Intent(14)

Her eyes narrow and her lips form a thin line, but her gaze never wavers from mine. She doesn’t appear to back down from a challenge of any kind. “I’ll be here through the end of summer.”

“Where’s home?” I ask, still holding her hand.

She takes a deep breath and raises her chin as she contemplates her reply. “Somewhere far from here.” She pulls her hand back and I reluctantly release it.

“How about I cook dinner tonight for you? As a welcome to the neighborhood and thank you for saving my daughter’s life?” I offer.

“No, thank—” she starts but River interjects.

“Yeah! Come over, Waynie. Pwease. For me.”

An odd look crosses Layne’s face, but she quickly covers it with a smile. “You’re spoiled,” she says lovingly to River. “For you, I will.”

“Yay!” River squeals and tries to jump out of Layne’s arms. Layne gets her to the bank just in time for River to take off running across the grass.

“Ah, to have the energy of an almost-four-year-old again,” I chuckle.

“We’d never have to work again if we could bottle it and sell it,” Layne quips.

“Ace, now that you’re all set, I’ll be on my way,” Rose announces. “It’s good to see you again, Layne.”

“You, too, Rose,” she calls back.

When Rose is in her car, I turn back to Layne and extend my arm. “Need some help out of the water?”

Her eyes drop to my outstretched hand, but she doesn’t take it. When she meets my gaze again, I’m sure she’s going to find an excuse to get out of dinner tonight. She doesn’t trust me and she’s not sure she wants to be in my company, but she feels obligated to River. I can see it in her eyes and read it in her body posture.

“I can get out of the water on my own,” she replies. “I’ll have to get cleaned up and change clothes first anyway.”

She turns her back to walk back across the river away from me. “Be careful on those slick rocks.”

“Yeah, I found that out the hard way,” she laughs.

When she reaches the bank on the other side, I feel the need to make a connection with her one more time. “Layne.”

She turns her head and looks at me over her shoulder. “Yes?”

“Don’t stand us up. Dinner will be ready in an hour. We’ll be waiting for you.”

She clenches her jaw, no doubt biting her tongue from being told what to do. She tilts her head slightly and gives me a single nod of agreement before she turns and walks back to her cabin. I snatch River up from where she’s playing in the grass, toss her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and enjoy her squeals of laughter as I walk back to the truck with her.

“What is wrong with my potatoes?” I ask, exaggerating my frustration. “They’re not supposed to move around like this. I’d better take them back to the store for a refund.”

“Daddy!” she giggles. “It’s me, not taters!”

“What?” I ask, faking surprise. “What are you doing in my sack of potatoes?”

“I’m not!” She laughs at our game, and I put her in the front seat beside me.

“Sit down beside me, baby. You can ride right here since we’re in the driveway.”

River snuggles up to my side and I wrap my arm around her. If I’d lost her today, I’d have no reason for living at all. Layne Elliott saved my baby’s life, and I owe her a lot more than a dinner for that. She’s earned my respect for life.

“Are you going to help me make dinner for Layne?” I ask River.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she chants. “I’ll help, Daddy.”

“That’s my good girl.” I smile in response and tousle her hair.





Chapter Five





Layne



“This is ridiculous,” I groan. “I’m only going for dinner because River asked me to.”

I pace back and forth in front of the full-length mirror in the enormous master bedroom. After choosing a simple, summer T-shirt dress, I showered and got dressed, all the while trying to convince myself to just go and get it over with. Now that I have exactly seven minutes before the hour he gave me is up, I’ve changed my mind.

I don’t want to go.

The cabin landline phone rings and I pick it up hesitantly.

“Hello?”

“You have six-and-a-half minutes until dinner is ready. Come on over,” the sexy, deeply male voice commands.

Ace Sharp. Fucking Ace Sharp.

“I’m not so sure—”

“River is mixing the salad for us now. She’s excited to have company.”

Mentally sighing, I fortify my nerves and agree to his demands. “Using your daughter is coercion, you know.”

“Is it working?” he asks lightheartedly.

“It is,” I admit.

“Then it’s an effective tactic. Get your ass over here and have dinner with us.” He chuckles and hangs up the phone.

I can’t help but laugh, too, as I hang up the receiver and start my walk over to his house. It’ll probably take longer than the six-and-a-half minutes he insisted on, but it won’t hurt him to wait a few extra minutes for my arrival. It’s just an added bonus for me that it’ll make him wonder if I’ll actually show up or not. Can’t let him think he gives the orders and I jump, especially after what an ass he’s been to me.