Page 49 of Beautifully Broken Pieces
With that, we headed out. The drive to the lake was short, and by the time we got there, my dad had the boat ready to go. There were a handful of private docks scattered around the shore, and we were lucky enough to have one.
“The donuts have arrived,” I called as Taylor followed me down the dock.
Noah jumped, shooting a fist in the air. “Yes! Donuts! I want a chocolate one with sprinkles!”
I grinned at my nephew. “I got extra sprinkle ones just for you.”
“You’re the best, Uncle Walker!”
Jensen strode up, taking one of the boxes of donuts. “Just for that, you can put him to bed tonight when he’s bouncing off the walls on a sugar high.”
I ruffled her hair, and she elbowed me in the side. “Do you see what I have to put up with?” she called to Taylor.
“It’s a travesty,” Taylor answered.
Jensen pulled her into a hug. “Glad you came.” I saw Taylor stiffen slightly but then relax. I felt a swell of pride. My family was good for Taylor.
“He didn’t really give me a choice.”
Jensen threw her head back in a laugh. “Us Coles are stubborn you-know-whats, aren’t we?”
“Understatement of the century.”
Jensen linked arms with Taylor. “Don’t worry, we grow on you. Now, let’s eat some donuts and catch some rays.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I watched Taylor’s pert little ass stroll down the dock, Daisy Duke shorts mocking me with every sway of her hips. It was going to be a long day.
22
Taylor
The lake glimmered in the late summer sunlight, sending sunbursts across the surface. This place really was magic: serene water surrounded by forests, and mountains that seemed to spring up from the lake’s edge. I was determined to enjoy this day. I wasn’t going to let my mind obsess over this attraction I had to Walker anymore.
I nearly choked on my water as the subject of my inner vow peeled off his t-shirt. A feast of bronzed skin greeted me. He was ripped. Not in a bodybuilder kind of way. In arealway. In a way that said he earned the muscles from hard work, not hours on end spent at the gym. He had a dusting of chest hair that perfectly completed the picture.
I wanted to trace the ridges with my fingertips. Feel that dusting of hair tickle my skin. I gulped, forcing myself to avert my eyes. I needed a distraction. I stood, pulled off my tank, and quickly shucked my shorts. “Who wants to go swimming?”
Noah bounded up immediately. “Me! Grandpa, can you take me and Tay Tay out on the tube?”
“Tube?” I asked.
Jensen grinned. “It’s Noah’s favorite thing in the whole world. We have a double tube that my dad tows behind the boat. It’s pretty fun.”
Cold water and an adrenaline rush. This was just the ticket to distraction. “I’m in.”
“Yes!” Noah cheered. “Can we, Grandpa? Can we?”
Andrew smiled indulgently at his grandson. “You got it. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Andrew guided the boat away from the dock and far enough from shore that we could set the tubes in the water. Noah was already in a life vest, but before I could jump into the deep blue depths of Sutter Lake, a voice sounded from right next to my ear.
“Let me put this on you.”
I turned to see Walker standing all too close and looking way too tempting. I took a half step back to gain some distance. “I don’t need one. You know I’m a strong swimmer.”
His jaw hardened. “Being a strong swimmer won’t help you if you get knocked unconscious.”
