fish.”

Her expression changed, turned heated. “I think you taste good, too. I liked kissing you, Lang.”

“I’m glad. If you want, we can do a lot more kissing.”

“With no other expectations?”

“You’re in charge. If you ever want more, you’ll let me know. Otherwise, kissing is it.”

This smile was different. It was a smile of relief and anticipation. A smile of trust.

A smile of power. “Thank you.”

Lang knew he’d just lost a big chunk of his heart.

Ivey saw the hands of the wall clock tick past 9:00 p.m. She really needed to head home, but she also hated to go. Seated on the floor behind the coffee table, she and Justin competed in a video game. So far, he was skunking her. Badly. Of course, he’d played before and she hadn’t, but still...he was only ten. Why couldn’t she grasp the movements? Her driver kept wiping out, while Justin’s gathered points right and left.

Sitting behind her on the couch, Corbin said, “He’s really good at this.”

“Hush, you’ll distract me.” And at that moment, she wiped out for the final time. “Argh!” Dropping the controller, she collapsed back against Corbin’s legs and groaned dramatically.

Triumphant, Justin crowed, “I won!”

“Yes, you did.” Ivey mussed his hair. “Done in by a child!”

“I’m ten, not a child.”

“I’m more than three times your age,” she pointed out. “That makes you a kid.”

“Huh-uh.” Coming up to his knees, his hands on the cushion beside Corbin, Justin said, “My mom said I could take care of myself now.”

Silence landed like a thunderclap. Ivey stared at him, horrified, then she reassessed. Surely his mother had said that in some logical context, maybe in encouragement. “She did, huh?”

“Yeah, she said only babies wanted their moms to take care of them.”

The horrid disclosure made Corbin stiffen even more. Justin said it in such a nonchalant way, there was no doubting the truth.

“Let’s see,” Ivey mused, hoping to free Corbin from his tension-induced disbelief. “I’d say you’re old enough to take responsibility for some things. Like brushing your teeth without being told? And making sure Daisy has food and water?”

Justin shrugged. “Mom said I could watch myself, too.”

Corbin practically jumped on that. “Your mom left you alone?”

“Sometimes.” Full of energy, Justin bounced on his knees. “When she had to work or if she had a date. But it’s okay cuz I’m ten, now.”

Tension vibrated off Corbin. “Where did Darcie work?”

“I don’t know.” Justin turned as Maurice and Daisy trotted over to him, trailed by the puppies. “She worked at night, though.”

Gently, Ivey asked, “When it was dark?”

“Yeah.” He no longer looked at them, choosing instead to focus on the animals. The jubilant victory of moments before seemed forgotten.

Ivey didn’t want to press, not with him looking so withdrawn, as if he realized he’d blundered into a sensitive topic.

Corbin must have realized it, too. “Ten is getting up there, but as your dad, I enjoy taking care of you.”

Justin shot him a quick look. “You and Mom are different, huh?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Very different.” Then he went one step further and said, “I won’t ever leave you alone at night.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, it’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, Mom said the same thing. She told me I should come in and lock the door before it got too dark, cuz if I didn’t someone might steal me. But sometimes I’d forget.” Hugging Daisy close, he whispered, “The lights in our hall didn’t work so it was a little creepy at night.”

Gathering himself, Corbin sat forward and asked with admirable calm, “Did you leave your apartment unlocked?”

“No. We kept the key under the mat.” A puppy chewed on Justin’s shorts, making him smile. “But one time, my mom forgot and took it with her.”

Ivey welcomed Maurice into her lap. The old cat always seemed to know when she was upset and needed affection. “What did you do?”

“I slept in the hall.” His brows scrunched as he rubbed the puppy’s ear, then he said accusingly, “Mom was mad at me, but she took the key. She made me stay in after that.”

Leaning against Corbin, Ivey looked back and caught his gaze. She hoped to convey her support, her understanding, and she wanted to encourage him to remain cool. He looked...ravaged. And no wonder. Little by little, Justin’s tone and expression had changed, the upsetting memory coming out of nowhere, which to her, meant it was an important event.

Corbin being Corbin, he pulled together his control. Neither his tone nor his expression showed how wretched this had to be for him. “How mad was she, son?”

