"Let's go."

He led her into the swift moving current, their feet slipping on slick rocks, until they reached the point where the water disappeared over the edge. Maddox ran his free hand through his hair. "Unbelievable."

The new softness about him moved Chanel. She wondered if it was for real forever, or just how he'd become at the ranch. It was hard to picture him on the Doumit campus without his c.o.c.ky mask.

"You ready?" Chanel called over the roar of the falls.

Maddox gave her a broad smile and squeezed her hand. "Let's do it!"

Together, hands still linked, they stepped forward and leaped over the edge, plunging deep into the pool at the bottom. They let go to swim to the surface, both laughing when they surfaced. Treading water inches from each other, their eyes met.

Chanel felt his arm slip around her waist, drawing her close. Then his lips were on hers. They were soft, exploring, not demanding. It was a good thing he was strong, because she forgot about swimming and soon had both arms wrapped around his neck. Somehow, Maddox worked them to a shallow spot where they could plant their feet.

He pulled back, cupping her face in his huge hands. "This isn't a summer fling for me."

Chanel's heart tripped over itself. She wanted so badly to believe him.

"I know you don't believe me." It was getting creepy how often he knew what she was thinking. "But, this summer, well...," he trailed off releasing her face to run his fingers through his wet hair.

So many conflicting feelings coursed through her. She didn't know which one to voice, so she said nothing, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"You're so strong. You do so much to hold everyone together. You need someone to hold you for a change. I love you."

Those words, mostly the "I love you" part short-circuited her brain, and next thing she knew, Chanel was on her b.u.t.t in the water. Her legs had just stopped working.

Laughter exploded from Maddox, sending heat straight to her cheeks. Chanel couldn't believe she'd just biffed it.

"Knocked you right off your feet," he said, extending a hand to help her up.

Instead of allowing him to pull her to her feet, Chanel took his hand and gave it a quick tug, throwing him off balance enough for the current to knock him over. She laughed from her seat in the water until she saw him rise up and head for her. Before she could escape, Maddox scooped her up and tossed her back out into the deep pool.

When her head popped free from the water she heard him yell, "You can't make anything easy, can you?"

"Well, maybe one thing," she called back, and before she could talk herself out of it, she slipped the knot at the back of her neck that secured her bikini top and allowed the triangles to drift off her body. She continued to tread water with one arm, lifting the black slip of fabric over her head. Satisfaction rippled through her when Maddox's eyes grew huge. She lobbed the top in his direction, and he caught it.

"Coach will be glad to know you can still catch after a summer of playing cowboy," she teased.

Without a word, Maddox dropped the top on a nearby boulder and plowed through the water toward her. Chanel squealed and ducked back under the water. Maybe she wouldn't make it easy, after all.

It was hard to leave the cabin the next day. Chanel had packed enough food to get them through lunch, and they reluctantly packed up after one last leap from the falls. They were both quiet on the ride home. Maddox hoped she didn't regret giving herself to him. He'd wanted to talk about it at the cabin but decided to hold off, not wanting to break the spell that seemed to surround them in that place. No wonder Mitch had swept his wife off to the retreat whenever possible.

A red metal gate loomed in the distance. It was the last one before they exited the forest returning to Hayfield Road for the remainder of the journey. Chanel slowed the four-wheeler to a stop so Maddox could jump off and open the gate, but instead of moving to the task, he reached around her and turned the key in the ignition, silencing the machine.

"What are you doing?" Chanel twisted to look at him.

Maddox lifted her off the seat and turned his body sideways so both legs were on one side. Then he settled Chanel on his lap. Despite all they'd been through those hazel eyes were still wary.

"I need to tell you something."

"I know, you told me yesterday." She tried to get up, but Maddox held her fast.

"Right, but I want you to know I've never said that to another woman." He held up the index and middle finger of one hand in a Scout's Honor signal. "Not even to get into her pants."

Chanel laughed in response. "Whatever."

"No, seriously. G.o.d, I never thought I would say this, but I love this place. You can't live here and not be affected by it. And you...you've gotten to me. You've pushed me and p.i.s.sed me off like no one else, not even Coach. I can't go back to campus without knowing you'll be a part of my life there too."

Her nostrils flared slightly, and she swallowed hard. "I don't know what to say right now. You make it sound so good, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I love you too, but I'm a realist. We've barely moved from tolerating each other to this." She waved her hand back and forth between them. "When you get back, people are going to expect you to be, well, you."

"Everybody except Coach. He's gonna like what he sees."

Chanel gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. "True. And you're sure this isn't just an act to get your spot on the team secured?"

