Page 9 of Wildest Dreams

Two chicks in the middle of nowhere? Of course Hunter wants us to bodyguard them.

I look over to the left as the rest of our guys begin dismounting from their trucks.

We rented four cabins for the summer here in Larch Peak. Partially because a few of us have moved out of the hockey house at Carter U and are about to move permanently to Larch Peak, seeing as Hunter and I will be going pro with their home team this fall. But for me it’s also because I want to be close to home, knowing that my mom could be calling me about my dad’s deployment schedule any week now.

My dad’s been in the army for my entire life, and whenever he’s back on home turf it’s a fucking privilege for me to be able to see him. We know that he’ll be likely coming home this month or the next, and I want to get back to Carter Ridge as soon as that happens.

There are at least ten small wood cabins running along our side of the lake, and then the water curves and leads the shore around the base of the Larch Peak mountains.

Hunter and I are bunking in one, then Austin and Tristan, and then Hughes and Shaw. Plus, somehow we managed to convince Caden to join us, with the idea that staying by the lake with his chick would be, like, romantic or something. They usually spend the whole summer down at his ranch in Kentucky but it looks like she was down for something different this year. Which is why when Caden steps down from his rental truck and rounds to the passenger side door, we hear quiet girlish laughter, drawing our eyes in their direction.

Caden braces his forearms against the roof of the truck, smirking as his girlfriend scooches away from him with another giggle.

When he grips a fist around the ankle of her cowgirl boot and starts quietly murmuring to her, I clear my throat hard and look back across the lake.

Aisling and I could have had that, I think to myself.That would have been us if I hadn’t fucked it up.

“I’m going over there,” I decide suddenly, making Hunter’s eyes flash back to mine. I cross my arms over my chest as Aisling looks back at us over her shoulder. Satisfaction spreads through my abdomen as she gives me a sulky little once-over.

Would you look at that.

She might not like who I am but she’s sure as fuck into what I look like.

“Bad idea,” Hunter says as he opens up the back doors to grab his stuff.

“Yeah,” I agree, even though we both know that I’m going to do it anyway.

When my gaze settles on the house behind Aisling and Fallon, I frown in contemplation. The exterior wooden banister looks a little worse for wear, and is that the entire porch railing lying facedown on the rocks?

Jesus Christ. I roll my shoulders, not liking the look of that one bit.

I turn to Hunter. “How long are they staying in there?”

“’Til they’re finished.”

“Finished what?”

His brow creases. “The renovation,” he says slowly, like it’s obvious.

I duck my head and scrub my knuckles over my stubble, feeling kind of stupid for knowing so little about her plans. Especially when I’ve been crushing on her for four years straight.

I clear my throat and ask quietly, “Why, uh, why are they renovating a lake house? Is it, uh, Fallon’s or something?”

Hunter’s eyes are burning into the side of my face. I decide to fully turn around so that he can’t see how red I’ve gone.

“Christ. You really don’t know, do you?” he asks.

I stare down at my boots like they’re really fucking interesting.

“Tanner,” he says, but I shove a hand in my pocket and change the subject.

“You gonna let Fallon stay over there after we get settled?” I ask, given the fact that, as Hunter mentioned, the lake house doesn’t look half as secure as I’d want it to.

Hunter’s mouth curves, the answer obvious without him even needing to say anything. “Take a wild guess.”

I roll my shoulders and nod, because if I was him, I’d be doing the same. No way would I have my girl sleeping away from me across the lake when she could be safely and securely wrapped up in my arms.

Knowing that I’ll want a few minutes alone with Aisling, Hunter signals to Fallon across the lake that he’ll be over in three. I leave my stuff in my car and begin walking up to the head of the lake, rounding it so that I can make my way to the girls’ side.

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