Swept Away (23 page)

“It seems like a waste to take two cars.” Carson stood in the doorway, keys in hand. “Do you want to ride with me?”

A peace offering. Lily had never been more relieved in her life.

“Yeah, sure.” Lily grabbed her purse. “Why waste the gas?”

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. They were still okay. For now. She’d have six weeks to figure out what she wanted more. A baby? Or Carson? In a perfect world, she’d have both. But if it came down to making a choice, what would she choose?

* * * *

Carson took the last curve before the entrance to Swift River Resort slow, like always. His eye strayed to the fence he’d repaired several times over the last several years.

“See the fence there, right before the turnoff?” Carson pointed to where the wood was new. “Cody took out that section the summer before our senior year.”

“Really?” Lily said. “Were you in the car with him?”

“No. He’d been partying along the river upstream and took that last corner too fast. Plowed right into the fence.” He hadn’t thought about that night, except when some teenager or tourist took that same corner too fast. “Cody called me to come get him. He knew our dad wouldn’t help. I went to pick him up, hoping I could get there before the cops and pass the sobriety test for him. But Travis, the former owner of the resort, made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. He let us work off the damage.”

“Why did you do the work if Cody was the one who wrecked the fence?”

“Because he’s my brother. I wanted to keep an eye on him. Make sure he didn’t screw up.” Carson pulled into the long driveway and made his way to the parking area behind the boat barn. “I didn’t know it at the time, but that night changed our lives. We fixed the fence, did maintenance around the property, and eventually made our way to the river.

“Cody loved the action, the adrenaline of braving the rapids.”

“And what about you?” Lily asked. “What do you love about the river?”

He didn’t even have to think about it. “It felt like home. It’s where I belong.”

Lily didn’t ask why he needed to leave the one place that felt like home, and he was grateful for that. At the moment, he couldn’t answer that question. He just knew he hadn’t been happy. He hadn’t been happy for some time and it was easier to blame Cody than to look in the mirror and find out why. It was easier to blame Cody because it was convenient. He was always there.

And then all of a sudden, Cody was there. He’d marched over to the truck.

Grabbed the driver’s side door handle.

And dragged his brother from the vehicle.

“What the…?” Carson stumbled to the ground.

Cody’s fist connected with Carson’s jaw.

A direct hit. He cocked to hit him again, but Carson ducked out of the way and Cody spun around. Carson’s fist landed squarely on his nose. He heard a horrifying, yet satisfying crunch and Cody stumbled backward crashing into the side of the truck. He wiped his forearm across his face. Blood dripped out of his nose. Broken? Must be. Cody dove for Carson, but he dodged him again.

In the distance, he heard a female voice begging them to stop. Lily’s concern distracted him and Cody rushed at him, slamming Carson into the truck. He got off one or two good punches, in the gut. Carson hit him again, but he avoided his face this time.

Cody reared back, ready to strike, but he was hit with a blast of cold water.

Fisher stood behind Carson with the hose aimed straight at him.

“You too, Fisher?” Cody shook the water out of his eyes. “I thought you, at least, were on my side.”

“I am.” She stopped the spray, but held the hose at the ready. “I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

Too late.

“I’m outta here.” Cody stormed over to his truck and yanked the door open. “You can all go to hell.” He hopped into his truck and without another word, he tore out of the driveway.

Carson ran his hand across his mouth. Blood smeared across his knuckles. From his mouth or his hand? He couldn’t be sure.

“Oh, Carson!” Lily was at his side. “Are you okay? No, you’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.” Carson licked his lip, tasting the sharp tang of his own blood. He was shocked. What the hell had provoked Cody to come at him like that? That kind of rage could only come from one place. Jealousy. No, it was more than that. It was primal. Animalistic. Territorial.

“You’re bleeding. Let me help you.” She reached for him, to wipe away the blood. To comfort him.

“You’ve done enough.” Carson moved away, out of her reach. He grabbed for the door of his truck. With his back turned he said, “You slept with him, didn’t you?”

“What?” Lily’s voice cracked. “I can’t believe you’d even ask me that.”

