My Wildest Dream: Whisper Lake #2

by Barbara Freethy

  "I do. I do," Hailey said, losing interest in her sand toys as she jumped to her feet.

  "I'll come with you," Gianna said.

  "Me, too," Lizzie put in. "I'm hot. Do you want one, Chelsea?"

  "No, I'm good."

  He stretched out next to her. "Looks like it's just me and you."

  "And Leo," she reminded him.

  He grinned. "Our little chaperone."

  "We don’t need a chaperone, Brodie," she said pointedly.

  "Maybe not right this second."

  "Or ever."

  He ignored that, having a feeling that despite her words, her defenses weren't quite as strong as they'd been before last night. "How are you today?"

  "I'm all right. Austin hasn't shown up anywhere, so that's a good thing. I only got here a few minutes ago, but so far I don't seem to be drawing any attention."

  "You were brave to come out here."

  "I'm not sure brave describes anything I do, but I'm here."

  "Are you going to paddleboard?" he asked, noting her short shorts and the bikini straps under her thin T-shirt.

  "Not today. I'm going to watch and cheer Adam on."

  "What about me? I'll be in the race."

  "I'm afraid family takes priority."

  He smiled. "You look more relaxed today."

  "I feel lighter." She paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "Do you feel heavier after taking on the weight of my secret?"

  "I can take anything you want to give me."

  "You were great last night. I still can't quite believe I told you everything. Once I started talking, I couldn't stop. Same with crying. That was embarrassing."

  "You let go. That's the hardest thing to do. Hopefully, now you can move forward."

  "What about you? Are you still thinking about your dad's job offer?"

  "I haven't had much time, but I need to do that. He's going to call me on Monday."

  "Which way are you leaning?"

  "I'm not leaning. I'm still a little stunned that there's even anything to consider."

  "It makes sense to me that you're giving it some thought. Being a cop wasn't what you planned. It wasn't your dream."

  "No, but I like the job, and I love Whisper Lake. The people are amazing. It's like having a huge family."

  "That gives you great food when you deliver their babies," she added with a grin.

  "One of the perks. Wei also lets me park behind his restaurant whenever I want."

  "Being a cop does have advantages."

  "It does." He paused. "Would you miss me if I left?"

  "I wish I could say I wouldn't," she murmured, her blue gaze on his.

  His gut clenched at her admission. "You're a reason to stay, Chelsea."

  "I shouldn't be. We're not…anything."

  "Oh, we're something, and I'd like to see what that something is. What about you?"

  Before she could answer, a loudspeaker lit up the air, the announcer calling for the entrants to come down to the beach.

  "Saved by the bell," he murmured.

  She smiled. "Good luck in the race, Brodie. Maybe I will cheer for you."

  He'd had a lot of women cheer for him in the past, but there was no voice he'd wanted to hear more than Chelsea's. As he got up, the rest of the group returned with sno-cones, followed by Adam and Chloe.

  "Ready for the race?" Adam asked him.

  "Let's do it."

  "Why don't we make a bet? Winner buys dinner at Farraday's," Adam said.

  "That will be expensive for you."

  "Or you."

  "You're on." He gave Chelsea one last smile and then picked up his board and walked down the beach with Adam.

  "By the way," Adam said. "Based on your tip, I had a long talk with Victor Fox and his son, Marcus, before I came over here. With Victor's permission, I was able to review the drone footage and track where Marcus has been flying the drone. He and his friends have been more interested in casing the bedrooms of teenage girls than empty houses."

  "Great," he said with disgust. "His drone didn't fly anywhere near the arson scenes. I also checked with his employer, Lilypad Landscaping, and their vans are dark green. Plus, Marcus's responsibilities are only on-site at the nursery. He doesn't have access to the vans."

  "Sounds like a dead end."

  "It was worth checking out. Plus, now that his father is aware of what exactly he's been doing with the drone, he will no longer have access to it."

  "Looks like we're back to square one."

