“I wish I was that creative, but the truth is, you looked hot strutting into the water, and I just couldn’t resist picking you up.”
Wow, she loved hearing that.
He kissed her quickly and she dropped her inner tube, then lifted her under her arms and set her on it. “Now stop trying to get into my bathing suit and let’s enjoy the water before it’s pitch-dark.”
“You’re a pain.”
He hopped onto his inner tube and reached for her hand. “Never said I was easy.”
She laid her head back and closed her eyes as they drifted around the cove. “Everyone knows Sam Braden is easy.” She opened one eye, peering at his suddenly clenched jaw, and chided herself for the comment. “But I know the real Sam, and he’s more complicated than a Rubik’s Cube.”
Chapter Twenty
SAM AND FAITH floated around the cove, warmed by what was left of the retreating sun. Their voices were joined by the peaceful sounds of leaves rustling as the evening breeze swept over them and the water lapping at their inner tubes. Sam’s eyes were closed, and he looked more at home on the water than he did on land.
Faith squeezed his hand, bringing his eyes to hers. “How did you end up with Rough Riders? Did you always know you wanted to do that kind of work?”
“I’ve always loved the water, rock climbing, skydiving. Just about any high-adventure sports. In college I studied geology and environmental engineering, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and appeasing my parents with a degree, of course.”
“Your parents seem really nice, though I don’t know them that well.”
“You will,” he said easily, warming her from head to toe. “My dad’s ex-military, and, well, my mom is anything but. Dad was steadfast about each of us earning degrees, and he really wanted us to follow in his military-career steps, but I knew that wasn’t for me. I’m too rebellious, too restless. Nate”—his tone turned thoughtful and slightly pained—“was the only one who was wired for that type of life.”
She knew about Jewel’s brother being killed overseas, and she’d heard that Nate blamed himself, though she didn’t know the whole story.
“Anyway, I tried internships in both geology and engineering, but I wanted more. As childish as it sounds, I didn’t want someone else directing my days.”
“That’s not childish. It sounds like you knew yourself well enough even then to know what would make you happy.”
“I wasn’t as focused as I could have been. I spent a year after college going on as many treks as I could, backpacking, staying at hostels, camping out. I was hiking the Colorado Mountains with my cousin Wes, who lives out that way, and he was the one who suggested I look into adventure companies. At that time Rough Riders was just a boat rental business with five kayaks. Not much to it.”
He pulled her inner tube against his. “You felt too far away.” Smiling as he held their inner tubes together, he said, “I met with the guy who owned the place, and he was looking to retire. He didn’t want much for the business, because it barely earned anything.”
“Weren’t you afraid of failing? Of risking your money?”
He shook his head. “Fear never entered the picture. I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to dive in and make it my own. Ty was nineteen or so at that point, but he’d been climbing for years, and he and I had spent summers together going on excursions from the time he was a teenager. He helped me tremendously when I first started, outlining what type of adventures to offer, where to go, what to accept, where to draw my lines. Even back then he was like an encyclopedia of knowledge. He’s so freaking smart he blows my mind.”
She knew he and Ty were close, but she’d had no idea how deep their friendship went. “So you just dove in? Your parents didn’t try to talk you out of it?”
“Pretty much. I don’t think my dad was thrilled with my choice, but he knew me well enough to realize if he tried to talk me out of it, it would only make me want it more. He told me what to expect as a business owner. Who knows? Maybe that was his way of trying to talk me out of doing it, or maybe he was just laying the truth out for me. I expect it was the latter. He gave me all sorts of resources and networks to learn about seasonal businesses and the impact of recessions on companies like mine. It was all very valuable information, and it helped me circumvent many of the pitfalls.”
“And your mom?” Maisy Braden had stolen Faith’s heart when she’d lain her own on the line. Please don’t break my boy’s heart. He’s tough as nails, but he’s also sweet as sugar.
Sam turned his face up toward the sky with a sigh. “My mom has always told us that no matter what we do, we have to love it. As focused as my dad is on career stability, my mom’s focus is on personal happiness. They complement each other well.”
When he turned his warm eyes back to Faith, they were filled with emotion. She didn’t want to go a day without seeing that look in his eyes.
“Tell me about the adventure side of the business,” she said, realizing she knew almost nothing about what his business entailed beyond boating.
“I host all sorts of expeditions, mostly on the off-season. Mountain treks, climbs, camping trips, rafting excursions.”
“So, you travel a lot?”
“Some months more than others.”
She nodded, feeling her heart crack open at the thought of missing him while he was away.
“Hey.” His voice turned thoughtful. “We’ll figure this out. It’s not like I’m gone all the time. Sometimes just two or three nights. I’ve got a buddy, Cal, who helps me with the trips out West, and now that Tex is on board, I don’t have to go on every trip.”
“I don’t want to change your business, Sam. I can deal with you being away. I’ll stock up on ice cream and try not to think about you out on some mountain, or river, with damsels in distress vying for your attention.” She shifted her eyes away, her stomach clenching at the thought.
“Hey, Braden’s Girl,” he said with such a loving tone, it drew her attention.
The look in his eyes filled the crack in her heart. Every time she doubted him, one look into his honest eyes told her it was a wasted emotion.
“This shouldn’t be a deal breaker, Faith. I want this to work between us, and I’ll do whatever it takes. And as far as girls go, I don’t mix that type of pleasure with those trips. I never have, and you can thank Cole for that. He pounded that into my head when I first bought Rough Riders.”
She imagined her boss—smart, professional, caring Dr. Braden—giving Sam life lessons on business and sex. It was a strange thing to imagine, but what was even odder was the thought that Sam would have listened to anyone where women and his very active sex life were concerned. That told her how much Sam respected Cole and that he’d never put his business at risk, and there was no way she’d ever ask him to.
He sat up, expertly balancing on the inner tube as he leaned in so close she could kiss him if she tried. It was the intense look in his eyes that stopped her from trying.
“I’ve never had a reason to think outside of my original business plans, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t do it. I told you I’d never let you down, and I meant it. There’s never been anything tying me to this area in the off-seasons.” He reached for her hand. “Until now.”
Chapter Twenty-One
SETTLED ON THE blanket as the sun dipped from the sky, Sam poured them each a glass of wine and began unpacking the dinner he’d prepared. He couldn’t stop thinking about his off-season adventure trips and how to make it work now that he and Faith were together. He didn’t want to be away from her for long spans of time, but he didn’t have the answers. Not yet, at least.
“Let’s see. We’ve got summer orzo with shrimp, mixed with vegetables, because food needs color to taste good.” He winked. “Watermelon-cucumber salad, snap peas, radish salad, grown from Tempest’s garden, and French bread. It’s not much, but it’s light and should taste pretty good. And for dessert—” He tossed a pack of Skittles onto the blanket.
“You really do like them?”
He took great pride in saying, “Filter set to honest, as I said.”
“Sam, this looks delicious. You made it? When did you have time?”
“I can’t tell you all my secrets. Besides, I’ll always make time for us.”
She was looking at him like she was seeing him for the very first time, wide-eyed and full of wonder. “You put me to shame. My dinner usually consists of a PowerBar and ice cream.”
“Hey, a guy’s got to learn to fend for himself. Well, that and after spending enough nights living in the woods, you find new pleasures in the little things you took for granted when you had a roof over your head.”
“I bet that year off did wonders for your survival skills. Thank you for going to all of this trouble.” She speared a shrimp and put it in her mouth. “Mm. This is really good.”
They ate and chatted about Sam’s year off after college, and the conversation circled back to Rough Riders. Sam told her about Lira working for him, which she said she’d seen on the Women Against Cheaters website.