“I can’t believe you won’t answer.” Betrayal sliced through him. And here he’d thought she loved him. But she’d been playing him for a fool.

He hopped up into the cab, yanked the door shut, and started the ignition. He couldn’t look at her, except to see that she’d stepped back enough for him to drive away.

He’d go after Cody. Maybe his brother would tell him the truth.

He’d already said enough. With his fists.

He wanted to know when? Where? How often? But most of all he wanted to know why? Why would she sleep with both of them? Had she been unable to resist Cody’s charms? Or maybe she’d been using them both. He had no idea how much artificial insemination cost. Maybe she was hedging her bets. If she didn’t know which of them was the father…

What was he thinking? Lily would never do that.

And yet, he’d accused her of sleeping with Cody. What if he was right? Could he look at her and not picture Cody making love to her? Could he touch her and not think about Cody’s hands all over her? Could he love her even if she’d been with the one man he had to share everything else with?

But what if he was wrong?

He’d lose her either way.

* * * *

Lily stood in disbelief as she watched Carson drive away. Cody had come out of nowhere, angry and violent. It was a side she’d never imagined she’d see in either of them. Carson had done a fine job of defending himself. She would have thought he was defending her, too, except for the way he’d spoken to her after Cody took off. He made it sound like the fight was entirely her fault.

Maybe it was. She should have insisted Carson tell Cody sooner. She should have done more to get the two of them to talk.

Now they were both gone.

All she could do was wait. And hope that they had a chance to calm down before Carson caught up with Cody.

She hated this helpless feeling. The man she loved had been in a fight. A no-holds-barred fistfight. She’d never seen anything like it. The blood. The rage. The primal nature of the fight. Two male animals competing over a female. She was the female.

“You okay?” Fisher wound the hose and stood next to Lily, shaking her head.

“Thanks for getting the hose.” Lily was grateful for her quick thinking. “Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t blasted them.”

“Can you believe those two?”

“No.” Lily was pretty shaken up. She’d finally been able to share a breakfast with Carson, and it was about ready to come back up. “Tell me they fight like that all the time. That they’ll be back in a half an hour, laughing, with their arms around each other.”

“I don’t know.” Fisher put her arm around Lily’s shoulder. “I’ve never seen either one of them like that.”

“Great.” Lily’s heart sank. She leaned against her friend. At least she knew if she fell over, Fisher was strong enough to pull her back up.

“Hey, it’ll be okay.” Fisher gave her a quick squeeze. “They’re guys. I’m sure they’ll get over it.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lily straightened. “I really hope you’re right.”

“Until then, it looks like it’s up to us women to hold things together.” Fisher got right to work. She took charge of the guides while Lily went into the office to keep things running.

It wasn’t until late afternoon that Carson returned. He barely glanced at Lily as he slid into his office chair, a look of weary resignation on his face.

“Fisher and the new guides got off without a hitch,” Lily informed him, hopeful the news would relieve some of his burden. “I think they’ll be able to cover until Cody gets back.”

“Sure.” Carson booted up his computer, drumming his fingers on the desk as he waited for it to come to life.

Lily could only imagine what Carson must be feeling. But he didn’t need to tell her he was worried. It showed in every line on his face, in his posture, and in his complete lack of emotion.

“The invoice for the new boats came in.” Over seventeen thousand dollars. Money that was sitting securely in the bank account, and not in the hands of the former bookkeeper.

“Go ahead and pay it in full.” Carson didn’t even glance up from his computer.

“I can do that.” She clicked on the icon to pay the invoice. After loading the check stock in the printer, she ran the day’s payouts.

She wanted to do more. To put her arms around him and assure him that everything would be all right. But every time she approached him, he would back away. Did he honestly believe she’d slept with Cody? Or was he just so worried that he couldn’t let anyone in? Either way it frustrated Lily to know that the time when he needed her most, he shut her out. That hurt even more than the accusation that she’d been with Cody. A lot more.

Lily placed the checks in front of Carson, ready for his signature.

Carson flexed his right hand and groaned.

“Does your hand still hurt?” Lily noticed the scratches on his knuckles. The faint bruise under his left eye.

“I’m fine.” He shook his hand and reached for a pen to sign the checks.

