“What?” I asked, confused.
His tongue rolled between his lips and his feet shifted, bringing him closer. “I’m your waterfall man. That’s a fun secret.” He grinned slyly.
I gasped before I laughed and hit his shoulder. “No. Forget about all that.”
“I will never, ever, forget a woman coming onto me behind a waterfall.”
My mouth fell open. “I was not coming on to you! You came on to me!”
“I don’t think so,” Caleb argued through a rugged laugh. “You asked, begged, and even pleaded at one point.” He rolled his shoulders as if that was all that needed to be said.
I narrowed my eyes at him, ready to argue, but was easily distracted by that darn dimple that lingered with his half-smile. Before I could stop myself, I was replaying kiss after kiss behind that waterfall and the memory of his lips on mine. My eyes shifted to his mouth, and I pressed lips together, remembering how he felt against them.
“Amy.” His voice had a warning in it. He stepped so close that even though we were in the cool shade, I was suddenly flushed with heat. I tilted my head back a little to see Caleb’s eyes caressing my face. “Ask me,” he breathed.
My eyes widened in surpris, and confusion. Why didn’t he just kiss me? Why did he insist on me saying it out loud?
“Ask me.”
Even with my stomach filled in anticipation, I felt embarrassed, and couldn't bring myself to ask for it, not after the waterfall debacle. “Don’t make me ask,” I pleaded quietly as I shook my head.
He drew back and paused before his lips twitched. “I won’t kiss you unless you ask again.”
“What?” I cried out. What game was he playing at?
He gave me a half smile. “You heard me.”
I folded my arms. “That’s not fair. Why do you have to hear me say it?”
“Come on, ask me.”
I glared at him. Did he think I was going to cave so easily? I was much more stubborn than that. I shook my head and we stared each other down until he finally chuckled and stepped back into the sun.
“Alright then. Let’s get going.” He gestured with his head and began walking again.
I stood rooted, glaring after him. Part of me wanted to call him back, shove him against a tree, and take full advantage of his willingness, but I just couldn’t. I was certainly more bold than Katie, as she so often reminded me, but not bold enough for this.
I played it cool and caught up to Caleb after a few steps, but on the inside, I was all a twitter. I had to work to keep a cheesy smile off my face after that heated, tortured moment. “So…are you having fun here? I wouldn't want our mountains to disappoint you.” I avoided looking his way, so I didn’t rethink things about kissing him, and picked a twig as I waited for his answer.
Caleb suppressed a smile at my attempt to distract myself. “Yeah, I really am. We went for a 4-wheeler ride this morning. That was fun.”
“Good,” I said as I picked the leaves off, one by one. “We usually go for a couple of rides a day so I wouldn’t be surprised if we ride again before the day is over.”
Caleb nodded. “Anything fun planned tonight?”
“Hmmm...” I sifted through our nighttime activities and picked one. “I think we should all go for a night swim."
“That sounds good. Doesn’t it get pretty cold for swimming once the sun goes down?”
“It’s a little chilly but you get used to it,” I assured him.
“Simon showed me the cliffs to jump from. We haven’t done that yet.”
“Yeah, but we can’t jump from them at night.”
“We can’t?” Caleb questioned.
I shook my head.
Caleb looked at me with a mischievous smile. “Why not?” he pressed.
“I don’t know. Because,” I said obviously.
His eyes were all mocking humor as he nodded. “You make a good point,” he teased.
I laughed and hit him with my stick. “Caleb, I’m serious.”
We were in the trees next to camp now, and Caleb stepped in front of me. I stopped and eyed him with my hands on my hips. “Come on. l thought you didn’t want your mountains to disappoint me. It’ll be fun.” I was sure that I wasn’t the first girl he used his eyes on this way, and I certainly wouldn’t be the last.
I caved.
CHAPTER 3
I breathed in and out a few times, trying to return to the car ride, and squeezed Byron’s hand. “No. I don’t have anything specific planned that I can think of.”
