The Summer I Fell (The Six Series) Read online

  “Ready to get soapy, Riley?” His voice vibrated against my chest. I shuddered when I felt the first slide of soap bubbles run down my chest. Ace’s hands roamed my entire body from shoulder to feet. Steadying myself, I held onto his shoulders, feeling his muscles bunch under my hands. I felt the tremors that wracked his entire frame. He was shaking from the arousal he’d built between us. My breath caught in my throat on a gasp.

  “Ace…” I moaned when his fingers dug into my hips and he turned me, putting my back against the shower wall.

  “No, that’s not my name…” He nipped at my neck, and I bucked against him.

  “Jake.” His name passed my lips on a short gasp. Winding my fingers in his hair, I tilted my face to his until our breaths mingled. His lips sought out mine and placed punishing kisses that didn’t slow until my legs threatened to buckle. I fought to stand upright, even with the wall at my back.

  “Can’t… shit, we can’t. No protection,” he said with a groan, as he stepped back and turned the faucet over to cold. He closed his eyes as he stood under the spray, shivering as the water ran down over his shoulders. “Riley…” He opened his eyes as he said my name, only my name, but the way he said it, there was so much meaning, so much unsaid, as if he’d stuck everything he felt, everything he wanted to say, and gave it my name.

  He shifted in front of me, allowing an ice-cold spray of water to reach me. I scooted out of the way with a loud yelp. “Shit, that’s cold, Jake.”

  He chuckled at me as he reached behind him and turned the shower off.

  I collected my hair and twisted it, wringing the water out as Ace opened the shower door. He grabbed a thick, white towel, wrapped it around me, and rubbed his hands up along the outside to help dry my back. When I caught the corners of the towel in my hand, he pulled another one off the shelf and dried himself, leaving me to finish. He watched me as I slipped my clothes on, and I wondered what he found so interesting about me getting dressed. He tossed his towel, grabbed his underwear, and put them on. I totally got it the moment he stood before me in his boxer briefs and then his shorts. I tugged my shirt over my head and picked my towel up just as he unfolded his shirt and tugged it on. Ace had a mouth-watering body, but there was something that just did it for me, seeing him in a graphic T-shirt and a well-worn pair of camo-print cargo shorts. Maybe it was the knowledge that I knew what was underneath his clothing, or maybe I was one of the select few that thought a man being dressed was sexier than a man showing everything. I felt a smile tug at my lips when Ace ran his fingers through his hair and slid his feet into the flip-flops he’d kicked off earlier.

  I grabbed our towels, chucked them in the hamper, slid on my shoes, and squeaked when Ace scooped me up in his arms high enough that my feet dangled above the floor. He kissed me and let me slide down his body. “Hungry?”

  “Very.” My stomach grumbled as I answered him.

  “Come on, let’s go stuff our faces.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll meet you in the kitchen. I just need to brush my hair.”

  “Holy hell… did you know that the National Weather Service just issue a drought warning… for this cabin?”

  Jared. I sighed and walked down the hallway without replying. Ace could handle it.

  “Hey, Ace? Is Riley alright? Did you flush the toilet when she was in the shower? ’Cause dude, she yelped loud enough to wake the damn dead.”

  Jared wasn’t letting up, and I waited to hear the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Nothing… not even a ‘shut up, Jared.’

  “Aw, come on… how can I give you a hard time if you won’t fight back with me?” Jared whined.

  “Riley already gave me a hard time… I’m good—yours isn’t necessary.”

  I blushed to the roots of my hair, and Jared howled, literally howled.

  The screen door opened and slammed shut. “What the hell are you carrying on about, Jared?” Mark sounded confused.

  “I wouldn’t even think about saying anything else.” Ace’s warning was met with silence. The screen door opened, closed, and then I heard Mark say, “What the hell is wrong with Jared? He’s so freakin’ weird sometimes.”

  Ace chuckled, and I heard the screen door slam closed once more.

