Retreat
Page 21
She made a noise in her throat and turned back around in her saddle. She clicked her tongue and pulled her horse up next to Lane, who was ahead of her. After a few words, Lane dropped back and the woman moved her ride up until she was between her kids. I heard the daughter snap something at her but the barrage of questions being aimed at Cy’s back stopped. He cranked his head around and pinned me with a look that made my belly warm and my heart thud heavily.
I turned to look at Lane as he slowed down until we were side by side on the narrow trail. Boss made a noise and danced to the side a little bit as Lane’s horse got close to his side. Old fear prickled at my skin as my hands tightened on the reins and my knees locked tighter on the animal’s muscular sides.
“If this horse throws me off and I end up with a broken neck because you’re riding so close, I’m going to sue the shit out of you, Warner.” My voice was a little shaky.
“Boss won’t throw you. He might take off down the side of the mountain like a bat out of hell, but he won’t buck you off. All you gotta do is hold on tight and you’ll be all right.” That smile that never seemed to dull or falter flashed across his handsome face. “And you can’t sue. You signed the liability waiver.”
I swore at him under my breath and pointed behind me. Making sure to keep my voice extra low so that it wouldn’t carry through the silence around, I told him, “Stop bugging me and go save Emrys from the creep. She could use a rescue.”
Lane shot a glance in the direction I was pointing, letting out a sigh that moved his broad chest up and down. “That’s going to be a problem.”
“Maybe the wife will nip it in the bud.” I didn’t think she had it in her, but there was no telling what all this fresh air and solitude could do to a person. It was hard to see anything other than the mess the husband was making of his family and their vacation when it was just the eight of us and the forest surrounding us. There were no packed schedules, hurried meetings, showings across town, personal assistants, and nights at the gym for him to hide behind. His sleazy behavior was on full display under the pressing sunshine, beneath the call of the birds, and the chatter of the squirrels in the trees.
“Maybe. She doesn’t seem overly concerned that her kid is all but asking my brother to put a baby in her. Cy isn’t very patient and this is exactly why he never wants to come on the trail. He isn’t a people person.” Lane’s voice wasn’t as quiet as mine so I was sure everyone in front of and behind us heard his sharply worded statement.
I laughed nervously, embarrassed for Evan but admittedly amused by the younger Warner’s astute observation. Cy whipped his head around again. This time those slate-colored eyes narrowed when he noticed how close his little brother was to me. I smiled back at him and tried to make my expression look as innocent as possible. The wide eyes and grin faded quickly when the trail took a sharp turn that led us downhill, which had Boss picking up speed and my backside thumping even more solidly against the leather beneath it.
Lane laughed at my groan. “You need to move with the horse. Stand up higher in the stirrups and grip him with your knees. It’ll save the wear and tear on that cute ass.”
I scowled at him but took his advice and moved in the saddle so that my stance mirrored his own. “Did you hear Cy tell me that this morning?”
“Nope. But I’m not surprised he mentioned it. You do have a nice ass and he’s always had a thing for redheads.” His brow furrowed, like he was remembering a particular redhead from the past he wasn’t very fond of. “He tends to speak his mind even when it’s better that he doesn’t.”
“He likes redheads, like Brynn?” I asked the question because I wanted to know and because I was too scared to ask the brother who should be answering it. Not that I thought Cy would give me a straight answer. He seemed to enjoy yanking my chain in order to get me riled up. He also wouldn’t love the fact that his younger brother seemed perfectly inclined to share personal details with me, and had been since that first meeting when he told me there was more to his older brother and his bad attitude than meets the eye.
Lane ran his hand over his jaw and lifted one of his shoulders in a shrug. When he spoke, his voice didn’t have any of the easy charm and happy-go-lucky affability in it that I had come to expect from him during our short acquaintance. In fact, there was a thread of something sharp and pointy in his tone that reminded me a lot of the way I sounded when I had found out that not only was Chris not who he seemed to be, but who I was when I was with him was also a lie. Those pointy things were painful, raw, and opened places for hurt to pour out from.
“Brynn is family. We love her and she loves us. She’s beautiful and just happens to be a redhead, but she isn’t Cy’s. She isn’t any of ours.” There was something there that made me think the youngest Warner brother would change that if he could. He looked at me with shrewd perception and masculine knowing shining out of his gunmetal-colored eyes. “I don’t talk about my brothers’ private lives but Cy is stubborn and he is always his own worst enemy. He wouldn’t say anything about Brynn even while he’s looking at you like you’re the first drop of rain to hit after years of a drought.”