My mom looked at me in the mirror again. “Actually, we’re leaving today for the lodge, Amy. I wanted an extra day to make sure everything goes smoothly for our Katie’s wedding.”
“Oh, well that will be nice that we don’t have to unpack and pack again.” I was excited to have an extra day at the lodge.
“This is really kind of you to cover everything, Mrs. Hammond. Are you sure I can’t help with anything?” Byron asked sweetly.
“Absolutely not. We’ve got it all arranged and covered. We may need your help setting things up though, if you don’t mind.”
“It would be my pleasure,” he said politely.
I was watching him with a smitten smile. “You are so great.”
“Now you remember that the next time I do something wrong.” He chuckled and kissed my forehead.
My parents had gone all out for Katie’s wedding. The lodge they picked was grand, with large lawns, stone fire pits, and a pool. It all overlooked a beautiful lake, with small mountains around it. There was no real planned itinerary, but there would be ziplining, jeep rides, 4-wheelers, and lake toys when we had free time. Byron was really looking forward to the ziplining; he had never done it before. As for me, I was itching to get out on the lake.
The lodge staff were kind, happy people. We met a pretty woman named Holly. She was the manager and she showed Byron and me to our separate rooms.
“Your parents have the single men and women staying on opposite ends of the lodge, so we will stop at your room first, Mr. Tate.” She smiled politely at Byron as we reached our floor.
I snorted, knowing the proximity would not stop anyone from late-night visits. “I guess the men don’t get to know where the women’s rooms are.”
“I guess not,” he said with a chuckle.
We dropped Byron at his room where he and I made plans to meet up in an hour in the lobby.
Holly was chatty as we walked the hallways, and we instantly clicked. I learned that she wasn’t much older than myself, and we babbled on until we reached my room that really was far away from Byron’s.
“I’ll leave you to it for now, but don’t hesitate to call downstairs if you need anything,” Holly said, after thoughtfully opening my door for me.
I walked past her with my luggage. “Thank you so much, Holly. It was nice to meet you.”
She smiled prettily, and I couldn’t help but wonder which of my brothers would harass the poor woman all weekend. She was blonde, though her hair was up in a French twist, so I couldn’t decide on the length. I knew that Bryce had a thing for blondes, but Holly seemed much too mature for him already. Her knee-length black skirt and white, short-sleeved blouse were definitely not what either of my brothers’ women would wear.
I swept my gaze around the room, which was pleasingly bigger than I had anticipated, and suited me just fine. I usually ended up with my belongings all over the place, and there would be plenty of room for that here. The bed frame was made of logs, and the deep red comforter complimented the creamy-white curtains framing the window. It was tastefully done. I made a mental note to give Holly my compliments.
I unpacked my things and walked to the small table which held a vase of red, delicate flowers. Another nice touch, and I touched the soft petals before stepping over to the window. I pulled the curtains open and smiled to myself. The view overlooked the lake, and even from this angle, I could see the sun glistening across water. I longed to be out there. Stealing a quick glance at the t
ime, I saw that I had forty minutes until I was supposed to meet up with Byron. I took out my phone and sent him a text that I was going out to the lake and to meet me there when he was ready.
As I changed into my swimsuit, instead of thinking about Byron like I should have been, Caleb was on my mind. He was here somewhere, and it was only a matter of time before we would run into one another. I wondered what he looked like. Did he still have light hair and piercing blue eyes, the way I remembered?
Byron’s text interrupted my reminiscing about the light color of Caleb’s eyes. The message read that he would meet me out at the lake in a while. I felt guilty for my thoughts about Caleb and pushed him to the back of mind. I was there to have a fun weekend with Byron, not relive my summer fling with Caleb.
Holly was in the foyer and I made my way to her where she stood near the reception desk. She had an expectant smile in place. “Is there something I can do for you?”