Justin rubbed at his nose, his gaze evasive. “Our neighbor, Doris, saw me and she yelled at Mom real bad. I think that’s why she was mad at me.”

Justin was only ten, so how could he understand an adult’s behavior? How would he know that the problem had been with his mother, not with him?

His mouth trembled. “I didn’t mean to make her mad or get her in trouble. I swear! I just didn’t know what to do.”

Ivey put a hand on his shoulder. She felt so much emotion from Justin, and even more from Corbin. She nearly choked on it, it was so strong and turbulent. “Honey, how come Doris didn’t invite you in?”

“She did,” he said in a rush. “Doris was always real nice to me, but Mom didn’t like her so I wasn’t supposed to talk to her. Mom said Doris would call the police on her and they’d take me away.” He shot a fearful glance at Corbin. “I didn’t want to go away. I didn’t know about Dad, though.” He concentrated on stroking the dog. “Doris told me not to worry, and she gave me a pillow and blanket and sat out there to talk to me until morning.”

“Doris sounds like a very nice neighbor,” Corbin said.

“Mom said she was a nasty—” he slid a cagey glance at the adults “—B-word.”

Clearing her throat, Ivey tried to think of something to say. Justin beat her to it.

“Mom wouldn’t let me have pets, neither. And she didn’t play video games or race me or nothing.” His bottom lip quivered as he picked up steam. “She got mad at me a lot, too, and sometimes...sometimes I didn’t know when she’d come home!”

Throat closing, Ivey fought to keep her expression impassive. She didn’t want to upset Justin more by reacting too strongly.

Leaning past her, Corbin caught Justin under the arms and hauled him up and onto his lap. He clutched his son close, rocking him a little. “You will always know where I am, and you will never be left alone. Okay?”

“I want to say here forever,” Justin said, hugging Corbin just as fiercely.

Knowing she was going to cry, Ivey got quietly to her feet and, holding Maurice, headed for the kitchen to give father and son some privacy. Confused by the sadness, Daisy hastily followed her, which meant all three puppies did, too.

Around the corner, Ivey slid down the wall until her bottom hit the floor. Maurice butted her chin and Daisy snuggled up to her side. For years upon years, she’d relied on animals in happy times and sad. Now was no different. People thought she gave so much to animals. In truth, they gave so much to her. She hugged and kissed each animal in turn, taking the comfort they gave, hoping to give some back in return.

Every time she thought of a little boy left alone, sleeping in a hallway, without his mother’s care, her heart crumbled a little more.

She was fighting off the tears when she heard Corbin say, “We talked about this, right? I promised you that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. But you’re still worrying?”

There were a few seconds of silence where she imagined Corbin smoothing Justin’s hair, reassuring him, then Justin mumbled, “It’s just that I like it here a lot more. It’s fun.”

“For me, too.”

“And you’re really nice.”

“I hope so, but I’m also human, which means I might make mistakes here and there.” Corbin’s tone gentled, and he added, “If I do, it’ll be just that—a mistake. It won’t mean I don’t love you, or that I don’t want you here with me.”

“Kay.”

“Justin...” Corbin hesitated, then forged on. “You can always talk to me. I want you to know that. If you’re worried about something, we can work it out.”

“But what if you have to go somewhere?”

“I don’t have to travel often, and if I did, your Uncle Lang would stay with you until I got back. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Justin hesitated, then asked with heartbreaking uncertainty, “You’d always come back, huh?”

“Nothing and no one could keep me away. I promise.” There was another small stretch of silence, then Corbin added, “I think you and I need to talk a lot more. There’s so much about you I don’t know.”

“I’m not a baby, I promise.”

“No, you’re not,” Corbin said with affection. “But you are a ten-year-old boy and I don’t want you to grow up too soon, okay?”

“I guess.”

“Will you promise me that whenever you have something on your mind, you’ll let me know?”

“Mom didn’t want me bothering her.”

“I think your mother had her own issues to work out. I’m very different. I’m already settled, and now we’ve got this house together.”

“And the boat Uncle Lang bought us.”

“Yes, and a boat.”

“And we’ve got Daisy.”

Ivey heard the smile in Corbin’s voice when he agreed. “Daisy is now a part of our family.”

“Are Uncle Lang and Ivey family, too?”

“Uncle Lang is my brother, so yes, he’s family. Ivey is a very good friend.”

