What Happens at the Ranch...

by Christy Jeffries

  Freckles chose that exact instant to walk out onto the front porch. Although, from what Grayson had observed of the older woman these past couple of weeks, she’d probably been standing behind the front door all along, strategically planning her entrance into the conversation. “You know, Tessa, your uncle tells me there’s a new state-of-the-art indoor pool over at the rec center. I hear there’s a diving board and everything.”

  Grayson was close enough that he could see the goose bumps rise above Tessa’s wrists. “I’m not going diving, Aunt Freckles.”

  Yep. Aunt Freckles and Finn were definitely up to something.

  “Of course you aren’t. I was just thinking you could go do some laps. I’m sure Agent Grayson here and his team could call ahead to the rec center and get you a couple of hours by yourself.”

  No, Agent Grayson here wanted to get back to the bunkhouse and take a nap before he covered the night shift for Lopez. He certainly didn’t want to stand by and watch Tessa King wearing nothing but a skimpy swimsuit as her athletic body glided through the water.

  However, an hour later, before he was about to get behind the wheel of the black SUV, Freckles grabbed his elbow and whispered in his ear, “Try to get our girl up on the diving board.”

  Our girl was sitting in the backseat, her face devoid of expression. Only the subtlest clench of her jaw told him that she was upset about something—probably about the fact that she’d once again allowed herself to be cajoled by Finn and Freckles into doing something she was avoiding. Even though he was curious about whatever it was she wanted to avoid, Grayson was determined to keep his distance.

  Two other agents rode along in the vehicle with them, so at least he wasn’t alone with her. When they arrived at the local rec center, which, thankfully, had already been closed to the public for the evening, Grayson and Doherty went in first to clear and secure the H-shaped building. The main entrance and locker rooms were in the center of the H, the gymnasium running the length of one of the sides and the indoor pool running the length of the other. The only way to access the pool was through the locker room hallway or through the reception area. There was no rear exit, which made it easier for surveillance but more difficult if they needed to get out of there in an emergency.

  Not that anyone was anticipating an emergency at some community rec center in the middle of Wyoming. Grayson rocked back on his heels, shaking off another wave of restlessness. Not every assignment could be action-packed and heart-stopping, he reminded himself.

  “Indoor pools give me the creeps,” Doherty said after they radioed Agent Talib to advise her that it was clear to bring Tessa inside. “It’s unnatural to have this much water under a roof. It smells like weird chemicals and everything echoes in there. I’m going to post up by the front entrance.”

  Agent Talib was already in place outside the locker rooms to make sure nobody came in through that entrance, which meant Grayson got stuck inside the pool area with Tessa, the scent of chlorine permeating the dense air.

  The lights were bright, buzzing overhead as Tessa lapped through the water. She swam a few lengths then stopped at the deep end and lifted her goggles onto her slicked-back hair. “You don’t have to stand there the whole time watching me.”

  “I’m not watching you,” he pointed out. “I’m scanning the area for possible threats. Sorry if you occasionally come into my field of vision.”

  “Right.” Tessa adjusted her goggles, but not before he saw her roll her eyes. “Well, when you used to watch me on my rides, you’d actually get on a horse and pretend to at least be participating in the activity.”

  “I can’t scan for potential threats from inside the pool.”

  “Please. We’re in an enclosed room with no windows.” Tessa used a dripping arm to gesture around the four tall walls surrounding the Olympic-size pool. “The only way in here is past the other two agents stationed at the doors. Do you really have that little confidence in your colleagues?”

  “Someone has to remain inside. Besides, you shouldn’t swim alone without a lifeguard on duty.”

  “Then swim with me.” Using her open palm, she sent a spray of water his way.

  “I didn’t bring a suit,” Grayson argued.

  “Grab one from the lost and found.” She pointed to a large metal-wire bin in the far corner.

  He scrunched his nose. “That sounds pretty unhygienic.”

  She easily pulled herself out of the deep end, water sluicing from her body as her wet feet slapped along the deck. Her voice echoed off the tiled walls as she walked toward the lost and found bin. “Don’t worry. The gallons of chlorine they dump in here will kill off any potential germs.”

  Germs were suddenly the last thing on his mind as he got a full look at Tessa King’s toned legs, which were bare and slick all the way up to the blue spandex material barely covering the firm rounded curves of her backside. His throat went dry.

  Tessa, hopefully oblivious to his body’s reaction to her in a swimsuit, grabbed a pair of neon-green shorts boasting a wild print of frothy piña colada drinks and pink umbrellas. She held them up triumphantly as she made her way back to him.

  Grayson shook his head. “Those look like they were purposely left behind on a Hawaiian cruise ship by a retired NFL linebacker.”

  “Hmm.” She squinted through one eye as she tested out the elasticity of the waistband, looking from the shorts to Grayson’s lower torso. “Might be a few sizes too big. I think I saw a Speedo in there that would work better—”

  He snatched the swim trunks out of her hand. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll wear these ridiculous things—the Speedo is a no-go—if you teach me how to dive.”

