SURGE

by Piper Frost

  "I'll swap with Candace. She's always willing to take a shift."

  "I like Candace already."

  She stands and wraps her arms around me as I stretch. "I think a day on the lake is exactly what I need."

  "A day in the water with a pretty girl is exactly what I need." I lean down and connect our lips until Donna's voice comes from behind us and makes me jump.

  "Oh! I knew it!" she shrieks and I chuckle, pulling away.

  Kinlee didn't stick around long after that because Donna had a million questions we couldn't answer. They all revolved around marriage and kids, but we haven't even gotten to the boyfriend girlfriend stage yet.

  I don't see Kinlee until the weekend and I hate she's that busy, but like I said, I'll take this as slow as it's needed.

  As I head for the porch, Kinlee is walking out the front door with a big hat on her head and a bag packed at her side, ready for our date at the lake.

  "Ready? Need me to grab something?" I ask, opening her side of the truck.

  "Nope!" She's chipper this early morning. "Got everything I need right here. And already got my suit on!" She wiggles her eyebrows and giggles. "Sorry. I'm a little too excited for a full day off from...everything."

  "You deserve it." I jump into the truck, glad I doubled up on my pills. My back feels amazing today. "So Brandt's picking up the twins at three. Did you remind them they're babysittin' tonight?" I grin over at her.

  "I did. They're looking forward to it." She makes the move and takes my hand first. "I feel bad for leaving them all day though."

  "Don't." I stop her before she starts to worry herself. "They're fine. They're with Ryan's family right now then heading right to the ranch. They aren't alone and won't be getting into any trouble. Garrison and Donna are gonna be around to help, but if they want to make money, they're gonna be chasing babies." I start to chuckle. "No worrying about the twins today. Don't make me take your phone."

  "Oh god, it's not water proof. What if it falls in the water and something happens and they can't get ahold of us?" Her eyes go wide and she tries to pull her hand away but I give it a squeeze and hold tight, raising an eyebrow at her.

  "What if it doesn't?" I kiss her hand and step on the gas.

  "Right. No worries. Got it."

  I haven't seen these people in over a year and I'm looking forward to it. It's even better seeing them with Kinlee by my side. I can't say she's my girl, but luckily no one asks when we show up. I think they all kind of assume she is.

  "It's choppy as shit out there today," Marty complains about the waves as he docks the boat.

  "I'm still goin' out." I grab the kneeboard.

  "Bo, not the kneeboard. Those waves will break your... Just not the kneeboard."

  "Kinlee," I call to her. "Get on the boat, darlin', I'm takin' out the kneeboard. Just once around, Marty," I promise and he rolls his eyes at me.

  She hesitantly hops up into the boat and refuses to take her eyes off me. "What if it throws you off and you hurt yourself?"

  "Strapped in." I wink at her and steal a quick kiss before getting on the dock.

  I kneel on the board and Velcro down the strap over my thighs. It's easier to take off from the dock than shore but last time we did something like this I somehow ended up hitting the lake floor and twisted in rope, unable to come up for air for a minute.

  I wink at Kinlee as she holds her hat on her head. As Marty slowly pulls away from the dock, I let my eyes focus on her chest. Hopefully they're far enough away she can't see. I don't know when we're going to sleep together, but I need to make her mine soon.

  "Hit it!" I call out and the boat shoots forward, almost ripping my arms out of the sockets but I don't let go.

  I see my opportunity to get serious air, and I'm going to attempt a flip, but the second the board hits the wave, it tugs the front down and then shoots me right back up. I get serious air alright, but way more than planned and the board goes flying while my body somersaults a few times. I come down hard on my side, and hitting water at this speed feels almost as bad as hitting pavement.

  By the time the boat whips around to scoop me up, my bearings are coming back, but that hit was hard and hurt...everything. Kinlee's got her hands covering her mouth before she rushes to the side and reaches for me, but she can't pull me up so Marty carefully steps around her.

  "Come on, you adrenaline junkie." He laughs. "That hit was hard as fuck, Bo. You alright, man?"

  My head's spinning and pounding but I start to laugh. "Fine." I lay down because I feel like if I stand, my back will snap.