“Could she be family?”

Ivey covered her face, her shoulders trembling. Clearly, she shouldn’t have been listening in. If she had known they would discuss her, maybe she’d have moved farther away than just the kitchen. Yet here she sat, her heart aching for Justin, feeling sorry for Corbin being put on the spot.

And on pins and needles for his answer.

“Sometimes family isn’t related,” Corbin explained. “So I think we can call Ivey family.”

“Good. Cuz I was worryin’ ’bout that.”

Bless his little heart.Ivey sniffled.

“Just so you know,” Corbin said softly, “I worry sometimes, too. It’s the same with Uncle Lang and Ivey. Everyone worries, but it’s easier when you share those worries.”

“I guess.”

That often seemed to be Justin’s answer. I guess. As if he didn’t quite believe what he was being told. What type of life had taught him to be so skeptical at his age?

Understanding that Justin had wound down and wasn’t as engaged anymore, Corbin said, “I like it when we have these heart-to-heart conversations.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means when we discuss the really important stuff.”

“Like how much you love me?”

Ivey stuffed her fist against her mouth to keep from sobbing. Oh God, Corbin had to be the strongest man alive to be able to bear that without bawling. She definitely wasn’t that strong.

“Yes,” Corbin said, and there was a note of gruff tenderness in his voice. “I love you very, very much.”

Using that same conspiratorial whisper, Justin asked, “Did I make Ivey sad?”

“I think,” Corbin said, “that she loves you, too, so she was worried about you being alone.”

“She might be cryin’,” Justin said. “Babies cry.”

“Ivey is definitely not a baby, so you probably shouldn’t say that.”

“I guess she’s cryin’ cuz she’s a girl, huh? That’s why.”

Corbin laughed. “Now I know you shouldn’t say that. Ivey is a very strong woman.”

“She’s still cryin’,” Justin pointed out.

“Different people show their emotions in different ways. I hugged you tight because it made me feel better.” With a shrug in his tone, Corbin said, “Ivey got a little teary-eyed. It’s okay for either of you to cry.”

“Do you ever cry?”

“I haven’t for a long time. Not since my father passed away.” Corbin was silent a moment. “Usually when I feel like crying, I talk to my family. My mother or Lang. Maybe whenever you feel like crying, you could talk to one of us.”

“Maybe,” Justin promised. “But I won’t cry around Ivey, okay?”

“Well, if you ever feel like it, I’m sure Ivey wouldn’t mind.”

Taking that as her cue, Ivey wiped her eyes and scrambled back to her feet. She peeked around the wall, found father and son watching for her, and so she plastered on a smile. “I wouldn’t mind at all, but I do have to admit, if you cry, I’ll cry. Heck, if someone on a commercial cries, I usually cry.” She lifted a shoulder. “Hope is the same, but our receptionist, Karen? I think you’ve met her, right? Well, she’s a rock. I’ve never seen her cry.”

She realized she was babbling when they both blinked at her.

Justin frowned at her critically. “Your nose is real red.”

“Yes, I’m what people call an ugly crier.”

“I don’t think you’re ugly,” he rushed to tell her. “I think you’re real pretty.”

Piece by piece, he stole her heart. “You little charmer. Thank you.” Her smile actually hurt, because she honestly had more sobbing to do. “I think it’s probably time for me to head home.”

Just then, Lang opened the door. He wore a huge smile—until he saw Justin on Corbin’s lap and the tear tracks on Ivey’s face. “Uh-oh.” His gaze searched Ivey’s face, then worriedly switched to Justin, who hastily rubbed his nose and scrambled off Corbin’s lap. Lastly, he looked at his brother.

Quietly he closed the door. “Did I, um, miss something?”

For some reason, maybe because the strain of so much emotion had reached the breaking point, his stricken expression started Ivey snickering. Within seconds, Corbin and Justin had joined her.

They laughed and laughed, which stole the concern out of Lang’s eyes and removed her need for more crying. Now she wiped her eyes for a whole different reason.

She suddenly felt wonderful. She loved these people, all three of them, and she didn’t think that would ever change.

Wishing she could stay but knowing she needed to get some sleep, she had to call it a night. Bummer, because Corbin’s house was starting to feel more like home than her own ever had.