“Sure.” Only a few scratches, an almost-black eye, and maybe some bruises on his ribs where he’d been thrown against his truck. But Lily was more concerned about the injuries she couldn’t see. He was hurt by his brother’s actions, even more so by his disappearance.

Carson cursed under his breath.

“I’m sure Cody is fine, too.”

Carson looked up at her then, with a look of pure anguish on his face.

“He’s probably off somewhere licking his wounds, and when he gets back the two of you can talk.”

“I have nothing to say to him.”

“Really? You think that will help?” Lily wanted to grab him. Shake some sense into him, but he’d been physically assaulted enough for one day. “Maybe if you’d talked to him, told him about…”

“He didn’t want to hear it. Cody’s used to getting his way. And when he doesn’t, he throws a fit. He’s such a child.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t say it, but Cody wasn’t the only one behaving like a child.

Lily stuffed the payments into the envelopes, ran them through the postage meter and placed them in the outgoing mail tray. “Well, I’m done here for the day. Let me know if you hear from Cody.”

“Unless you hear from him first.” He flexed his hand again. Was it still hurting, or did he want to hit something else?

With a heavy heart, Lily walked out of the office. It was only once she got to the parking lot that she realized she didn’t have her car. Well, she wasn’t going to go back to ask Carson for a ride. She’d just have to wait for Fisher to get off the river, and hope she would be willing to drive her home.

* * * *

The weekend passed without any sign of Cody. Tahoe was the obvious choice, but that had been a bust. Carson couldn’t imagine where he could have gone. Vegas, maybe, but the only way to track him for sure would be if he used company cards for gas. He’d log on to the bank’s website when he got into the office.

Carson parked his truck and made his way inside.

“Any word?” Lily surprised him by already sitting at her desk. She’d surprised him by not walking out on him, too, after he’d accused her of sleeping with Cody.

“No. I was thinking he might have used a company card for gas.” Carson approached his desk with caution. He’d been a fool. If she had been with Cody, she wouldn’t be here now. She’d be off with him, wherever. She certainly wouldn’t be here, saving his ass, despite the way he’d treated her.

“I already checked.” Lily shook her head.

“Not surprising.” Carson ran his fingers through his hair. “He always took pride in the fact that he could pay cash for most things. Or with his debit card anyway.”

“Does he get his bank statements through the mail?” Lily asked hopefully.

“I think he accesses everything through his phone.”

“Maybe he didn’t take it, maybe that’s why we can’t get a hold of him.”

“I already searched his room. The whole house.” Carson didn’t have a clue to where Cody could have gone. The only thing missing was a duffel bag, a few T-shirts and shorts, and his life jacket, but it had probably been in his truck when he’d torn out of there.

“What can I do?” Lily asked.

“Nothing.” Carson paced the room. “I feel so helpless. I’ve never gone more than a day without talking to him. Even when we fought…”

“I’m sure he’s just cooling off.” Lily stayed in her seat. “Maybe he’s embarrassed about his behavior.”

“I shouldn’t have been so selfish.”

“You’re entitled to a life of your own.” Lily sounded a little hurt. “And Cody’s entitled to a life of his own. I think you knew that. That’s why you planned your trip.”

“Oh, no. I completely forgot.” Carson stopped in the middle of the room. “They were expecting me. Great. One more person I’ve failed.”

“I’ll call them.” Lily picked up the phone. “I’ll tell them you had a family emergency. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

He gave her the number and walked outside. He couldn’t listen to her make excuses for him. How could he have messed up so completely? All he’d wanted was a little bit of space. What had she called it? A life of his own. Now he had a missing brother, an estranged lover, and a soon-to-be-former friend short a guide for the summer.

* * * *

“Epic Adventures, this is Kayla.” A cheerful voice picked up on the other end. “How can I help you?”

“My name is Lily Price, I’m calling for Carson Swift.”

“Oh my God, we just love Carson!” Kayla gushed over the phone. “From the minute he got here Saturday night, I don’t think we’ve stopped laughing. He’s going to be a great addition to our team. It’s going to be really hard to let him go at the end of the season.”