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“I didn’t wake you, did I? I’m sorry.” There was amusement in his voice. It was clear he wasn’t the least bit sorry.
It was no surprise he was up. The twins were always up at the ass-crack of dawn, even if they didn’t have to be at work. She supposed their bodies were conditioned to rise before the sun. Since they graduated high school seven years ago, Rys and William had been working for Olyver Eberhardt at Eberhardt Construction. Five days out of the week, from sunup to sundown, they woke early and busted their asses building and renovating homes and businesses in town.
They were damn good at what they did and had worked their way up in the business until they were now foremen. Their expertise and commanding nature made everyone listen to them. Alone, they were powerful, but together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
“You know damn well you woke me.” Jane did not make it a habit of getting up before eight if she could help it. Working second shift at Slick’s Diner sucked up most of her day, but she didn’t have to wake up early. Jane was always more of a night owl anyway. Rys chuckled, and the deep sound washed through her. God, just hearing him chuckle had her instantly aroused.
“You don’t work today, right?”
“No.” She lay back in bed and stretched. Pleasure had an involuntary moan slipping from her. The sound of Rys breathing heavily filtered through the receiver. “Rys? You okay?” He cleared his throat, and she heard rustling in the background. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.
“I’m good. So, uh, Will and I were going to head up to the lake today. It’s supposed to be in the high eighties. We were thinking, if you’re up to it, we could eat lunch up there and go for a swim.”
Swimming with the Holden twins? Yes, please! Just picturing them in nothing but trunks, water dripping off their ridiculously chiseled chests, had her clamping her thighs together. Working construction really did do a body good.
“Yeah, okay. That sounds like fun.” She threw the covers off and sat on the edge of the bed. “When were you thinking of going up there?”
“Can you be ready in an hour?”
“An hour, Rys? That doesn’t give me time to pack anything.”
“All you need to bring is a suit, and even that is optional.” He chuckled, but there was a strained tone to it. If only he wasn’t joking.
Hell, if Will and Rys asked her to jump in the water buck-ass naked with them, she would do it like a good girl. And wasn’t that just too bad, because truth be told, they would never ask her that. She knew damn well they thought of her as the little sister they never had.
Then again, she had thought Will was going to kiss her last night. Obviously, her libido and feelings were making her see things, because the guys had never showed any kind of interest in her, not the way she wanted them to anyway.
“Very funny. What about lunch? I can’t see you making anything besides peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwiches. I know you might find this unbelievable, but I think you might be the only one who likes that combination.”
He grunted, and she heard Will in the background asking if she was game for today.
Rolling her eyes, she said, “I’ll be ready in an hour, but I’m bringing something edible.” After she hung up, she headed into the bathroom. She should have gotten a medal for the quickest shower in the history of showers. An hour wasn’t nearly enough time to get ready, but she figured she was going to be jumping in the lake, so it wasn’t like she really had to do much to her hair.
She slipped on her bikini and threw on a pair of shorts and a tank over it. The aroma of coffee hit her when she stepped out of her room, and she followed the scent to the kitchen. Her mother sat at the table, the morning paper spread out before her and a cup of coffee in front of her.
“Morning, honey.”
“Hi.” Jane wove her way to the cupboard and grabbed the oversized mug. It was about three times the size of a regular-sized cup, but it was too damn early for anything smaller. She poured half the cup with coffee and grabbed the creamer and sugar. By the time her coffee was made to perfection, it tasted like straight sweetener and was so light it didn’t even look like there was any coffee in the cup. It was just the way she liked it.
“I was going to head into town today and sell a few baked goods. They’re having that bake sale in the square. If you don’t have plans, you’re more than welcome to join me.” Her mother hadn’t looked up from the paper when she addressed Jane.
“Actually, Rys and William asked me to hang out at the lake today. If you want, you can come.”
Her mom smirked and finally lifted her eyes to Jane’s. “I was wondering why you were up so early.” Her mom leaned back and brought her mug to her lips. She stared at her over the rim before finally asking, “How are the Holden boys?”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Mom, we aren’t going to start this again, are we?”
“Start what?” She pushed out of her seat and set her empty cup in the sink. The sun came through the window above the little rusted sink and washed her mom in a golden glow. Bridget Silver was only forty-five years old, but the hard life she led with Jane’s father made her look so much older. Lines marred the curve of her mouth and around her eyes, and streaks of gray lined her shoulder-length brown hair. Her mother was a beautiful woman, even though life had not been particularly kind to her, but back in the day, she and Jane could have been twins. She turned and looked at Jane with eyes the same light-blue as hers.
“Mom, we are just friends. We have been for practically my whole life.” A sadness washed over her mother’s face, and Jane sighed. She knew what she was thinking. “After eight years, why do you still think about him?” Charles Silver was her father, but Jane knew a piece of shit when she saw one. One of her mother’s slim shoulders lifted in response.
“Jane”—she sighed—“I know your father was a bad man. I really do, but you also have to see it from my point of view.” She turned back and looked out the kitchen window. “I dated Charles all through high school. He used to be sweet and kind. He was the only man I had ever been with, and when he started gambling all our money away and doing drugs, I knew things would never be the same. He turned into a monster, one who hurt me and you. I can never forgive him for that, ever, but I try to think about all the years he was good to me, to us.” Her mom lowered her head.
“Mom—”
“I don’t expect you to forgive him, because I never will, but he was my first love, Jane.”
Jane exhaled and closed her eyes. If her mother only knew the true horror that was Charles Silver, she wouldn’t be thinking about him that way. This was always the conversation they had about her dad. She knew how much her mom loved him, but there was also a point in life when a woman had to let go of those memories and remember all the wrong that person did. Jane didn’t care if he showered her mother with chocolates and flowers every day.
