Briar Valley: The Complete Duet

30. Willow

CHAPTER 30

WILLOW

I WON’T GIVE UP - CHANCE PE?A

Sitting cross-legged by the side of the lake, I stare down at the piece of paper clasped in my hands. Sweat drips down my neck from the relentless sun that’s baked the mountains and woodland until even the wildflowers have wilted.

I’ve tried to start this letter a million times in the past few weeks and I’ve given up just as many times. Pen poised, I bring ink to paper again and beg the words to come.

Something. Anything. Again, nothing happens. How the hell do I even approach this? No matter what I write, this is going to turn into a mess the moment Katie realises who I really am. Words can’t fix what’s been broken.

Hey, I’m the kid that you lost fifteen years ago. I’m back. Surprise! Want to be my mum again?

Yeah, I don’t think so.

Behind me, the sound of Killian’s axe splitting wood fills the peaceful silence. Zach and Micah are working together to cover the exterior of my cabin in bright lantern lights. Since our close call in the city, they’ve all been extra attentive.

For the first few days, we awaited the inevitable fallout. I was convinced my location was blown, and it took a miracle for me not to run again. When Killian threatened to tie me to his bed, I stopped packing my suitcase.

But nothing awful has happened. Mason was simply a close call. He has no idea where I’m staying, and even if he’s spoken to Mr Sanchez, they have no way of tracking us back to Briar Valley.

We’re safe. I have to keep telling myself that. Safe. Safe. Safe. I just wish that I believed it.

“Mummy! I’m home!”

With a squeal, Arianna leaps onto my back. We both end up tumbling through the long grass. When I get her underneath me, I mercilessly tickle her ribcage until she’s screaming for relief, her yellow sundress bunching up her legs.

“You scared me, Ari.”

“I can’t breathe!” she screams.

Relenting, I release her. We’ve rolled down the slope I was perched on in front of the decent-sized lake behind the cabins, the still surface feeding water back down into the valley beneath us.

“Can we go swimming?” she pleads.

“I don’t know, Ari.”

“Please, please, please!”

The summer sunshine has been beating down on the water for weeks. It’s clear too, beyond the odd reed and floating lilypad. The guys have been telling us stories about summer nights spent in the water.

“I don’t want you to be scared.”

“The giant said he would teach me to swim,” she reasons. “I’m not afraid.”

Her pout grows even bigger.

“Killian’s busy right now, Ari.”

“Pretty please? With sprinkles and cherries on top? I want to swim!”

Swinging her back onto her feet, I gesture towards Killian in the distance behind his cabin, studying his huge pile of chopped wood. We’re having another bonfire for the housewarming and he’s in full preparation mode.

“Go and see if the giant is free. If he says yes, then I suppose it’s okay.”

“Yay!” She squeals.

Clapping her little hands together, Arianna races off in a blur of over-excited energy. I try to resume the letter but end up tucking the paper and pen back into the pocket of my discarded denim jacket, a thousand words still unwritten.

Somehow, a letter doesn’t feel quite right. It’s so impersonal for such a life-changing revelation. I don’t even know Katie, but I feel like I owe her more than that. Even strangers deserve our compassion, and I’m tired of hating the world.

“Willow!”

Zach and Micah walk in step with each other, their floppy hair and easy smiles blurring their identities into one. The lantern lights are all done, and they’re both carrying towels. My mouth dries up at the sight of Zach’s bare chest.

He’s wearing black swim shorts that hang low on his hips, highlighting the delicious ‘V’ that makes my thighs clench. Micah wears a blue pair with a white t-shirt, and while he’s slimmer, his legs are lined with packed muscles.

Hello, twins!

“What’s up?” I smile at them.

“The little terror has announced that we’re swimming in the lake.” Zach drops his striped towel beside me. “I figured we ought to keep our promise.”

“Killian took her inside to get changed,” Micah explains.

He crouches down to press his parted lips to mine. The way his hand caresses my jawline sends sparks of static electricity bolting up my spine. Micah’s kisses melt my insides like nothing else. His gentleness is strangely exhilarating.

“You look beautiful,” he whispers into my lips.

“Thanks, Mi. Not painting today?”

“Fuck the paintings. I needed to hear your voice.”

