Page 27 of The Pass Protection
Within minutes, Olivia is messaging me back as I feel the notification vibrate in my pocket. Leaving the team behind me, I cross the road and climb down the stairs to where the sidewalk meets the lake. The water is a little greener than I expected, but it doesn’t take away its beauty. I walk down the gray composite wood docking that bounces with my step as it floats above the water.
Turning down one of the tie-offs, I sit at the edge. Removing my shoes and socks, I place my feet over the ledge. My feet hang and don’t quite touch the water, but I had to be cautious not to get my shoes wet.
Once I’m settled, I pull out my phone to read Liv’s reply.
Liv: OMG are you in Silo Bay?
Me: Yeah, Dad surprised the team with a pit stop. Crew’s hometown organized this huge dinner for us.
Liv: And which one is Crew? Is he the hot quarterback? The hot defensive guy? Or the even hotter tight end, who happens to have a very tight end?
Me: OMG! Stop! But he’s the one with the very tight end I got to feel last night.
Liv: Bret Addison Campbell! You hussy!
Me: Learned from the best.
Liv: Yeah, you did! Have fun in Silo Bay! Go, Eagles, or whatever!
Me: Or whatever ??
Staring out past the manmade stone pathway, I can’t help but get lost in the serene beauty of the scene before me. Pontoons and jet boats glide through the water, creating their wake and disrupting the glass-like waters. The small town on one side and the wooded area on the other frame the lake like a painting. The sounds of the band mix with the seagulls flying by. Everything about Lake Drummond and Silo Bay offers a sense of seclusion, of tranquility.
Nibbling on my lower lip, I lean back on my hands and try to envision myself living in a town like this. Can I leave behind the city and embrace life in a small town with tractor jams and where everyone knows your business?
The idea of joining this community, with its simplicity and charm, tugs at my heart. After graduation and everything is said and done, do I still want to live in Texas with my family? The thoughts linger as I watch pontoons drift and the trees sway, contemplating a future that feels foreign but alluring.
A future with Crew and Silo Bay.
Wait? What?
Panic starts to build as a future with Crew infiltrates my thoughts. Damn, these small towns and all their charms.
“Penny for your thoughts, Rebel?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I nibble on my lower lip and watch Crew stride across the dock. All of his confidence and swagger oozesout of him. He sidles up next to me before sitting down. Our shoulders brush as he sits and butterflies take flight in my stomach.
Asurprise trip to Silo Bay was not what I was expecting when the coaches informed us that we would be making a stop along the way to Western Ohio. In fact, this whole day wasn’t what I had expected.
Since waking up with the smell of Bret on my sheets, in my room, hell, even in my stubble, she’s all I can think about. It felt so surreal that I wondered if I had dreamed the entire thing. When I tossed and turned all night, I didn’t expect Bret to climb into my bed and for us to end up having sex.
And it was good. Sofuckinggood.
Unlike most of my teammates, I haven’t let the celebrity of being on the football team become my advantage. I might joke about women and hooking up, but it’s all a façade. The truth is, it’s been seven months since I slept with someone and even longer before that.
When Bret offered a one-night, I almost said no. I’m not that guy, and I don’t want to be that guy with her. I can feel the connection between us, even though she keeps saying there isn’t one—or at least, she’s fighting it.
Bret Campbell isn’t the girl you have a fling with. She’s the girl you bring home to meet your family.
With the surprise visit to Silo Bay, I now have the perfect opportunity to introduce Bret to my family under the guise of being my new roommate.
Sunset Shores has come a long way since I left for college. When I left town, it was a restaurant working on a facelift. Now there’s an entire mini-village with a covered tent, and a deck around the tugboat which was transformed into a bar and outdoor kitchen for pizzas. There are shops, turf-covered green space for people to sit and mill about, and the cottages and townhomes they’ve built resemble a beach town. It’s quite the addition to Silo Bay, and I can only imagine the tourists it’ll bring in. It’s about time someone put Silo Bay on the map with all our hidden gems.
Stepping off the bus, I’m hit with a burst of nostalgia. The smell of the lake hits my nose first, resurfacing all of my childhood memories. With its mix of fresh water, light aquatic plants, sun-kissed rocks, and the slight tangy scent of algae, the lake smells like home.
“Riggsby, this is where you grew up?” one of the guys on the team asks.
With a nod, I sidestep the others as they gawk at the lake. Striding down the boardwalk-covered sidewalk, I move around bodies as I head toward the space where Coach informed us the food was. My eyes scan the crowd, looking for a petite brown-haired woman who is most likely wearing jeans and a Riggs Cattle T-shirt. No matter the temperature outside, Mom is always dressed in jeans. She says she’s been wearing them for so long she doesn’t even notice how hot the denim can be in the summer.
