Page 28 of Hale

“Don’t watch me,” I grumble.

He laughs but turns away. I quickly peel off my tank and shorts, leaving me in a simple orange bikini. I lose my sunglasses too and head his way. With my arms covering as much as I can, I run past him into the icy water. I screech and stop when I’m waist deep.

“It’s too cold!” I cry out. “Why are we here?”

“You have to get your whole body wet. You’ll get used to it.”

“Fuck no,” I argue, but it’s too late. His strong arm sweeps around my waist and he carries me deep. It’s so cold. “Asshole!”

Then he plunges us under the surface. I thrash to the top and sputter out a bunch of curse words. He flicks his head, sending his brown hair whipping back, and he grins at me. Cute and boyish and sweet. Not at all like a person who just tried to drown me.

“Careful,” he warns. “Don’t go out too far. The current is strong.” He grabs my wrist and pulls me until we can both touch the rocky bottom. His other hand grips my waist when I wobble, but he doesn’t let go. Not that I want him to. The heat from his fingers warms me.

“How’s baseball?” I ask, leaning closer to him.

He lets out a heavy sigh. “Coach Brass has given me lots of time to get my head on straight, but I think his patience is wearing thin. I struck out twice last game.” His brows pull into a frown. “Without Mom and Dad coming to the games, I don’t…I just don’t enjoy it much.”

“Mom would be so proud,” I murmur.

His nostrils flare and he looks away. “No, she’d tell me to get my head out of my ass and hit the damn ball.”

We both laugh because it’s true.

“And Dad would say, ‘Now, Lauren, he’s doing the best he can. Give the kid a break.’” Thoughts of my dad trying to calm my mom down flood through me and suddenly nothing is funny. A whine climbs up my throat.

“Shh,” Hudson murmurs as he pulls me against his chest.

He holds me tight as I soak his chest with tears.

“I miss them.”

“Me too.”

His palms rub my back in a comforting way. I’m immediately distracted from my emotions over my parents because my brother’s big, strong hands feel good against my bare skin.

“Come on,” he says, his voice husky. “Let’s get something to eat.”

I follow him out of the water and watch him efficiently lay out a blanket on the sand. Then, he digs around in the ice chest. He tosses me a bottle of water. I down half the bottle before closing it and sitting on the blanket. Lying back, I shield the sun with my arm and close my eyes.

“You need to eat something.” He sits beside me and water from his body drips onto mine.

“Later.”

He taps a grape to my lips. “Nope. Now.”

I accept the grape and find myself wanting another one. One by one, he alternates feeding us grapes. When he’s satisfied we’ve had enough, he gets up and stuffs them back in the ice chest.

“You’re burning.”

Tell me about it.

“I’m fine,” I murmur.

Something cold squirts across my abdomen and I squeal.

He grins at me. “You need sunscreen.” His smile falls as he begins rubbing in the sunscreen on my stomach.

“Hudson…”