I run a hand over his windswept hair. “You should ditch work more often.”

He kisses me again, lingering for a tender moment. “Keep talking like that and I will.”

When he finally releases me, Zach takes his twin’s place and steals a lip-smacking kiss. “You coming in as well, babe? It’ll be nice and warm.”

“I might do.”

“You should,” Micah adds. “I know you bought a bikini.”

“How do you know that?”

He jabs a finger at his brother.

“It wasn’t me,” Zach defends. “I told no one.”

When I narrow my eyes on Micah, he shrugs. “Twin thing.”

Zach topples to the grass, his headful of messy hair landing in my lap. “I told you he has that weird mind reading thing going on. We should perform an exorcism.”

“I am not fucking possessed,” Micah snaps at him.

“Could’ve fooled me, little brother.”

Huffing under his breath, Micah drops his towel and tugs the t-shirt over his head. The words on my tongue dry up at the sight of his carved chest and defined biceps that are unveiled as he strips off in front of me.

“You’re blushing again,” Zach singsongs.

“Your brother is stripping. I’m not sure where to look.”

He chuckles. “Bit late to start getting shy now. You weren’t so worried when you were fucking me in the back of Killian’s truck last week.”

Micah splutters. “Excuse me?”

Peeking an eye open, I find him staring at me, but there’s no judgement on his handsome face. It’s something darker, more primitive. A cloud of lust and raw need. The tension between us is at an all-time high.

I’m tired of kisses and stolen whispers. Coaxing Micah out of the depths of his depression has taken months of patience, but the person standing in front of me isn’t the silent, tormented man I once met.

We’ve both undergone our own metamorphosis. In the safety of pine trees and jagged mountains, our souls have emerged from their individual fires. We’ve pulled each other out of the burning pits to rise anew.

“That was a one-time thing,” I try to explain.

Zach looks at me pointedly. “I can’t wait to find out what other kinks you have besides getting laid in the back of a moving car.”

“Zach! Christ, do you ever shut up?”

“Famously, no. I do not.”

Shoving his head off my lap, I climb to my feet and wander over to the lake to dip my toes in. Several billowing willow trees frame the water, along with purple flowers that float on the surface.

The lake runs clear because of a huge, cascading waterfall in the uppermost corner, ensuring a steady stream that flows from the nearby mountain peak. It supplies water to the whole town, fresher than any bottle you’d find on sale.

“Come on, giant. Hurry up!” Arianna yells.

“Alright, peanut. Go jump on Zach for a minute.”

I track the nearby voices to the back of the cabin where Arianna waits with a pink towel hanging over her swimming costume. Killian lets her run ahead. He’s too busy blowing up a pair of orange rubber armbands.

When he meets my eyes, his mouth is pulled into a crooked smile. They’re determined to kill me, I swear. Wearing a pair of red swimming shorts, every inch of his heavily muscled chest and abdominals are on display.

He looks like a sexy Viking warrior with his blonde hair pulled back in a bun, highlighting the sharp lines of his features, covered in the scruff of his beard.

Catching me gawking, he tosses his towel down next to the others and runs to join me at the lakeside. I scream in surprise as I’m swooped into his arms. Killian throws me over his shoulder, his hand cracking against my butt cheek.

“Let me down, Kill!”

“You’re looking far too beautiful to be standing there drooling.” He lowers his voice. “I want to see you wet and dripping… in lake water.”

I batter my fists against his back. “That’s not the kind of wet I was thinking. Let me down! Throw me in that lake, and I swear, it’ll be the last thing you do.”

“Throw her!” Zach shouts.

Lifting my head from hanging upside down over Killian’s shoulder, I spot Arianna sitting on Zach’s shoulders for a good view of the fiasco. She’s even clapping him on.

“Do it, do it!”

“Killian, don’t you dare!” I scream.

His arms tighten around the backs of my thighs and for a moment, I think I’m safe. In the next breath, Killian’s grip on my skin is gone. There’s nothing but empty air as I hurtle towards the water.

Bracing myself, the lake swallows me whole, and I sink beneath the warm water. It’s like diving into a massive bathtub. When I break the surface, spluttering and wiping my eyes, everyone is cackling.

Killian looks mighty proud of himself. “Nice dive!”

