Jacked - The Complete Series Box Set (A Lumberjack Neighbor Romance)

by Claire Adams

“Like I said, I'm supporting you as a friend. Just charge my card full price and then we'll forget about the whole money thing.”

  I handed him my card and he made the transaction. I smiled, then went out and brought the others in so that they could pick out masks, flippers, and snorkels that fit properly. Another 15 minutes later, when we were all suited up and ready to go, Trevor led us a short distance to where his boat was waiting.

  It did something to me to see how excited Eryn was about the trip. She had this huge, beautiful grin plastered across her face the whole time.

  “All right everyone, you all ready for a great afternoon?” Trevor asked as he started the boat's motor up.

  “Hell yeah!” we all replied.

  “I'm gonna take y'all out to the best spot I know where I can almost guarantee you'll see tons of fish and turtles. Maybe some dolphins will even swim by if we're real lucky.”

  “Let's go, Trev!” shouted John, punching his fist in the air. “I wanna see me some turtles!”

  We all laughed at his enthusiasm. I could, however, see the quiet excitement radiating from Eryn's beautiful face, and that alone made all the money I'd spent on the afternoon worth it.

  Trevor drove us out about a mile offshore before he dropped the anchor. He gave us all a few basic tips and helped Eryn a little more than the rest of us since it was her first time. Then, he proceeded to tell us about our location.

  “This spot is where plenty of fish congregate since the boats don't usually come out this way. For that reason, the water is nice and still, and the visibility is generally excellent. I'll let you guys explore on your own. Just don't drift too far from the boat. But if you do, don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on everyone.

  “By the way, it'll probably be better if you go off in pairs. That way if one person spots something cool, at least there'll be one other person to see it, too. And, you can keep up with one another.”

  “I'll go with Eryn since she’s the least experienced, and you and Leena can go together,” I said to John before anyone else could make any suggestions.

  “Sounds good to me, man,” he replied. “Ladies, you cool with that?”

  “We are,” they both said.

  I took Eryn's hand in mine and immediately felt an intense energy surging between us. I couldn't help but wonder if she felt it, too. I glanced up and our eyes met. We held each other's gaze for a few moments, a few moments that felt as if they went on far longer than they actually did.

  “Ready?” I managed to force through a tightened throat.

  She nodded.

  “Let's jump in,” I suggested, our eyes still locked.

  “I’d like that,” she responded with a smile that melted everything in me.

  We put on our masks and placed our snorkels in our mouths, and then jumped into the clear water. We swam alongside each other, shooting glances and smiles in each other's direction probably far more often than we should have.

  It was amazing. There were brightly-colored fish swimming everywhere, and I could see that Eryn's eyes were alive with wonder. She kept excitedly grabbing my hand and pointing out every new type of fish she saw.

  After about half an hour, I saw two, large shapes drifting toward us. I grabbed Eryn's hand and pointed through the clear blue water as the sea turtles approached. She moved closer to me, grabbing hold of my arm until she realized the large shapes weren’t a threat. We both watched in silent awe as they lazily drifted past us, these two, big, peaceful reptiles. It was a moment I knew I'd never forget.

  Eventually, we all returned to the boat and stripped our gear off. Everyone was still excited and talking non-stop about the various things they'd spotted underwater. As we talked, Trevor drove us back to the dock. We hung out, had a few snacks and a drink at his place, and watched the sun set.

  I found myself stealing glances at the woman sitting next to me. Her laugh was infectious and seeing her joking and laughing with Leena was a side I knew I’d have never seen in practice. Every time she smiled, I wanted nothing more than to pull her close to me.

  Knowing it wasn’t a possibility was hell. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had met someone who was real. Someone down to earth. Someone genuine. And, she was beyond my reach. To put it in laymen’s terms — it sucked.