I frowned at that smartly worded revelation and pulled my gaze away from his. “I’m not interested in giving up whatever it is your brother might want from me.” Even though I selfishly wanted to know everything there was to know about the enigmatic man who fascinated me.
I turned to look at Lane as he slowed down until we were side by side on the narrow trail. Boss made a noise and danced to the side a little bit as Lane’s horse got close to his side. Old fear prickled at my skin as my hands tightened on the reins and my knees locked tighter on the animal’s muscular sides.
“If this horse throws me off and I end up with a broken neck because you’re riding so close, I’m going to sue the shit out of you, Warner.” My voice was a little shaky.
“Boss won’t throw you. He might take off down the side of the mountain like a bat out of hell, but he won’t buck you off. All you gotta do is hold on tight and you’ll be all right.” That smile that never seemed to dull or falter flashed across his handsome face. “And you can’t sue. You signed the liability waiver.”
I swore at him under my breath and pointed behind me. Making sure to keep my voice extra low so that it wouldn’t carry through the silence around, I told him, “Stop bugging me and go save Emrys from the creep. She could use a rescue.”
Lane shot a glance in the direction I was pointing, letting out a sigh that moved his broad chest up and down. “That’s going to be a problem.”
“Maybe the wife will nip it in the bud.” I didn’t think she had it in her, but there was no telling what all this fresh air and solitude could do to a person. It was hard to see anything other than the mess the husband was making of his family and their vacation when it was just the eight of us and the forest surrounding us. There were no packed schedules, hurried meetings, showings across town, personal assistants, and nights at the gym for him to hide behind. His sleazy behavior was on full display under the pressing sunshine, beneath the call of the birds, and the chatter of the squirrels in the trees.
“Maybe. She doesn’t seem overly concerned that her kid is all but asking my brother to put a baby in her. Cy isn’t very patient and this is exactly why he never wants to come on the trail. He isn’t a people person.” Lane’s voice wasn’t as quiet as mine so I was sure everyone in front of and behind us heard his sharply worded statement.
I laughed nervously, embarrassed for Evan but admittedly amused by the younger Warner’s astute observation. Cy whipped his head around again. This time those slate-colored eyes narrowed when he noticed how close his little brother was to me. I smiled back at him and tried to make my expression look as innocent as possible. The wide eyes and grin faded quickly when the trail took a sharp turn that led us downhill, which had Boss picking up speed and my backside thumping even more solidly against the leather beneath it.
Lane laughed at my groan. “You need to move with the horse. Stand up higher in the stirrups and grip him with your knees. It’ll save the wear and tear on that cute ass.”
I scowled at him but took his advice and moved in the saddle so that my stance mirrored his own. “Did you hear Cy tell me that this morning?”
“Nope. But I’m not surprised he mentioned it. You do have a nice ass and he’s always had a thing for redheads.” His brow furrowed, like he was remembering a particular redhead from the past he wasn’t very fond of. “He tends to speak his mind even when it’s better that he doesn’t.”
“He likes redheads, like Brynn?” I asked the question because I wanted to know and because I was too scared to ask the brother who should be answering it. Not that I thought Cy would give me a straight answer. He seemed to enjoy yanking my chain in order to get me riled up. He also wouldn’t love the fact that his younger brother seemed perfectly inclined to share personal details with me, and had been since that first meeting when he told me there was more to his older brother and his bad attitude than meets the eye.
Lane ran his hand over his jaw and lifted one of his shoulders in a shrug. When he spoke, his voice didn’t have any of the easy charm and happy-go-lucky affability in it that I had come to expect from him during our short acquaintance. In fact, there was a thread of something sharp and pointy in his tone that reminded me a lot of the way I sounded when I had found out that not only was Chris not who he seemed to be, but who I was when I was with him was also a lie. Those pointy things were painful, raw, and opened places for hurt to pour out from.
“Brynn is family. We love her and she loves us. She’s beautiful and just happens to be a redhead, but she isn’t Cy’s. She isn’t any of ours.” There was something there that made me think the youngest Warner brother would change that if he could. He looked at me with shrewd perception and masculine knowing shining out of his gunmetal-colored eyes. “I don’t talk about my brothers’ private lives but Cy is stubborn and he is always his own worst enemy. He wouldn’t say anything about Brynn even while he’s looking at you like you’re the first drop of rain to hit after years of a drought.”
I frowned at that smartly worded revelation and pulled my gaze away from his. “I’m not interested in giving up whatever it is your brother might want from me.” Even though I selfishly wanted to know everything there was to know about the enigmatic man who fascinated me.
