My Wildest Dream: Whisper Lake #2

by Barbara Freethy

  "I've told you some stuff."

  "Some stuff," she echoed. "But I have a feeling there's a lot more to Brodie McGuire than meets the eye."

  "Are you interested in finding out what that more entails?"

  She gave him a steady look. "I might be."

  His heart skipped a beat. "That's interesting and a nice change."

  "But…"

  "No buts," he said with a groan.

  "I'm not sure how far or fast I can go. I'm…a little broken, Brodie."

  His heart tore at her words, at the sad expression on her face.

  "I'm afraid you'll try to fix me," she added. "And that's not your job. Nor am I even sure it's possible."

  He chose his words carefully. "Why don't we just get to know each other? One baby step at a time."

  "You're not a man who takes baby steps. You race full speed ahead, fearless, determined…"

  "I can go slow. Slow can be good," he drawled, seeing the sparkle of desire flash through her eyes.

  She drew in a quick breath. "This conversation is getting a little…"

  "Hot?" he offered. "You should come a little closer." He needed to touch her, to kiss her. He extended his hand. She hesitated and then took it. As he pulled her toward him, their boards collided. Chelsea started, then shifted down the board, moving closer. He leaned over, and she did the same.

  They met in a kiss that was hot and sweet at the same time. He took his time, savoring her lips, until those lips parted, and his tongue swept inside, and their kiss went deeper.

  She let out a small sound of pleasure. He cupped the back of her neck, holding her mouth to his, not caring if either of them could ever breathe again. He just wanted the connection to go on and on.

  One of her hands came to rest on his chest. Desire hardened his body as her fingers swept across his skin, teasing, tantalizing…

  His heart began to pound. He had to get closer.

  But as he moved, so did she. Their boards took off in the opposite direction.

  He tried to hang on to the board, to hang on to her, but he had no balance. He was going in the lake.

  And so was she…

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chelsea kicked her way back up to the surface, spluttering and gasping from the shock of suddenly being in the lake. Fed by mountain snow runoff, the lake was chilly even in the middle of summer. Treading water, she gulped in air as Brodie swam over to her, pushing Adam's board in her direction. She gratefully took it, as they were too deep to touch the ground.

  "You okay?" he asked with concern.

  She pushed her wet hair away from her eyes. "I'm fine. Definitely a lot cooler now. We got a little carried away."

  He grinned. "That's not hard to do when you're around."

  "You better get your board before it ends up in the middle of the lake."

  "You're right. Take this." He handed her the oar drifting nearby, and then swam toward the other board.

  She pushed herself up on to her board and took a moment to wring out her dripping tank top. Running her fingers through her hair, she smiled to herself as Brodie quickly swam back to her, his board and oar in tow. He got back on with athletic grace, giving her a nice view of his very fit body. He might not be a professional skier anymore, but he was clearly still an athlete.

  She swallowed a knot in her throat as she thought about running her hands all over his beautiful body and following that trail with her mouth. Her breath came faster, and she put a wet hand to her hot cheeks. Maybe she should jump back into the lake, because she was already heating up. But she had a feeling that would only be a temporary solution to what was looking to be a longer-term problem.

  She'd closed off her emotions so long ago she'd thought she'd lost the ability to feel anything. But the ice around her heart was melting, and she was terribly afraid that along with these delicious feelings of desire and want would come other less happy emotions. Bad always followed good, at least that's the way it seemed.

  "Ready to go back?" Brodie asked.

  It felt like a loaded question, even though Brodie certainly hadn't intended it to be.

  Was she ready to go back to the life she'd been leading the past year and a half? Or was she ready to return to the woman she'd once been?

  Neither actually seemed particularly appealing.

  Was there another choice? Could she reinvent herself again? But who on earth would she be next?

  "Chelsea?" he asked, a quizzical gleam in his eyes. "Something on your mind?"

  "I'm just reluctant to leave this beautiful lake," she said evasively. "Out here, it feels like reality is farther away than the nearby shore."

  "I know what you mean."

  "But it's just an illusion. We should go back. The breeze is picking up, and it will be dark soon."

  "I agree, but for what it's worth…" He paused for a long second.

  "Yes?" she asked, wondering what he'd been about to say.

  He met her gaze. "I'm already missing you."

  Her heart skipped a beat at his tender words. "That's crazy, Brodie."

  "It's the way I feel." He stood up on his board. "Ready?"

  She got to her feet. "Yes."

  As she paddled behind him, she felt like she was already missing him, too.

  When they got back to where they'd started, the last bit of sunlight was gone and the crowd at the beach had been cut in half. Brodie retrieved his shirt and sandals, while she found her flip-flops. Then they carried their boards across the sand and found only Lizzie and Gianna sitting on the blanket.

  "Where is everyone?" she asked.

  "Zach had to take Hailey back to the Carvers' house," Gianna replied.

  "And Adam left after Chloe took Leo home. We were about to send out a search party for you two," Lizzie said, her sharp gaze running over her. "Did you fall in the lake, Chelsea?"

  "As a matter of fact, I did. But I'm fine. It was great being out on the water and in the water, too."

