Hold on to Hope

Because I was pretty sure I heard my soul scream with delight, too.

Ten

Evan

Was she for real?

I stole a peek back her direction where she’d pushed to standing and moved over by her and Carly’s tent, two of them whispering their secrets where they were partially hidden by a tree.

Yep.

It was for real.

She was wearing a white bikini.

No big deal, right?

Except unicorns were printed all over it, like they were stamped on.

A statement.

Unicorn Girl.

Hadn’t missed the fact that she was still wearing that necklace, too. Thought she might toss it in a bid to forget me, but nope, there it was, dangling between her tits that were making me insane.

Fuck. I was getting all messed up looking at her.

That body sleek yet toned.

Slim and muscled.

The subtlest curves that I was itching to remember if they were as soft as they looked.

Had to wonder if she was playing some sick game. Tormenting me. Showing up dressed like that, that douche in tow.

Dude was an asshole.

It was my fault. Wasn’t trying to deny it or pretend like I hadn’t caused all of this.

Didn’t mean getting in the middle of it wasn’t about to send me off the edge.

Out in the lake playing, prick had obviously been trying to make it clear that Frankie belonged to him.

Like he was pissing on his property.

Didn’t think he had the first clue what belonging to Frankie meant. That give and take.

The uncontrollable connection.

I glanced back over to where she was in a heated conversation with Carly.

For a beat, those eyes dashed my way. A deeper-colored heat slashed through the hot summer air. My insides clenched in a tight fist.

Guts knotted.

Dick hard at the sight.

Basically, I had been dealing with that same unfortunate predicament since she’d come traipsing down the trail and hit the cove this morning.

All those wild brown curls blowing around her.

That look in her eyes.

Attraction bounding.

Thank fuck she was sharing a tent with Carly and Josiah was sharing one with Jack. Last thing I wanted was to have to commit murder tonight.

A little hand patted my knee.

My attention jerked that way, and a grin was taking to my face.

Affection bounding free. This feeling that I was willing to do absolutely anything to ensure his safety. His happiness.

Honestly, it felt good to get him away from my parents’ house, this place a reprieve from the constant looking over my shoulder.

Every rumble and vibration and shift in the air putting me on edge.

Couldn’t shake this nasty sensation that someone was watching.

Problem was, I didn’t know who it was. If Ashley was some kind of threat or if she was the one being threatened.

If Everett could be in some kind of danger or if it was all just bullshit.

Dad had called his old friend, Seth, who was a cop. I told him everything I knew, and he said he would keep an eye out, told me to be vigilant, but he agreed with Dad. I needed my goddamn name on that birth certificate.

That had to come first.

Everett patted my knee again, and I looked down at my son. An outpouring of devotion flooded out.

Only thing that I made out from the babble was Da.

Was pretty sure it sounded better than a goddamn love song.

“Hey, little man.” My mouth moved with the affection.

“Ehvie, up?” His little arms were over his head, his fingers moving like crazy, kid needing me.

I swung him into my arms and gave him a small toss into the air.

Carefully.

Protectively.

A riot of laughter tumbled from him, the crash of it a thunder I felt against my chest. His joy alive. I was going to be sure that I kept it that way. “Are you done playing ball?” I asked, tucking it between our chests after I shifted him over to my side.

“Milk.” At least that’s what I thought he said.

“Are you hungry?”

He gave me one of his ridiculously cute nods where his head dipped down so low his shoulders went to his ears.

“All right, let’s feed you.”

I headed up to camp where everyone had gathered after the football game.

We’d demolished Uncle Rex’s team. Of course, they weren’t so keen to agree.

“No way, Uncle Ollie. That call was bogus. I totally made it into the endzone.” Preston was facing me, and even if I could have heard him, I thought the words would be slurred with the way he was shoving a hot dog into his mouth while he rambled.

I went to the cooler and grabbed the bag with the containers of food mom and I had prepared for Everett and carried it to the picnic table where the two teams had gathered, everyone hungry after playing in the water all morning.

I situated myself so that I could hear. My eyes flitting between the faces, finding moving mouths, listening to the conversations firing around me the best that I could.