by Mia Dymond
“We’re all set.”
He pulled his gaze off of Tess long enough to turn and see that Steele now stood beside him. “Who drew the short straw?”
“Shadow.”
He mentally released a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t get wet anytime soon.
He moved his gaze back to Tess. “I think I’ll walk around for a few minutes.”
“You can’t run, man. We will find you when it’s time to draw again.”
“I’ll be back.” He smirked. “If for no other reason than to put you guys under the water.”
“Enjoy your momentary freedom.” His friend slapped him on the back. “And remember, payback’s a bitch.”
Not really concerned about Steele’s warning, Ranger left the area and walked toward the blonde bombshell at the ticket booth.
“Hey,” he said as soon as he stood in front of her.
“Hey, yourself.”
He worked hard to appear unaffected by her sweet, sexy smile when in reality, he wanted to jump over the timber, smash that delectable body to his, and kiss her until they both gasped for air.
“How’s business?”
“These tickets are going fast. I’ve sold 3,000 so far.”
He grinned at her expected calculation. “How about some fun?”
“You know where I can find some?”
“I do. Do you have some back-up?”
“Lucky you,” she said as her eyes sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. “Janice is on her way to relieve me.”
He had absolutely no idea who Janice was, but she had his eternal gratitude. He would take whatever time he could get to steal away with Tess.
He reached into his pocket and then handed her two twenty dollar bills. “Will this get us enough tickets?”
“Plenty.”
He shrugged. “We’ll use what we can and then donate the rest.”
She tore off several rows of tickets and handed them to him just as an older brunette, who he assumed to be her replacement, approached the table.
“Let’s party.” Tess stood from the table and then stepped over the timbers to stand beside him.
He didn’t waste any time in taking her hand, satisfying his overwhelming need to touch her, if at least for the moment.
“Isn’t that Hawke?” she asked as they walked toward the festivities.
He moved his gaze onto his teammate a few feet away, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, pushing a double stroller with one hand and holding his daughter’s hand in the other.
He nodded. “Obviously he drew a long straw.”
“Huh?”
“We drew straws to see who got wet.”
“Have you drawn?”
“Yes. So far so good.” He grinned and stopped in front of the face-painting booth.
In her usual flair, Cameron sat behind a card table, dressed in a yellow apron and matching yellow high heel shoes, surrounded by children. A bright pink high heel shoe glittered on her cheek as she drew on another porcelain cheek in front of her.
Tess bent down in front of a brown-eyed cherub who stood stoic while Cameron painted. “Your flower is so pretty! Is purple your favorite color?”
“Yes,” the little girl answered out of one side of her mouth.
Ranger bit back a chuckle. He had a feeling that when Cameron said don’t move, no one moved.
“I’m going to get a shoe like Cameron’s,” the older girl next to her said.
“Smart girl.” Cameron grinned and glanced at Ranger. “I only paint facial cheeks. How about a pair of lips?”
Ranger shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“That would be silly,” Cameron said as she loaded her paintbrush with more paint. “I have an extra tube of lipstick Tess can borrow instead.”
“Thanks, Cameron but I’m not quite the artist you are.” Tess stood and smirked. “I noticed Hawke had the babies.”
“They’ve had enough fun for one day. He’s on his way to meet the babysitter outside the front entrance.” Her friend grinned. “They’re way too young for one of Hawke’s concerts.”
“That exciting, huh?”
“The women can get rowdy.”
“I’ve never seen one of his shows. I’m looking forward to it.”
Cameron winked. “Just don’t flash the bouncer.”
“I don’t plan to.” Tess giggled and his skin broke out in goosebumps, the breathy noise putting his body on full alert. “We’ll see you later, Cameron.”
The other woman glanced down at their enjoined hands. “You should go see Claire. I’m sure she knows something she’d love to share.”
“We’re on our way,” Tess told her. “We’ll see you later.”
Madame Claire’s tent was just a few steps away, and he found himself a little leery to hear what she had to say. He knew Claire well enough that he was positive she’d pick up on the strong attraction between him and Tess, he just couldn’t figure out for sure what she’d do with the information.
He reached to pull back a multi-colored flap. “Claire?”
“Come on in. The chair’s empty.”
He gestured with one hand for Tess to enter first and then he followed behind. He blinked a couple times to allow his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior. Claire sat at a square table in the center with a green-glowing crystal ball in the middle and an empty chair on the opposite side. A long, green robe covered her body and a matching turban with a green jewel in the center wrapped her head.
“This is so great!” Tess sat in the chair. “How did you light up the ball?”
“Max worked his electronic magic,” Claire told her. “How are ticket sales?”
“Great! Rachel knew what she was doing when she put this event together.”
Claire nodded. “She’s very devoted to the cause.”
Ranger stepped behind Tess’s chair and grasped the back. “Are you doing okay with this without Steele or Shadow?”
“They block the emotion when I’m on overload,” she explained to Tess. “Both of them have been in and out. There’s a lot of excitement and happiness here today. I’m fine. Would you like me to tell your fortune?”
