“We’re here,” Becky says, cutting the engine. “Ready to go?”
I look out the windshield and see a group of kids hanging out around the pond that’s more like a small lake. Some I recognize from school, although not all. Not that that’s anything strange. Some are in the water, while others play with the football out on the grass. The group is mixed, with both boys and girls hanging out together. Beautiful girls dressed in bikinis that reveal more than they hide sunbathing on the dock.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I didn’t realize there’d be such a crowd.”
They must have heard the car coming because people are already watching us curiously, Emmett being one of them. I sink my teeth into my lower lip.
This was such a bad idea.
“Oh, that?” Becky shrugs, opening her door. “That’s nothing; usually there are more people.”
Not helping, Becs. Not helping.
“Great.”
Forcing a smile, I get out with Penny following my lead. I watch as she, with the help of Henry, gets out of the car.
“Here you go.” Becky hands me my backpack, in which I quickly put our towels and a quick change of clothes before Becky ushered us out of the house.
“Thanks.” Throwing it over my shoulder, I look at Penny. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Penny tightens her hold on the harness. “Lead the way.”
Before we even get halfway to the pond, Emmett and Miguel are there to greet us.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” Miguel muses, throwing the football in the air and catching it.
Becky crosses her arms over her chest. “Some of us had to pick up company.”
I’m not sure how she does it because I’m at a loss for words.
Holy mother of Jesus, is that what’s been hiding under his shirt? No wonder he’s so cocky.
I mean, I saw him at practice that one time, but looking at shirtless Emmett from a distance versus all up close and personal isn’t nearly the same.
Emmett runs his fingers through his slightly damp hair. He must have already been in the pond at some point earlier today, and a part of me is sad I didn’t get to see it.
How is this guy only seventeen years old? It seems so unfair. Shouldn’t teen years be an ugly duckling phase? Apparently not for Emmett Santiago because he’s as far from an ugly duckling as possible.
Even at seventeen, he towers over most of his classmates. His shoulders are wide, muscles firmly defined, and although there’s no six-pack on his stomach, I swear I can see the slight outline signaling he’s not that far from getting one. His skin is golden, probably from hours spent outside, playing football and helping his family with the ranch, and there is a little patch of dark hair covering his lower stomach and leading into his swim trunks.
“Kate?”
Penny’s voice makes my head snap up, my cheeks heating in embarrassment. “Huh?”
I find four pairs of eyes, five if we count Henry, looking at me curiously. How long was I out? My God, did I stare at Emmett’s stomach as if it was calling my name?
Becky tilts her head to the side. “Are you okay?”
“Yup, fine. Totally fine,” I mumble, hoping I sound half-coherent.
“You sure?” Emmett grins. “You seem a bit flushed.”
I glare at him. “I’m fine.”
He lifts his hands in surrender. “I’m just asking.” His attention shifts to Penny. “I see you brought company. Hey, Little Adams, so nice to see you again.”
Penny shifts in Emmett’s direction, smiling at him. “Hi, Emmett.”
“I hope we’re not intruding,” I say, putting my arm around my sister’s shoulders.
“No way, the more, the merrier. If I’d known you’d be here, I’d have brought Rex too, or is that a no-no?”
“Henry’s working.”
“Poor pup, all work, no play.” Emmett shakes his head. “I hope you at least give him all the treats.”
Penny giggles. “We play when we’re home.”
“And he gets too many treats, courtesy of this little rebel.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Penny giggles, petting Henry between the ears.
“I have no idea what you guys are talking about, I just know it’s freaking hot, and I’m ready to dive in.”
Before I realize what Miguel’s about to do, his hands are around Becky’s waist. He throws her over his shoulder and runs for the pond.
“Miguel!” Becky shrieks. She starts punching his back, but the only thing it does is make her backpack slide down on the ground. “This is a new dress, and I swear to you if you throw me in the water with it on, I’m going to k—”
The words die on her lips as he jumps in the water, Becky in tow.
“Did he—” Penny’s fingers dig into my forearm.
“Mm-hmm…”
Just then, they both surface. Becky pushes her hair out of her face and turns around to Miguel, who’s shaking his head like a dog.
“Kill you,” she hisses, pointing her finger at him. Then she jumps on him, dunking him underwater once again.
“She seems quite serious about it,” I note, my eyes glued to the two of them. Part of me wonders if I should intervene. Nope, I’m definitely not getting in the middle of that.
“Oh, she is serious,” Emmett chimes in. His brows rise as he looks at me. “You wanna go swim?”
Swiftly, I turn toward him. Is he insane?
“No, thank you very much.”
“You sure?” He almost looks disappointed.
“Positive.”
“Oh, well…” Emmett grabs my hand and throws his arm around Penny. “Let’s get you at least settled then.”
“You’re not going to go and help your best friend?”
“With that?” He tilts his head in the general direction of the pond where Becky and Miguel are trying to outmaneuver one another. “Yeah, I think not. He made his bed and all that jazz.”
“Some best friend you are.”
“Becky wouldn’t think so.”
“Well, Becky is acting just a bit crazy.”
“Hey!” the person in question yells. Jumping on Miguel, she dunks him underwater and throws her head back to get her wet hair out of her face so she can glare at me. “I heard that.”
“You were supposed to!” I shout right back.
“I’ll remember that, just so you know.”
“I’m all about getting your revenge, but I draw the line at murder. Maybe you should let him get some air? Torture works better if the person is alive.”
She tilts her head, thinking. “That,” she says and points her finger at me. “That’s the kind of friend I need.”
I chuckle at her, shaking my head. Peering over my shoulder, I look at Emmett. “Seriously, what kind of people do you hang out with?”
His eyes are still glued to his best friends like he doesn’t recognize them. “Sometimes, I wonder too.”
Chapter Sixteen
EMMETT
“You sure you don’t want to dive in to cool off?” I look over my shoulder to where Miguel, Becky, and a few others are playing volleyball in the shallow part of the pond. “They’re not killing each other any longer.”