  Grayson knew there was a reason Freckles had mentioned the diving board, and he wanted to find out why. Even if it meant sacrificing his pride and donning the tacky swim trunks, their obnoxiously bright print making him suddenly wish he had his sunglasses.

  Tessa’s eyes shot to the high dive and he saw the muscles in her neck working as she gulped. Yep, there was definitely a story there. She wrung the water out of her hair, but not before he saw the telltale twitch of her fingers. “What do you mean teach you how to dive? The great Agent Wyatt doesn’t already know how to do something?”

  Of course he knew how to dive. It was part of the combat swimmer stroke course when he’d trained for special forces. But if she didn’t already know the details of his training, he wasn’t going to volunteer the info. “My mom used to take me and Maddie swimming when we were growing up because it helped Maddie with her physical therapy. But our neighborhood pool didn’t have fancy diving boards like these.”

  That was true enough. Maybe it was his subtle reminder of his sister having a medical condition. Or maybe Tessa just really wanted to see him shirtless. Or maybe she really felt awkward with him watching her while she swam alone. Either way, she inhaled deeply and stuck out her hand to shake on the deal. “Fine.”

  As he walked into the locker room to change, he explained to Agent Talib in passing that he wouldn’t have his radio earpiece in for a short time. She’d replied, “Take as long as you want. I told SAIC Simon we didn’t need three agents for this job, but Doherty insisted that you’d want to come along as an extra.”

  Damn, he thought, cinching the drawstring in the waistband and double knotting it to keep the swimsuit in place. Doherty had likely been in on this plan with Finn and Freckles all along.

  When Grayson walked out of the locker room, Tessa was back in the pool, treading water. Her goggles were on the deck where she’d left them, which meant that when he approached in his borrowed suit, there was nothing to obscure her eyes as they widened at the sight of his bare chest.

  She bit her lower lip, blatantly staring at the area below his neck. His skin tightened over his already tense muscles and heat spread through his bloodstream.

  This is a bad idea. He didn’t trust himself a
round her when they were both fully dressed. How could they be this close to each other in nothing but their swimsuits and keep their hands to themselves?

  Unfortunately, it was too late to turn back now. He jumped into the water in an effort to cool off his overheated body and almost lost his shorts.

  “Okay—” he nodded toward the board “—show me how to dive.”

  “You said ‘teach,’ not show. You go up on the springboard and I’ll stay down here and talk you through it.”

  He should’ve known that she’d try to outsmart him. He used the side ladder and only one arm to haul himself out of the pool, the other hand still clutching the loose elastic of his shorts. Grayson walked onto the end of the diving board, prepared to belly flop on this whole plan if he had to.

  Tessa gave him several instructions of how he should lean over at the waist or bend his knees or move his toes closer to the edge, but he purposely misunderstood everything she said and ended up jackknifed as he tumbled into the water.

  The second time he got up on the board, he overcorrected and actually did do a belly flop. The red skin on Grayson’s stomach stung as he walked back to the board for the third time. He swallowed his pride, along with his penchant for honesty, when he said, “I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.”

  His first two attempts had taken so long, she’d given up on treading water in the deep end and was now sitting on the edge of the pool. “You’re bending too much at the waist and then pulling your head up too soon.”

  “No offense,” he said, totally intending to offend her. “But I feel like I could do it if I had a better teacher.”

  “You don’t need a better teacher. You need to focus. I’m telling you what to do and you’re doing the exact opposite.”

  “No, I need someone who isn’t too afraid to get up here and show me.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not afraid.”

  “Prove it.”

  She stood and he had to force his gaze away from the top of her bathing suit, the clingy wet fabric showing the clear outline of her hardened nipples underneath. She brushed by him as she climbed the steps to the board and a shiver of excitement raced through him.

  “Keep your arms over your head like this. Your fingers should hit the water before your head.” She gave him several other instructions, but never actually left the board in demonstration. In fact, the longer she remained on the edge, the slower her voice became. “Jump high with your legs and d-di...di...dive—”

  She shook her head as though to clear it. That’s when he realized the rest of her body was trembling.

  “Tessa?” Bypassing the rungs on the ladder, he jumped directly onto the board. “Are you okay?”

  She stood at the edge, staring at the water. Her legs were locked together, her hands stiff at her sides. But still, she shook.

  “I’m walking toward you,” he said quietly, not wanting to spook her. “Give me your hand. I’ll help you climb down.”

  “I d-don...don...” She paused and he had no doubt she was doing that thing where she closed her eyes any time she stuttered. “I don...don’t want to climb down.”

  “Do you want me to stay up here with you?”

  Tessa’s nod was so slight, he thought he’d imagined it.

  “I’m right here, behind you,” he told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  This time, her nod was stronger. He could see her shoulder blades expand as she drew in a ragged breath. He realized that he’d been holding his own. “That’s right. Just breathe.”

  They inhaled and exhaled together several times.

  “I’m going to stand behind you, just in case...” He didn’t want to say panic attack. The mere suggestion that she wasn’t in control might send her into a tailspin. “Just in case you lose your balance.”

