Page 54 of More Than a Helping Hand

He tugs me to the sofa, which is large enough for him to lie out, and he does, pulling me down on top of him. In his arms, it’s easy to forget the rest of the world exists. Temporarily.

* * *

Anderson already hasthe hot tub heated and bubbling when I walk outside. He’s standing on the patio, staring out at the sunset. Without turning around, he asks, “Did you like dessert?”

“I did. Who knew lemon bars could taste so good?” I adjust my coverup.

Earlier, when he texted about bringing my swimsuit, I obliged, but I also brought a coverup. And not one of those see-through kinds. Those are for people who either have nothing to hide or are confident in their own skin. For me, neither is true.

“You ready to get in?” He turns, and his gaze slides down.

“You get in, then turn around.”

Without arguing, he steps into the hot tub, then faces the sunset again.

I shrug off my coverup and ease into the water. “Okay, I’m in.”

He settles on a seat and tugs me closer. “You think I wouldn’t like what I see, but you’re wrong, Prim.”

I let him pull me into his lap. “I’m not so sure about that because when I look in the mirror, I don’t like what I see. Do you have any idea of the conversation I just had with myself in the bedroom? I came very close to changing my mind about the whole swimsuit thing.”

“I heard part of it, so yeah. You have this idea of what men find attractive, and that’s not always true. Attraction varies by person. For me, I don’t even notice unless she’s at least a size twelve.”

“I can barely remember when I was a twelve. And back then, I thought I was so fat. What I wouldn’t give to be back there again.”

He tightens his arms around my waist. “In my opinion, it’s easier if you live life looking forward. I’ve done it the other way and do not recommend it.”

I trace a finger along his hand. “Tell me about your parents, your sister. What happened?”

He rests his chin on the top of my head. “I grew up on a horse farm. My parents were pretty well off, and my childhood was right out of a storybook.”

I snuggle closer. “We have the happy-childhood thing in common.”

“We do. And I liked being over there tonight because it has the feel of home. I mean, it’s different. Obviously. Anyway, when I was eleven, Brooke was born, and oh was she a cutie. Mom and Dad did a great job of dividing their attention. I never felt shoved to the side. And she wasn’t royally spoiled, which is a good thing. That would’ve made life so much harder.” He stops talking, and I feel his jaw tense.

Silent, I thread my fingers with his, then wait.

The burbles of the hot tub blend with the choir of night critters.

“After graduating high school, I stayed home and took classes at the nearby community college rather than going away to school. I loved working on the horse farm, and so many of my friends were sticking around the area. It was an easy decision. But then life changed when I was nineteen. Mom and Dad had gone to deliver a quarter horse. On the way home, they were in an accident. I don’t know the details, not because no one ever told me, but I’ve blocked a lot of that out.”

I spin around and hug his neck.

Holding me, he continues. “The police called me, and by that time, school was already over. Poor Brooke had been waiting for almost an hour. She was eight.” He chokes on his words, then clears his throat. “And when I showed up, she raced into my arms. She was scared because we were late picking her up. Telling her that our parents weren’t coming home is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He slides a hand down my back. “For a while, I was angry. Not because my life had changed, but poor Brooke was robbed of what I had growing up. Then one day, one of the other moms from gymnastics pulled me aside and told me that Brooke had been telling everyone I was the best big brother in the world. And that was my wake-up call. I didn’t have to be like Mom or Dad. I just had to be the best big brother ever. It was my job to give her a happy childhood, and looking back and being angry wasn’t really going to help.”

“From the things you’ve told me, it sounds like she turned into an amazing adult.”

“She is.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “One day, I’d love for you to meet her.”

He doesn’t mention the secrets and sneaking around, but that thought pops into my head.

“I feel awful asking you to keep us a secret. But I’m trying to protect Bailey.”

He cups my cheek. “I know. And I’ve already said that I’m fine with this arrangement. Protecting Bailey is important.”

---