“You just lost bedroom privileges for a month,” I shout back while my dress floats around me. “I warned you!”

His laughter dries up. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me. Do you know how long I spent doing my hair this morning?”

Zach claps him on the back. “Sucks to be you, cuz. Don’t worry, Micah and I will keep Willow warm at night while you’re in the doghouse.”

Killian grabs hold of Zach’s arm, and in one smooth move, tosses him headfirst into the lake. Zach bellows before hitting the water. He nearly drowns me with a tidal wave that rushes in my direction, emerging seconds later to curse his cousin.

“Language!” Arianna chastises. “That’s a bad word, Zach.”

He coughs up water. “She’s your daughter, alright.”

I splash him back. “You owe money to the swear jar.”

“Fuck the swear jar!”

“That’s another pound. You’re digging yourself a hole here.”

“I can see through your dress, smartass. Nice bra. Very girly.”

I look down to find my white sundress completely transparent as water laps at my chest. My yellow bra is glaring through the wet fabric, barely containing the pebbles of my nipples. Shit . This is all Killian’s fault.

Swimming over to where Zach is bobbing in the water, I wrap my legs around his waist, freeing up my hands to wrench the dress over my head. He holds my thighs as I toss it aside, the material landing on the slope in a sopping wet ball.

“Better?” I sass him.

His finger traces the cup of my soaked lace bra. “It’s a shame the kid is here, otherwise I’d show you how much I like this bra and panties set. Especially wet.”

“Feel free to show me later.”

“Oh, I intend to. Maybe I’ll let Micah watch.”

“Only watch?”

“Well, that’s his decision. Not mine.”

I grind against him in the water. “I’m sure you could persuade him.”

“I’m nothing if not persuasive.”

“Incoming!” Killian breaks our moment.

We swim out of the way before he hits the water in the exact spot where we were happily floating. The impact causes the entire lake to break out in waves. Killian appears near the edge, throwing his arms open for Arianna to jump into.

“Come on, peanut. No need to be afraid.”

Micah helps her to slip the armbands on and double-checks to make sure they’re secure. He shoots me a reassuring thumbs up, seeming to sense my anxiety from across the lake. She’s never swam before.

“I’m scared, giant. What if I drown?”

Killian smiles up at her. “I’d never let you drown, Ari. You trust me, right?”

She nods shyly.

“Then jump, princess. I’ll catch you, I promise.”

Taking several steps back, Arianna races towards Killian and throws herself off the edge. He plucks her from the air before she even hits the water, gently lowering her into it so she can adjust to the temperature.

“It’s so cold!” she squeals.

He kisses her nose. “No, it isn’t.”

Micah slips into the lake much more quietly and swims in our direction. A loud entrance really isn't his style.

“Now, teach me how to swim,” Arianna demands.

“Say please, Ari,” I correct.

She pins Killian with her best puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please, giant. I want to swim like a fish.”

“Too bloody cute for your own good,” Killian grumbles under his breath. “Come on then. Let’s do this.”

We spend the next hour watching Arianna learn how to doggy paddle with Killian holding her at all times. They stick to the shallower end of the lake, and he turns out to be a surprisingly patient teacher, talking her through the strokes.

“Should we play a game?” Zach asks.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Wait here.”

Zach fetches a blow-up ball from the cabin and tosses it at his brother’s head. We begin to throw it between us, both twins vying to beat the other. With Arianna deposited on the lake’s edge and wrapped up in a towel, Killian jumps back in to join our contest.

“If I win, Zach has to do the washing up for a week,” I wager. “That includes the roasting pan. We all know you love to stick the soap in and leave it to soak.”

Micah chokes on a laugh. “Busted.”

“Exactly. That doesn’t count, mister.”

“It’s a valid cleaning strategy,” Zach defends hotly.

“For lazy asses, maybe. But you never come back to it.”

He shakes his head. “Fine. If I win, then I get to pick what we play at our next games night. And I think it’ll be… strip poker.”

“For God’s sake,” Killian chastises.

“Got a problem with that, Willow?”

I kick my legs to stay afloat. “Nope, fine with me. You’re going to lose though.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Micah tosses the ball in the air before catching it. “If I win, then I get to take Willow on a camping date.”

