When Lili awoke at dawn the following morning, naked and wrapped in Brick’s arms, she felt deliciously sore. And uncomfortably sore. Next time she had tree house sex, she wanted it to be in one of Brick’s tree houses that had a bed.
Tree house sex … and it hadn’t even been on her GOHL list!
“Good morning,” his deep, throaty voice rumbled in her ear, interrupting her inner gloat.
She stretched like a cat. “Good morning.”
The golden glow of morning light spilled over his hard, naked body. His beard was rough, his eyes warm. “How did you sleep?”
“You mean for those whole ten minutes you let me sleep?
Grinning, he rolled over on top of her. “Look, my family left three boxes of rubbers. I didn’t want to embarrass myself.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. “Are you up for one more for the road?”
A wry smile lifted her lips and she wiggled against his obvious arousal. “Obviously, you are.”
He nibbled her bottom lip, then kissed her. It was a different sort of kiss than any he’d given her before. Not the hot and erotic, demanding and thrilling kisses of last night, but a slow, tender, gentle kiss that for some reason brought tears to her eyes. She could get used to this … and that was danger with a capital D.
When he made love to her, it was different, too. His hands, his mouth, even the light in his eyes when he gazed at her made her feel … treasured. “You are such a siren, Lili-fair. My tempting little mermaid.”
He took his time and made her feel cherished, and when they lay together in the aftermath, him drawing lazy circles on her stomach, Lili knew that while the summer would end, she’d remember last night for the rest of her life.
Eventually, sounds intruded. A door opening. An engine starting. Lili looked to see that sometime during the night someone had replaced the ladder. The thought of what that person might have heard made her blush from head to toes. “I can’t believe your family.”
Brick chuckled softly. “Fair warning, Lili-fair. They’ll be a meddlesome lot until they return to Texas.”
She shrugged. Since honesty caused her to admit that she liked the way they meddled, she couldn’t exactly complain. “Do you think we’ll be able to sneak out of here this morning? I don’t know that I’m up to a walk of shame in front of two sets of your parents.”
“Shame, Liliana? Really?”
She thought about it. “No. No, not ashamed. But I’m embarrassed to the tips of my toes.”
“And lovely toes they are.” Proving his point, he kissed his way down her legs to them—lingering long enough at the V between her legs to send her flying again—before finishing by tickling her toes.
She laughed and yanked her feet from his grip. He rolled to his feet and began gathering up their clothing, some of which they’d left up on the deck.
Lili put herself together as best she could, and as they descended the ladder to the ground she was almost afraid to look around. What if his family were all lined up waiting to see the results of their conspiracy?
Thankfully, the Callahan North Forty remained quiet. One of the brothers was down on the pier fishing and Lili was relieved that he didn’t turn around as she and Brick made their way toward their trucks. “Patsy rode with me yesterday. I never even thought about how she’d get back to Stardance Ranch.”
“Lots of people here were headed back that direction. I’m sure she didn’t have a problem catching a ride.”
No, but Lili could only imagine what Patsy might have told whoever offered her a ride. Somehow, she was in on last night’s shenanigans, too. Lili would bet the farm on that one.
They approached the RV camp, and Lili asked Brick to take the back entrance and drop her off at her trailer.
“I’ll drive through the main entrance and take you to you to your trailer and walk you to your door.”
“No, Brick, I—”
His expression was fiercely protective and it stirred something in her chest. “We’re not going to hide. I don’t want to hide, and besides, we couldn’t if we tried. Nothing is secret in an RV camp. You asked me for a summer romance, Lili. Let me romance you.”
Seriously, she didn’t know why she was being so nervous about this. These were the women who made ribald jokes every time CDD walked through camp. But they were her friends and what they thought of her mattered to her.
She couldn’t forget Mary-Ellen’s unvoiced but obvious disapproval the day of her fake walk of shame. Well, like the saying goes, you made your bed.
In a tree house. With the hottest guy in town.
Finally, for the first time in her life, Lili wasn’t the wallflower. A smile played upon her lips. Aloud, she observed, “I’m brazen.”
When he glanced at her, she noticed that his eyes looked tired. No, not exactly tired. More … satiated. Her smile widened.
“Brazen.” He winked. “I like that about you, Legs.”
“Legs?”
“Honey, after that last time this morning, I’m gonna be thinking about your legs all day long.”
He turned into the main entrance and Lili was momentarily distracted when he said, “Huh. There’s Courtney. Mind if we stop a minute, Liliana?”
“That’s fine.”
Brick’s sister was walking from the camp laundry toward the office, a plastic clothesbasket in her hands. Brick rolled down his window as he pulled up beside her. “Where the hell have you been?”
A sheepish look crossed her face. “Hey, Brick. I’m sorry. I know I missed my shift a couple of times.”
