Chapter Six
Colton
"Are you all right?" I asked Bethany as she came down the stairs after having changed her clothes from the food fight. She was wearing jeans and a pale blue blouse, the same color as her eyes.
"I'm fine." She sat down beside me in front of the roaring fireplace and stared into the flames.
"You look worried about something. Tell me what it is. Maybe I can help."
"I told you, I'm fine," she insisted and continued to stare emptily into the fire.
Her hair was still damp from when she'd rinsed out the mashed potatoes in the sink, and her face had a rosy glow from being freshly scrubbed. Still, her eyes had the far off gaze of someone deep in thought with worry, and I was concerned about her.
I alone knew that Frank Hill was her father. She had sworn me to secrecy after seeing him that first time several days ago, and I refused to break her trust.
I had been lucky enough to be raised in a loving household by two parents who were devoted to one another and their children. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Bethany to grow up in a single-parent household, raised by a mother who resented her, and never even knowing her father. It was terrible burden and I had no right to judge her for how she handled it. Still, I would have thought that after finally finding her father, she would at least want to meet him; but I wasn't going to push her. She would do it when she wanted to and not before.
It seemed, however, that her curiosity about Frank Hill was growing rapidly by the day. Rumor had it she'd been asking all the employees about him, and now she was even pumping my brothers for information at the dinner table. I knew she was asking for trouble; Will was far too good a detective, and Brett was just plain nosy. If the food fight hadn't distracted everyone, she may have had to explain her relationship with him, whether she was ready to or not.
When the potatoes, green beans, and cornbread finally stopped flying, I saw her face had become very serious, and she was much quieter than usual. At first I wondered if the food fight had upset her. Some girls didn't like getting messy, although I'd seen Bethany up to her elbows in paint with splatters in her hair. I didn't think she was the prissy type; so why was she suddenly so forlorn?
After helping Mama clean up the mess, my brothers scattered to the wind, and I stayed behind in the den to light a fire in the fireplace. I was sitting there silently watching the flames perform their seductive dance when Bethany appeared at the base of the stairs.
She sat down beside me, and I waited for her to tell me what was bothering her. Long minutes passed, and I realized she wasn't going to. It was going to be up to me to assuage her pain without even knowing what was weighing so heavy on her mind.
"Come on. I want to show you something." I grabbed her by both hands to pull her up to her feet.
"Where are we going?" she asked me. The sun had set outside and the night sky was filled with stars.
"It's a surprise." I winked, and I saw the light had returned to brighten her eyes.
I took her out to the stable, and she helped me fit Whiskey with her saddle and bridle. She hopped onto the back of the horse herself with the help of a nearby stepstool, and I climbed on in front of her.
With her arms wrapped snuggly around my waist, I couldn't help but notice how wonderfully familiar that sensation was becoming.
The full moon was shining brightly overhead and lit the way as we rode down the worn path through the forest to the lake hidden amongst the trees. The water was crystal clear, with the moonlight reflecting off its still surface.
"It's so beautiful," Bethany sighed as we stared out at it. Then she looked at me and her eyes flew open wide. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" I tossed my shirt onto a nearby log and started taking off my boot, hopping up and down on one leg as I did so.
"You're getting naked!" She covered her eyes with her hands as her cheeks turned bright pink.
"Well you don't expect me to go swimming with my clothes on. They'd get soaked."
"Swimming! You expect me to go skinny dipping?" She sounded horrified, but as I pulled off my jeans, I saw her peek through her fingers to catch a glimpse.
"Of course. Why else would I bring you up to the lake? It's what we Hutchinsons always do in the summer when we need to unwind."
"Well, I'm not a Hutchinson," she huffed. I had stopped undressing when I got to my underwear, and seeing me safely covered by my briefs, she let her guard down and put her hands on her hips.
"No, you're a chicken," I stated, hoping to provoke her.
"What did you call me?" She glared. "You've been spending too much time with your brothers if you think you can goad me with childish names."
"Okay, but you're still a chicken. First, you were too afraid to talk to your dad, and now, you're too afraid to go skinny dipping. It's okay, most city girls aren't tough enough to really handle the country."
