by Laura Scott
“Grab our stuff from the trunk, will you?” Kate asked. “We buy our tickets inside.”
“I’ll follow you.” He didn’t mind being enlisted as a pack mule. He slung her bag and his over his shoulder and lifted the cooler. Kate took each of the kids’ hands in one of hers and led the way inside.
“If we rent a room, we don’t need to use the locker rooms and will have a place to store the cooler and eat lunch,” she suggested.
“Sounds good to me. I’ll pay for the room and the tickets.” When she began to protest, he shook his head. “I insist.”
He set down the bags and dug in his pocket for his wallet. After paying for the tickets and one of the very last rooms available, he led the way to the elevator.
It felt strange to be going into a hotel room with a woman who wasn’t his wife. Ethan tried to remember they weren’t here to spend the night, but the cozy atmosphere of the hotel room provided an intimacy that was difficult to ignore.
Thankfully, Kate was all business. After unpacking their clothes on one of the beds, she added ice to the cooler. When that was finished, she declared it was time to go. Like Carly, Kate and Tyler wore their swimming suits beneath their clothes. He quickly changed in the bathroom, feeling self-conscious in his black swim trunks.
Like Kate hasn’t seen a bare chest before, he told himself sternly. She was a nurse, which meant she’d seen many a human form. Feeling more and more like an idiot, he draped his towel around his shoulders and left the sanctuary of the bathroom.
Kate wore a royal blue modestly cut one-piece suit that wasn’t nearly as tiny as his imagination had conjured up but bared enough of her golden skin that his mouth immediately went dry.
“All set?” she asked with a smile.
He could only nod and try not to stare. Get a grip, he lectured himself firmly. The four of them trooped back down to the waterpark as if they were a cozy family instead of a mismatched foursome.
Carly and Tyler immediately sprinted toward the biggest slide. Kate frowned. “She can swim, right?”
It took him a moment to realize Kate was asking about his daughter. He watched as Carly led the way up the ladder of the slide with Tyler at her heels. “Like a fish. Susan made sure she took swimming lessons,” he responded absently.
“Good. Look, there she goes.” Kate clapped her hands together as Carly sailed through the tube and hit the water with a big splash.
Ethan glanced at Kate, mentally whacking himself in the head for mentioning his wife’s name. Kate hadn’t seemed to notice. Her attention was centered on the kids.
“And there goes Tyler.” Kate grinned when the boy followed Carly into the water. “That looks like fun.”
“Really?” His tone was full of doubt. “I guess, if you’re a kid.”
“No, for us, too.” Kate flashed a saucy smile and grabbed his hand. “Come on, don’t be an old stick-in-the-mud.”
“A stick-in-the-mud? Me?” Because it was probably true, he forced himself to follow Kate to the stairs for the slide. He tried not to stare, but her backside was far too close as she began to climb. He told himself he was there for Carly, but the stirring of testosterone long-dormant made a liar out of him.
He felt like a fool, standing among the kids, waiting for his turn to go down the slide. When the time came, he felt a momentary hesitation. What if the stupid thing broke beneath his weight? Maybe the slides weren’t meant to hold adults.
“Come on, what are you waiting for?” a particularly impatient kid piped up from behind him. “Don’t be a chicken. You’re holding up the line.”
Ethan sighed and sat, feet first. Before he could blink, his bottom slid forward and he flew through the slick tube, the cold water beneath his back stealing his breath. Before he knew it, he crashed into the water with the tidal wave splash.
“Daddy, you looked so funny!” Carly shouted when he finally broke the surface. “Let’s go again.”
With a groan, he pulled himself out of the pool. Kate laughed along with Carly, her blond hair damp and slick. He had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
Reining in his crazy thoughts, he settled for a grin. “Sure, let’s do it again.”
For the next few hours, the adults followed the kids down their choice of waterslides. Ethan didn’t want to admit he was having fun. Somehow the thrill of the slide managed to make him feel as carefree as a child.
Finally, Kate held up a hand in surrender. “Enough. It’s time for us to relax in the lazy river.”