  I ran the brush through my hair as quick as I could, pulling it all back into a ponytail. I wasn’t going to let Jared’s lewd comments keep me cowering in the bedroom. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. If I went out to join the guys and couldn’t control my nerves, it would give them, or I should say, Jared, more ammunition to heckle us. I squared my shoulders and marched down the hallway, not giving myself time to linger in the kitchen and lose my nerve. Slapping at the screen door, I sent it open, and then came to a dead stop as I watched the sheriff’s car roll up.

  Sheriff Sloan put the car in park and took his sweet ass time getting out of his cruiser. Fuckin’ Samantha. She had to be the reason he came.

  My hand automatically went up to the cut under my eye. Jerking my hand back down, I walked across the small stretch of space that put me beside Ace.

  “Sheriff Sloan, you’re just in time. I got steaks on the grill and beer in the cooler.” Jared gave the sheriff a cocky grin as he waved the tongs in his hand.

  “Wanna go to jail, son?” Sheriff Sloan’s face remained devoid of any emotion. His mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes and added that extra bit of cockiness law enforcement tried so hard to flaunt. It was sort of sickening to watch. They weren’t all bad, but the ones on a power trip because they held a badge, gave the rest of them a bad name. And Sheriff Sloan was the cockiest person I’d ever known.

  I kept my lips pressed into a fine line, as I waited to see what Jared would say.

  “Ah, come on now, Sheriff, you know I’d look hideous in orange.”

  Sheriff Sloan stalked over to the cooler and flipped the lid back, paused for a second, and then closed it.

  “Did I say beer?” Jared shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I meant soda. Wonder why I always get those two confused?”

  We held our breath. Sheriff Sloan was just as much of an asshole as his daughter was. There was no telling what he’d do or say, and Jared was adamant at poking at him every chance he got.

  When the silence stretched out, Jared shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on the sheriff. The sound of grease hitting charcoal was the only noise. But Jared wasn’t done. I could see his face from where I stood. He cut his eyes in my direction and winked. Oh, shit.

  “Aiden, grab the radio. We need tunes. Riley, that macaroni salad ain’t gonna make itself. Jesus, do I have to do everything here?” Jared was deliberately ignoring the sheriff, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing or vomiting.

  Paige pushed herself up from the chair she’d been sitting in. As soon as her back was to the sheriff, she mouthed the word ‘go’ at me.

  Ace gave me a gentle nudge to get me moving.

  I felt the tension shift with each step closer to the cabin.

  When Paige and I made it inside the kitchen, she spun around on me. “Holy shit, you coulda cut through that with a knife. Guess Samantha decided to be a damn tattletale. Stupid bitch. I can’t wait till dear ‘ole daddy can’t step in for her.”

  A fine sheen of sweat broke out along my skin. My hands shook, and I pressed them against the material of my shorts to wipe the clammy feeling off.

  “What do you think he’s gonna do?” I asked.

  “There’s nothing he can do besides try to bully the information out of the guys. Well, unless he and his daughter decide to press charges against you,” Paige said as she moved over to stand in front of the kitchen window, yanking it up.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed as the window squeaked in protest. The only one that turned to look over at the noise was the sheriff. Paige ignored him and turned on the sink.

  She pulled a cabinet door open, took out a box of macaroni, and set it on the counter. “I can’t hear shit with the damn window closed. Besides, we need to move ar
ound in here so he’ll get to the purpose of his visit. Grab me a pan.”

  I did as she asked and handed it to her. “Grab the fixins and get ta cuttin’, Riles.” I went on autopilot. Not long after, I heard Jared’s voice.

  “Well, if you’re not here to eat, Sheriff, what are you here for?”

  “I’m here to tell you to watch your step.”

  “My steps are just fine, Sheriff.”

  “Mr. Jackson, I’m here to remind you that I still hold the law around here, and one of yours has stepped over that line.”

  “The last time I checked, Sheriff, you either arrest us or leave. Rolling up here and harassing us is against ‘your laws’ and if you hadn’t noticed, this is private property. So I’m going to remind you, Sheriff, that unless you have a warrant, you’re not welcome here.”

  My hand shot to my throat when I heard the sound of leather creaking. Paige and I practically pressed our noses to the screen to see outside. The sheriff’s hands were clenched along his gun belt. His face pulled into a thin line that said Jared had pushed him too far.

