Page 166 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“Incoming!” Killian breaks our moment.

We swim out of the way before he hits the water in the exact spot where we were happily floating. The impact causes the entire lake to break out in waves. Killian appears near the edge, throwing his arms open for Arianna to jump into.

“Come on, peanut. No need to be afraid.”

Micah helps her to slip the armbands on and double-checks to make sure they’re secure. He shoots me a reassuring thumbs up, seeming to sense my anxiety from across the lake. She’s never swam before.

“I’m scared, giant. What if I drown?”

Killian smiles up at her. “I’d never let you drown, Ari. You trust me, right?”

She nods shyly.

“Then jump, princess. I’ll catch you, I promise.”

Taking several steps back, Arianna races towards Killian and throws herself off the edge without another word. He plucks her from the air before she even hits the water, gently lowering her into it so she can adjust to the temperature.

“It’s so cold!” she squeals.

He kisses her nose. “No, it isn’t.”

Micah slips into the lake much more quietly and swims in our direction, fighting back a grin. A loud entrance really isn't his style.

“Now, teach me how to swim,” Arianna demands.

“Say please, Ari,” I correct.

She pins Killian with her best puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please, giant. I want to swim like a fish.”

“Too bloody cute for your own good,” Killian grumbles under his breath. “Come on, then. Let’s do this.”

We spend the next hour watching Arianna learn how to doggy paddle with Killian holding her at all times. They stick to the shallower end of the lake, and he turns out to be a surprisingly patient teacher, talking her through the strokes.

“Should we play a game?” Zach asks.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Wait here.”

He fetches a blow up ball from the cabin and tosses it at his brother’s head. We begin to throw it between us, both twins vying to beat the other. With Arianna deposited on the lake’s edge and wrapped up in a towel, Killian jumps back in to join our contest.

“If I win, Zach has to do the washing up for a week,” I wager. “That includes the roasting pan. We all know you love to stick the soap in and leave it to soak.”

Micah chokes on a laugh. “Busted.”

“Exactly. That doesn’t count, mister.”

“It’s a valid cleaning strategy,” Zach defends hotly.

“For lazy asses, maybe. But you never come back to it.”

He shakes his head. “Fine. If I win, then I get to pick what we play at our next game night. And I think it’ll be… strip poker.”

“For God’s sake,” Killian chastises.

“Got a problem with that, Willow?”

I kick my legs to stay afloat. “Nope, fine with me. You’re going to lose though.”

---