"Not that it's any of your business, but I already decided to go up to Frank Hill and tell him he's my father."
"Sure, you say that now."
"I'll have you know I made that decision at the dinner table tonight," she said, and her shoulders pulled back confidently.
So that's why she seemed so tense . Suddenly, Bethany started pulling off her shoes, saying to me, "And I am not afraid to go skinny dipping. City girls can do anything country folks can do."
"Prove it. I bet I can beat you to the water," I taunted as she threw her shirt at me. Her jeans were lying on the ground, and she was dressed in nothing but her pink, lacy bra and matching panties. God, she was gorgeous, and it took all my effort not to kiss her right then.
"Okay. I'll race you on the count of three," she readied her stance, with her eyes flashing and her mouth smiling from ear to ear. "Three...two...oh, crap! Someone is coming!"
She pointed at the road up the hill behind me, but when I looked back over my shoulder, no one was there. The road was completely dark and empty. I turned back around and saw she was already half the distance to the lake.
"You cheated!" I called after her, and bolted into a sprint.
As she neared the water, Bethany took off her bra and flung it behind her. Then stepped out of her panties seconds before running into the lake. Knowing she was now fully naked nearly made me trip and fall in the sand. I stumbled forward, and barely managed to regain my balance as she hit the water.
When I got up to the edge of the lake, I did the same thing and stepped out of my underwear, leaving my briefs lying in the sand.
The cold water enveloped me as I ran into the water, diving in once I was waist deep. I came splashing up out of the water to see Bethany swimming beside me. Her wet, blonde hair was slicked back and her face was beaming with joy.
"Wow, this water really is invigorating," she laughed as she stroked through the water. The moonlight dappled on the surface, making it seem to glow, and the night had a magical feel.
We swam in the cold, clear lake, laughing and playing. The stress I'd seen in Bethany's eyes earlier that evening was gone, and she seemed completely relaxed and at peace. It was getting late, however, and I knew she had a big day tomorrow, so eventually, it had to end.
I had packed a pair of towels in the pack on Whiskey’s saddle, and I handed her one as she stood shivering on the beach beside me with her arms hugged around herself.
She wrapped it around herself quickly, but I'd already broken my promise not to peek at her nakedness and seen her gorgeous bare flesh. I wrapped my own towel around my waist just as quickly, anxious to hide the evidence of my arousal.
We sat in the sand, waiting for our skin to dry before getting dressed and going back home to the ranch.
"I'm glad you brought me here," Bethany smiled. "Even if you did have to trick me into getting into the water by calling me a chicken."
"Sorry about that. I guess you're right. I do spend too much time with my younger brothers." I chuckled with chagrin.
"It's okay. Your family is really wonderful. In fact, they're the reason I got up enough courage to speak to Frank Hill. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to find him out in the pasture and confront him."
"I take back what I said about your being a chicken. That takes real courage," I told her, and I gazed deeply into her eyes so she'd know that I meant it.
"Do you really think so?" Her voice had become very soft. Our faces leaned in close together, so our lips were practically touching.
"I do," I said, and my own voice had become thick. "And, you know what else? I'm really glad you came to the ranch. I want you to stay for as long as possible."
I took her mouth with my own then, devouring her with my passion. I realized in that moment that I was falling in love with her. I'd never felt that way about a woman before, and it scared me.
"We'd better go," I said, pulling away from her reluctantly. "You've got a busy day tomorrow."
"We can stay a little longer," she said, and I wanted to so much it hurt.
"No." I got up from the sand and started looking for my clothes.
"Why not? What's wrong?" Bethany looked as confused as I felt.
"Nothing is wrong," I assured her. "In fact, everything is too right. I don't trust myself not to take things too far."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, you're leaving in a month, and I don't want either of us to get hurt. Now let's go."
Bethany was silent as she got dressed and didn't say a word on the ride home. I didn't blame her for being mad at me, but I knew I had done the right thing. I knew that if we made love, it would impossible for me to give her up when the summer came to an end and she had to leave.
I just didn't realize it was already too late. I was already too deeply in love with her.