  “Would you like me to arrest her now?”

  “Try it and see how far you get with that.”

  “Threatening me will land you in a cell beside her.”

  “Screw you and screw your cell. I know my rights, Sheriff, and I know a bluff when I see one. But here’s something that’s not a bluff. If you don’t leave right now, I’ll be on the phone with my attorney, who will in turn, get a hold of your boss. Guess what happens after that, Sheriff?”

  Jared had turned from the grill and took a step towards Sheriff Sloan. “You see, I don’t take threats lightly, Sheriff, and you’d do well to remember that.”

  The sheriff yanked his sunglasses off his face and took a step closer to Jared. “You’re just a punk-ass kid who thinks just because his parents are rolling in money, you and your friends can act however you like. Tell Ms. Clifton that I’m watching her. If she so much as steps one more toe out of line, and I hear about it…” He turned on his heel and marched back to his car. When the cruiser door slammed and the sheriff punched the gas to back up, Jared picked his hand up and waved.

  “Buh-bye, fucker. God, I hate him. Fuckin’ ass-wipe.”

  I leaned on the counter and let my head fall into the cabinet. The sheriff had thrown down the gauntlet. If his daughter wanted to make my life miserable, all she had to do was run to Daddy and I’d be screwed. I had to get the hell outta our small town, but how?

  I VOLUNTEERED TO LOAD THE dishwasher, hoping the mundane task helped clear my head. After the sheriff left, Jared made it his mission to carry on and bring some sort of fun back to the atmosphere. No matter how hard I tried to push the sheriff’s warning to the back of my mind, it still loomed over my thoughts. Once the guys left, I’d be on my own.

  The radio played low outside, the music carrying through the open window. The hot air that drifted in on the night breeze pushed against the cold air rushing through the vents in the ceiling, but I didn’t close the window until I finished the dishes.

  The screen door opened and Jared walked in, carrying the tongs he’d used earlier. He bumped me with his hip to move me out of the way and grabbed the washrag. “Now, more than ever, you need to listen to me.”

  I grabbed a cup from the sink and put it in the dishwasher. “Jared…”

  “No, Riley. This is important. Okay? You need to figure out what school you want to go to and let me know.” I didn’t even get a chance to open my mouth and argue with him.

  “Stop. You and I…? We’re the only two who will know about this. I don’t want to hear a word about it. The sheriff’s not bluffing. He’ll look for whatever reason to screw with you. And none of us will be here to keep him in check. I don’t even want to think about him fucking with you, and you have no one to back you up.”

  “I can do it on my own, ya know,” I grumbled.

  “I’m sure you can, but you don’t have to. You’re gonna take my offer, or I’ll take matters into my own hands and toss your ass on my tour bus and force you to live the life of a rock star.”

  “Well geez, Jared, when you put it that way…” I gave him my back and put the last plate in the dishwasher, held my hand out for the tongs, and waited for him to slap them into my palm. When he did, I wrapped my hand around them, still not paying attention to him, and yanked them. Jared stumbled into me, and I jerked my head to look over my shoulder. He hadn’t let them go.

  “That’s the deal. Take it, or I take you on tour with me.”

  No way in hell would I travel across country with him and his new bandmates. No. Way. In. Hell.

  “Fine!” I snatched the tongs from him, tossed them in the dishwasher, and took the box of soap he handed me.

  “Knew you’d see it my way.” He left, banging the screen door closed behind him.

  I knew he meant well, but at the same time, he’d made me feel like a charity case. I’d take his help, but he’d get every penny back when it was all said and done. I wasn’t going to owe anyone for my college education.

  THE DAY AFTER THE SHERIFF showed up, we ended up back at the Hole. It was Jared’s last day with us before he set off to be some sort of Rock God, and the guys enjoyed giving him a hard time about it.

  I ran my hand over the soft material of the comforter I sat on, watching them roughhouse in the water. Paige had stretched out beside me and closed her eyes.

  “Are you enjoying the time away from the hospital?” I asked when she laughed at the guys grabbing Aiden’s hands and feet, tossing him from the end of the dock.

