Page 6 of Silent Heart

“She can swim the whole lake,” Sarah piped in.

“You hear that, Kole? The whole lake.” Lucas’s eyes twinkled.

Sensing the oncoming mischief like a bad storm, I cleared my throat. “Yep, okay, so see ya around, neighbors.”

“My brother needs swimming lessons,” Lucas said as if he’d not heard me. “He’s a rotten swimmer.”

I couldn’t help it. I slid a look down the tight, muscled frame of the stony gargoyle. That body was not only familiar with the gym, but it likely did something more fluid. Like swimming or running.

Or lethal combat.

I shut that little voice up and cleared my throat. “There’s a lady in town who comes to the lake. She does kid classes, but I’m sure she’s available for private lessons.”

“Butyouused to be a swim instructor, Harley,” Susanna inserted helpfully.

“That was ages ago.” I rounded on her, giving her a sharp look to shut up.

The cousin dropped her gaze, but the other hens began clucking. My praises were sung and talents exaggerated.

“Would you have any availability to teach my big brother?” Lucas jerked his chin toward where Kole looked like a thunderstorm brewing in the middle of the dock.

I gulped. “Is that something you’d like, Kole?”

His gaze clashed with mine. A beat passed, then another. My pulse fluttered in my veins, but I didn’t shrink from the intensity of his stare.

“Swimming lessons would be great,” he finally managed to grind out.

“It’ll cost you,” Kayla sniffed.

I was going to kill her. Drown her! Hold her under the lake I loved so much until her lungs filled with the tinted water.

“Price is no object,” Lucas said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Graced snorted.

That was it. I was going to drown her too.

“What’s your time worth, sweetheart?” I could have sworn Lucas’s question brought out a hushed snarl from his brother. And I wasn’t imagining his eyes darkening dangerously. It was like watching a wild animal that was cornered. I could sense how close he was to snapping.

So focused and in tune with Kole’s reaction, I didn’t answer the question.

“Ask him for fifty bucks an hour,” Laney whispered, not quietly, behind me.

She was next for a watery grave.

But as I looked into Kole’s eyes, I read a challenge. I could be brave and stand up for myself. That was what I was doing by sticking to my guns about advancing my career and going back to school this fall. Might as well show value for my worth right now too.

“A hundred bucks an hour,” I said, squaring my shoulder. “And I’m available from six in the morning till seven.”

“Done,” Kole agreed quickly.

Lucas chuckled softly. “You could have asked ten times that, and he would have paid.”

The older brother shot a fierce, terrible glare in Lucas’s direction. One that made me wince.

“Tomorrow at six?” I confirmed, distracting the gargoyle from pouncing and shredding his sibling.

That stormy blue gaze turned to me. His chin dipped in assent. “Tomorrow.”

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