  When the sun had set and the dark began to settle, we said our goodbyes as John and I parted ways with Eryn and Leena. As we were walking away, I turned and shot one more glance over my shoulder and found Eryn doing the same. We gave each other one final smile and a wave, and that was that.

  Chapter Nine

  Eryn

  Leena set up the ball for me in a perfect assist, bouncing it right up to the sweet spot where I'd be able to jump and spike it hard. I knew Tammy saw it coming, so I grunted with effort as I jumped and cocked my arm as though I planned to deliver a full power spike, only to give it a half power off speed hit, putting plenty of spin on it.

  She'd been expecting the full spike and had set up a block accordingly, but the spin I'd put on the ball and the much slower pace caught her totally off guard. The ball glanced off her palm and shot off to the side, bouncing out of bounds.

  “That's it!” Wade shouted from the sideline. “Game goes to Red Team! Congratulations, ladies! Blue Team, you girls need to put in a lot more work.”

  My teammates gathered around and hugged me. It had been a great game, and we'd all been working together in perfect unity, playing with the smooth efficiency of a well-oiled machine. To put it in childish terms, we totally creamed Tammy's team. Though, they’d played almost as if they'd all been wearing blindfolds. It hadn’t been much of a challenge.

  I glanced across at them as they slunk off the court. Tammy mouthed the word “bitch” at me while Kelly flipped me the bird. I wasn't about to stoop to their level, though, so I just shook my head and turned away.

  “All right everyone, gather round,” Wade shouted.

  I tried not to stare at him, but he looked even better than usual and I couldn't help but think about the time we'd spent together on Saturday. It had been one of the best days of my life – and it had all happened because Nino's kitchen had burned down. I couldn't help but chuckle about that.

  But when I looked at Wade, humor was the last thing on my mind. I remembered the moment on the boat when he'd taken my hand just before we'd jumped in. I thought about how it had sent butterflies fluttering through my belly.

  I knew I shouldn’t think it, about him…but I couldn't help it. He was charming and full of surprises. I tried to remind myself that Tim had also seemed so kind and generous and honest when we'd first met – but we all knew how that turned out.

  Still, even with my guard up and my suspicions on full alert, it was hard not to be charmed by Wade. Not just his looks, but his kindness and openness and his love of adventure. Plus, I'd seen Tammy and Kelly with their fake boobs in their slutty micro-bikinis pretty much throwing themselves at him, and he'd turned them down. That had to count for something.

  “All right, ladies, gather round, gather round. Practice is over, but there's one last thing before you all hit the showers. Now, as you know, our first game of the season is coming up this Saturday and it's an important one. The University of Miami is no joke.

  “With that in mind, I've been observing closely over the past weeks, making notes, and of course comparing my notes to those of Coach Hatting, and I've made a list of who's on the starting lineup.”

  My heart instantly began to hammer faster and faster in my chest. My extremities began to tingle with nerves. The inside of my mouth felt suddenly dry, and nausea began to creep up the back of my throat. My fate was about to be decided and I was the only one aware of what hung in the balance. If I didn't make this lineup, the university would revoke my scholarship...and my life as I knew it would be over.

  Wade began to read out the names, and with every name he read that wasn't mine, my anxiety grew by leaps and bounds. I felt like I was going to throw up, right there on the court. A
little voice inside my head was screaming for me to move, to jump up and run straight to the bathroom – but I didn't. I stayed put.

  And then I heard it: the last name on his list.

  My name.

  Me!

  I wanted to jump up and down, scream to the top of my lungs, dance like a lunatic. Of course, then everyone would think I was a lunatic. So, that was out. But suddenly, every trace of fear and anxiety evaporated instantly replaced by euphoria and joy. I couldn't believe it. After all this time, after all my effort, my hard work and dedication had finally paid off. It was an indescribable feeling.

  I glanced across at Leena and saw the same joy mirrored in her eyes. She had made the starting lineup, too, and, like me, it was her first time. I knew we were going to have to celebrate.

