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He had beaten both of them, degraded them, and finally deserted them with a mountain of debt. Jane would take his debt over in a heartbeat if it meant he would never come back. She didn’t know where he was or if he was even still alive. His reputation had ruined her family and scarred both of them. For that, she would never forget or forgive.
“Listen, I don’t want to talk about him, not when you are about to leave. Have a nice time, honey. Okay?” Her mother cupped her cheek and smiled, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes. A strange expression crossed her mom’s features. “Those Holden twins are something special, Jane,” she whispered and started to tear up.
“Mom, don’t start crying.”
She shook her head and cleared her throat. “I’m not sad, sweetie. I’m glad you have those two in your life. They were there for you when no one else was, not even me.” Tears started to slip down her weathered cheeks, and Jane reached out to brush them away.
“Please, don’t cry.”
“These are tears of happiness, Jane. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Rys and William will never let you down like your father did.”
Her heart skipped a beat listening to her mother’s words. “Mom, we are just friends.” Her mother patted her on the cheek and turned to leave, but before she left, Jane heard her say, “If you say so, honey. If you say so.”
Chapter 7
Jane laid out her oversized towel and lifted her head when she heard cursing. A smile tugged at her lips when she saw Rys throw a lounge chair on the ground. William was right behind him, his smile wide as he slapped Rys’s back.
“That damn chair pinched my fucking finger.”
William headed toward Jane, chuckling. “Can you believe what a big baby he is?” William set the cooler off to the side under the shade of an elm and started back for the truck. While Will and Rys brought over their plethora of swimming paraphernalia, Jane made her way to the edge of the lake. Her spot was perfect with a sandy shore and enough trees surrounding them to give them privacy. Lake Ecstasy was the main hangout for a lot of the town, since there wasn’t a whole lot to do, but it meant a lot more to Jane than it did the townies.
She’d spent enough time here when she was younger that she considered this a second home. There were times she came out here alone, but a lot of the time it would be the three of them. They would sit at the edge and dangle their feet in the water, talking about anything and everything. This particular spot was theirs, hidden far from where people liked to congregate. It was their little oasis.
By the time they picked her up, got everything loaded, and headed to the lake, it was going on nine. The sun was already up, and there was a muggy feeling that said it was going to be hot as hell. Just the kind of day she liked to go swimming. She turned back around just as Rys and William dropped the rest of their gear on the ground. When the chairs were set up and the three of them were staring at the lake, a comfortable silence settled around them. It wouldn’t be too long now before others started to show up. They might not find their secret spot, but they wouldn’t be far enough away that they wouldn’t be heard or seen.
“I think it’s going to be close to ninety-five today.” She looked over at Rys. He had on a plain white T-shirt and a pair of swim trunks. His head rested against the back of the lounge chair and, even though he wore a pair of aviator glasses, she could tell his eyes were closed. A glance at William showed him in almost the same outfit and glasses. It was funny to see them side by side, identical in even the most mundane things. She didn’t even think they realized how much alike they were. They were different, but there were things about them that were the same.
“I don’t think it’ll get above eighty.” She could see William smile and one of Rys’s dark eyebrows lift when he turned his head toward her.
“Oh?” He lifted his hand, pushed his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, and cracked one eye open. “Care to make a little wager, Jane?”
The sound of Will outright laughing had her smiling in return.
“You guys and your damn bets.” William stood and peeled his shirt over his head. For a suspended moment, Jane was captivated by the sight of his wide shoulders, heavily muscled arms and abdomen, and narrow waist. His skin was a golden-brown, a testament to hours under the sun without a shirt. A trail of fine, dark hair started below his belly button and disappeared beneath his trunks. “I’m going for a swim.”
Jane snapped her eyes to William’s and was relieved to find him not watching her. Wouldn’t that have been embarrassing if he had seen her ogling his goods? How in the hell would she explain that? He turned and winked at her before running down to the edge and jumping in. They were far enough away that the splash from his cannonball didn’t get them.
When she finally turned her attention back to Rys, she saw him watching her very intently. His expression was one of curiosity, and she felt her cheeks heat. Had he seen her watching William like she wanted to peel the rest of his clothes off? He looked at the water where Will was, and his brows furrowed. He looked back at her, and a slow grin spread across his lips. “So, are you up for a little wager?”
She exhaled and laughed a little nervously. Smoothing her hands over the denim of her shorts, she nodded. “Yeah.”
He rested his head against the chair again and closed his eyes. A moment passed with him not saying anything, and she wondered if he expected her to place the bet. Just as she opened her mouth, he said, “You say it won’t get past eighty, but I say it will.” He still wasn’t looking at her, but there was a grin on his face.
“That’s right.” He was having way too much fun with this.
“If I win, what will you give me?” The way he said it had her thinking all kinds of wrong things, but she would never admit that to him.
“I don’t know. What do you want?” She pictured a lot of things coming out of his mouth, things that made her blush even though she hadn’t said them out loud.
It took him a moment to respond. He sat up and pulled his glasses off. “If I win, you have to jump in the lake.”
She raised a brow. “Really? I was going to do that anyway, but whatever.”
“Naked.”
Her mouth instantly went dry at his words. “What?” God, was that her voice that sounded so breathy? His grin was seductively slow as it spread across his face. His straight, white teeth flashed, and she knew he was having one hell of a good time torturing her. “You’re kidding, right?”
That damn eyebrow cocked up at her words.