  She didn’t object, so he moved closer and slowly wrapped his right arm around her waist. “Here, lean back against me. I’ve got you.”

  Tessa’s body was rigid, but at least her breathing remained controlled. After what seemed like several minutes, he felt her begin to relax against him. Her fingers rose to cover his hand, the one that was firmly planted above her belly button.

  “I’m okay,” she said, taking a few more deep breaths.

  “You want to start backing up? I’ll help you climb down.”

  “No,” she said. “I need to get through this. I can do this if you’re with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. Their skin was already dry and he worried that a chill would set in if they didn’t either get out of these wet suits or back into the heated pool soon. “Tell me what we’re working through.”

  “I need to dive.” Her voice was still a little shaky, but determined.

  “Okay, we’ll dive together.”

  “No way.” She managed a weak chuckle, but at least she was relaxing. “You’re horrible at it.”

  “I was faking it,” he admitted.

  She rolled her eyes. “I know.”

  “So then why did you come up here to show me?”

  “I needed to come up here for myself. I thought that if I had an audience, I could go through with it.”

  “You want to tell me what this is all about?” he tried again.

  She sighed, then leaned her head back against his shoulder. “I used to be a diver. I was on the junior national team, training for the Olympics.”

  “I thought I’d read something in your case file about Olympic training, but I didn’t know what sport.”

  She released a shuddering sigh of what sounded like relief. “Good to know my dad was able to keep some things covered up.”

  “What happened?”

  “I had a bad accident my senior year of high school. It wasn’t even during a meet or at practice or anything. Some of my teammates and I were messing around at the pool at Twin Kings. My mom had thrown one of her parties to celebrate us making the regional finals. ‘Jump high and dive deep.’ That’s what my dad always told me.”

  Something clicked in Grayson’s mind. Those same words had caused her to start stuttering earlier.

  “But I was showing off. I went to do a backward arm-standing double somersault off our springboard. It’s a dive that should only be done from a platform. I couldn’t hold my position because the board dipped too low and when I overcorrected, my head hit the edge on my way down. I blacked out immediately and sank to the bottom of the pool. When I woke up from my coma, I was in the hospital. It was almost a week later.”

  Having experienced numerous hospitalizations with his sister, he knew exactly how terrifying that must’ve been for anyone, let alone someone so young. “That must’ve been scary.”

  The top of Tessa’s head hit his chin as she nodded. “I couldn’t see at first and thought I’d gone blind. And I couldn’t talk, which was even scarier because I had so many questions. The surgeon explained that I had a TBI—traumatic brain injury. After a few days, my vision came back and I thought my speech would return just as easily. I could think of the words, but I couldn’t make my tongue form them or my mouth say them. It was like there was a disconnect between my brain and my vocal chords. I spent almost two years in speech therapy relearning how to talk.”

  He knew the woman was tenacious, but he’d had no idea the obstacles she’d had to face to make it to the top of her profession. “And now you’re on TV every night, talking in front of millions of people.”

  “That’s the thing. My career depends on me not making any mistakes on the air. But suddenly I’m having panic attacks and stuttering, and everything that I’ve worked so hard to overcome is coming back full force.”

  “You’re worried you’re going to have a setback.” He brought his other arm around her waist, wishing he could use his body to comfort hers.

  “In college, I tried to get back on the diving boar
d and that’s when I had my first panic attack. The fear was so intense that it caused me to regress, and set me back about six months in speech therapy. So when I had that panic attack at the funeral, I thought...”

  “You thought it was happening again.”

  “Exactly. I let everyone think I was staying on at the ranch because of that whole Agent Steamy business. But that wasn’t the scandal I was worried about. If I can’t speak on the air, Grayson, my career is over.”

  He kissed her temple. “This isn’t a relapse. I’ve seen you verbally spar with your family, and me, and anyone else who has tried to keep you from doing what you want to do. When you’re confident and you believe in yourself, the words flow out of you and nobody dares to argue.”

  This time her chuckle was a little more natural. She’d made it through the worst part—admitting that she wasn’t as strong as she pretended to be.

  “So, what do we do?” Grayson asked, his lips still near her ear. “How can I help?”

  Tessa exhaled loudly. “My dad always said we need to conquer our fears. Failure isn’t an option.”

  “So, what’s your fear?”

  “Right now, it’s jumping off this stupid diving board.”

  He laced his fingers through hers. “Hold my hand. I’ll jump with you.”

  “That’s even more dangerous. What if you crash into me?”

  Grayson glanced down at the water. They were only a couple of feet above it and nowhere near the concrete edge. “You want to go first and I’ll make sure you don’t fall?”

  “I don’t know.” He could feel her rib cage expand and contract under his hand.

  “Then we’ll just stay up here until you know.”

  “You’re freezing, though,” Tessa said.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because your nipples are so frozen, they’re cutting into my back.” Her shoulders wiggled against his chest.

  “If you keep talking about my nipples,” he whispered into her ear, “the rest of me will warm up a lot more quickly.”