  "Had enough yet, big man?" She's kneeling next to me, her hands trembling on my arm.

  "You wanna try?" I grin up at her and steal the sunglasses from her face because the blinding sun is making my head pound more. "These look good on me?"

  She rolls her eyes and stands up, hands on her hips. "What could it hurt, right?" She grins down at me then glances over at Marty. "Got any skis?"

  We head back to the dock and I fight through the pain my body's in to get Kinlee ready to ski. "I want to be on the boat but I'm gonna help you." I swim her deep enough while she's got the skis on. "When you feel the boat pull forward, stand like you're getting out of a chair. If you don't, you'll go face first into the water." She listens to everything I say then giggles over at me. "You scared?"

  "I've done this before, Bo. Not quite as sheltered as you think I am. But I appreciate the advice." She leans over and pushes her lips to mine.

  "I coulda got on the boat," I whine and she laughs.

  "Ready?" Marty calls her way and she nods.

  "See ya when you get back." I pinch her ass and she shrieks right as the boat pulls forward but she gets up. Wobbly, but she manages to right herself then starts adjusting her bottoms that almost fell off.

  She goes a few more rounds and even gets on the tube with the other girls, but I'm spent. My back's hurtin' too bad to feel the rush of adrenaline so I just enjoy her getting out there and having a blast. We head back for her place around eight and as I kill the engine, I look over at her. It's been weeks, I know she likes me, I more than like her, this is going as slow as I can take it anymore.

  Before I can start the conversation about becoming official, she slides into my lap and we spend an hour making out and grinding against each other in the front seat of my truck. It's not until Brandt's truck pulls up next to us that we stop and the twins hop out. I thank God for tinted windows.

  "Night, Bo," she whispers, licking her lips before opening her door and hopping out.

  I roll down my window and nod to Brandt. He's grinning and gives me a wave, but I don't stick around because he probably knows what we were doing. Wasn't near as much as I want to be doin' with her, but it'll happen. When she's ready. Until then, I'll see her every chance she gives me.

  For the next week and half I only see her in passing, long enough to steal a hug or quick kiss, and it's better than nothing. But we're having another date tonight. I called it hanging out, but she called it a date, so I'll consider it a date.

  I pull up to the field by the creek in Brandt's old, ratty Chevy afraid the engine will drop any minute, but I got Kinlee in the passenger seat and she hasn't stopped smiling since we got into this thing.

  We're racing the Chevy against the tractor I souped up at the ranch. Honestly, I think we're gonna lose.

  "Goggles on, darlin'!" I tell her because there are no windows in this thing.

  "Check!" She grins over at me and does a tiny nose scrunch making the goggles lift a bit, then her eyes fly down to my crotch.

  My brows raise and I chuckle. "This ain't the time to be thinkin' 'bout that, Kinlee," I say as Brandt pulls up next to us on the tractor.

  I'd love to put an end to any curiosity she has about that part of my body. She's had it once, but that was years ago. The closest she's gotten to the improved member of my body is by grinding herself against it or stealing a quick rub during our few and far between make-out sessions.


  "No...Bo, you're not wearing a seatbelt." Her eyebrows pull together. "Buckle up, buttercup!"

  "There's no belt on this side." I make sure she's still strapped in. "But now I ain't too worried about it." I adjust my dick that started getting hard when she looked at my crotch.

  "Bo, if we wreck you're going out the window. What idiot didn't put a seatbelt in this beast?" She's still looking like she's gonna find something that ain't there. Only thing there is a hard-on. "We can't do this."

  I grab her wrist when she goes to open the door and I rev the engine. Jo's standing in front of us with an American flag in the air and I laugh.

  "There was a belt, but not anymore. Hold on," I warn her as Jo waves the flag down.

  Surprisingly we take off, leaving Brandt in the mud.

  "Holy shit," I mutter, shocked the car had that much pick-up. Kinlee's laughing and I look over at her, loving the sight of her happy. Her laughter stops and she gasps, shouting my name and I look forward to see a marsh that wasn't there before. The second the tires hit it, we plant, the rear end of the car comes up, but luckily not over. That don't matter though because I'm sailing out the front windowless windshield, right over the steering wheel.