Both men gape at him. He stares back, an eyebrow lifted in challenge. This newfound confident streak is not helping me to keep my hands to myself around Micah.

“Neither of us has done that yet,” Killian says pointedly. “You want to go first?”

Micah shrugs. “That’s what I want.”

“I guess it’s up to Willow,” he concedes.

I wink at Micah. “I’d love that.”

We’ve slipped into this weirdly comfortable arrangement without any formalities like dating. That’s reserved for the real world. There are no such expectations in Briar Valley, but I realise that I’d like nothing more than to go on a normal first date.

“I want the same thing then,” Killian pipes up. “Willow?”

“If that’s what you want. Sure.”

All shaking hands in agreement, we spread out to separate corners of the lake. The first person to drop the ball gets a strike, and three strikes equals losing. Zach begins to play dirty, hitting the ball far too hard. I’m the first to be knocked out.

“No washing up for me,” Zach boasts.

“Then you won’t get dinner cooked for you either.”

“Hey!”

“Them’s the rules, Zachariah.”

Micah’s beaten next. His brother’s quick reflexes and disregard for the rules overpowers him. He quickly ends up with three strikes and joins me on the other side of the lake, out of the firing line.

Beneath the water, his hands slip under my legs to grab me by the ass. I almost scream in surprise. There’s a devilish twinkle in his green eyes as he tugs me closer, holding me against the hard planes of his body.

“I’m still taking you on that date. Fuck them.”

“You are?” I grin at him.

“If you’ll have me.”

“Do you even have to ask?”

Mouth slanting against mine, he seals the deal with a sweet kiss. His lips are like velvet, moving in a slow, languorous tango that threatens to crumble my flimsy self-control. I’m always left wanting more with Micah.

Shifting against him, I can feel his length thickening beneath me. It presses up into the wet lace covering my core, hidden from sight by the water. I’m powerless to stop myself from pushing against his cock, loving the firm press of hardness.

“Willow,” he grunts.

“Sorry. I’ll stop.”

When I try to swim away from him, Micah traps me in place. “No, it’s not that. There’s just something that I haven’t told you.”

“Oh?”

Still kneading my ass, his length rocks into me. He’s shifting slowly so not even the water rippling betrays his movement. Each agonising brush leaves me desperate for more.

“You know I’m… inexperienced.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

“Well, it’s a bit more than that.”

Staring into his uncertain eyes, the penny drops. He’s searching for any trace of judgement, seemingly expecting some kind of rejection. I take his face in my hands.

“You’re a virgin?” I whisper.

Micah visibly gulps. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Mi?”

“I figured it might freak you out.” He bobs in the water. “It just never happened for me. Eventually, I stopped trying altogether.”

I’m speechless. Here’s this stunning, God-like statue of a man with a heart of pure gold beneath his timid exterior, and he’s worried about scaring me off. My heart melts.

“It doesn’t freak me out.”

“Are you sure?” he worries.

“Of course. You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.”

“Thanks, angel.” His smile turns shy. “So, um. About that date.”

I peck his lips. “You’re on. I’ve never been camping.”

“I’ll make it special. I promise.”

The violent back and forth of the ball returns us to the present where Killian and Zach are still battling it out. I snuggle against Micah and watch the game unfold.

Killian swears his head off when he drops the ball for a third time, even with Arianna listening. Zach shouts and hollers in victory, far too pleased with himself for winning.

“I win! Game night is mine!”

Rolling my eyes, I disentangle myself from Micah and climb out of the water, grabbing a spare towel to cover my wet bra and panties. Killian has followed me out and pulls Arianna into his lap, her tiny body still wrapped in a towel.

He begins to comb through her hair with his fingers, deftly plaiting the wet blonde strands. Arianna preens under his attention, her eyes floating shut as she relaxes into his embrace. She’s always loved getting her hair plaited.

By the time he’s finished braiding the long strands, she’s a snoring lump in his lap. The water must’ve tuckered her out. Killian holds her close, a smile playing across his lips.

“Want me to take her, Kill?”

“Nope,” he declines. “I’m good here.”

I watch him cuddling my little girl like she’s his own. It’s stupid how emotional the sight makes me, but I have to blink back tears. Killian looks so content, it hurts my soul.

I love him.

Fuck, I love them all.

And that scares me to death.