  Her sister smiled. "It's nice to see you having some fun. Adam said you can leave his board with Brodie."

  "I can take it back to him," Brodie agreed.

  "Any food left?" she asked, sinking down on the blanket.

  "We ate all the Chinese food. Sorry about that." Lizzie reached into the cooler and pulled out a Tupperware container. "We still have some turkey wraps."

  "And brownies," Gianna added, handing her a paper plate with three chocolate brownies on it.

  "Hmm, what to do, what to do," Brodie murmured, eying both the sandwiches and the brownies. "I think I'll start with dessert."

  She laughed. "I was going to say the same thing."

  "See, we're always on the same page," Brodie replied, exchanging a warm, intimate look with her.

  A little too late, she realized both Gianna and Lizzie were watching them with avid curiosity. She reached for a brownie and took a bite, thinking that would at least temporarily stop her from thinking about kissing Brodie again.

  "Congrats on your win," Gianna said to Brodie. "What do you get for it?"

  "Free dry cleaning from Mayfield Cleaners and a super-sized smoothie from the Juice King," he replied.

  "Well, with incentive like that, I can see why you worked so hard to win," Gianna said with a laugh.

  "He would have tried to win even if there was nothing on the line," she put in.

  "Chelsea is right. I see a finish line and I have to cross it in first. What have you ladies been doing?"

  "Just talking," Lizzie said.

  "Lizzie has been giving me some great advice about starting my own business," Gianna added.

  "What kind of business is that?" Brodie asked.

  "Graphic design: websites, print materials, book covers, that kind of thing. I've been working in LA in advertising the last several years, but now that I'm going to stay in Whisper Lake, I need a job I can do from here. And I'm ready to be my own boss," Gianna said.

  "I'm so happy you're staying," she said. "I'm sure Zach is, too."


  "He is the main reason. We have our second chance, and we're not going to mess it up." Gianna paused. "Chelsea, Lizzie told me what happened at the party last night. I'm glad it didn't stop you from coming out today."

  "I was a little worried that people would be talking about me or looking at me, but I haven't noticed too much." Of course, that might be because she'd been so caught up in Brodie the last few hours she hadn't noticed anyone else.

  "Well, I know what it feels like to have people talking about you," Gianna said. "All you can do is let them talk until they're tired and move on to some other piece of gossip."

  "Why were people talking about you?" Brodie asked curiously.

  "You don't know? Over the last eight years, I've run out on three engagements, and one of my former fiancés dubbed me the runaway fiancée."

  "Sounds like that was a good guy to leave."

  "Definitely. I learned a lot from those relationships, and I'm with the right person now. One day I will walk down the aisle."

  "Will that day be soon?" she asked.

  Gianna laughed. "Zach and I are giving ourselves time, even though we're both very sure that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. But we also want Hailey to feel comfortable within our love story, because she's going to be a part of it, too. Plus, Zach is busy designing the remodel for the camp, and I want to get my business off the ground. There's a lot going on."

  "It sounds like it," she said, thinking how both Lizzie and Gianna were excited about their businesses. They were becoming their own women, their own bosses. She remembered what that felt like—scary and wonderfully exciting. Not that she'd ever been completely her own boss. There had always been someone in the background wanting her to make changes in a song or agree to perform too many dates in a row in places she didn't want to go. The more money she'd made, the more pressure there had been. That part she didn't miss.

  She finished her brownie and followed up with a sandwich as the four of them talked about nothing too important. The conversation flowed easily, as Brodie asked Gianna and Lizzie more about their lives. He seemed genuinely interested in their answers. It was no wonder he'd been such a popular celebrity. He had an innate charisma that drew people to him, especially women.

  Which made her wonder about all the other women in his life. He'd mentioned that he'd felt like no one had really broken the surface, but was that true? And why was that true? He didn't seem to hold back with her.

  Was he different now because he was no longer a celebrity?

  That question ran around in her head, until she was distracted by loud voices coming through the trees behind them. There was a large group heading in their direction. As lights flashed, she saw exactly who was leading the charge—Austin!

  He wasn't alone. There were at least four photographers following him down the beach.

  She scrambled to her feet.

  Brodie quickly followed, as Austin called her name.

  In three seconds, he'd be right in front of her, and there would be pictures, questions. She threw up her hand as she realized the shots were already happening, the lights flashing in her eyes, as they'd done so many times before.

  "Hey, Chelsea, are you going to sing again?" one of the photographers yelled.

  Another followed up with, "Are you and Austin getting back together?"

  "Hold back, guys," Austin said. "Let me talk to her."

  Lizzie and Gianna jumped up, moving in front of her like a protective wall.

  "Stop right there," Lizzie ordered. "What the hell are you doing, Austin?"

  "This is between me and Chelsea."

  Her stomach turned over. She felt physically sick. People were coming down the beach to see what was going on. The photos would be splashed all over the internet tomorrow. There would be stories made up. Who knew what they would say?

  Brodie took her hand and murmured in her ear. "Let's get out of here."

