“Yeah, he said the rest of the team is at the lake already.”
“I’ll get her bike. Make sure it’s okay to ride.”
“Good idea.” I wiped antiseptic over the wound.
Piper hissed in pain.
I kept my eyes on hers as I blew on it.
She sucked in a sharp breath. It made me think of being on my knees in front of her for a very different reason. I’d tug her leggings and panties down, push her knees apart, watching her while I—
“Are you okay?” Henry jumped off his bike, throwing it down before rushing over to us.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Piper’s shoulders tensed.
“What happened?” His expression was filled with concern.
“Her bike went down the embankment. It’s just a few scratches.” I placed the Band-Aid over her wound.
“How’d that happen?” Henry asked Piper as if I hadn’t spoken.
Piper’s lips pressed together in a tight line.
“You weren’t paying attention?” Henry’s expression was a mix of concern and frustration.
I didn’t understand his reaction. “She’s fine.”
Continuing without acknowledging me, he said to Piper, “I wish you weren’t so careless.”
Piper flinched from his characterization of her.
I held my hand out to stop him. “Why don’t you go ahead with Rod. We’ll meet up with you in a bit.”
“Are you sure?” Henry asked Piper.
Her grateful gaze slid from me to him. “Of course.”
“Her bike looks good,” Rod said.
Henry nodded, picking up his bike and riding away. Rod followed him.
I wasn’t sure how to address his comment that she was careless. I finally settled on, “That was interesting.”
Maybe Henry still saw her as young and immature. My father had a hard time seeing me as an adult until I showed him I was taking responsibility for myself.
Piper’s face relaxed now that Henry was gone. “He still sees me as his little sister.”
I couldn’t get his words out of my head. “Why does he think you’re careless?”
Piper sighed heavily. “He thinks I’m flaky. That I never pay attention to any one thing—I’m always flitting from one thing to the next.”
I didn’t like it. It wasn’t nice. Hadley had always been my rock, a mother figure, since I didn’t really remember my own. Even if my sister wasn’t as put together, I couldn’t imagine tearing her down for it.
Her eyes met mine. “That’s how he—how my family’s always perceived me.”
Her honesty pierced my dormant heart. It throbbed to life, racing inside my chest. Feelings flew through me—pain, sympathy, and understanding. I couldn’t please my father, either. “That sucks.”
She smiled softly.
“My family isn’t perfect either. You don’t have to explain them to me.”
She laid a hand on mine, squeezing lightly before removing it. “Thank you.”
Her words were filled with gratitude. It wasn’t an empty platitude. I stood suddenly, feeling a little shaky from the scare of finding her gone, to finding her where she lay at the bottom of the embankment, to the confrontation with her brother. What had me most unsettled was her confession about her life. It was so real—so honest, I felt this connection to her. Each word was bringing us closer. We had so much in common, yet my heart ached for her.
“Are you okay to ride?” My voice was rough.
She took a few tentative steps. “It’s just a few scratches.”
“You must be shaken up. That wasn’t an easy fall.”
She looked at me—something passing between us—understanding and acceptance. “I’ll be okay. Thanks for noticing I was gone.”
I cleared my throat. “You’re welcome.”
I didn’t mention that I stopped Rod from getting to her first. I didn’t think about why I’d done that. Why it was so important that I make sure she was okay. I’d only met this woman yesterday, but it was like I’d been asleep for years and she was slowly pulling me back to consciousness. She was bringing me back to life—one word, one touch at a time.
CHAPTER 5
PIPER
I swung a leg over my bike, giving Colin a reassuring smile to cover the flutters in my belly. I was shaky, but it wasn’t for the reason he mentioned. Pushing my foot down on the pedal, I realized it was the concern on Colin’s face when he ran down that hill, completely unconcerned for his own safety, that had my breath catching in my throat. I’d immediately placed a hand on my chest to ease the pressure while I tried to sit up. I wanted to reassure him I was fine.
When he ran his hands over my body, my skin heated with each pass of his fingers, yearning for more. He was worried about me when all I wanted to do was revel in his touch.
Henry’s reaction was expected. Whenever something happened to me, it was the result of my impulsive actions, my disregard for safety. Except this time, I wasn’t paying attention to the path because I’d been mesmerized by the flex of Colin’s thighs when he pumped the pedals, the strength of his forearms as he leaned into the curves. When I flew through the bushes, the leaves and branches scraping my skin, my heart was in my throat for a different reason.
I was attracted to Colin—a man I’d met the day before. It didn’t feel like a ridiculous crush, either. Warmth spread through my body when he helped me up the hill. Then when he’d kneeled in front of me, caring for my wound, my throat was tight. I had to curl my fingers to stop myself from smoothing the wrinkles from his forehead. Blowing on my scratch sent goose bumps over my skin. I’d shivered, wanting his mouth on me.
Riding next to him, I felt his gaze on me every once in a while, like he needed to make sure I really was okay. All it did was increase my awareness of him.
We rode through a clearing, a lake nestled in a canyon with mountains rising around it.
“Holy shit.”
“It’s Alpine Lake. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” My tone was full of awe as I took in Chalk Creek Canyon. It was the quiet little oasis nestled next to the mountains. Despite the presence of Colin’s teammates already pulling out their lunches, it felt like we were alone.
The water was clear as glass, pristine. I’d never seen anything like it. I pulled my backpack off my shoulders, riffling around for my camera. I left my bike by Colin, making my way around the guys to the lake. I lifted my camera, seeing it through the tiny lens. The guys’ talking fell away as I watched a bird dip low to the surface of the water, then take off again. I followed its path, snapping pictures.
I looked at the images I’d taken, adjusting the settings before walking around the lake and taking more pictures. I was determined to capture the serenity of the lake—the vastness—the sheer purity of the landscape. It was untouched.
“It’s beautiful.” His words blew over my ear.
I startled, not realizing Colin had followed me.
“Oh, I hadn’t realized you’d followed me.”
“You moved with such purpose I thought for sure there was something important to see.”