He waved his hand at the comment. “Josh and I were worried about you. You could have called. Mom and Pop are worried about you. You said you’d be at the picnic yesterday.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I had something come up back in Denver. You’re right; I should have called.”
Lili could tell Brick wanted to ask about “something,” but he chose not to do it, saying instead, “Yes, you should have.”
“I’m really sorry, Brick. I thought I’d go see Paul and Cindy this morning, if you don’t need me at the office.” He didn’t answer right away and she added, “If I still have a job?”
He sighed heavily. “Yes, you still have a job. Just call next time, would you? Let us know what’s going on.”
“I will. I promise.” Courtney looked past him to Lili. “Good morning, Lili.”
“Good morning.”
Brick took his foot off the brake and the truck rolled forward. “Well, I’m glad to know she’s safe.”
The comment sent a shiver of guilt running through Lili. She’d done the same thing to Derek, hadn’t she? He hadn’t been in her parents’ kitchen that day. He hadn’t betrayed her. And she’d lied to him.
Well, I’m going to continue to lie to him. I’m darn sure not going to tell him that I’m sleeping with his best friend.
She stole a look at Brick, wondering if that particular thought had occurred to him yet this morning.
Then he turned onto the row of campsites where her trailer was located and saw Patsy throwing a tennis ball to Sugar. Across the street, Mary-Ellen sat beneath the black-and-white-striped canopy that matched her black-and-white trailer. Lili tried to keep the nerves from showing in her smile as they drove past the pastor’s wife’s trailer. Lili waved, and when her friend returned a wave wearing a genuine smile on her face the last of Lili’s insecurity evaporated.
When her lover walked her to her trailer door and kissed her good-bye, she floated inside. This must be what it feels like to have wings.
And if the little voice inside her head whispered words of warning that Annabelle Callahan didn’t know her stepson as well as she thought, well, Lili wouldn’t worry about it. Not until the end of the summer.
And for the next few weeks, she didn’t. She was too busy splitting her time between spending it with Patsy and being romanced.
She thought about this magical time as she dressed for the Tornado Alleycats Fifth Birthday Tea the first day of August. During the past three weeks, Brick had sent her flowers and left her little gifts at the door to her trailer. He’d taken her on dates and on nights they didn’t spend together called her before he went to sleep.
They’d spent one night together in her trailer, but he was too tall for the bed and said never again. Lili had been glad. His tree house had been just about the most fabulous place she’d ever stayed—until the night last week when he asked her to meet him at the Bear Cave at 8:00.
“This is a little weird,” Lili said as she pulled on the yellow sundress she’d worn the night she’d ended up at Angel’s Rest. Brick still didn’t like the Bear Cave very much, and this was the first time he’d asked her to meet him somewhere.
She walked into the bar at four minutes past eight and at first she didn’t see him. He stood with his back to the door and didn’t turn to identify the newcomer like everyone else in the bar. And he was wearing a suit. That confused her. And, frankly, alarmed her. She’d never seen him wearing a suit. Had somebody died?
She crossed the room to him. “Brick? Is something wrong?”
He turned toward her with a curious look on his face. “I’m sorry! Have we met?”
It took her half a minute to get it, but then she remembered her meltdown when she’d said she’d wanted to pick up a stranger wearing a three-piece suit in a bar. He was too funny. She slipped her arm around his and laughed. “Brick Callahan, you’re funny.”
“And you’re beautiful. But I’m afraid you have me confused with someone else. My name isn’t Brick Callahan.”
Lili might have worried she’d stumbled into another Callahan twin thing, except for the gleam in his eyes. Was he into role-playing? Or was he trying to fulfill her dream? Either way, she was happy to play along.
“My apologies. I mistook you for someone else.” She extended her hand. “My name is Liliana Howe.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Liliana. I’m Hank Hammer.”
She snorted a laugh at that. She couldn’t help herself.
When they left the Bear Cave twenty minutes later, he’d taken her up to Stardance River Camp for a night of unparalleled romance in one of his tents.
She’d been dizzy on their hike to the six remaining cabins of an old ghost town built on a hot springs. The altitude, he’d told her. Stardance River Camp was much higher than the RV resort. As they’d soaked in the hot springs and made love in an alpine meadow, Lili had known it wasn’t the altitude but the man. The man and the oh-so-special moment.
If when their time together came to an end, Brick remained allergic to anything permanent with a woman, well, to paraphrase a movie, they’d always have Stardance.
Meanwhile, the clock continued to tick, growing louder every day. Almost like a bomb. As the sound grew so did her worry that she wouldn’t be strong enough to maintain her resolve to be Ingrid Bergman and get on that plane to fly away and leave him behind.