  Across from us, however, a completely different set of emotions were churning and boiling. Tammy and Kelly, who had always been starters, had not made it; they were absolutely furious. Their rich parents couldn't get them starting positions by greasing palms any longer, not with Wade Vinson in charge of things!

  I wanted, more than anything, to run up and jump into his muscular arms to hug him so tightly he couldn’t breathe. But, of course, that wasn’t an option.

  “That's it,” he said. “Congratulations to those of you who made it! I've noticed who works hard, believe me, and hard work is rewarded. For those of you who didn't make the lineup, don't be too disappointed. Work hard and things may change.

  “And that goes for those of you who are in the lineup, as well! Don't think your positions are secure! If you start slacking off, you'll be dropped like a bad habit.

  “All right, hit the showers! And check your emails tomorrow about arrangements for the game. It's a home game, so we don't need to worry about transport and accommodations and all that stuff. But you all do need to be here on time – and drum up some support from your friends and family and all that; we want to have a good crowd to cheer us on when we kick those Miami girls' butts!”

  “Right on, Coach Vinson!” shouted one of the girls, and we all shouted in response.

  Wade grinned. It was the most perfect, crooked grin I’d ever seen.

  “That's what I like to hear,” he said. “All right, y'all can go hit the showers now. Remember what I said! Check your emails, and get a big crowd out to this game. We want to hit Miami with everything we've got. My mission with this team is two-fold: first, division champs. Second, national champs!”

  We all cheered in support, our enthusiasm catalyzed by Wade's determination and drive. “Thanks, Coach Vinson,” we all shouted, and he smiled in response.

  “All right all right, go on, shower time! Go!” he said, laughing.

  *****

  Leena and I felt like we were walking on air all the way out of the locker room. We had given each other so many hugs that I'd lost count.

  “I still can't believe it,” I chimed once more, and I saw that the smile on her face was as broad as the one on mine.

  “Right?!” she exclaimed. “We made it! We really made it!”

  “But we can't simply rest on our laurels now, can we? This is just one rung on the ladder, and we still have a long way to climb, right?” I preached.

  “Totally right. Like Wade said, this is a very important game coming up,” she said. “If we can get off to a good start with a strong win against Miami, I think it'll set a good tone for the rest of the season.”

  “And, of course, we want to show Wade that he made the right choice by including us in the starting lineup,” I added. “So that means we totally have to put in like…110 percent effort.”

  “Exactly,” she agreed.

  We gave each other one more hug as we reached our cars. “We're going to have to do something to celebrate later when we both get back to the apartment,” I said. “This is big, it really is.”

  “Agreed. I'll pick up a bottle of champagne, and we can pop it in celebration.”

  I grinned. “That sounds just perfect.”

  “All right, it's on then! See you later tonight.”

  I said goodbye to Leena and got in my car, still feeling overjoyed at the good news. I was headed to my mom's place. I had to tell her the good news in person – a phone call just wouldn't do. I knew how happy she would be, and I wanted to see that happiness in person.

  As I was driving, a Nirvana track started to play, and I couldn't help but think of Wade. It was all thanks to him that I had made the starting lineup. Well, not entirely due to him. I mean, I sure as hell had put in a ton of hard work to get this far – but it really was awesome to finally have a coach who made fair decisions and choices based solely on our playing abilities and not...other factors.

  I couldn't help but think of how we’d had such a good time together over the weekend. Snorkeling had been such an amazing experience. It had been like traveling to another planet – and he had been right by my side, for the whole thing. Sharing an experience like that with him was more than I had imagined it would be.

  Naturally, there was an unspoken understanding between us that things could not go past a certain point. He was my coach. I couldn't jeopardize my spot on the team – and indeed, my whole university career – for, well, for whatever it was that was stirring between us.

  I decided not to think about it too much or overanalyze it. All I wanted right now was to enjoy this moment. I reached my mom's place, parked the car in a safe spot, and hurried inside. The anticipation of telling her the news was just overwhelming.