“Absolutely.” Ethan didn’t hesitate to agree. The kids muttered about how boring the river was, but they reluctantly followed the adults, each finding inner tubes of their own to float in, spinning in wild circles ahead of the adults.
“Ahh, this is the best part,” Kate murmured, leaning her head back on the edge of her huge donut-shaped inner tube.
“Yeah.” Ethan was forced to agree. Instead of taking an inner tube of his own, he floated alongside her, keeping a hand on her tube to keep her close. “Kate, this was really a great idea. Carly’s having a blast.”
“So is Tyler.” She raised a brow. “And what about you, Dr. Weber? Are you having fun as well?”
He pulled her closer so he could capture her hand in his. Leaning over, he pressed a quick kiss against the back of her hand, then allowed his gaze to travel over her. “Oh, yeah. I’m enjoying myself much more than I thought I would.”
Kate’s fingers trembled in his, and a pretty pink blush stained her cheeks. “Better watch your thoughts,” she warned with a laugh. “This is a family establishment.”
“Don’t I know it. There are dozens of kids everywhere.” He remained close, resting his forearms on her inner tube as they floated down the river. “I think next time you and I should go out alone to a nonfamily establishment.”
“I’d like that.”
Had she really agreed to go out on a real date with him? Before Ethan could ask her again, an older kid jumped from the side of the lazy river, miscalculating his aim so that he landed directly on top of them. Ethan lost his grip as Kate’s inner tube capsized. He thought he heard her cry out before he sank beneath the water.
Frantically, he found his footing and stood, swiping water from his eyes as he glanced around for Kate. Where was she? Several empty inner tubes floated past. Was she under the water? He caught a glimpse of her blond hair and blue swimsuit, but his heart thundered in his chest when he realized Kate was lying facedown in the water, near the bottom a few feet from him.
“Kate!” He strode through the water and went down to grab and haul her upright out of the water. Her eyes remained closed, and she was limp in his grasp. Dear heaven, had she hit her head on the wall?
“Kate! Come on, Kate. Talk to me.” Ethan lifted her, carefully setting her on the concrete edge of the lazy river. When he scrambled out to kneel beside her, his heart squeezed painfully as his worst fear was confirmed.
Her lips were blue, and she wasn’t breathing.
Chapter Eight
Kate slowly became aware of two things: her head throbbed like a jackhammer busting up concrete and Ethan’s lips were wonderfully soft yet firm against hers.
Ignoring the first was easy, but before she could appreciate the latter sensation to its fullest, her chest convulsed, and a lungful of water erupted from deep within. She pushed away from Ethan just in time to avoid spraying him in the face as she coughed and gagged on the water she’d inhaled.
How attractive, she thought with a wince as she struggled to breathe between hacking coughs. Poor Ethan. If seeing her like this didn’t scare him off, nothing would. The pounding in her head intensified, and she reached up to massage her temple. Good grief, what had she hit?
“Easy now.” To her surprise, Ethan didn’t run in the other direction but held her shoulders supportively, bringing her head to rest against his firm, bare chest. The light sprinkling of dark chest hair teased her nose. “Breathe in, slow and easy.”
“I’m trying.” She gasped as another coughing spell ripped through her. After a few minutes, the musky scent of him penetrated the smell of chlorine, and she relaxed. The urge to bury her face in the curve of his neck was strong. As much as she wanted nothing more than to remain cuddled in his embrace, she lifted her head, belatedly aware of the crowd of people gathered around her. Carly and Tyler were both staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. With an effort, she smiled at them reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“You need to rest for a minute.” Ethan didn’t sound convinced. “Doctor’s orders.”
Carly and Tyler were still gazing at her fearfully, and she was hyperaware of Ethan’s arms around her. Since when did she need comfort from others? She was the strong one, the one other people came to for help. Time to pull it together before she embarrassed herself further. “Why is it that doctors call what they do practice?” she asked in mock seriousness. “And how much practice do you need to get it right?”