“Sure!”
Claire waved her hands over the ball in a dramatic flair and then raised her gaze to look at him while she spoke to Tess. “I see a handsome man in your future.”
Ranger silently agreed. Obviously, Claire read him like a book.
“You’ve been saying that to all the girls, right?” Tess giggled.
“Oh, no,” Claire insisted. “Your future is yours alone. I see danger ahead.”
“Are you serious?”
She raised her gaze again to him while she spoke. “Don’t worry, this is the kind of danger you will welcome.”
He cleared his throat. “Oscar winning performance, Claire. You’re really good at this.”
“You think so? I’m having so much fun.”
“Here, do Ranger now.” Tess got up and offered her chair to him.
He shook his head. “No, thanks. I know all about Claire’s talent. I think I’ll just stick with the unknown.”
“Too bad, I would’ve had lots to tell you.” Claire smiled and gestured with her head at the opening in the tent. “We’re about to have company.”
Seconds later, Rachel poked her head inside. “Cameron said you were here. Are you guys having fun?”
“Yes,” Tess answered. “Claire just told me my future but Ranger said he didn’t want to know his.”
“I think he’s scared,” Claire teased.
He elected for non-response. No sense denying what all three women knew to be true.
Rachel giggled. “I’m looking for runners. Holly needs one more couple for the next three-legged race.”
“Tell the whole truth, Rachel.” Claire gave her friend a smirk. “Yes, Holly needs them but Shadow sent you to check on me too, didn’t he?”
Rachel bit her bottom lip. “You amaze me. Yes, you are okay, right?”
“I’m fine. Like I told Tess and Ranger, the emotion is positive today and I’m sitting on my rear end.” Claire lifted an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, though, I could use a couple corn dogs.”
“Done.” Rachel glanced back at him and Tess. “The race starts in ten minutes. Have fun.”
“Thanks, Rachel.” He reached for Tess’s hand and braided their fingers. “We’re headed that way.”
Heat seeped from Ranger’s hand into hers as Tess walked beside him toward a vacant, grassy lot on the far end of the street. She released a soft, satisfied sigh while contentment wrapped her body. She and Ranger had settled into an easy relationship, one she was most determined to continue. He was a nice surprise – although hardened by his military career and detective work, he also had an easygoing nature. And the man could kiss. The moment their lips had touched, she was sure the house would burn. A small shiver crossed her spine. If that kiss were an indication of the consequence of acting on more than a kiss, they’d burn alive.
Ranger gave her hand a squeeze and she quickly turned her thoughts back to the party.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?”
She glanced at the lot, surprised at the set-up. Where she expected to see a simple racing course with a start line, several running lanes, and a finish line, she found something much more elaborate. The starting line was present, marked in the grass by what appeared to be red paint, and then pointed runners toward a whole new adventure. Cones were arranged in zig-zagged patterns for several feet. Soccer balls were lined up in a row across the grass, and then at the far end, a table held what she thought might be several cream pies.
She glanced back at him and lifted an eyebrow. “I am. Are you?”
“Sure.”
She grinned when Holly approached. “I get the impression this is not a normal three-legged race.”
“I wanted to change it up a bit.” Holly pointed at the cones. “After you leave the starting line, you have to maneuver around the cones until you reach the soccer balls. You and your partner must kick the ball back and forth between the two of you until you reach the table with the whipped cream pies. Then, each of you must carry one pie in one palm until you reach the finish line. The first team to cross the finish line with their pie intact, wins.”
“What happens if we drop the pie?”
“You start over.” Holly squatted and tied Ranger’s right leg to her left leg before she left the area to start the race. “Good luck!”
Tess glanced at Ranger. “Have you ever done this before?”
“Not on this level, but I think we can pull it off.”
“I hope so.” She grinned. “I really don’t want a face full of whipped cream.”
His eyes flashed in the sunlight as he leaned close to her. “If you end up with whipped cream on any part of your body, I’ll make absolutely sure it’s cleaned up when we’re finished.”
She worked hard not to ask him just how he would do that, especially since she had several suggestions. Instead, she rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s line up.”
A minute or so later, Holly squeezed an air horn and they left the line. Tess was impressed when they fell into a smooth, easy rhythm and pulled ahead of everyone else. Headed toward the cones, their legs worked in tandem and the jagged pattern proved to be relatively easy for them. Still in the lead, they headed toward the soccer balls.
Ranger chuckled. “This may be a problem – I’m right handed.”
Tess giggled as he stuck out his leg and kicked the ball with the side of his foot. The ball came right at her so quickly she thought it might actually pass her by, but she managed to stop it and give it a more gentle nudge back at him.
“Let’s take one step forward,” she told him, “then I’ll return it to you.”
Encouragement flooded her when the process worked. Kick, step, kick. Soon, they were passing the ball back and forth like professionals. By the time they reached the table full of pies, there wasn’t another couple within feet and she felt pretty sure they would win.
