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“Oh yeah, with the waterfall coming out of the rocks. I like that one too. Maybe we can take off these hot clothes and swim some when we get there. Today’s one of the hottest days I can remember in a long time.”
“Sure, I could do that if I wanted Ian to take my balls off with one swipe of his claws. No, I believe we should both keep our clothes on. He’ll be mad enough that you went with me in the first place.”
Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and stuck out his chin. “He needs to get over that shit. I’ve already told him that you’re my best friend and if he doesn’t like that he can…”
“Okay, tiger, I get it. And I appreciate it, but I don’t want to come between you and Ian.”
“Who said you were? Or could for that matter?” He lowered his eyes and looked up from beneath his lashes at Nicky with a little grin. “You’re not all that, you know. Okay, you have a gorgeous face and all that blond hair and those blue eyes. And your body is getting more muscular and bigger every day. But Ian.” Logan sighed and his grin got bigger. “He has the cutest little freckles, right on his…”
Nicky covered his ears. “Please don’t tell me. There are some things that should be on a need-to-know basis, and this is definitely one of them.”
Logan laughed and started back up the trail, walking by Nicky’s side. “Well, come on then. You know the old Nicky would have wanted every detail about those freckles.”
“Yeah, well, he could be a crazy son-of-a-bitch sometimes.”
Logan glanced over at him and smiled sadly. “I loved him, though.”
“I’m still me, Logan. Everybody says I’m different, but I’m still here.”
“I know. With only a few modifications. I’m getting used to them.”
Nicky pointed out the path to the little stream just ahead, veering off to the right. “There’s the path to the stream. Looks like somebody has been through here recently.”
“Why not? A lot of people know about the stream, after all. Probably somebody else got the same idea we did about cooling off in a cool, refreshing mountain stream.”
“Stop it. You’re still not going to get a look at my ‘modifications.’ As I said, I value my balls too much. I have my bathing suit on under my jeans.”
It was only a short walk from the main trail, the sound of rushing water getting louder as they came closer, and then they were climbing out onto the big rock on the edge of the stream. Logan plopped down and took off his shirt. His shoes came ne
xt and he eased his feet over the side of the rock and into the frigid stream.
“Ah, that feels wonderful.”
“It’ll feel numb in a few minutes,” Nicky said, pulling off his T-shirt and jeans. “This water is right out of the side of the mountain. I wouldn’t be surprised to find ice chunks floating in it.”
“Hey, there’s my Nicky. Come on, you’ve got enough of a tan. Slip off your shoes too and dip your delicate little toes in here since you won’t skinny dip. Unless you have a heretofore unknown foot fetish, I should be safe enough from your clutches.”
“Shut up,” Nicky said, smiling, and sat down beside Logan. “Okay, but when my toes freeze and fall off, you’ll be the one to haul me back down the mountain.”
“Poor baby. Bitch, bitch. Yeah, my old Nicky’s definitely peeking through.”
Nicky threw an arm around his neck in a headlock and took him to his back on the rock. They rolled around wrestling for a few minutes in imminent danger of tumbling into the stream until Nicky heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Nicky, be careful,” Marco said from the stream bank. “You could hurt him.”
Nicky let go of Logan so fast Logan almost rolled in the stream anyway. He caught himself on the edge and they both sat up.
“Marco, what are you doing here?”
“Nicky wasn’t hurting me,” Logan said quickly. “We were just playing around.”
“I know,” Marco said, a tired smile on his lips. “I’m glad to see you both having a good time, but it’s dangerous to be out here, Nicky. I argued with you last night about that, because I didn’t want to admit that it was true, but you were right. The borders of our land are too big to be properly secured. I haven’t been able to keep you and the pack safe from that bastard Tate.”
Nicky stood up and held out a hand to Marco, who stepped out on the rock and took him in his arms. “No, I’m fine. I’m not trying to be all guilt-ridden and dramatic. But I can’t keep denying it either. For now, the safest place for either of us to be is back home, inside the lodge.”
A voice called out to them from the trail. “But how would that be any fun?”
Nicky clutched Marco tightly and tried to put his own body in front of him. He’d recognized that voice instantly, and it froze the marrow in his bones. It was Tate, who stepped out and down from behind a big rhododendron bush growing on the mountainside.
