Page 40 of All Mine
‘Next, we have the men’s rowing race. They started two kilometres upriver at Kettles Bridge. They should be here within the next few minutes.’
‘Walker’s in this,’ said Rosie, kneeling up to get a better view of the river. ‘He’s in a four with Fox and Etienne.’
Isabella felt her face flush at his name.
‘But that’s only three,’ she said.
‘Fourth man is Walker’s watch commander, Dean Appleby.’
Isabella stretched back on the blanket, secretly pleased she’d changed out of her decorating gear beforehand. Glad that she’d washed her hair and slicked her lips with a natural-looking gloss. The thought of seeing Etienne set up an ache of excitement low in her belly. She’d avoided The Bistro at all costs this week, not trusting herself to go anywhere near him and his sexy eyes. Although the photo on her phone was practically her screensaver at this point and she thought he might have ruined vibrators for ever for her. She felt like she was getting closer and closer to breaking her rules every time she got near to him. Like a moth to a flame. But surely she was safe at a public picnic to just enjoy the view?
Shouting sounded further upriver and spectators on the bank jumped up and down. Rosie kneeled taller and Isabella sat forward, shading her eyes to look upstream where the trees along the banks were starting to turn orange and red.
Two boats appeared on the water, neck and neck. Other boats followed behind, maybe four or five, in a straggly procession.
‘That’s them!’ Rosie shouted, pointing at the nearside boat. Isabella recognised Walker’s sandy quiff and Etienne’s brown waves. A third rower had strikingly silver hair and must be the well-named Fox. The watch commander was wearing his helmet. Their strokes were in perfect time, their bodies moving backwards and forwards as one. They called as they pulled, keeping their progress straight and steady; their focus was spellbinding. Isabella realised she was even finding rowing sexy and breathed out slowly. Another six weeks to go.
Their boat pulled forward an inch. The other boat pulled alongside. They edged ahead again, but this time they held the position. Everyone on the bank was standing now, the River Rats running along the front of the bank to keep up with the boats, screaming their encouragement. Jayden had Riley on his back, and she looked overjoyed. With the next stroke Walker’s boat gained again, one inch became two and they crossed the finish line with a three-inch lead.
‘See,’ Amber said quietly to Isabella so that Riley and the other children nearby couldn’t hear, ‘every inch counts.’ Isabella groaned softly.
The commentator announced Walker’s boat as the champions and the four men in the boat collapsed, panting against each other. Dean took his helmet off and waved it at the bank. Isabella couldn’t take her eyes off Etienne. He lay back, resting against Walker’s chest, eyes shut but smiling, his own chest heaving through his T-shirt.
‘Winners’ dip!’ someone shouted from the bank and soon everyone was joining in.
‘Winners’ dip! Winners’ dip!’
‘What’s going on?’ Isabella asked, but Amber didn’t have time to reply as Fox stood up on the boat, causing it to wobble perilously from side to side. He put his hands in the air in a sign of victory and then jumped over the side. Quickly followed by Walker, Etienne and Dean, who managed to both keep hold of the rope and his helmet above water as he jumped in.
They swam to the bank, towing the boat between them as the uniformed fire crew moved into position, collection buckets at the ready. As the four men climbed out on to the riverbank, their T-shirts and shorts clung to their bodies, highlighting the definition of every muscle, the strength of their shoulders, and the crowd erupted into whistles and cheers.
‘Come on, boys,’ the commentator said over the microphone, ‘itisfor charity!’
Walker went first, peeling his T-shirt over his head, river water running between his pecs. Etienne went second, taking hold of his T-shirt at the bottom hem and lifting slowly until it was all the way off. Fox and the watch commander must have gone third and fourth, but Isabella was stuck staring at Etienne’s torso. His chest was smooth enough to eat her dinner from, the only hair a trail from his navel to the top of his shorts which almost had Isabella weak in her own knees. They stood in a line and took a bow. The crowd started throwing their money into the buckets. Isabella thought she might have to go home for a cold shower.
‘Worth every penny, every year,’ one woman said as she opened her purse and waved a note in the air. Hordes of women surrounded the men, some handing towels, others going so far as to offer to pat the men down. Isabella noticed the biggest crowd of admirers seemed to be around Etienne.
‘Your mouth’s open,’ said Amber as Etienne wrung his T-shirt out on the bank.
‘Your nipples are out,’ said Wren.
Etienne scanned the crowd. When he saw her standing there on the bank, he shook his head briskly, sending droplets of water from his waves in all directions. He pushed his hand through his hair to hold it back from his face and then grinned at her. Isabella knew she was grinning back. Damn him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Etienne
It was his kind of day. He always wanted to win and he was not averse to adoration. The rowing race had become a local tradition, and the Brothers from Another Mother had won for the past four years and he wasn’t about to let that change. Although today was the closest they’d come to losing their title. They’d better step up their training before next year’s race.
He’d seen Isabella on the bank with the other women and had caught the look on her face as her eyes swept up and down his body. That gut-punching look of lust, mouth slightly open, eyes dazed. He remembered the softness of her skin under his hand and wondered briefly if she’d used the photograph yet. She wanted him, he knew that. But she wasn’t letting herself have him. It would happen. Soon. He knew it.
The Brothers disengaged themselves to get showered and changed into long-sleeved tops and jeans before heading to the rowing club bar to celebrate.
‘Just the one,’ said Fox. ‘Abbie from next door has been looking after the boys at the ball pit for an hour. I’ll text her and tell her to bring them here afterwards. She’ll be exhausted.’
‘First one’s on me,’ Dean the watch commander called over, making a signal to the barman to put it on his tab.
Etienne and Fox both ordered a bottle of beer and Walker had a mineral water. He was still officially at work.