A few of the bystanders chuckled, and the crowd slowly dispersed, convinced she would be okay. Ethan continued to frown at her. “This is serious, Kate. You hit your head on the cement side of the pool. You weren’t breathing when I pulled you out.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, but thanks for rescuing me.” She downplayed the danger, conscious of how intently the kids were listening. Didn’t he know harping on the accident was scaring them? She turned her attention to the kids. “Hey, is anyone else ready for lunch? Carly? Tyler? Come on, I’m starving.”
Ethan muttered something she couldn’t quite hear under his breath, and she suspected it wasn’t very nice. But when Carly and Tyler edged closer, he held his tongue as if finally realizing how in tune the two young children were with what had nearly happened.
“Are you really okay, Kate?” Carly’s wide, frightened eyes tugged at Kate’s heart.
She hauled the little girl close and gave her a big hug. “Of course, I am. I just swallowed a little water, that’s all.” Her headache mocked her, but she ignored it. With her other arm, she pulled Tyler into the embrace as well. “Come on both of you, let’s go back to our room and unpack the cooler. I hid some treats in there for dessert.”
Her diversion tactic worked. The kids scrambled away. She struggled to her feet, conscious of Ethan’s warm, strong hand beneath her elbow. She loved his hands, the wide span of his palms, the strength in his fingers. From the very first she’d found Ethan physically attractive, but his protective caring was almost more than she could bear. If he didn’t stop it, she’d have difficulty holding herself aloof, maintaining a friendly relationship.
The kids chattered as they all walked to the elevator, then began fighting over which one of them would push the buttons. Their room was on the fourth floor, so they agreed to compromise.
She found acetaminophen in her purse and took the extra-strength tablets for her headache. When it was time to unpack the cooler, the kids were more of a hindrance than a help. She’d thought her impromptu picnic-style lunch had been a great idea. Ethan remained serious and quiet; she could practically feel the tension radiate off him in waves as he opened sugar-free juice drinks and set them on the floor beside the kids.
“I have turkey, ham, and cheese sandwiches for us, peanut butter and jelly for the kids.” She handed the food out as she spoke. Next, she pulled out a bowl of freshly cut fruit, a block of cheese, and a box of crackers. “Ethan, do you have a knife? I forgot to slice the cheese before leaving home.”
Ethan searched his discarded jeans and pulled out a Swiss Army knife from the depths of a pocket. He opened the knife and handed it to her.
She held up the knife, raising a brow. “So, what do you think? Male or female?”
“Huh?” Ethan was clearly confused.
“This knife. Male or female?” When he still didn’t get it, she waved it at him. “Male, of course, because it’s useful enough for many things but spends most of its time opening bottles.” She snickered at her own joke. Well, actually, her granddad’s joke.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Ethan didn’t so much as smile. “How can you make jokes at a time like this?”
“Why not?” Kate finished slicing the cheese, then offered some to the kids who were already munching on their sandwiches. “Dwelling on the worst-case scenario is unhealthy.”
“Can we play video games?” Tyler had discovered two remote controllers connected to the television set. He held one in his lap and handed the other to Carly.
“No, I think there might be a charge for it,” Kate cautioned. “Besides, you need to finish your sandwich first.”
“I did finish my sandwich,” Tyler protested.
“Me, too,” Carly added.
“Go ahead, Tyler, the charge doesn’t matter.” Ethan gave his permission, then turned back to Kate. He lowered his tone so the kids wouldn’t hear. “I don’t agree. Ignoring something this serious is just as unhealthy. You could have died.”
“But I didn’t. Thanks to your quick reflexes.” She mustered a smile. “Ethan, the one thing my granddad taught me was the value of laughter. Awful, tragic things happen every day, it’s true. But when the worst doesn’t happen, we should celebrate and be thankful. We should enjoy what we have with humor. Carly and Tyler are already scared enough. We don’t need to make this any worse for them.”
“I know.” His voice was low, and he stared at his half-eaten sandwich as if his appetite had completely vanished.
