Grave Concerns (6 page)

“See, boys, it can work out for you if you play the game right,” Nick teased. “You just have to pick a girl your own age first – one who isn’t already taken – and then wait ten years for it to work out.” Nick used his fake stern voice to hammer home the message.

“I’m Howard Martin.” The man introduced. “I’m really sorry that my boys are such … demented perverts.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Maddie replied. “It seems to be the theme of the day.”

“Well, thank you,” Howard said. “With the ruckus they just made, though, I don’t think we’re going to be catching any fish. I guess it’s going to be baked beans tonight, boys, and you have no one to blame but yourselves.”

“We have plenty of fish,” Maddie offered. “We also have other stuff to eat. You’re welcome to join us.”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, nodding his head. “My whole family is out here camping together. We have potato salad, fish, hot dogs, hamburgers, and fresh watermelon. My brother will also be putting on a dance clinic later.”

Howard wasn’t convinced. “I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing,” Nick argued. “There might even be some age-appropriate girls back at the camp for the boys to toss into the water.”

Kevin brightened. “Are they related to her?”

“Alas, they’re related to me,” Nick said, grinning. “Don’t worry. Something tells me you’ll find someone cute to focus your attention on no matter what.”

“So, um, how does everyone know each other?”

After twisting Howard’s arm for another five minutes – Kevin and Kyle enthusiastically participating – the man agreed to go back to camp for dinner.

He was greeted with wide arms and enthusiastic smiles, while Kevin and Kyle were the main source of interest for Hayley and two of her female teenage cousins. There was a lot of whispering and giggling going on – and it wasn’t just the girls.

“Well, most everyone here is my family,” Nick explained, rubbing his thumb over Maddie’s knuckles as he held her hand on the picnic table bench. “John and Kelly are my brother and sister and everyone else are aunts, uncles, and cousins.”

“Except for Maddie,” Howard prodded.

“Except for Maddie,” Nick conceded. “She’s in a class all by herself.”

“I’ve noticed,” Howard said, chuckling hoarsely. “I think all the boys here have noticed, too.” He inclined his chin in the direction of Kyle and Kevin, who had made fast friends with Ryan and Tyler. “They all seem quite … enamored … with Maddie. When you have a seventeen-year-old and a fifteen-year-old you’re used to constant crushes. I was relieved to find out Maddie’s not related to anyone by blood. That was going to make for some uncomfortable dinner conversation.”

John snorted as he sat down next to Howard. “Yes, Maddie’s appearance at camp has thrown everyone for a loop,” he said. “I’m not sure we’ll ever be the same.”

“Oh, something tells me you’ll survive,” Nick said. “You have to, in fact. You need to teach the kids our ceremonial dance this evening.”

John scowled. “I still think you cheated.”

After counting up the fish bounty, Sharon declared Nick and Maddie winners by a whopping five fish. John was flabbergasted. For his part, Chester merely shrugged and retired to a canvas chair with a bottle of beer. His only complaint was not getting to fish with Maddie – and missing the moment she got wet in the river.

“We did not cheat,” Nick countered. “We won fair and square. I am the better fisherman. You have to admit it and worship me the entire week because I’ve earned the crown.”

Maddie cleared her throat and arched a challenging eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, love,” Nick said, patting Maddie’s head. “I’ll loan you my crown.”

“You didn’t catch all those fish,” Kevin said, appearing at the edge of the table. “Are you telling this dude you caught all the fish? You know we saw you fishing, right? You didn’t even bait your own hook. You made the hot girl do it.”

Nick extended a finger. “Hey! Who got you a nice dinner?”

Maddie giggled as John turned his attention to Kevin. The boy was fifteen and just getting a handle on his hormones. He was a ball of energy and Maddie enjoyed watching him roughhouse with the other boys, although she wasn’t thrilled with his method of roughhousing with her.

“Tell me more about the fishing that you saw, Kevin,” John ordered. “Did my brother catch any fish or did Maddie do all the work?”

“Maddie did all the work.”

“I knew it!” John hissed, swiveling toward Nick. “Our bet is null and void. You didn’t catch any of those fish.”

“I caught eight of those fish,” Nick argued.