  "Looks that way," Adam admitted. "But we'll keep digging. How's Chelsea doing today? I texted her, but she just said she was fine. I got no more information than that."

  "She seems to be doing all right, better than I would have thought after what happened last night."

  "Is something going on between you two?" Adam asked, giving him a speculative look.

  "We're friends."

  "She doesn’t make friends easily, not anymore anyway, not since she quit singing."

  He shrugged, not sure what to say.

  "Did she tell you why she quit music?" Adam asked.

  He took a breath as that question took him into dangerous territory. He'd promised Chelsea he would keep her secret from everyone, including her family. "She told me that she had a new life now, and she didn't want the old one back," he said, thinking that that was common knowledge, at least among her siblings.

  "She didn't talk about Austin? About what he wants from her?"

  "He wants her to sing again."

  "I have to admit, I wish she'd sing again, too. I miss the girl who couldn't walk through a room without humming a melody or strumming her guitar. I want her back."

  "Maybe you just have to accept who she is now."

  "I could do that more easily if I didn't feel like she was in hiding."

  "If it makes you feel any better, I think she's beginning to realize she can't hide, no matter how much she wants to. Austin's reappearance has hit that point home. The fact that she's here today at the beach is a good sign."

  "That's true. I just wish she'd talk to me."

  "Sometimes it's easier to turn to someone outside the family."

  "Someone like you?"

  At Adam's pointed gaze, he said, "I like Chelsea. And I'd like to get to know her better. That's all I have to say."

  "Then hear what I have to say: Don't hurt her. She's been through enough."

  "The last thing I want to do is hurt Chelsea."

  "Then don't. Or you'll have to answer to me."

  He smiled, not concerned about his ability to answer to Adam, but appreciating his brotherly concern. Chelsea might feel like she was living on an island of pain, but there was a lot of support all around her. She just needed to look up and see that.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As the paddleboarders got into the lake, Chelsea handed Leo back to Chloe. "I'm going to walk down to the shore and get a better view."

  "Of someone in particular?" Chloe teased. "Maybe a handsome cop with a killer body?"

  "That's a good question," Lizzie put in.

  "You two have one-track minds."

  "He's mighty fine," Lizzie said, tipping her head toward the beach.

  Brodie was standing next to Adam. He'd stripped off his shirt, revealing broad, tanned shoulders, and well-defined abs. His legs were long and powerful. She'd seen some of that power when he'd scrambled down a mountain on Thursday and jumped off a cliff into the lake.

  As she stared at him, her heart jumped around in her chest, and she couldn't quite catch her breath. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to run her hands and her mouth all over his body. She wanted to take her time. Her body tingled with every wicked thought. Oh, the fun they could have. If she could find the courage to let it happen.

  "Chelsea?" her sister said.

  "What?" she asked, seeing amusement in both Chloe and Lizzie's eyes.

  "Nothing," Lizzie said. "Except that you're practically drooling."

  "I am not," she r
etorted and then headed down to the shore.

  By the time she reached the water, the guys were already out on the lake, along with several dozen other competitors. She kicked off her flip-flops and waded into the water a few inches to cool down from not only the heat of the day but also her thoughts about Brodie.

  It took a few minutes to set up the race as the starting line was a good distance offshore, but it was easy to spot Adam and Brodie, who were right next to each other. She had a feeling they were going to push each other to go as fast as possible. Not that Brodie needed pushing. He was a born competitor. This might not be a mountain, and he might not be on skis, but he was still going for the gold. And she'd really like to see him take the victory. She thought he might need the win a bit more than her brother. Not that this little race could ever take away the pain of losing his shot at an Olympic gold medal.

  As she thought about his past, she couldn't help thinking about the offer his father had made him. She'd been so caught up in her own emotional turmoil the night before that she hadn't given it much thought.

  Would Brodie take the job? Would he leave Whisper Lake? Would he trade in the small-town life he'd made for a return to the big city, to the big life he'd once led?

