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He lifted his head. “No shittin’? Eleven seconds?”

  I pursed my lips and nodded. “Eleven lousy seconds. Do you know how many times I’ve replayed that over and over in my head, trying to decide what I could’ve done differently to cross the finish line on time.”

  “That seriously sucks.”

  “Tell me about it.” It had sucked, and I’d never forget the overwhelming feeling of defeat.

  “My goal is to complete it in less than twelve hours. I think I can do it faster than that, but since it’s my first one, I’m not sure what to expect.”

  I closed my book, completely engaged in my conversation with Ridge. “I have no doubt that you’ll make it,” I said, meaning it. I hadn’t even known him a full day, but it was quite obvious that once Ridge Sutherland decided to do something, he didn’t release it from his sights until he had accomplished it.

  “You should try it again,” he suggested. “I’m sure a lot of people who don’t make it the first time come back and conquer it on the second try.”

  “I should,” I agreed. “Have you ever given up on anything on your list?”

  He shot me a look of disbelief, a steely resolve in his amber eyes. “Failure is not in my vocabulary. If something makes it on my list, it’s going to happen.”

  “You make it sound so simple,” I said.

  “It is.”

  His confidence wasn’t unfamiliar to me. In fact, I shared his level of confidence in most of my activities, but there were times when it seemed to slip. Times like now.

  “If I add swim with Ava by the end of the week to my list, guess what you’re going to do?”

  A strange mixture of excitement and fear welled in my chest. I wanted to swim with him, but contrary to his philosophy, it wasn’t going to happen. “Laugh at you for failing?”

  “Sweet, sweet Ava. I think I just explained to you that I never fail.”

  “Are you issuing a challenge?” I asked, unsure of his intent.

  “Are you offering one?” he asked, his brows raised as he awaited my answer.

  Part of me wanted to say “yes,” but the other part had no desire to provoke Ridge into doing something that could possibly lead to disappointment for both of us. I should end this conversation now. I should remember how things ended with Jack, and…damn him.

  “Yes,” I blurted before I overthought things, before I chickened out, before he could change his mind.

  A wide grin spread across his face. “Challenge accepted.”

  I was already second-guessing myself. What had I done? I had just made the conscious decision to give this guy a reason to talk to me all week. Why? Because I wanted him to want something from me. He was handsome and ambitious and sweet, and I strongly suspected that the two of us had a lot in common.

  But I also knew that I had just set him up for failure. Not that I personally thought failure was that big of a deal. To me, failures were a chance to learn, to grow, a chance to take a step back and decide if another alternative was the better choice.

  Maybe that’s what scared me the most. Maybe Ridge would decide that there were better alternatives to me. Even for something as simple as a swim partner.

  He brought me out of my insanity by asking a question. “Why don’t you change into your swimsuit?”

  I smirked. “You didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?”

  He winked. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  I watched the ripple of muscles as he stood up and walked over to the rail. “Hey, did you notice this canoe?”

  “It’s bright red. How could I have missed it?”

  He turned and grinned at me. “Well, I don’t know, but I didn’t see it until now.”

  “Women are more observant than men.”

  “Has that been scientifically proven or are you making it up as you go along?” he asked, grinning at me.

  “It’s just my own observation.”

  He laughed. “Then who am I to argue? Besides, I’ve made a few observations of my own, one of them being that men rarely win when it comes to arguing with women. So I don’t do it.”

  “Smart man.”

  He turned back towards the canoe. “You wanna go for a canoe ride with a smart man?” Leaning on the railing, he looked over his shoulder at me.

  “You think I’m going to fall for that trick? I know how that works. You get me in the middle of the lake in a canoe, and then, you accidentally tip it over, which leaves me having to swim to shore and leaves you proclaiming your victory. Um, no, not gonna happen.”

  He chuckled. “That is a good plan, but it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I just thought it might be fun. I haven’t ridden in a canoe since middle school. When’s the last time you rode in one?” He gazed out over the lake as the water lapped softly against the bank.

  “Never.”

  “Like ever?” he asked, turning back to look at me.

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “Man, we’ve got to do something about that this week. You won’t have the proper cabin-on-the-lake experience until you get in that canoe and paddle out to the middle of the lake. And if you’re worried about me tipping you over, I’ll stay here while you go, but seriously, you’ve got to go.”

  “Not today.”

  “What are you waiting for?” he asked, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

  “I like to take my canoe rides in the middle of the night with some cinder blocks, a few feet of rope, and a dead body.”

  A crooked grin shot across his face. “Guess that’s my cue to move on. I need to run, anyway.” He picked up his phone and glanced at the time. “I should be back in a couple of hours or so.”

  I wasn’t sure why he found it necessary to fill me in on his schedule. We were just two strangers who happened to be staying in the same cabin. “Okay.”

  Once he went inside, I began to breathe easier. Before the incident, I wouldn’t have given a second thought to going for a swim or a canoe ride with him. But now, things that I once did without thought required me to summon courage, to cling to bits and pieces of positive experiences in my mind and remember that I was the same girl I’d always been, to beckon the confidence that was still within me, although now it seemed to lurk in the recesses of my soul, just out of my reach.