  She didn't question him. She just gripped his fingers as they turned and sprinted down the beach in the opposite direction. She didn't know how they could escape the pack behind them, but Brodie was weaving in and out of the other groups on the beach, dodging behind trees, and then leading her through a parking lot and around a building. He seemed to know exactly where they were going, and she didn't even care where that was; she just wanted to get away.

  The photographers gave chase; she didn't know about Austin, but he was the least of her worries now.

  Brodie suddenly veered off down an alley, then pulled her behind a dumpster. Hidden by the large black bin, she held her breath as pounding steps moved in their direction. One of two things could happen. The photographers could run on by or realize they were behind the dumpster, and they would be trapped. There would be new pictures of her and some guy hiding in garbage. She could only image what click-bait headlines would open that story.

  She held her breath. The footsteps drew nearer, paused. Then she heard a shout.

  Had they been discovered?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Her heart was beating so hard, Chelsea thought Brodie could probably hear it.

  Another muffled shout, this time sounding farther away. Suddenly the footsteps were moving away from the dumpster. They waited another few minutes until there was nothing but absolute silence surrounding them.

  Brodie squeezed her hand and gave her what looked like a reassuring smile. "They're gone."

  "I hope so. I can't believe I'm dodging paparazzi again."

  "It's been a while for me, too."

  In the dark shadows, she could see the excited gleam in his eyes. "You're enjoying this?"

  "Not exactly. I'm just happy we got away from them."

  "I still have to go home. I'm sure they'll be camped out there."

  "You can come to my house."

  "They'll see me."

  "You'll duck down in the car, and I'll pull straight into the attached garage. They won't see you."

  "Where is your car? I'm sure they'll have the beach lot staked out."

  "I parked behind Wei's restaurant. If we can make it to the car, we'll be fine."

  Brodie moved out from behind the dumpster first, then beckoned to her. They made their way quickly down the alley and around the corner. With the festival still going, there were lots of people walking through the streets. They stayed close to the buildings, blending in with larger groups whenever possible. The night shadows had fallen, so no one was paying them too much attention. But she was more than a little relieved when they arrived at Brodie's car.

  She slid into the passenger seat, sliding down, so she wasn't visible as Brodie pulled out of the lot and headed toward home.

  "I think we're good," he said a moment later. "No one is following us."

  "I hope they're not grilling Lizzie and Gianna. Maybe it was wrong to leave them behind."

  "They don't know anything, remember? Your caution paid off. But why don’t you call her?"

  As she looked around, she realized she'd left her bag and her phone at the beach. "I didn't grab my phone when we ran."

  "You can use mine." He pulled his phone out of the pocket of his shorts and handed it to her.

  She punched in her sister's number, relieved when Lizzie answered. "It's me. I'm on Brodie's phone."

  "Are you all right, Chelsea?"

  "I'm fine. We ditched the photographers. What happened after we left?"

  "I told Austin he was crazy if he thought ambushing you with paparazzi would get you to do anything he wanted. He claims he ran into them in the parking lot, that they followed him down the beach. I didn't buy it. It felt too orchestrated."

  "I'm sure he planned it. He thinks if he exposes my life, then I can't hide anymore. And he'll have a better shot at getting me to sing with him. But he's wrong. I will never sing with him again."

  "I don't blame you." Lizzie paused. "You must feel so betrayed, Chelsea. I know you cared about him at one point."

  "That was a long time ago. Anyway, I'm sorry you and Gia
nna had to deal with him."

  "We didn't have a problem with that. I've also called Adam. He's going to see if he can track Austin down and have a not-so-friendly conversation with him."

  "I think he'll go away now that this has happened. The stories will show me running away from him. That won't look good."

  "Who knows how they'll spin it. And, frankly, Chelsea, I don't know if he'll leave. He seems pretty obsessed with getting you to work with him. Where are you right now?"

  "I'm with Brodie."

  "I don't think you should go home. Why don't you come to the inn?"

  "And bring all the photographers to harass your guests? No way."

  "What about Adam's place?"

  "I'm going to Brodie's for now. I'll duck down in the car, and he'll be able to pull straight into his garage. I can see my house from his place, and I'll know when everyone leaves."

  "If they leave."

  "They'll have to move on eventually."

  "Let me know if I can do anything for you. Maybe you should consider leaving town. You can always go to Denver, stay with Mom and Dad. You're almost done with school."

  "I don't want to burden them with this. Please don't tell them."

  "I won't, but you know they both go online. And there were a lot of cameras on you tonight."

  "I guess I should call them. I'll do that later."

  "If you don't, they'll probably show up at your house."

  "Good point. By the way, did you get my bag? I left it at the beach."

  "I have it. Do you need it? Do you want me to bring it to you?"

  "No. I'll get it from you tomorrow. I'll be with Brodie if you need me."

  "I'm glad you're not alone. That man always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it's that he's always with you," her sister teased.

  "I'll talk to you later," she said, ending the call. She turned to Brodie. "Adam is going to find Austin and have a word with him."

  "Good. That will save me the trouble."

  "But he's not breaking the law. It's not like Adam can arrest him."

  "He doesn't need to take it that far to get through to Austin."