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Before he realized it, Dustin’s fist flew and cracked his brother across the cheek. In slow motion, Charlie spun around and hit the ground out cold.
He shook out his hand, disgusted with himself and Charlie. He hadn’t hit anyone since he was in high school…the last time his dad had come at him and he’d knocked his ass out too.
With a resigned sigh, he slid his arms under Charlie’s armpits and dragged him around to the passenger side of his car.
“You’re lucky I love you. Dumbass.”
Chapter 16
Just before eleven, Rylie stepped out of Will’s truck and let him walk her to the door. They’d gone to dinner at a little Mexican restaurant in Placerville and then to a movie. Will had reached for her hand halfway through, but hadn’t pushed for anything more. Rylie liked that about him. He wasn’t pushy, bossy, or demanding.
And yet, Dustin, who embodied all those things, wasn’t far from her thoughts all night.
“I had a nice time,” she said, truthfully. Dinner was pleasant, and Will was funny and sweet.
“Me too.”
They stopped outside the glass door and Will leaned over, brushing her lips lightly. It wasn’t earth shattering, but still…
“Can I call you?” he asked.
Rylie nodded, despite the tiny voice that whispered through her, why bother? It was clear that she didn’t have any chemistry with Will, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
Or think about who she did have it with.
Will’s smile flashed in the porch light. “Well, good night then.”
“Night.”
He got into his truck and she stepped inside the pool house before locking the glass door behind her. She hobbled back to her bedroom, wincing with every move. She should have known better than to go out in shoes she hadn’t even broken in yet. Her feet were aching and she could tell several blisters had popped up.
Rylie flipped on the bedroom light and then sat down on the bed. She unlaced the heels and hissed as she pulled them off and saw the angry blisters on the back of her ankles and the side of her foot. Once the heels had been kicked to the side, she reached behind and unzipped the tight dress, peeling it down her body with a deep, relieved breath. Standing in her bra and underwear, she stretched out her back and thought about the pool outside and the adjacent hot tub. It might feel good to soak in the hot water… And she had bought that cute new suit from Torrid on clearance.
Quickly she changed into the two-piece, pulling the black tankini with little white and red hearts down over her stomach. The ruffle at the bottom was adorable and the simple black high-waisted briefs were flattering, at least, in her opinion. She went to the bathroom to get a better look, and finally, piled her hair on top of
her head with a pony tail holder so it wouldn’t get wet.
After she’d washed her face clean of makeup, she went back outside. Gooseflesh rose on her skin as the cooler air touched her. The lights in the pool gave the water an aqua tint, and when she put her toe in, she was delighted to find the water warm. Dustin must heat it when the weather turned colder.
She stepped into the water, gritting her teeth at the initial sting of her feet. Several seconds ticked by and the pain eased. She glided through the water with a sigh, loving the peaceful chirp of crickets. An owl hooting. The sound of a car coming up the drive.
The crunch of wheels on gravel startled her and she lifted on her tiptoes to see Dustin’s car pulling in next to hers.
Rylie ducked down when she heard his car door opening and closing and footsteps against the ground. Another door opened and heavy grunting. Dustin came into the light, dragging something…no, someone, toward one of the lounge chairs. He hefted, who Rylie recognized as his brother, Charlie, onto the chair and stood over him for a moment, his arms crossed.
When he started for the stairs that led up to the main house, she realized he hadn’t noticed her. She’d lucked out.…
“You aren’t going to leave him there, are you?” she called.
He stopped and turned her way. His clothes were rumpled and his hair mussed. When he stepped into the light above her porch, Rylie licked her lips at how out of sorts he was. When he was dressed to the nines he was hot, but this?
This was sex on a stick.
“Believe me, this is the least he deserves.” He cocked his head a second at her, then walked into the pool house. Before she even launched a protest, he was back with a large throw blanket. He spread it out over Charlie’s sleeping form, and grinned at her as he came around the side of the pool to where she was. “But I guess it would be pretty shitty to let him freeze.”
“I think so. What did he do?”
Dustin kicked off his shoes and socks, then bent over to roll up his jeans. “He got drunk and obnoxious. Tried to start a fight. Called me a rather nasty name.”