It was a fair question, and Maddox had been thinking on it a lot. He still dreamed of the NFL, but it wasn't as urgent as it was in May. What happened, happened. What he couldn't see was leaving the Double O and never knowing what could be with Chanel.

"Positive. I get your hesitation, but I also think you're fighting what you're feeling." He sounded like a woman, but if that's what it took to win her, he'd hike up his skirt.

She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. A handful of cattle appeared out of a nearby draw, one let out a low moo, and they paused to stare at the couple. Her voice was soft when she spoke, "I'm tired of getting hurt. It's been a battle since Mom died. As you can see, my family is a bit of a mess. I can't handle any more drama. And you are drama."

Maddox's chest tightened, but before he could respond, Chanel continued. "But, on the other hand, because you know drama, you know how to handle it. And it's not like I can shock you with my family secrets." She sat up and looked into his eyes, a little smile on her lips leftover from her joke. Then she kissed him long, slow, and deep. Maddox forked his fingers into her loose braid causing chunks of sun-streaked hair to fall free.

Loud puffs of air brought them back to earth. They looked down to see a curious black calf sniffing at their legs. It sprinted back to its mother, tail in the air, at the sound of their laughter.

Maddox squeezed Chanel tight. "Summer's not over yet."

"Nope. We better milk it for all its worth." She nodded over to where the startled calf was working his mother's udder for comfort.

"Aaaaggghhh, that was awful. I think I've changed my mind." Maddox poked her in the ribs making her squeal and leap from his lap.

"Too late, Jockstrap! You're in it now." Chanel opened the gate, and Maddox drove the ATV through. He was thrilled to his very core, but more aware than ever of the call that would come at any moment. He was a little surprised it hadn't come already. There was only one week left in July. It was like Talbot to make him sweat his position on the team, but he had Maddox sweating about something entirely different now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

Chanel laid out taco fixings on the bar. Mitch was still out finishing ch.o.r.es, and Maddox was at the bunkhouse taking a shower. She'd invited him up to dinner. Her father hadn't batted an eye when they'd returned from the falls the day before. In fact, he'd almost seemed pleased, and she wasn't sure how that made her feel.

The phone rang, and Chanel wiped her hands on a dishtowel before answering it. "h.e.l.lo?"

"Hi, er, is Mitch there?" asked the gravely male voice.

"Sorry, he's not available. Is there something I can do for you? I'm his daughter."

The man cleared his throat. "I'm trying to reach Maddox Warren."

A chill swept Chanel's body. Coach Talbot.

"Uh huh. Okay. I can let him know you called. Is there-," before she could finish the sentence, there was a quick knock on the front door before it opened. Maddox peeked around the corner into the kitchen with a grin and a handful of wildflowers. Ugh, she wanted to puke. "Wait, never mind. He just walked in. Hang on."

Maddox's smile faded as Chanel stepped across the room and handed him the phone, trading it for the flowers. "It's him," she said softly.

"K," he said and pressed the receiver to his ear. "Hey, Coach."

Chanel busied herself with finding a large mason jar for the flowers, trying to look like she wasn't listening to her life fall apart. They knew this call was coming. It was no secret fall practice usually started at the beginning of August, but for some reason she'd foolishly hoped this year would be different. A selfish part of her hoped maybe Talbot wouldn't take him back.

"Uh huh, yeah," said Maddox, leaning against the bar on the living room side, his broad back to Chanel. "Well, it's definitely been a game changer up here."

There was silence as he listened. Chanel arranged the white daisies and yellow arrowroot in the jar, discreetly tossing the lupine in the burnable garbage. Mitch would have a fit if he found that plant in his house. It was a noxious weed to cattlemen, causing their cows to abort their unborn calves if ingested.

"Yep, I'll be there. Thank you." Maddox ended the call and turned to face Chanel. Those blue eyes she'd grown to love were serious. "Practice starts Sat.u.r.day. Guess your dad gave me a glowing report in an email over the weekend."

Chanel nodded, her throat too thick to speak. Maddox rounded the counter and took her in his arms.

"This doesn't change anything. Remember what we talked about?"

The front door opened, and Mitch appeared a moment later. After taking in the scene he said, "Guess Talbot called."

Chanel felt Maddox's hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair, his chin resting on the crown. His chest rumbled when he affirmed Mitch's statement.

"I'm really proud of you, son."

"Thank you," Maddox replied.

"Even if you did manage to steal my daughter in the process."

Chanel peeked around Maddox's wide body to see her dad grinning.

"I saw it coming from a mile away," Mitch said. "You're so much like your mother, Chel."