  I used my key to open the door and immediately knew that something was off; there was a burning smell coming from the kitchen.

  “Mom!?” I shouted. “Something burning? What's going on, are you here?”

  There was no reply, only silence. Worry began to creep through me. I rushed into the kitchen and found a pot of pasta on the stove, smoke rising from the pot; all the water had long been boiled away, and the pasta was turning into a black, charred mess at the bottom. I pulled it off the stove and turned it off before it got any worse.

  “Mom! What's going on?” I shouted, my anxiety rising by the second.

  I rushed to the bathroom, but there was nobody there. Then I ran into her bedroom and almost screamed. She was lying face down on the floor, motionless. My heart started to race as I ran over and knelt next to her.

  I almost had a panic attack as I assumed the worst until I saw that she was still breathing. Shallowly, yes, but still breathing. She was out cold, though, and her nose was bloody from where it had hit the ground. All I could gather was that she must have fainted.

  “Mom, wake up, wake up!” I said frantically, shaking her body.

  She wasn’t responsive. I knew I had to get her to the hospital, and I tried to pick her up, but she was just too heavy. Panic was overtaking me fast. I knew from past experience that if I called an ambulance, it would take them 30 minutes to arrive, if not longer. So I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed the first person I could think of who might be able to help me.

  “Hi, Eryn!” he said, the sound of his voice bringing me a little comfort.

  “Wade,” I said breathlessly, “this is an emergency, and I desperately need your help. Please, can you come now?”

  “Tell me where you are, and I'll be there immediately.”

  I told him the address and then crouched down next to my unconscious mother and started sobbing softly.

  Chapter Ten

  Wade

  I was about a block away from my house when my phone rang. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted. I considered ignoring it and phoning whoever it was back once I'd got inside and chilled out for a few. But then I looked down to see who was calling and I immediately answered.

  “Hi, Eryn!” I said as I picked it up.

  A tone of fear and panic laced her voice, and her words rushed through the speaker of my phone at high speed. I knew something was wrong the moment she said my name. When she said there was an emergency, I got the address from her and sla
mmed my BMW into gear and floored it, spinning tires as I took off.

  I drove it fast and hard – faster than I probably should have – but the panic in her voice had me worried. I arrived at her mom's place in less than five minutes, jumped out of the car leaving the motor running, and ran straight up into the building she'd told me she was in.

  I saw her standing at the top of the stairs, her face twisted with worry, her eyes teary.

  “Where is she?” I asked right away.

  “Follow me. Thanks so much for coming. I didn’t know who else to call.”

  I hurried after her into the apartment, and she led me straight to her mom's bedroom, where I saw a middle-aged version of Eryn laying motionless on the floor. “All right, let's get her out of here,” I said.

  I squatted down, and Eryn helped me get her mom into my arms. I was able to pick her up and carry her down the stairs.

  “Open the back door of the car,” I said to Eryn as we approached my car.

  She did as I said, and we both eased her mom onto the back seat so that she would be safe, comfortable, and stable enough that her body wouldn't be able to move around. Eryn climbed in next to her mom. I jumped into the driver's seat and drove as fast as I could to the nearest hospital.

  I waited in the car at the emergency room entrance while Eryn ran in to get some nurses, who came out with a gurney. They loaded her mom onto it and then took her into the ER.

  “You go with your mom,” I said. “I'll find a parking spot, then I'll come in and find you.”

  She nodded, tears running down her cheeks. She quickly reached over and squeezed my hand tightly. “Thank you so much, Wade. Thank you...”

  I squeezed her hand back. “It's not a problem. I'm just doing what any decent human being would do. Now you go, I'll come and find you.”

  I drove the car out to the parking lot and then jogged back to the ER. A man in scrubs was speaking to Eryn, who looked like she was refusing to leave her mother’s side, so I hurried over to them to see what had happened.