Protecting You (A McCord Family Novel Book 1) (15 page)

Zane and Austin shared a look as Austin said, "Nope. You have to do it."

Ava rolled her eyes. "What are brothers for if you're not going to bait a hook for me? Jimmy would do it."

Austin grinned as Zane shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And we're both brothers here to you, Ava?" Austin asked with a devilish smile.

Zane glared at him, but Ava looked away when he asked, missing his expression.

"Yeah. Of course." She grabbed the container of worms forcefully. "Fine. I'll do it myself."

Ava pulled the lid off and cautiously picked up a worm as it wiggled in her fingers. She made another funny face and grabbed the hook that was dangling from her fishing rod.

"You look like you're in complete torture. Didn't you deal with blood and other disgusting bodily fluids as a crime scene investigator?" Zane asked with a smirk.

Ava looked at him and cringed. "Yes, but this is totally different. That I can handle with ease. This is a worm."

Austin and Zane busted out laughing at her discomfort. They watched as she tried putting the worm on the hook, but she kept hesitating as it wiggled uncontrollably for her. She finally managed to get it on just a teeny tiny bit, sighing in relief. She looked up at them as they laughed at her again.

"The way you have it on, it'll probably fall off as you cast it out into the water," Austin said.

"Then do it for me," Ava cried as she held the rod out to him.

Austin shook his head no. "Cast away. Good luck fishing."

Zane couldn't help it and slid the worm on a little bit more for her. "There you go, honey. Just watch me as I cast my line. Do as I do it."

Ava smiled at him. Austin rolled his eyes at their obvious attraction and cast his line without another thought.

Zane cast his line to show her and was pleasantly surprised when she did it decently on the first try. They all sat in silence for a while when Ava spoke. "Is this all we do? Sit here with the line in the water?"

Austin grinned. "Relaxing, isn't it?"

"No, not really. I want a fish to bite my line."

"Patience. They will," Zane said.

"If they don't?" Ava asked.

"We go home hungry. Defeated. Beaten down by the fishies in the water," Austin said with mock humor.

Ava laughed. "I refuse to be defeated by a fish. We won't be leaving until I catch at least one."

"We'll stay here all night if that’s what it takes," Zane said with a smile.

Ava grabbed a beer from the cooler and handed them each one as well. She popped it open and took a long drink. "Good. I'm holding you to that."

She went back to watching her line intensely. Austin leaned over and whispered in Zane's ear. "You have it so bad for her, it's not even funny. Did you tell her you love her yet?"

Zane turned his head slowly and whispered as he glared at his brother. "Remember the pig shit I threw at you? I have no problem tossing you into the water and leaving your ass to swim back to shore."

Austin laughed, but leaned back nonetheless. Because Zane wasn't kidding.

Zane glanced back at Ava as she sat intently watching her line. She had a happy anticipatory expression on her face, ready for the fish to attack her line. He grinned at her cuteness. She sat with her rod hanging over the side of the boat, her feet lightly resting on the inside. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes not wavering from the bobber floating freely on the lake.

He shifted slightly in his seat as he looked at her. The glorious sight of her body soaking in the hot sun. The way her shorts rode up, showing more of her thighs than he wanted to see, begging him to touch her. Her tank top was tantalizingly too short. Her cleavage peeked out at him, making him wish she had the swimsuit on. He wanted to see more. He knew exactly how they felt against his chest; he ached to feel them against his hands. Her skin shined in the bright sunlight, soft, luscious.

She started tapping her feet to some beat going on in her head. His eyes beamed in on them, taking his sweet time perusing her body as he went from her sweet, succulent breasts to her pink toenails sparkling like the water. He loved every delicious inch of her body. This was going to be the longest fishing trip he had ever been on. He created this torture by suggesting the trip.

"You keep looking at her like that and she's going to figure out how you feel," Austin whispered in his ear.

Zane sucked in a quick breath at being caught staring at her, abruptly turning his eyes away and glared at Austin. "How'd you like that swim now?"