  "Shit!" I holler but I'm laughing my ass off until I'm eating a mouthful of mud.

  "Bo!" She's screaming and I'm planted, trying to clear my mouth so I can breathe.

  When I gasp in a breath, the pain in my back makes a scream rip from my throat. I quickly roll to my face again because that actually brought on tears I don't want her seein'. She's screaming my name and tugging on me, trying to pull me from the mud and when I roll to my back, I grin up at her, my heart jackhammering away in my chest and if my back weren't in pain, I'd be in heaven right now. Before she can say anything, I slam my muddy lips to hers.

  She pauses when my lips hit hers then pulls back and her wild, beautiful eyes go wide. "Are you okay?" She tries pulling me up again but I grip her arm and yank her down next to me. "Jerk! That's what seatbelts are for, Bo!"

  Brandt runs up, screaming obscenities but laughing his ass off.

  "When the hell did this marsh get here?" I ask, groaning as I sit up.

  "Holy shit, Bo." Brandt's laughing still, gripping onto my forearm and helping pull me out. "You flew out the damn windshield!"

  "I know." I laugh and look at the car. "Fuckin' hell," I mumble, seeing the front end of the car buried. "I bet the tractor could pull it out. Let's hook it up to the tow straps and I'll surf the top while you pull it out." I grin at Brandt and hear Kinlee groan.

  "Guys," she says, holding her arms out to her side. "There's mud in places I never wanted there to be mud." Her nose scrunches and I chuckle.

  "Bo, ya dumbass, you okay?" Jo asks, just now making it over to us. "Oh, ew." She scowls at Kinlee, covered in mud.

  "Hey, Jo, we're gonna pull the car out with the tractor." Brandt wiggles his eyebrows and Jo rolls her eyes at him.

  "Since Bo Hart's been back in town, I've had to worry about my husband ending up in the ER more times than I'd like to admit," she playfully bitches and I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

  "You love me. Remember that time we dated?" I grin at her and she shoves me away.

  "Fake dated. Why couldn't you have been this good lookin' back then? I really looked like I settled." Walking over to Kinlee, she takes her hand.

  "God, I was so torn up by that," Kinlee admits in laughter.

  "Well, he's all yours now. I got the good one out of the bunch." Jo grabs Brandt and kisses him. "Now you stupid asses get this taken care of and don't die. Me and Kinlee are heading back to get cleaned up." She scowls at the muddy prints I left on her then flips me off.

  "One horse, maybe two." I grin over at Kinlee while the twins holler from the back.

  We're headed to pick up some cattle and the kids want a horse. My back ain't letting me on a horse anytime soon, but if they want one and it'll get them and Kinlee to my place more often, I'll buy a few horses.

  "You're going to go broke today," Kinlee groans. "Guys, Bo's not buying two horses. He's getting cattle. A horse isn't something you just buy on a whim like this."

  "Yeah, guys." I furrow my brows and look back at them then wink 'cause they know we're meeting a breeder at the farm we're headed to and I've already set it up to take two horses home. "Kinlee, what do you want to see around my place?" Hopefully one day that answer will be my bed. It ain't yet, but I'm hoping one day soon. I'm worried she's keeping me at this distance because she's scared to get too serious with me, but I ain't lookin' for a good time anymore. I'm lookin' for a long time.

  "Goats?" She grins over at me. "Baby goats. Just one...maybe four. Or five. They're like built in grass cutters, right?"

  "Baby goats!" Wendy chimes in from the back seat. "I second that!"

  "Baby goats," I chuckle.

  "Girls are weird," Will mutters. "Bo, let's get a bull!"

  "No," Kinlee blurts immediately. "Never happening. No. And don't think about going near them if there's any there, Will. I swear to God."

  I laugh and grab her hand, kissing her knuckles. She just recently started letting me show a little bit of affection when around the twins, and I'm taking it as a good sign.

  "Let's get us some goats, a few cows, and a couple of horses."

  "You're not seriously buying all that today are you?" She looks over at me, eyes wide. "Bo, that's so much money! Besides, you only got one trailer." A small smirk pulls at her lips like she won this round.

