Backwoods

Nathan tried to gain the upper hand, but Leo was a slippery sucker. His son elbowed him in the stomach and kicked him in the thigh. Nathan grunted in pain, scrambling for a better hold. His foot scraped against a sharp rock as they waded into deeper water. Leo broke free and retaliated with a swift punch in the mouth.

Nathan’s head rocked to the side. He fell into the waist-high water and let himself sink. The urge to fight left his body. It was a well-placed hit, but probably not full strength, and nowhere near a knockout.

Good one.

Nathan didn’t plan to stay under for more than a few seconds. He just wanted to avoid a second blow. To his astonishment, Leo came after him. He put his arms around Nathan and hauled him upright.

“Dad!”

Nathan found his footing and turned to gape at Leo, who’d clearly been worried. About him. His throat got tight and tears flooded his eyes. Nathan swiped a hand down his face, laughing suddenly.

“You were faking,” Leo accused.

“No,” he said, tasting blood. “You laid me flat.”

“What the fuck is so funny?”

“You thought I was drowning.”

Nathan didn’t know why that was funny, but it was. Maybe because he’d been horrified by the thought of Leo drowning at Mavericks. Maybe because they were both fools, and it felt good to act stupid with his son.

“You’re an asshole,” Leo said, but he was smiling.

Still chuckling, Nathan swam into the deeper water. Leo followed, dunking him for good measure. Nathan returned the favor. He knew the issues between them couldn’t be solved by an afternoon of horseplay. But for now, at least they weren’t angry.

When he caught his breath, he noted that Abby and Brooke were watching from a distance. Although the altercation had ended on a friendly note, it hadn’t started that way, and women tended not to approve of such shenanigans. Nathan didn’t, either. He’d removed players from his team for brawling.

“She thinks you’re an idiot,” Leo said, following his gaze.

“What does Brooke think of you?”

“The same.”

Nathan dunked him again, not caring at all.

CHAPTER FIVE

ABBY HELD HER BREATH as Brooke dove off a twenty-foot boulder.

She hit the water with a gentle splash and stayed under for several long seconds. Abby watched, her heart racing, until Brooke resurfaced next to Leo, who’d been waiting for her. Grinning, he gave her a high five.

They were both daredevils, egging each other on. Leo had gauged the depth of the lake and deemed it safe, with one exception. There was a large rock about six feet underneath the surface on the left side. Leo treaded water above it while Brooke jumped, and vice versa. They were using the buddy system, as promised.

That didn’t mean Abby could relax. She tensed every time Brooke was airborne, imagining worst-case scenarios. She knew Brooke well enough to anticipate increasingly dangerous feats. Leo had started with short leaps and cannonballs from a smaller boulder. Now Brooke was high-diving. Backflips would be next.

Sure enough, Leo scrambled to the top and attempted a forward somersault. He didn’t quite get his legs straight before he hit the water, which concerned Abby. But he came up to the surface quickly. Brooke twined her arms around his neck in a manner that would invite a kiss from any interested, available boy. Leo did something underneath the water that made her squeal and swim away.

Abby glanced at Nathan, who was lounging on the narrow beach beside her. He hadn’t blinked an eye at their reckless jumps or flirty touching. Then again, he’d also laughed when his son punched him in the face.

“She has no sense of caution,” Abby said, feeling obligated to explain Brooke’s behavior. “That’s why she was surprised you lied to those men. She notices attention and creepy looks on occasion. But she doesn’t anticipate danger, and she only sees the good in people.”

He rested his forearm on a bent knee. “That’s a nice quality to have.”

“It terrifies me.”

“I don’t blame you.”

Abby appreciated the acknowledgment. Ray had always denied there was a problem. “She got knocked out during the San Diego earthquake. I’ve always wondered if the head trauma changed her. Ever since then, she’s been more adventurous, more ambitious.”

He studied Leo and Brooke for a moment, his brow furrowed. She got the impression that he found his son lacking in comparison. Maybe, as a former pro athlete, he had higher expectations than the average parent. “Should I talk to Leo?”

“He’s done nothing wrong.”

“To be fair, neither has she.”

Abby was glad he didn’t think badly of Brooke. Her daughter seemed determined to be a matchmaker. Abby’s cheeks heated at the memory of the body hair remark. Although Abby had no particular preference either way, his chest was delicious. He looked strong and fit, with hard muscles and a flat stomach. He didn’t have that much hair, just a lightly furred area on his pecs and an intriguing trail down his belly.

“I hope those hikers didn’t follow us,” she said, tearing her gaze away.

“I kept glancing over my shoulder, and I didn’t see them.”

Abby wished she had her cell phone. She could have taken an incognito picture of them and done an internet search. This lake was the site of the drowning. Her fingers itched to scroll for information about local runaways and hunting accidents.

Brooke climbed the boulder and prepared to dive again. Abby stifled a gasp as Brooke took a running leap off the edge and spread out like a flying squirrel. About halfway down, she tucked into a smooth somersault and plummeted into the lake. Abby didn’t unclench her fists until Brooke broke through the surface.

“You know what you should do,” Nathan said.

“What?”

“Try it.”

“Jumping off?”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “There’s only one cure for fear of the unknown.”

Her pulse pounded at the thought of taking that plunge, sinking into the deep. So far, the trip had been full of triggers. Strange men in the woods, physical altercations, extreme stunts. Everything made her uneasy, from the thick forest to the wide expanse of open water before her. “Is it that obvious?”

“Your discomfort, you mean?”

She nodded.

“Not really. Ballplayers learn to read body language and facial expressions. We have to anticipate a player’s next move.”

“Does it work with Leo?”

He touched the sore spot on his lip, rueful. “Apparently not.”

Nathan appeared to have instigated the fight. Despite this brief lapse in maturity, she still liked him. At least he hadn’t traded punches with Leo. Somehow, the macho shoving match had broken the ice between them.