  Frustrated that I had allowed my mettle to suffer at the hands of Jack, I cursed myself for the tenth time today. I had hoped to come to terms with how I felt about him this week, deal with it, and move on. No man should have this kind of power over me. No man should be allowed to make feel so damn inadequate. I knew that. I did. Now, if I could just get my brain to agree, to stop sliding in thoughts that would make me think otherwise.

  I opened the book in my lap. The main character was dealing with worse situations than I was, and I desperately needed to escape my own world.

  ***

  I awoke to a tap on the shoulder. Startled, I sprang into a sitting position, only to realize that it was twilight and Ridge was standing over me with a huge grin on his face. My book slid out of my lap and thudded against the deck flooring.

  “Sorry, I contemplated on whether I should wake you or just leave you alone, but I thought you might be getting hungry.” He offered me a plate with two slices of pizza. “Besides I thought it might be nice to watch the sunset.”

  “You cooked?” I mumbled, running the back of my hand over my mouth, hoping I wasn’t drooling all over myself.

  “Yeah. My skills in the kitchen aren’t quite as good as they are over a grill, but I can usually handle frozen pizza.”

  I took the plate from him, and he handed me a bottle of water. “Thank you.”

  He smelled clean, and I realized that he’d already showered. How long had I been asleep?

  Ridge took a seat at the picnic table, facing me in a dark green tee shirt and khaki shorts. His feet were bare. “So you ready to go for a swim?” he asked, right before he bit into a slice of pizza.

  “Is your plan to wear me down by asking me every f
ive minutes?” I asked.

  “Considering you’ve been out here snoring for a good three hours or so, I’m not sure how you came up with your theory.”

  “You haven’t even been back for three hours,” I accused. Had he?

  “Well, I did stay gone a lot longer than I had intended, but I’ve been back for three hours and five minutes. And you’ve barely budged.”

  “You were watching me sleep?” I asked, horrified, hoping he was only joking about the snoring comment.

  “It’s not like I snuck in your bedroom or anything. I mean, you are out on the deck.”

  I wanted to slink down into the chaise lounge and become part of it.

  “I was starting to wonder if you had passed out drunk. I don’t know anyone who could sleep on a lounger that long.”

  “I don’t normally drink,” I said, and then took another bite of pizza.

  “I guess that rules out that you were up all night having a party.”

  I was up all night, but unfortunately, a party had nothing to do with it. I rubbed my eyes and exhaled. “I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

  He took a drink of water. “I know the perfect cure for insomnia,” he said.

  “What’s that?” I asked, almost desperate enough to try anything.

  He motioned toward the lake with his thumb. “A nice, long swim. It relaxes the mind and exhausts the muscles.”

  “Has it even been five minutes?” I asked, referring to the last time he asked me to go for a swim.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed, pointing at me. “I didn’t ask you if you wanted to go for a swim. I merely pointed out that it was a great way to cure insomnia. But now that you brought it up, I’ll go for a swim with you, if you want.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” he asked, surprised. “That was way easier than I expected it to be.”

  “Swim out to the middle of the lake and wait for me there,” I ordered.

  “Let me guess. You’re gonna deliver some cinder blocks that you want me to hold for you until morning, right?”

  I giggled at the thought. “Maybe.”

  As the sun dipped below the tree line and exploded into massive streaks of pink and orange and yellow, I watched Ridge as he looked out over the lake. He had a strong profile, and I found his chiseled jawline extremely appealing. We sat in silence, drinking in the beauty and peacefulness of this place. I suspected that if I had been alone this week, the cabin would’ve contained all the special healing powers I had been hoping for.

  The moon rose into the night sky, a silver ball suspended in the inky blackness. Its reflection glistened on the surface of the lake, rippling with the movement of the water.

  After several minutes of silence, Ridge finally rose. “I’m going to bed. I want to get an early start on running. Oh, and in case you get any ideas, I’m going to lock my door.”

  I smiled into the darkness. “Good night, Ridge.”

  Chapter 3

  Ridge

  I was up and jogging before the night sky had melted away into a haze of angry, gray clouds. Running until my legs ached and sweat poured from my temples, I pushed farther up the mountain road before cutting into a trail through a wooded area, which I had discovered the previous afternoon.

  The soft earth cushioned my footsteps, and the temperature cooled as I ran farther along the trail. Outstretched boughs of majestic oaks formed a canopy above me, their leaves filtering what little sunlight escaped the ominous clouds.

  As I did every morning, I mentally reviewed my list. Training for the triathlon was in full swing, so I began planning for my next goal. During the last couple of years, I’d been sharing an apartment with Mason Cambridge, my best friend throughout college. By sharing expenses, I’d been able to save up enough money for a down payment on a house. Now that I had a permanent engineering job, I intended to apply for a home loan. Once I was approved, I could contact Ava and begin the search for a house.

  Aggravated that I’d forgotten the small towel that I usually carried with me, I swiped at the sweat that trickled over my brow and across my lids before it seeped between my lashes. Blinking rapidly, I attempted to clear the salt that stung my eyes. A light breeze swept through the trees, bringing cool relief.