“You had twenty-three of them. Are you telling me Maddie doubled your count?”

“I … .” Nick broke off, rubbing his jaw. “That is kind of embarrassing. I didn’t look at it that way.”

“Why is that embarrassing?” Maddie challenged. “I’m great at catching fish.”

“And you look good doing it, too,” Kevin said, winking.

Maddie found his flirting attempt cute. “Thank you, Kevin.”

“Hey, Kevin, she’s my girl,” Nick said. “You don’t get to flirt with my girl … especially after you turned on me in favor of my brother.”

“I think she could be my girl some day,” Kevin said, his smile impish. “I’ll be old enough for you in three years. You can wait that long for me, can’t you?”

Maddie smiled. “I don’t know. What do you plan on doing for a living?”

“I’m going to be a cage fighter.”

Maddie’s eyebrows knit together. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Danger is my middle name,” Kevin replied, puffing his chest out. He was fifteen, but he was still mostly arms and elbows.

“I think you’re better off finding a girl your own age and wooing her,” Sharon said, moving toward the table with a cookie sheet full of fish. She dumped it on the table between Nick and John. “You two need to clean the fish.”

Nick scrunched up his face. “We caught them. Why do we have to clean them?”

“Because I’m doing all the cooking,” Sharon replied. “Do you want to get up early and do all the cooking? Do you want to clean the dishes?”

“No.”

“Then you’re going to clean the fish,” Sharon said, turning back to Kevin. “Look at these two.” She gestured at Nick and Maddie. “They were best friends since the first day of kindergarten. They spent years running around the woods together. Then, once senior year hit, Nick finally realized Maddie had boobs and he wanted to be more than best friends.

“It took them ten years, but they’re finally together,” she continued. “And look how cute they are? My grandchildren are going to be stunning.”

“Mom,” Nick muttered, exasperated. “What did I tell you about bringing up kids?”

“I can’t recall,” Sharon replied, batting her eyelashes. “As I get older I find that my memory lapses grow wider.”

“Especially when you don’t want to remember things,” John pointed out.

Sharon cuffed her oldest son. “You can help your brother with the fish.”

“Mom, I don’t like cleaning fish,” John complained. “You know it grosses me out. I like catching them and eating them. That’s it.”

“I can clean them,” Howard offered, enjoying the banter. “I don’t mind. You guys are feeding us, the least I can do is clean the fish.”

“That’s not your job,” Sharon countered. “You’re our guest. Your only job is enjoying yourself. Nick and John will clean the fish.”

Nick waited for his mother to disappear before turning to Maddie. “I will buy you a car if you clean these fish.”

Maddie sighed, resigned, and held out her hand for the knife. “You’re going to be massaging me for hours tonight. You realize that, right?”

“That’s a job I have no problem doing.”

“I’ll help him,” John offered.

“I’ll supervise,” Kevin chimed in, his eyes wide.

“You have quite a way with the boys,” Howard said, smirking. “How does it feel to be the most popular woman at camp?”

“Ironically it feels a lot like gutting fish,” Maddie said, plunging the knife into a trout gullet and causing Nick and John to make disgusted noises. “It does have its perks, though.”

“YOU
have to go first.”

“No, you have to go first.”

“I don’t want to go first.”

“You’re the boy,” Hayley said, hands on hips. “You have to go first. It’s the rules. I don’t make them. I do have to follow them, though.”

Maddie watched the teenage drama play out with a half smile. The teenagers cavorted by the riverbank as John taught his smallest minions the finer points of the Winters’ fire dance. He even took his shirt off and made war paint, making sure he was in character for the lesson. Despite his earlier words, Maddie had a feeling he was enjoying himself.

“What are you doing, love?” Nick asked, moving up behind Maddie and kissing her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and studied the teenagers. “What are they doing?”

“Debating who is going to start the game of Spin the Bottle first.”

Nick balked. “Some of those kids are only thirteen,” he said. “They’re too young to play.”

“There’s also adults everywhere,” Maddie reminded him. “They’re not really going to play. They’re going to dare one another to be the first to start the game until one side folds. Don’t you remember being that age?”