  That thought didn't make her happy at all. She liked having Brodie around. She might even want to date him. Because she was slowly starting to realize that keeping him at arm's length didn't matter anymore.

  She'd already told him everything. He knew all her secrets. She didn't have to be afraid that she'd slip up, that he'd find something out. Her wall of defense had completely crumbled. She'd given him her trust.

  But she hadn't given him her heart, she reminded herself. That was still under lock and key. And if she wasn't careful, he'd want that, too.

  Would that be so bad?

  She frowned at the question running through her head. Of course it would be bad. Brodie deserved a woman who was whole and happy, not one who was caught in a purgatory of guilt and anguish.

  And what if he left? What then? She'd end up alone and in more pain. The last thing she needed was a broken heart.

  It was so much better to play it safe. No highs. No lows. Just the boring middle.

  But as the race began, and Brodie paddled straight toward her, she couldn't help thinking that boring was the last thing she wanted right now. She wanted him. He wanted her, too. He'd made that clear.

  A shiver ran down her spine. She just didn't know if she had it in her to be that brave, to risk safe for what might be spectacular.

  The line rocketed around in her head. She had the itch to pull out a piece of paper and write it down, to put it to a melody. She hadn't felt like writing a song since she'd frozen on that stage eighteen months ago. But she could hear music in her head now.

  Or maybe it was the roar of the crowd on the beach as the racers reached the finish line and Brodie came in first.

  He looked at her and smiled, as if sharing his win with her.

  More music ran through her. It felt like the beginning of a love song…

  Seeing Chelsea standing on the shore waiting for him reminded Brodie of the old days when he'd raced to victory to the roar of an excited crowd. It felt good to win, even if it was a small-town paddleboard race against kids and senior citizens. He'd also beaten Adam, which gave him great satisfaction.

  As he neared the shore, he jumped off his board into the knee-high water a few feet from Chelsea. Adam came in right behind him.

  "Nicely done," Chelsea said with a bright smile. "Did that win feel good?"

  "Even more than I thought it would." He turned to Adam. "Looks like I'll finally get to eat at Farraday's."

  "Yeah, yeah, congrats," Adam said with a frown. "I made a sucker bet. I should have figured you'd be good on a paddleboard."

  "I'd like to go to Farraday's," Chelsea put in. "The steaks there are supposed to be amazing."

  "You can be my date," he told her.

  "Hold on. I'm paying for you," Adam said. "Anyone else is on your tab."

  "No problem. I'll cover your meal, Chelsea."

  "I'd hate to be a third wheel on your date with Adam," Chelsea teased.

  "I'm sure Adam can find a date."

  "Or Lizzie could come," Chelsea suggested. "If you can't find anyone else, Adam."

  "I can do better than my sister, no offense to Lizzie," Adam grumbled.

  "Well, you have time to find someone," he said. "The restaurant is booked up weeks in advance."

  "I'll think about it. Right now, I'm going to see what food Lizzie brought to the picnic. Are you two coming?"

  "In a minute," he said. "Maybe you should leave your board for Chelsea." He turned to her. "Feel like going out on the water?"

  "That is tempting," she said slowly. "I haven't been on a board in a long time, though."

  "It will come back to you. It's the perfect day. There are barely any waves."

  "Go for it," Adam urged, pushing his board in his sister's direction. "Have some fun."

  As Adam moved out of the water, Chelsea took hold of his board. "Maybe just for a bit," she said.

  Brodie held her board steady as she climbed on, staying on her knees as she steadied herself. He got on his board, and they paddled out about thirty yards before getting to their feet. It took Chelsea a few minutes to find her balance, but she conquered that challenge with another happy smile. He didn't think he'd ever seen her in this good of a mood.

  "I think I can do this," she said.

  "I know you can. Lead the way."