She handed him a pie and then took one for herself. “We have some extra time so let’s do this carefully.”
“Agreed.”
She concentrated on their footwork as they headed to the finish line at a leisurely pace, careful not to wiggle the pie from her grasp. She didn’t know about Ranger, but her concentration was sorely distracted by his promise to clean the pie from her skin should they fall. Still, they kept a steady cadence and finally crossed the line without incident.
Or so she thought.
They did cross the line with their desserts intact; things went sour after that.
She had just turned to congratulate him on their win when she saw him lift his pie. The next thing she knew, she wore the whipped cream.
He reached to drag his finger through the mess on her face then stuck it in his mouth. “Want me to lick it all off?”
The sound of a clearing throat prohibited her answer and she rolled her head to one side to see Holly standing over them with a huge grin.
“This is supposed to be a family event.” She glanced at Ranger. “Keep it clean, soldier.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled with a smirk.
“Roll off and I’ll untie your legs.”
Holly loosened the rope and slid it free of his leg. Once he stood, he offered Tess a hand. “Good work.”
“You guys work well together.” Holly handed her a towel and then pointed at a table on the sideline. “You can pick up your trophy over there.”
“Thanks, Holly.” Tess wiped her sticky face and then gave her friend a hug. “We had fun.”
Once she stepped free from the rope and they stood next to one another, Tess reached for Ranger’s hand this time. His fingers tightened around hers almost immediately and they headed away from the course.
“I should probably get back to the tank,” he said. “Shadow should still be in the hot seat. Do you want to take a shot?”
“Sure. I don’t need to hurry back.”
On the way back to the dunk tank, Tess noticed the crowd had dispersed along the streets and that there was now a large gathering near the stage where Hawke was scheduled to perform.
“Looks like a big turnout for the concert,” she told Ranger.
“He puts on a pretty good show.” He chuckled. “Hard to believe he’s a SEAL.”
“How in the world did he ever combine the two personalities?”
“Sterling says natural talent. He’s always had a knack for entertainment so when he went to work for SEALs, Inc. he used it as a cover.”
“He’s really very grounded. I can’t say that I’ve seen too many rock stars who push baby strollers on a regular basis.”
“Rachel has a lot to do with that.” He steered her into the roped off area where the tank sat. “She insists that Harmony have a fairly normal life.”
“Well, look who’s back.” Max stood next to the bull’s eye, his eyes hidden behind his trademark Aviators, tossing a softball from one hand to the other. “Three tickets for three balls.”
“You’re on.” He slapped the tickets into the other man’s hand and took the balls.
“Hold on a sec.” Max grinned. “We drew straws while you were gone. You’re up.”
“Who drew my straw?”
“No one. We just left the short one out.”
“Where’s Shadow?”
“He went to check on his wife. You’re up.”
Ranger turned to look at her and she thought she caught a glimpse of panic in his gaze. “How’s your arm?”
“I guess you’ll find out, huh?” She tilted her head to one side. “Can you swim?”
“I can swim,” he assured her as he bent to untie his boots and then toe them off one by one. He then peeled off his socks and poked them into his boots. “Just remember, turnabout’s fair play.”
“That doesn’t concern me.”
“We’ll see.”
She watched in awe as he unbuttoned his jeans, l
owered the zipper, and then shoved them down his legs, leaving him clad in a pair of black swim trunks. She moved her gaze downward, appreciating the sight of his muscled legs that only added to his already overwhelming masculinity, and then back up again.
“Are you going to wear your t-shirt?” she murmured.
“You don’t want me to?”
“Quit stalling, Ranger!” Max barked. “In the tank.”
He gave her one of his trademark cocky smirks and then climbed into the tank. “Don’t feel bad if you need a couple practice shots,” he told her from the bench.
Max handed her a ball and Tess stepped up to a white line painted on the cement, then backed up a few more steps. She pulled back her right hand, aimed and let it fly. Just as she planned, the ball connected with the target on the left side and sent all six plus feet of the sexy Ranger into the water. She licked her lips as he surfaced – he was even sexier when wet.
“Nice.” Max grinned. “And you still have two more throws.”
Max reset the platform and Ranger climbed back on. “Twenty bucks says you can’t make it from five steps back.”
“You’re on.”
Although almost distracted by his now skintight t-shirt, Tess kept her focus and backed up. She cocked her arm again, released the ball, and hit the target hard on the right side. Ranger took another dip into the water.
“Good shot.” Max handed her the last ball. “Do me proud and make it three for three.”
Ranger grinned from the platform. “Tess, remember what I said about fair play.”
“I’m not getting into the tank.”
“No, but if you dunk me again, you’ll owe me.”
“I owed you for the whipped cream anyway.” She wiped the ball against her chest. “Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise.”
Not in the least bit dissuaded by his promise, Tess wound up and prepared to throw once again. She sent the ball sailing toward the target, this time nailing it dead in the center. Just like before, Ranger plunged into the water.