  When a horn honks next to us, she leans forward to see Brandt. "Y'all ready?" I call to him and he nods, pulling forward and that's when she notices the empty trailer he's pulling. "I ain't worried about the money, darlin'. I'm more worried the twins won't hold up to their end of the bargain about helping out with them." I look at them in the rearview and slowly pull off.

  "Hey, buy me a cute pair of boots and I'll wade in the mud to clean cow shit." Wendy shrugs.

  "Wendy! Language!" Kinlee blurts, spinning to glare at her.

  "Poo. Sorry." She rolls her eyes and grins at me in the mirror when Kinlee turns around.

  "What about you, Will? If I buy you boots, you gonna wade in the poo too?" I start to laugh. The second we get to the farm, the kids jump out and I grab Kinlee's hand, giving her a tug until she looks at me. "You really want some goats?" I ask, kissing her fingers.

  With a chuckle she reaches her arms around my neck. "I do not want goats, Bo." Her lips brush mine while her fingers play at the back of my hair. "But I do appreciate the gesture. I think you're spending enough on things my family wants today, cowboy."

  "I ain't too proud to admit it's in hopes y'all will start coming to my place more. The Kenshaw ranch being our meeting ground is starting to get old. I'm lookin' to get more time with you. And the kids," I add in when I notice that look on her face. The same look she gets anytime I mention us getting closer.

  "I mean, you practically bribed them there." She smiles. "Once school lets out for the summer we'll have more time. I promise."

  "I got all the time in the world for you, Kinlee."

  It's weird having Bo in my life since I didn't think I'd ever have a man. Not in this way and especially not a man like Bo. Someone who one minute makes me think I'm falling in love with him, and the next makes my blood boil because his need for thrills and danger is too much for me to handle.

  "Hey, I heard Bo and Brandt talking the other day. About you," Jo says, painting her nails while we watch Wendy ride the horse. "He was sayin' you guys are takin' it slow. Slower than he'd like." Her brows raise and she's looking at me like she wants to know what that means.

  "I'm just scared shitless. You know Bo. He's the type of guy that doesn't know he's going too far until he's gone too far. Like, with danger. Almost killing himself." I roll my eyes. "How can I give myself to someone that may end up dead one day because he's a dumbass?"

  "He's not a dumbass, Kinlee. He's just got a need for that adrenaline rush. And he's young."

&
nbsp; "He's started gambling too. And the rattlesnake capturing games he plays, and the wild boar chases... The man's lost his mind. I'm worried he's going to end up getting hurt from all this nonsense."

  "They all have their weaknesses. His is in the form of adrenaline. Chase's is in the form of ink and women. Brandt's is hard work from sunup to sundown." She rolls her eyes.

  I should be happy that women isn't on Bo's list of things he needs a variety of, but I'm still scared for his safety. And I'm scared for what would happen to my family and me if he ever did go one step too far. We've all grown attached to him. It's hard to feel this strongly about someone like him.

  But I do know how I feel.

  "Bo's the type of guy that's always known what he wants."

  "Money and fame." I smirk and Jo stares at me for a minute. "What?"

  "Do you really think that's all he's about?" Her eyes narrow.

  "No. God no." I chuckle and rub my face. This is where 'getting' Bo comes to play. "There's a lot more to Bo. He's a great man." I trail off, thinking about exactly how great he is. And I think I finally 'get' him.

  "Yeah, and he knows who he wants. And it's you. It's always been you. He's not stupid enough to throw all that away. And I think you know what you want too."

  "I think I do too." I smile and give a small shrug. "I want to see where this goes. As stupid as that may be."

  "It's not stupid, Kinlee. It's okay to lean on someone else in your life and he seems to want that a lot." Looks like Jo's starting to 'get' Bo too.

  We're the close family he didn't have growing up.

  "I know. But it's scary." I wince. "I'm not one to take risks. Especially when it comes to my heart."

  "Some risks are worth taking." She blows on her fingernails. "Especially when they look mighty fine without a shirt on."

  "Jo!" I laugh, shoving her. "I gotta get to the diner."

  My shift's long and boring, especially when the only thing on my mind is Bo. By the time I get home, there's a note on the fridge.

  Went to Bo's to ride. Pick us up later.

  Signed with a heart, smiley face, and Will and Wendy's name.