Sea Breeze 03 While It Lasts (12 page)

             
I nodded, “Will do.”

Eva

             
I couldn’t remember what all I’d said to Cage while I was drunk. All I knew was he’d been sweet and I’d slept in his bed s
melling like tequila and an ash
tray. While he’d been out working
this morning
, I’d changed his sheets and made up his bed.  I hated for him to sleep on sheets that smelled like
the inside of a bar
all week.

             
That was the only contact I’d had with him. I was avoiding him. I was sure he knew that too. I
couldn’t help but feel guilty about not taking him water and ice towels b
ut I couldn’t bring myself to face him just yet. Had I snored? God
,
I had probably snored. I didn’t even know if I snored.
Plus,
my breath had to have been atrocious. He’d still let me sleep in his bed with him. How could one girl manage to make such a fool of
herself
so easily? I really should write a book on how to make an ass of
yourself
.

             
Cage hadn’t come looking for me
today
either. He was probably worried I’d think more of what happened than he did. I bet that stupid gorgeous redhead never came to his bed a blubbering idiot and stinking like cigarettes. She just didn’t look the type.

             
I ran out of things to do in town and none of t
he movies playing at the theater
looked appealing. All that was left to do was hideout in the house. Several vehicles pulled into the driveway from the sound of all the gravel. I went over to peek outside and see
what was going on. It was truck
loads of guys.
Lots of guys.
What in the world? I hurried down the steps and to the front porch.

             
Lou
d insults were thrown around along with
a
whole
lot of male laughter and lewd comments. Cage jumped over the fence and a huge grin broke out on his face as the herd of guys made their way down to the barn.

             
They were his friends. That much was clear. He fist bumped a few and made a few comments with
his cocky smirk that I knew were
probably something naughty.

             
“You stay in the house for the next couple of hours,” Daddy said as he walked up the steps of the porch with a frown.

             
“Who are they?” I asked
,
surprised Ca
ge had let a bunch of guys come
see him here.

             
“It’s your Uncle Mack’s baseball team. He sent them here to do a little bonding time with the boy. He
don’t
want him to get his mind off the goal. I told him it’d be okay for a few hours. They’re supposed to take him into town for something to eat and bring him back.”

             
“Can I sit on the porch?” I asked
,
wanting to watch them. It was interesting to watch Cage with his teammates.

             
“I reckon but when they come walking back this way you go on inside.
Ya
,
hear?

             
“Yes, sir,” I replied. He still
treated me as if
I was a sixteen-year-old girl instead of
a
twenty-year-
old woman. Part of it was my fault. I’d been so dependent on Josh that when he died
I’d
crumbled. Daddy had to take care of me like I was a child again. I didn’t remember to eat. I didn’t answer phone calls. I didn’t go anywhere. I gave him complete control over my life.  My age didn’t mean anything to him.  He still thought he had to take care of me. Until I moved out I knew he would always feel that way.

             
A loud whistle broke into my thoughts and I gazed back down toward the barn to see three of the guys sitting on the back of the farm truck staring up at me.

             
The blond one with long hair pulled back into a ponytail was prettier than the others and he knew it. The flirtatious grin o
n his face and tilt of his head
made it apparent,
he really thought I’d just go walking down there because he whistled at me. Maybe all baseball players were full of themselves.

             
Cage came walking out of the barn and his eyes locked on mine. He shifted his gaze to the guys on the truck and he gave them a single shake of his head. All three of them said something to him and he didn’t look real happy. But they didn’t look back up here at me. I wondered if he warned them off because I was Coach Mack’s niece or because he didn’t want them flirting with me.

             
Somehow I didn’t think he’d really care if they flirted with me. He was a huge flirt. It was no surprise his friends were too.

             
The guys all started heading back this way now that Cage had on clean clothes. Daddy was back in his office and I wondered if I could get away with sitting in the rocker while the
y
passed by.

             
Cage led the group as they drew closer to the front of the house. I scanned the group and then my eyes came back to him. He was watching me. I felt my face grow warm. What if he talked to me in front of all of them and I said something stupid and they all laughed at me? I decided I
had
better do what daddy said after all. Turning I grabbed the door handle and rushed inside.

             
I walked over to the fridge
for a
glass of water
.
I hated that something as stupid as a bunch of guys made me nervous.  There was a knock on the screen door then it opened up a crack and Cage stuck his head in.

             
“Hey, you okay?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.

             
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied
,
quickly feeling silly for running inside.