“Vaguely,” Nick replied. “Actually, I remember thirteen and fourteen being really rough ages. By the time I hit fifteen things were okay again. Thirteen and fourteen sucked, though.”

“I hated every age between twelve and seventeen,” Maddie admitted.

“Why? I thought you were adorable.”

That was a lie and they both knew it. “Nicky, I could’ve been the before picture in a Clearasil ad.”

“I … well … .” Nick brushed his lips against Maddie’s cheek. “That’s a teenager thing. I had zits, too.”

“You had zits for exactly two months and then they cleared up,” Maddie reminded him. “I had them for five years.”

“And then they cleared up and you developed boobs in the same summer,” Nick said. “You came back to school looking like a model.”

“I think you’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not exaggerating, love,” Nick said. “Every guy in that school wanted you.”

“You didn’t,” Maddie countered. “It took you forever to even notice that I had boobs.”

“And when I did, what happened?”

“Are you going to tell that funhouse story again?” Maddie asked, wrinkling her nose. “That story makes me feel … weird.”

“You don’t like that story? Come on! We were seventeen. We were in the funhouse at the fair. You got scared and threw yourself on me. Out of nowhere I realized your boobs were huge. I was instantly in love.”

“I think we need a more romantic story than that to mark our love,” Maddie countered.

“That’s what happened, though.”

“I know. It’s just … I’d been trying to get you to notice me for a week before then. That’s why I bought that stupid bikini.”

Nick stilled. This was the first time she’d mentioned anything of the sort. “You bought a bikini because you were trying to get me to notice you? That’s kind of cute.”

“It had daisies on it.”

“I remember.”

“You do not,” Maddie argued. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“It was black with pink daisies,” Nick interjected. “It was a string bikini on top and it had a full bottom. I was very disappointed you didn’t go with a skimpier bottom.”

“I … .” Maddie swiveled. “Do you really remember that?”

“I remember everything,” Nick reminded her. “That was the day I first noticed how toned your abs were. Well, to be fair, I noticed how toned they were the day before when we were wrestling on the window seat and my hand slipped under your shirt. That’s when I realized I needed to get a better look at them and that’s why I suggested going swimming the next day.”

“No way.” Maddie’s heart flipped. “Are you being serious?”

“That’s also the day your mother sat me down for a little chat,” Nick said, his mind wandering back to a fond memory.

“She did? She never told me about a chat.”

Olivia Graves was Maddie’s only parent. Well, Maddie supposed she had a father out there somewhere. He took off when Maddie was still an infant. Olivia gave Maddie her maiden name and erased all signs of her father after that. Maddie never missed what she didn’t have because Olivia was such a great parent.

“She explained that we should probably … cut down … on the wrestling for the time being,” Nick said, chuckling. “She said she knew what was going on and she didn’t think you were ready for any wandering hands. She wasn’t angry or anything. She was just kind of … resigned.

“She told me you had a fragile heart and I should be really careful about breaking it,” he continued. “She also told me that I wasn’t allowed up in your bedroom when she wasn’t home from that day forward. Now that I think back on it, she was probably right. My hands would’ve definitely gotten away from me if we were alone up there.”

“I like that story,” Maddie said, smiling. “It’s much better than the one about my boobs in the funhouse.”

“Oh, they’re both good stories,” Nick said, brushing his lips against Maddie’s neck. “I don’t suppose you’re ready to go back to the cabin, are you? I think I owe you a massage … and maybe some s’mores.”

“I’ll take the massage and put off the s’mores until tomorrow.”

“Sold,” Nick said, kissing Maddie again. “Come on. I’ll make sure to lock the door and close all the curtains so we don’t have any unwanted guests tomorrow morning.”

“Does that mean you have plans for tomorrow morning?”

“Love, I have plans for the rest of our lives,” Nick said, twining his fingers with Maddie’s. “I have so many plans you’re going to lose your mind. I am the king of plans. I am … .” Nick pulled up short as two figures took shape in the darkness.

Kelly chatted amiably with the tall woman as they moved closer and Maddie was confused by the stiff set of Nick’s shoulders.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, man,” Nick muttered. “You have got to be kidding me!”