  She sat up, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. “Yeah, I am, but it’s back to reality tomorrow.”

  “So what’s up with you and Mark?” She tensed at my question, and straightened herself up. “I could ask the same about you and Ace.”

  I nodded at her direct jab. Fair was fair, and I had no right poking my nose in her business.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s leaving for New York soon, and I’m hoping to see myself added to the schedule for rotations so…”

  I understood. Life wasn’t always fair, and just because what you wanted was right in front of you, it didn’t mean you had the ability to reach out and lay claim to it.

  I’d pretty much set myself up for heartbreak, knowing Ace was headed out to boot camp and then who knows where. A spark of anger rolled in my gut. I’d gone on so long, thinking he’d be close—right up the street. A Forest Ranger, not an Army Ranger or whatever he’d signed himself up for. He’d never said, and it made me wonder why. I’d never even thought to question it. I’d accepted everything blindly. I pushed that question back, figuring I would ask him when it was just the two of us.

  “So have you thought about what you’re gonna do now?” I knew what Paige meant. The scholarship that slipped past my fingers.

  “I’m gonna work my ass off, get some loans, and see what happens.” I shrugged, inwardly kicking myself for lying to her so easily.

  She smiled at me, a large, toothy grin that brightened her whole face. “Now, that’s what I like to hear. Good for you, Riley.”

  I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, inhaling the humid air.

  “Oh shit!” Paige scrambled beside me. My eyes snapped open, expecting to find a snake slithering towards us. She darted off the blanket and took off running as Mark came up the embankment. The chase was short-lived when he caught her and put her over his shoulder.

  “Riley! Don’t just sit there… freakin’ help me!” Paige wrestled against Mark’s tight hold, receiving a smack on the ass when she almost made him drop her.

  Mark’s hoots and hollers blended with Paige’s shouts of protest as he ran down the dock, jumping off the end with her slung over his shoulder.

  They both sputtered to the surface, as Ace sat down beside me.

  The air was heavy, like breathing soup, as the afternoon crept on. Dark clouds rolled in, bringing the cooler air that comes before the ra
in. Thunder rumbled in the distance as we packed up and headed back to the cabin. Before we made it back, lightning split the sky and rain fell in heavy sheets. It was as if even the heavens were angry that our time together was almost over.

  Ace followed me down the hallway to his room and closed the door behind me. I grabbed dry clothes and peeled off the wet ones as shivers wracked my body. A loud clap of thunder shook the house and rattled the windows. Outside, lightning ripped across the sky and lit the room up. Ace swore beside me, and we chuckled at our jumpiness.

  Across the hall, I heard Paige cry out, followed by the sound of something crashing against the wall.

  Ace’s voice startled me, as I stared in the direction the noises came from. “Nothin’ like a good ‘ole thunderstorm to unleash some pent-up feelings.”

  Confused by what he meant, I turned in his direction. My question died on my lips when I heard Mark call out to Paige, as the thunder shook the cabin again.

  “Come on, Riley, before Jared walks down the hall and starts banging on doors to see what’s taking everyone so long.”

  Ace no sooner got the door open than Jared was about to pound his fist against Mark’s door. Ace stilled his hand and shook his head. “Leave ’em alone, Jared. They’ll be out later.”

  A knowing grin split across Jared’s face before he turned and walked back down the hallway.

  The cabin shook again, and lightning forked across the sky. The light in the kitchen dimmed, flickered, and then went out. Jared ran his hand over his face with a groan. “Well, shit. Hope the power comes back on soon, or it’s gonna get hot as hell in here.”

  The rain shifted and blew in through the open windows. The guys scrambled to get them closed, and I grabbed a towel from Jared’s bathroom to wipe up the puddles of water.

  Aiden grabbed his phone. “Guys, they issued a severe weather alert until midnight tonight.”

  Eli sprawled out on one of the recliners, while Josh rummaged through the cabinets in search of a snack. I sunk down into the corner of the couch and Ace stretched out, putting his head on my leg. Jared paced the floor. He wasn’t a fan of thunderstorms because he hated the lightning. He cringed every time it popped around us, illuminating the darkened room in jagged shadows.