I waved her off. “Oh, no. I wanted to tell you that I love the way my room is decorated. It’s very tastefully done.”
Holly’s brown eyes light up. She grinned and clasped her hands to her chest. “Really?” she sang. “I decorated them myself, and not everyone was happy about it.”
I frowned. “Whoever that was needs to be schooled on interior design.”
Holly laughed, and she seemed to be relieved by the action. I touched her shoulder. “It’s beautiful. I promise.”
“Thank you again,” she said sincerely.
I stepped outside a minute later. The air was a bit on the cool side but warm enough to play in the water. There were a few paths down to the lake, and I started down the one through the cottonwood trees on the righthand side. At the end of the trail was a large grassy area with hammocks hanging sporadically throughout the trees. I bypassed them, and walked right to the water’s edge, dipping my toes in. I gasped as the chill of the water brought a memory with it.
Six Years Earlier…
“You really don’t want to come? It’ll be fun!”
We lingered around the fire in our camp chairs. Night had just fallen, and the stars were beginning to twinkle. I wanted Katie to come with us for a night swim.
“I’m too tired to swim, Amy. I would probably end up drowning.” Katie yawned.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “Try for better sleep tonight so you aren’t too tired to stay up late.” I turned to Caleb and Simon. “Come on, let’s go. My brothers and Olivia are already down there.”
Caleb surprised me by reaching for my hand, and my heart raced at the thought of touching him again. I slipped my hand into his and he gave it a gentle squeeze.
Simon shook his head. “I’m good. I don’t need the bats flying around me while I try to keep my head above water.”
Caleb chuckled but didn't pester him. Everyone knew Simon hated bats.
I picked up one of the lake tubes and hauled it to the water’s edge. “There’s another tube there if you want one,” I offered to Caleb.
“I don’t need a tube. I’ll go ahead and swim around,” Caleb said as he took off his shoes and shirt.
I raised my eyebrows, challenging him. “You might want to test the water before you commit to it.”
Caleb had a pompous air about him as he stepped in front of me and put a foot into the water. “Ahh!” He jumped back, bumping into my tube which knocked me to the ground. “Oh shoot. I’m sorry, Amy.” Caleb pulled the tube off and hovered over me. “Hey, are you okay?” He reached out, brushing my hair away from my face, and left his hand there.
“Yeah. Give me a second here.” The back of my shoulder had hit pretty hard. I was sure there would be a bruise in the morning.
“Here, let me help you up.” Caleb took my hands, bringing me to my feet. “Sorry about that,” he said through a low laugh. “The water was colder than I thought.”
“I told you it was cold,” I muttered as I brushed the dirt from my arm. Feeling a pinch of embarrassment about my fall, I turned from him but his hand shot out to stop me. I peered up at him.
“I really am sorry,” he said sincerely.
I waited for him to say more, but he just stared at me, so I nodded. Caleb’s lips twisted in a smile, and I softened my irritation at once.
“Are you two coming in or what?” Bryce called from the water.
I jumped and let out a nervous laugh. “Come on, then.” I patted Caleb on the shoulder as I stepped around him.
Once I was settled in my tube, I turned to watch Caleb, and put a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. He was sitting in his tube, which was on more of the shore than in the water, holding on to the handles, rocking forward over and over, barely inching along.
I snorted, unable to keep it in, and his head snapped up. “How about you come and make yourself useful?” Caleb called.
“With what?”
“Come grab a hold of my foot and pull me out until I can float.”
“Just stand up and come out farther before you sit down.”
“No way. The water’s too cold.” Caleb’s voice ended on a higher pitch.
“You big baby,” I said, paddling with my hands until I made it to him.
“Wait, wait... Are your hands cold?” Caleb asked warily as I reached for his foot.
I shook my head at him, bewildered, and without warning took hold of him. He winced but didn't complain, and I yanked on his ankle. He hardly moved.
“You’ll have to rock forward again as I pull.”