  Thunder boomed, the noise so loud, I was convinced it actually shook the ground. I could see a visible shift in the filtered lighting as the path before me darkened. Raindrops splattered against the leaves in the overhead canopy and fell below, pelting my skin and mixing with the beads of sweat. Having no desire to be out in the open during a storm, I immediately turned and headed back toward the cabin. Despite the fact that I was somewhat winded, I quickened my pace. Initially, I found the cool rain refreshing, but it soon chilled my skin.

  By the time I saw the cabin’s huge front porch, my legs were weak, and I was downright cold. Lightening sliced the air over the lake, followed by another boom of thunder. After I jogged up the steps to the porch, I paused in front of the door, trying to let the water sluice down my skin and drain onto the porch before I entered.

  I ran my hands through my hair in an attempt to sling out some of the excess water. Turning the knob, I stepped onto a rug in the foyer.

  “Stay right there,” a soft voice instructed me.

  Surprised, I looked up to see Ava hurrying away from me, her bottom swaying deliciously in her tight jeans, her long, blond hair oscillating with the movement. Within seconds, she had entered the room again, carrying a large towel.

  “Here,” she said, handing me the blue and white striped towel.

  “It’s warm,” I said, surprised by the heat.

  “I threw a couple in the dryer. I knew you’d probably come back freezing. It sounds like a pretty nasty storm.”

  “Thanks,” I said caught off guard by the display of thoughtfulness.

  I dried my face and ran the warm towel over my hair.

  “Here,” she said.

  When I looked up, she was holding her small palm out toward me, her form-fitting pink shirt stretched taut across her breasts.

  “Let me have your shirt,” she instructed. “I’ll put it in the dryer.”

  I held the towel between my knees and obediently pulled my shirt over my head. Handing it to her, I shot her a grin. “You want my shorts, too?”

  With the barest hint of a smile on her lips, she coyly glanced away from my face. “After you put on some more clothes.”

  I laughed, grabbing the towel and drying my chest and arms, as she disappeared in the direction of the dryer.

  I pulled off my shoes and socks, leaving them on the rug. Then, I walked to my room, totally naked, except for my running shorts.

  Sifting through my bag, I found some boxers and a pair of khaki shorts, and I quickly changed. After pulling a gray tee shirt over my head, I scooped up the wet shorts and went in search of Ava.

  “Have you already started the dryer?” I asked.

  She nodded and held her hand out. “Here. I’ll throw your shorts in there, too.”

  “Thank you, Ava,” I said, handing them over to her.

  “No problem.”

  Thunder shook the cabin, and I heard her shriek in surprise as she walked away from me. Smiling to myself, I plopped down onto the black, leather sofa, looking around for the remote before I realized there wasn’t a television.

  “Are you hungry?” she called from the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

  I turned to look at her. “Starving.”

  “I’ll fix us some breakfast.” She turned and went back into the kitchen.

  I looked around the living room, realizing there wasn’t a thing to do. “I’ll help you,” I called as I stood and followed her into the kitchen.

  She was pulling items out of the refrigerator and setting them on the counter.

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked, rubbing my hands together to generate some heat. Other than my hands and feet, my body temperature had returned to normal.

  She hande
d me a bag of frozen biscuits and a pan. “Here. I’ll take one biscuit plus however many you want. I’ll cook some bacon, and I’ll get some eggs started in a few minutes. How do you like yours?”

  “Fried or scrambled, either way. I’m not hard to please.” I popped four biscuits in the oven while Ava cooked the bacon.

  I sat at the table while I watched her cook. “So, have you come up with any ideas on how we can pay our sisters back for their shenanigans?” I asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. It might be kinda fun to tar and feather them and maybe parade them in downtown Creekview during the busy part of the day.”

  “I can’t believe I fell for it. I hope that little brat’s taking care of my Camaro.” I would be super pissed if she messed up my car.

  “London’s usually pretty careful with mine, not that she’s borrowed it very much.”

  “Kelsey’s like a tornado, so yeah, I’ll probably be worrying about my car all week. Guess there’s not much I can do about it now, though.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Ava said as she removed the sizzling bacon from the skillet. My stomach growled in response as the aroma wafted through the air.

  Working with her back to me, I heard the eggs crack as she tapped them against the skillet. My eyes fell to her derriere, and even though I couldn’t prevent my male appreciation of such a fine ass, I reminded myself that my week here was for the sole purpose of focusing on the triathlon.

  Determined to make myself useful, I decided to slice an orange to add to our breakfast choices.

  When everything was finished, we sat down to eat.

  “Thanks for cooking, Ava,” I said, admiring her face as she sat across from me.

  “You’re welcome.” Her smiled melted something inside me, a part of me that wanted to protect her. Everything about her called to my masculinity, her soft, sweet voice, her beauty, her docile behavior.

  The rain continued to splatter violently against the roof as we ate.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like I’ll get my swim in today,” I said, glancing at the misery outside of the wet windowpanes. As if confirming my statement, lightening flickered, followed by another loud roar of thunder.