  She started to paddle, her posture stiff at first, but as she got used to the board, she started to relax. They paddled parallel to the shoreline where the beaches were full, barbecues were smoking, picnic tables were laden with food, and kids were playing in the shallow water, while their parents were in beach chairs on the sand. There was music playing from somewhere, and the weather was a perfect seventy degrees. What a great night it was, and he was sharing it with Chelsea, which made it even better.

  Chelsea lifted her oar out of the water as she sat down on her board. "Time for a break."

  He was happy to oblige, taking a seat and stretching out his legs. He put one hand on her board, keeping them from drifting apart. "You look happy," he commented.

  "I sometimes forget how much I love being on the lake. Everything feels so peaceful out here, so calm."

  "It does."

  "I just wish we had more time. The shadows are deepening."

  "We'll get back before it's dark. Don’t worry."

  "I'm actually not worrying about anything at the moment."

  "I'm glad. You deserve some fun."

  "Everyone always tells me that."

  "But you don't feel you deserve to have fun, do you?"

  "I have let guilt weigh me down. But today it doesn't feel quite so heavy. I guess I did need to talk to someone. Lucky you. I'm sure my breakdown was not fun for you."

  He smiled at her dry tone. "I'm just glad you trusted me enough to tell me."

  "Well, Austin pushed me over the edge."

  "Have you heard from him today?"

  "No. I'm hoping he's finally gone. Did you work today?"

  "Yes, I picked up some overtime, but it was pretty quiet. I did pass on your tip about Marcus Fox and his drone to Adam, but it didn't pan out. The landscaping company where Marcus works has green vans and Marcus doesn't drive them. Adam was also able to check the footage taken with the drone, and let's just say that Marcus was being a teenage boy, not an arsonist."

  "A teenage boy or a creep?" she asked dryly.

  "Maybe a little of both. But he's not the arsonist."

  "I'm glad for Raina's sake that he's not. I'm sorry if I wasted Adam's time."

  "It was worth looking into."

  He glanced toward the shore as a local band started their set on a stage near the beach. "They sound good."

  "They do," she agreed.

  "Are you the only one in your family who sings?" he asked curiously.
r />   She laughed at that question. "Yes. You should hear the seven of us sing 'Happy Birthday'. It's a cacophony of clashing keys. Adam even suggested at our last party that I should just sing it on my own and save our ears. Apparently, I get my gift from my maternal grandmother, Eleanor Callaway. I heard her sing once in church, and her voice was amazing."

  "Did she sing professionally?"

  "No, although she was an actress for a short time in her life. But mostly she was busy supporting her husband, raising her kids and helping with her grandkids. She's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet."

  "Where does she live?"

  "San Francisco. That's where most of my extended family lives. My mom was born there but moved to Colorado for college and met my dad. They decided to settle in Denver. That's where I grew up. Although, we did spend a lot of summers here in Whisper Lake with the Cole side of the family. My paternal grandparents moved here when I was a little girl, and I adored coming to visit them. I wrote some of my first songs sitting on the shores of this lake." She paused. "It's strange because I haven't thought about writing since I froze on that stage. But today, a couple of words came to my mind, and I suddenly wished I had pen and paper."

  "That's great."

  "I'm not sure it's great, but it felt like an old friend had suddenly come back into my life."

  "What were the words?"

  She hesitated, and her cheeks flushed a little as discomfort filled her gaze. "I don't remember."

  "You're lying. Why? I thought we trusted each other."

  "I was just playing around with the words safe versus spectacular."

  "I have a feeling there's more..."

  "It was just a random thought, Brodie. I've been playing it safe for a long time and sometimes I wonder if I'm missing out on spectacular. And, before you ask, no, it wasn't about you."

  He grinned. "A guy can hope."

  She smiled back at him. "I'm sure you've had more than a few women think you're spectacular."

  "Some certainly said so, and I was happy to believe them. But…"

  "There's a but to the end of that statement?" she asked curiously.

  "I never felt anyone knew me that well."

  "Was that because you didn't let them know you? It occurs to me that we've done a lot more talking about me than about you."