Austin just grinned and leaned back into his chair.

An hour went by before she noticed a small tug on her line. She slapped Zane's knee a little. "My line moved. It just moved," she said excitedly.

Zane sat up straighter, motioning for her to reel it in. "Pull it up, to hook the fish and reel it in."

Ava did as she was told and started tentatively reeling it. Zane looked at her and said, "A little faster, Ava. You don't want it to get away."

Ava reeled it faster, and before long, a wriggling fish was dangling from her line. "I did it! I did it! Look how big it is. Is it a northern?" she asked, the excitement clear on her face.

Zane laughed. "No. That's a sunny. Not as big as the one Jimmy caught in that picture. This isn't too bad of a size either. Almost the size of your dainty hand. I've seen them bigger."

"Hey, don't knock my fish's size down," Ava said with a frown.

"Pull it over the boat before it drops back in the water already." Austin gestured to the fish that dangled helplessly as it tried wriggling to get away.

Ava pulled the fish into the boat and looked at them. "Take it off."

Austin grinned. "It's your fish." He grabbed Zane's arm before he could help her. "It's her fish."

Zane rolled his eyes at Austin. "Just grab it, pushing the fins down as you do so they don't poke you. It can hurt. Then gently take the hook out."

Ava made a gross face again and tried grabbing for the fish. It took her a few attempts, finally grabbing a hold of it. She gently took the hook out and screamed in delight. "This is so gross, but cool. My first fish ever."

Austin nodded at Zane as he pulled his phone out and sat down by Ava. Zane went to her other side as Austin said, "Hold your fish up and everyone smile." He took a picture as Ava sat in the middle of them, holding her fish up with pride. Just like the picture hanging in her room, with Austin, Zane and Jimmy, who held his fish up.

As soon as they sat back down in their seats and Austin was about to grab for a bucket, Ava threw her fish back in the water. "What are you doing?" Austin cried. "There just went our supper."

"I know, but I felt bad. It spoke to me while I held it. I can't eat my first fish I ever caught."

"Can you at least eat your second fish you catch? Or will we be going home hungry?" Austin asked dryly.

Zane leaned back and smiled. "If we even catch another today, it's been pretty slow out here. That was the first bite we had."

Austin leaned back, too. "Good point. At least we won't have to stay all night anymore. Ava caught a fish." Austin grinned as Zane glared at him again, making a motion to get up and throw him in.

***

Zane had his arm around Ava as she laid her head on his chest, lightly tracing his fingers over her back. He could feel her soft skin for the first time. She just had to wear a spaghetti strap nightgown instead of a t-shirt-like one. Driving him insane didn't even begin to describe how he felt. Just as it had this afternoon as she laid stretched out in her chair in that tight little tank top she wore—pure torture. Her skin was just as soft as he imagined.

They had already shared a story about Jimmy. He had told her about the time Jimmy missed the bus to school. Zane had been in high school then and driving already. He remembered how excited Jimmy had been to get a ride from him. Their schools weren't close to each other and it had been out of Zane's way.

***

"This is so cool, Zane," Jimmy exclaimed. He rode in the front, trying to sit in the exact same way as Zane.

Zane was leaning back, a little to the left with one hand resting on the wheel and the other gently on his knee.

"I hope you didn't miss the bus on purpose so I would take you to school," Zane said seriously, although grinning inside. He enjoyed seeing his excitement sometimes. Reminded him when he was that young and adulthood wasn't looming in his face as it was now.

"No. Honest, Zane, I didn't. I couldn't find my paper for English and Mrs. Tway gets real mad when you don't turn things in on time. By the time I found it, the bus was just pulling away. Eleanor already took Austin to school for football practice, otherwise I would've asked her," Jimmy replied apologetically.

Zane reached over and ruffled his hair. "It's alright, Jimmy. I'm not mad. It's not that far out of my way. That one Henry kid isn't still picking on you, is he? I can have a little talk with him while I'm there."