She pulled on the costume she’d borrowed for the tea from the Eternity Springs summer theater, then pinned on the fascinator she’d made during one of the Alleycats’ craft workshops. The costume was an 1880s-style walking dress in robin’s-egg blue. The fascinator, a tribute to The Wizard of Oz. It included a little figure meant to represent the Cowardly Lion. Patsy would be wearing the Scarecrow. Sharon, the Wicked Witch. Mary-Ellen was wearing Dorothy; and Nic Callahan, Toto.
Celeste Blessing’s fascinator portrayed the Wizard.
A glance at the clock showed Lili that she was almost ten minutes late. Getting ready had taken longer than anticipated. That’s what she got for daydreaming. She needed to hurry. Picking up the little drawstring bag that matched the gown from her bedside table, she hurried to her trailer’s door. In her rush, she almost tripped over the hem of the dress.
She picked up the gown and looped it over her left arm, then stepped down from her trailer and hurried toward the activity center until the sound of a familiar roar stopped her in her tracks.
* * *
Having delivered his surprise for the Alleycats’ fancy dress-up tea to the Ranch’s activity center, Brick whistled “Viva Las Vegas” beneath his breath and climbed into the golf cart. He’d known his idea was a good one despite Josh and Courtney’s lack of enthusiasm. Sharon had taken one look at the entertainment Brick had provided and begun howling with laughter.
“Knew I was right,” he said to himself as he pressed the accelerator and steered toward the office. Something like this was right up the Tornado Alleycats’ alley.
A few minutes later, he braked the golf cart to a stop in front of the office. He no sooner alighted from the cart than the office door was flung open and a figure rushed outside.
“You’re sleeping with her? You asshole!”
Derek Howe launched himself at Brick and the two men went down in a heap.
Brick had figured this day would come. He’d even spent a little time thinking about what he might say to Derek when it did and how he might attempt to justify his actions. He’d come up with nothing.
He had no justification. All he could say was that he was sorry. Except that would be a lie, wouldn’t it?
Especially after Derek damned near broke his nose.
Brick never would have thrown the first punch, but enough was enough. The men rolled in the dirt grappling and trading punches. Like old times, Brick thought, just before Derek landed one in his gut.
Meanwhile, Derek’s mouth never quit running, the stream of invectives and insults showing the depth and capacity of his intellect and imagination. Finally, though, Brick had had enough. Besides, he worried about the talented surgeon hurting his hands. Bigger and stronger than his opponent, Brick managed to gain the upper hand. As he drew back his fist to land a forceful punch to Derek’s jaw, a stream of cold water stopped him. “What the hell?”
“Get off of him!” Liliana screeched.
Brick could tell from the tone of her voice that it wasn’t the first time she’d voiced the demand. He rolled off Derek, sat up, and felt his nose, testing it for a break.
“You’re like a couple of fighting dogs,” she continued. “Have to get the water hose to break you apart. Which one of you is Yankee and which is Kipper?”
Derek was sitting up, too, testing one of his teeth. He gaped at his sister, then looked at Brick. “Yankee and Kipper?”
“Those neighborhood dogs. The two that were always fighting. Boston terrier and a boxer.”
“Oh yeah.” Derek nodded. “Now I remember.” Then he took a good look at his sister and observed, “This is bizarro world. What is that on your head, Lili? It looks like a lion.” Turning to Brick, he added, “What the hell have you done to her, Christopher?”
Lili’s eyes looked a little wild, fury in her tone. “Don’t talk to him. Talk to me! What are you doing here, Derek? How did you find me?”
Even before the question was out of her mouth she’d turned a blazing gaze upon Brick. “You told him!”
Brick held up his hands, palms out. “I’m innocent.”
“The hell you say,” Derek fired back. He pointed toward the office. “That woman in there said you’re fu—”
The ugly word didn’t make it past his lips, because fast as a snake strike Brick popped him in the mouth. “Watch your mouth, Howe. I’ll give you some latitude, but don’t cross the line.”
Brick rolled to his feet and dusted off his jeans. “Look, why don’t we take this somewhere that’s a bit more private.”
“No.” Liliana’s chin came up. She stared at her brother with such disdain that Brick almost grinned. That costume she wore suited her. “I have a previous engagement.”
“You look great, Lili-fair,” he told her. “The hat’s the bomb.”
He couldn’t quite read the emotion that flashed in her eyes. Gratitude or relief or despair? Maybe a combination of all three. “Thank you.”
Like a nineteenth-century society maven, she nodded at her brother, then turned to leave. Brick could hardly tear his gaze away from the sway of her bustle.
“You have a helluva lot of explaining to do,” Derek growled.
“Yeah. I know.” Brick sighed and dragged his hand down his face. “But I have a few questions myself. Come with me to my place and we’ll get a beer and hash this out.”
“All right.” Lili’s brother dusted off his slacks and straightened his shirt. “Fair warning, though. I might still kill you.”
“Yeah, well…”—Brick saw Lili disappear around the corner of a forty-one-foot Winnebago and realized his time with her might have just run out—“I might just let you.”