Jessup—that’s my husband, rest his soul—didn’t want me parading around in a bathing suit when he wasn’t with us, and since he was always busy at the store I settled on allowing the kids to join their cousins and uncles and I’d wait with my sisters at Willow Bend, gossiping and preparing for a family picnic.”
“That must have been fun,” Chloe said, sensitive to the wistfulness in the other woman’s voice. “Hanging out with your sisters.” As an only child, Chloe had always been envious of people with sibling relationships. The good ones anyway.
“Not as much fun as tubing or boating. Time raced by and before I knew it I was watching my grandkids’ water shenanigans. They enjoyed tubing, too, although they preferred getting towed behind a motorboat. More of a thrill.” She snickered. “Little daredevils. I remember the first time I caught Devlin and Luke jumping off Grenville’s. My heart stopped. But then they broke the surface, laughing and hooting, and I remembered how it felt throwing caution to the wind.”
Chloe remembered, too. She flashed back on all the chances she’d taken over the years. The thrill of the unknown. The rush of flying by the seat of her pants. Going for it. Sometimes she failed. Sometimes she soared.
Her memories evaporated when she realized Daisy had fallen silent. Chloe glanced over just as the woman shrugged out of her life vest and hurled it away! “What are you doing?”
“Throwing caution to the wind. Never wore those pesky things back in the day.”
“But…” Chloe sat up so fast she almost fell overboard. “Dammit, Daisy.”
“Stop being such a worrywart.”
“If anything happens to you—”
“I’ll die a happy woman.” She giggled and paddled with her hands, pulling ahead of Chloe. “I feel like a kid again!”
“You’re certainly acting like one.” Chloe debated whether to retrieve the castaway life vest or catch up to her runaway boss. She spied the bridge up ahead and a sharp bend beyond. If Daisy drifted out of sight … Chloe paddled for all she was worth. “Put this on,” she said as she closed in.
“No, thanks.”
“I’m not asking; I’m telling.” A desperate need to take charge of a potentially dicey situation made Chloe’s tone and actions clipped. She unbuckled the last strap and thrust her vest at her crazy boss. “Swear to God, if you don’t put this on, I’ll latch onto you or your tube and somehow muscle you to shore.”
“Your bra’s showing,” Daisy said with an ornery grin.
“I don’t give a flip about modesty just now.” In the past, she’d performed as a party motivator, sometimes wearing beaded corsets or bras as part of her costume. It’s not like she’d never shown some skin, and besides, her pink and red floral demi-bra could almost pass as a bathing suit top. Almost.
“Glad to hear that, kitten.” Daisy snatched the life vest, but just as she shoved one arm through, a male voice bellowed from shore. “Bert must’ve snitched,” Daisy grumbled under her breath. “The rat.” Then she yelled, “Don’t bust a blood vessel! I’m coming!”
Chloe looked to where Daisy looked and yelped. Just ahead, striding down a rocky slope and toward the edge of the lapping water: Devlin Monroe. Of all the … Her skin burned and her heart pumped. Two thoughts hijacked her brain.
He’s going to kill me.
He’s seeing me in my bra.
The latter caused her to fling herself over the tube into the river. A knee-jerk reaction.
The splash caused Daisy to look over her shoulder.
“I’m fine!’ Chloe told her, clinging to the tube, her scantily clad body hidden safely beneath the murky water. “Keep going!” The sooner Daisy reached shore, the sooner Devlin would stop worrying, the sooner his temper would cool. She hoped.
Daisy paddled and kicked toward her grandson while Chloe frantically explored her options. How was she going to emerge from this fiasco with her pride intact? Once on dry land, she
“That must have been fun,” Chloe said, sensitive to the wistfulness in the other woman’s voice. “Hanging out with your sisters.” As an only child, Chloe had always been envious of people with sibling relationships. The good ones anyway.
“Not as much fun as tubing or boating. Time raced by and before I knew it I was watching my grandkids’ water shenanigans. They enjoyed tubing, too, although they preferred getting towed behind a motorboat. More of a thrill.” She snickered. “Little daredevils. I remember the first time I caught Devlin and Luke jumping off Grenville’s. My heart stopped. But then they broke the surface, laughing and hooting, and I remembered how it felt throwing caution to the wind.”
Chloe remembered, too. She flashed back on all the chances she’d taken over the years. The thrill of the unknown. The rush of flying by the seat of her pants. Going for it. Sometimes she failed. Sometimes she soared.
Her memories evaporated when she realized Daisy had fallen silent. Chloe glanced over just as the woman shrugged out of her life vest and hurled it away! “What are you doing?”
“Throwing caution to the wind. Never wore those pesky things back in the day.”
“But…” Chloe sat up so fast she almost fell overboard. “Dammit, Daisy.”
“Stop being such a worrywart.”
“If anything happens to you—”
“I’ll die a happy woman.” She giggled and paddled with her hands, pulling ahead of Chloe. “I feel like a kid again!”
“You’re certainly acting like one.” Chloe debated whether to retrieve the castaway life vest or catch up to her runaway boss. She spied the bridge up ahead and a sharp bend beyond. If Daisy drifted out of sight … Chloe paddled for all she was worth. “Put this on,” she said as she closed in.
“No, thanks.”
“I’m not asking; I’m telling.” A desperate need to take charge of a potentially dicey situation made Chloe’s tone and actions clipped. She unbuckled the last strap and thrust her vest at her crazy boss. “Swear to God, if you don’t put this on, I’ll latch onto you or your tube and somehow muscle you to shore.”
“Your bra’s showing,” Daisy said with an ornery grin.
“I don’t give a flip about modesty just now.” In the past, she’d performed as a party motivator, sometimes wearing beaded corsets or bras as part of her costume. It’s not like she’d never shown some skin, and besides, her pink and red floral demi-bra could almost pass as a bathing suit top. Almost.
“Glad to hear that, kitten.” Daisy snatched the life vest, but just as she shoved one arm through, a male voice bellowed from shore. “Bert must’ve snitched,” Daisy grumbled under her breath. “The rat.” Then she yelled, “Don’t bust a blood vessel! I’m coming!”
Chloe looked to where Daisy looked and yelped. Just ahead, striding down a rocky slope and toward the edge of the lapping water: Devlin Monroe. Of all the … Her skin burned and her heart pumped. Two thoughts hijacked her brain.
He’s going to kill me.
He’s seeing me in my bra.
The latter caused her to fling herself over the tube into the river. A knee-jerk reaction.
The splash caused Daisy to look over her shoulder.
“I’m fine!’ Chloe told her, clinging to the tube, her scantily clad body hidden safely beneath the murky water. “Keep going!” The sooner Daisy reached shore, the sooner Devlin would stop worrying, the sooner his temper would cool. She hoped.
Daisy paddled and kicked toward her grandson while Chloe frantically explored her options. How was she going to emerge from this fiasco with her pride intact? Once on dry land, she
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