             
“I’m sorry about the guys. They didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was getting a shower so I didn’t know they were bothering you.”

             
He had been worried about them making me uncomfortable? That was … sweet.

             
“Oh. No. It was fine. I don’t even know what they said.”

             
A crooked grin flashed on his face, “Probably a good thing. You sure are a pretty picture standing on the porch in them shorts. Can’t say I blame them for staring.”

             
My face felt flushed and a horn blared outside. “I
gotta
go. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

             
I nodded and he stepped back and let the screen door close. Then he winked at me before turning and walking away.

Eva

I pulled the truck up to the lake and grabbed my tow
el
and iP
od. I intended to
lay
o
ut for a couple hours and even take a swim. I didn’t want to go back into town today. There was nothing left for me to buy
.
E
very movie
they were playing at the theater
I’d watched
with
in
the last forty-eight hours.

             
I straightened
my towel out on the thickest pat
c
h of grass. I checked to make sure there were no snakes hiding out nearby. Growing up in the country I’d learned a long time ago that snakes could be anywhere. Once I was sure I was nice and safe, I stuck my
earbuds
in and put my “after Josh” playlist on. I didn’t actually title it my “after Josh” playlist. It was just how I thought of it. All the playlist
s
I’d had before reminded me of him. So, I’d found songs by artist
s
we’d never listened to together and made myself a
compilation
of songs that didn’t remind me of him at all. It was the only way I’d been able to start listening to music again.

             
I knew that Daddy and Jeremy both hoped I’d pick up my guitar again but I knew that would never happen. The day I’d finally brought it back out of the closet and stood it in the corner where I’d used to keep it Jeremy had been all smiles. Until, he realized I wasn’t actually
going to
play it. Every song I’d ever written had something to do with Josh. Even the ones that weren’t love songs, Josh was in there somewhere. He was always my inspiration. I coul
dn’t play it now. Not w
ith him gone, i
t just never felt right.

             
At least I’d let music back into my life. That was a step I never thought I’d manage. Growing up with music as my second love, behind Josh of course, I’d always thought it would be my future. Somehow
,
I’d do something with my songs and ability. I knew now that I’d lost that love too. It was only a painful reminder now.

             
Rough fabric brushed my leg and I sat straight up ready to scream when my eyes locked on a very amused Cage. Reaching up I jerked my ear buds out and scowled at him. “You scared me! “

             
Cage tried to hold in his laughter but his eyes were twinkling with it. “Yeah, sorry about that. I tried talking to you but when you didn’t respond I figured you were either sleeping or that music was turned up real damn loud.”

             
“What are you doing here?” I snapped.
I was irritated. Mostly at myself but he didn’t know that.

             
“Well, I was riding back here to take a swim because it’s hot and I come upon you laid out here in a tiny hot pink bikini. I’m a man
,
sugar and I couldn’t resist the view.”

             
I stared down at myself then bac
k at him. He liked what he saw?
I could not smile. I could not smile. I’d look like an idiot.

             
“Why d
on’t you go for a swim with me?
I’ll even leave my boxers on.”

             
Swim with Cage.
Um. This was probably a bad idea.

             
“I don’t know…”

             
Cage stood up and be
g
an lifting his shirt off over his head and all thought
w
as lost. Was that a
barbell
in his nipple?

             
“What is that?” I asked
,
unable to take my eyes off the small silver
bar
that was
definitely
attached to his hard tanned
pec
.

             
“It’s a piercing
,
sweet Eva. Now get your sexy ass up and go swim with me. You
gotta
be hot.”

             
I shook my head still trying to figure out when he’d gotten a nipple pierc
ing. “I’ve never seen it before,
” I finally stated.

             
Cage let out a small sexy laugh, “Yeah, I know. I don’t figure your daddy would be real keen on me having a nipple
pie
r
cing
. I keep it out for the most part while I’m here.
But I put it in last night
and
I
just
forgot to take it out this morning.”

             
Here
I always thought a guy getting his nipple pierced was gross.
Th
is
was so
not
gross.

             
Cage began unlacing his work boots and I watched as he slipped them off. When his hands went to his jeans I knew I should stand up a
nd act like this wasn’t a strip
tease but tearing my eyes away from watching Cage York strip was just about impossible.

             
“You
gonna
get up and join me or am I
gonna
have to pick you up and throw you in?”

             
When Cage’s jeans
slid down
his hips and the dark blue of his boxers started to show I jumped up and swung my gaze away from Cage
to look
out at the water.