“Your daughter needs laughter in her life,” she pointed out softly. “And so do you.”
“It’s been hard since Carly’s mother died,” Ethan finally confessed. “Especially since I was working late doing an extended surgical case when she died. When I got home, I felt so lost, confused. She’d died peacefully in her sleep, but Carly and I were wrecks. How can a person even think of humor when seeing your daughter in agony?”
“I know it’s not easy to laugh when you’re hurting. Crying is good, but there comes a time when crying doesn’t help anymore.”
“Easy for you to say, your daughter didn’t lose her mother.” Ethan’s tone held a trace of bitterness.
“Maybe not. But when I was eighteen, I lost my best friend. His name was David O’Malley. We were so close, had been friends throughout grade school and into high school, supported each other through various dating fiascoes.” Kate could still picture David, tall with closely cropped red hair and a temper to match. Ten years had passed since he died, but at times, it seemed like she’d just seen him yesterday. “One day, he didn’t show up for school. Normally, he’d have called me, even if he was sick. Since he didn’t, I headed over to his house right after class.”
She hesitated. Painful memories dive-bombed from all directions, but she forced herself to finish the story. “I found him in the garage with all the doors closed and the car running. I opened the garage door, pulled him out, and started CPR, having learned the technique in school, but it was too late.”
“I’m so sorry.” Ethan’s dark expression was full of compassion. “I can’t imagine how awful you must’ve felt.”
“It was rough. He left a note. He said goodbye to his parents, his older brother, and to me, his only friend.” She could barely push the words past her constricted throat. “I couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. Then I couldn’t believe I hadn’t known how down and depressed he must’ve felt.” She helplessly tossed the rest of her sandwich aside, crumpling the empty bag in her hand. “That’s what haunts me still. That I didn’t know.”
“Kate.” Ethan reached out and took her tightly fisted hand in his. “Depression is a serious illness, and you were only eighteen. How could you know?”
He was only telling her the same thing she’d heard from the psychologist she’d gone to see after David’s death, but she couldn’t make herself believe it. Not deep down where it counted. She slowly opened her hand and entwined her fingers with his. “Anyway, I was in bad shape afterward. My granddad couldn’t stand to se
e how depressed I was becoming, so he took me to his place to live with him.”
“Your granddad sounds like a great guy.”
She smiled, squeezed his hand, then drew hers away. Distance. She needed distance from this new, compassionate Ethan, or she’d throw herself into his arms and refuse to let go. She steadied her tone. “He is. You’d like him. Anyway, he worked on me for months, trying to make me smile, then eventually teaching me how to laugh. I know it’s not easy. But it’s important, Ethan. For you and for Carly. Especially for Carly.”
“You’re right, I know you are. In here . . .”—he tapped his temple—“I know what I need to do. Feeling up to it here . . .”—he touched his chest—“is another matter.”
She poked him playfully in the ribs, making him chuckle. “Lucky for you, I know all kinds of silly jokes to lighten things up. You’ll be amazed at how much I can help. Some days, I spend hours surfing the Internet for joke sites.” Kate glanced over to where the kids were having a great time with the video games. She raised her voice to be heard over the sound of race cars on an obstacle course. “Dessert anyone? I think there are brownies hiding in the cooler.”
“In a minute,” Tyler said.
“Hey.” Ethan stroked a finger along the back of her hand, and the tingling sensation drew her attention as fast as if he’d stripped naked and danced on the table. “Thanks for telling me about your friend.”
She was touched that he’d picked up on the fact that she hadn’t told many people about what had happened ten years ago. She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Digging in the cooler, she pulled out the brownies that she’d stayed up late last night to bake. She carefully unwrapped the generous squares and handed one to each of the kids and Ethan. When he raised a questioning brow at her, she gave in and took a healthy bite of the fourth brownie. The smiles and obvious enjoyment helped make her feel better.
This trip was meant to be a way to introduce a little fun into Ethan’s life, but instead she’d been conked on the head, nearly drowned, and had bared her darkest secret.