Caleb nodded, all business-like, and I bit my lip to hide my smile.
“Ready…go.” I tugged again, leaning away as he rocked forward and he moved farther into the water.
“One more ought to do it,” he said, preparing to rock again.
“Go!” I used both hands, giving him another good pull, and Caleb glided into the water, spinning slowly around.
Cheers sounded behind us and I cranked my neck to see that we had an audience. My older brother, Bryce, my little brother Parker, and Olivia were all cheering and clapping like we had just achieved something great. I laughed and looked at Caleb. He had his hands clasped in the air and gave them a shake of victory.
“Now that you’re in, if you want to get about, you’ll have to paddle with your hands.” I put my hands in the water, making small splashes.
“Hey,” Caleb fussed with a smile. He pushed away from my tube. “You got me wet.”
“Don’t push me or you’ll have to paddle back over here,” I told him as I maneuvered his way once more.
Caleb lifted his leg and linked it with mine. “There. Now paddle, woman.”
“What?” I cried, shaking my head. “Didn’t your father raise you right? You paddle me around.” I took my hand out of the water and flicked the excess at him.
He chuckled and closed his eyes, bracing himself as he plunged his hands in the water. “Man, that’s cold. How do you stand it?” He looked at me in disbelief.
I put in place my arrogant grin and folded my arms across my chest to prove that I would not be the one pulling us around.
“Aright,” he caved. He moved his arms and we slowly drifted toward the middle of the small lake.
I laid my head back, observing the sky as we floated, and asked Caleb to tell me more about himself.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
I lifted my head a smidgen and looked at him. “I don’t know. Anything.”
He eyed me and took a breath. “My dad is my best friend.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Your dad is, really? What about Simon?”
“Simon’s a good friend. Probably number two but, my dad and I are pretty close. We always have been.”
I smiled at him and laid my head back again. “I think that’s awesome. It’s not very often you hear something like that.”
“What about you? Who’s your best friend?” Caleb’s voice was low and soothing, and I closed my eyes as I spoke.
“Katie. She and I are usually connected at the hip. Except when we are her
e.”
“Why’s that?”
“If Simon is around, nobody else is, in Katie’s world.”
Caleb laughed. “What’s the deal with those two, anyway? I’ve been hearing about Katie forever.”
I took a deep breath and let it out as I spoke. “I don’t know. I know they’ve cared about each other for a long time but neither of them will fess up.”
“Hmm,” Caleb grunted.
We glided slowly in the cool night air and listened to the crickets and the others on the lake as they talked and laughed, though we were pretty far from them now.
“Tell me something else,” I said, still in my relaxed position.
Caleb’s answer was instantaneous. “I was prom king.” I could hear the smile in his voice and my head shot up in time to see his cheesy grin.
“You were prom king?” I squeaked.
He tilted his head to the side. “Yup.”
“Figures,” I said, looking away.
“What’s wrong with being prom king?” he asked, tugging on my leg with his.
I met his patient gaze. “Nothing. It suits you, that’s all.”
His brows furrowed. “How so?”
What was he playing at? I narrowed my eyes at him. “Like you don’t know.”
He stopped paddling and waited for an answer.
“Caleb, you are the super-hot, charming, funny guy that every girl would have pined for. So it makes sense that you were prom king.” I stated it all matter-of-factly and laid my head back again.
“Hmmm, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re coming onto me again.”
I tsked, turning to scowl in his direction. He wore a tricky grin as he rubbed my foot with his. “I am not! I’m not the first girl to tell you that,” I said confidently as I kicked him away.
“You’re not the first, but that’s what all the other girls would say as they were coming on to me.” The confusion in Caleb’s voice left me perplexed, and I brought his tube closer to read his face. He had a whisper of a smile, but his eyes were guarded. My heart softened toward him once I understood. “You really think I’m coming on to you, don’t you?” I asked seriously.
It Was Always You Page 3