Jimmy turned his head as he flushed red. "Na. He ain't picking on me no more."

"Jimmy, you wouldn't lie to me, would you? I won't let anyone pick on you. Ain't ain't a word either." Zane grinned as Jimmy risked a look at him.

"Sorry, I forgot. He isn't picking on me," Jimmy said, correcting himself. "I wouldn't lie."

"I know. Maybe withhold the truth because it's embarrassing. You're my little brother and I won't let anyone treat you like that. You have to learn to stand up for yourself. How are you going to be a cop if you can't stand up to a bully?" Zane asked as he turned on his blinker and made a right.

Jimmy got a wistful look on his face. "I'll be able to be a cop. I just know I will be. In New York City. Ain't no other place like New York to be a cop," Jimmy said, then saw Zane's disapproving look again. "Sorry. There isn't any other place like New York."

Zane grinned. "You'll learn sooner or later. Why New York? What's wrong with here?"

"Nothing, Zane. Nothing at all. It's just my dream is all. Don't you have any dreams?"

"Yeah, running the farm."

"Yeah, I suppose I can see that. You love being out in the barn, in the fields. I don't as much. I can't wait to leave. You can visit me, though. You'll see how I'll lock all those bullies up. I won't let anyone bully me."

"Yeah, well you have to start with the small bullies first. He's still picking on you, isn't he?" Zane asked again, the look saying Jimmy better come clean or else.

Jimmy hung his head slightly. "Maybe. He stole my lunch money yesterday. I can handle it, I swear. I can."

Zane nodded. "You handle it today, then, Jimmy. If not, I'll be handling it tomorrow for you, whether you like it or not. Nobody picks on my little brother."

***

"Zane? Did you hear me, or are you ignoring the question?" Ava asked.

She trembled in his arms. What did she say? "Sorry, Ava. I was lost in thought. What did you ask me?"

Ava sucked in a small breath and blew it out slowly. "What happened in the barn yesterday with Austin?"

Zane tensed, then slowly relaxed. This was their safe zone. They could talk about anything here. He could do this. Should she finally know how he felt? He couldn't take the torture anymore. He just couldn't.

"What do you mean what happened? Nothing happened," Zane replied, changing his mind at the very last second.

"I find that hard to believe. I asked Austin when he walked in why he had manure all over him and he said to ask you. That you would know. He said to ask you…while we were in bed together." Ava whispered the last part.

Zane inhaled sharply and swore he'd beat Austin for saying that. He was forcing Zane to share his feelings with her. Austin was in for it tomorrow. The pig manure wouldn't be even close to what he would do to him when he saw him in the morning.

"Zane?"

"He came to my room a couple nights ago and knew I wasn't in there. He heard us talking and asked me if I was sleeping with you. That's it, nothing more."

"That's it? Nothing more happened? What did you say to him? Or what did he say to you to get manure thrown at him?"

Zane clenched a fist and then instantly relaxed his fingers. He continued to rub her back, her soft skin teasing him. "I told him I was sleeping with you, but just sleeping. Nothing more. I told him it helped you at night with the nightmares. Told him about those, too. He understood the reasoning. He was just worried about you is all."

"That's it?"

"Well, what else do you want me to say?"

"The truth." She moved away from him, slightly out of his arms.

"The truth? You want the damn truth?" he snapped.

"Yes. I thought that's what we did here. We told each other the truth."

"Okay. Then tell me the truth. Am I just a brother to you?"

Ava started shaking as the shock shattered across her face from the question. "You answer my question first and then I'll answer yours. It's only fair. I asked first," she said unsteadily.

Zane grounded his teeth together. "Fine." He took a deep breath to collect himself and figured nothing in the world could calm him down from this. "When he asked if I slept with you I told him no, it was nothing intimate. Just sleeping. I added…I added that it kills me to sleep here at night with you because I want to do so much more. You have no idea the torture I'm in when you're lying in my arms and I can't show you how I truly feel because I'm just a damn brother-like figure to you."