That was it, the tears flooded her eyes, and she buried her face back in Maddox's chest. Maddox gave her a squeeze and said to Mitch, "She was a firecracker too?"

"Yep, for sure. And we had the city country thing going too. Margo loved the city. She never lived anywhere large, but she visited New York once and never got over it. But, somehow she managed to stand living out here with me."

Chanel pulled back and hunted down a roll of paper towels to wipe her eyes. Being compared to her mom was the biggest compliment someone could give her, and Mitch comparing her and Maddox to him and Margo was overwhelming. He was putting a lot of faith in their fledgling relationship.

Tears quelled for the moment, Chanel made her way across the kitchen and hugged her father. Then looking between two of the three men she loved most, she said, "Let's eat."

Maddox could hear the murmurs and clinks of Mitch and Chanel doing the dinner dishes. Mitch had given him permission to use his computer to send a couple of emails. The office was tidier than it had been before. There was only one dirty coffee cup, and the papers had been arranged into neat stacks. A person could even sit in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. Chanel must've tackled it at some point.

He hadn't taken the time to check his messages since that night in early May. It was a little depressing to find he didn't have many. There was one from his mother thanking him for checking in but no real news of what she and his dad were up to. Hollace had written in early June, leading off with a string of profanity cursing Maddox's sentence to the ranch and going on about how stupid Coach was. After a rundown of the daytime beach and nighttime club scenes, he turned the topic to country b.i.t.c.hes. Were they s.e.xy? Were they easy? Maybe he should come up and see if he could score with a couple. Everyone knew how much blue-collar folks idolized football players. The email put Maddox's teeth on edge. Even Lila deserved better than Hollace. He'd need to put him in his place at some point. It was hard to believe he'd been a lot like his friend three months ago. Finally, there was a message from Coach Talbot containing the fall practice and game schedules.

After composing a brief note to his parents and including the game schedule, Maddox wrote to Hollace. He'd catch some flack for sure, but he felt the need to prepare his friend to meet Chanel and educate him a bit about rural life.

As if sensing his thoughts on her, Chanel appeared in the doorway. "You about done?"

"Just finishing up," Maddox said and pushed send. He logged out of the email program and nodded at the photo of Chanel and her mother beside the monitor. "I love that picture of you and your mom. You look just like her."

"Thanks."

Lacing his fingers with hers, he suggested a walk, and they headed out into the warm evening. The last rays of the day's sun smudged the darkening sky with orange and purple. They had four nights left together.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.

As always, there was a lot of work to do, but Chanel told Mitch she needed to get some things done around the house, which was true. She'd also promised Christine some help in the garden. It was peak harvest and canning time. Plus, she wanted to call Bert and have a long conversation. With the time difference, it was usually too late to do so in the evening, and now, she was saving her nights for Maddox.

As she dialed the familiar number, Chanel realized Bert hadn't called her once this summer. In years past her friend had called a couple times a week, running up overage charges on her cell phone, which in turn required Bert to take extra shifts at the department store where she'd worked. Chanel was determined to find out why she'd been dodging her.

Bert picked up just before the call went to voicemail. "Hey! Nice timing. You caught me on my lunch break."

"Perfect. That's what I was aiming for. How are you?"

"Good. They're keeping me busy." Bert's answer was short and sweet, just like every other one had been this summer when it pertained to her life. Her friend had been much more animated when the spotlight was on Chanel.

Deciding her news could wait, Chanel said, "Tell me about it."

"Well, I've been promoted from purse dog walker and coffee fetcher to overseeing my boss's calendar and a lot of her communication. I'm also co-managing the company closet, which means I'm a librarian of clothing and accessories."

Chanel could hear the excitement in her friend's voice. "That's wonderful!"

"This has been such a great opportunity," Bert said.

There was a beat of silence, like something wasn't being said. Then Chanel remembered Bert referring to the right person making you stop and think the last time they spoke. "So, I'm thinking you have more to tell me. Like maybe, there's a new special someone in your life."

Bert released a breathy laugh. Chanel couldn't decide if she sounded nervous or happy. "Bert? You're holding back on me. Unless I track you down, I don't hear from you. And when I do get a hold of you, you don't tell me much about what's going on in your life."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Chanel. I did meet someone, and he's great. I met him at my first photo shoot. He was the photographer-,"

"Wait a minute," Chanel interrupted, "he was the photographer at a big New York shoot? That means-,"

It was Bert's turn to railroad the conversation. "Yes, he's about fifteen years older than me. But, he is so great. He's funny and smart, and we're interested in the same things."

Chanel wished her friend wasn't on the other side of the country. She could hear the same giddiness she felt in her chest in Bert's voice. "And you love him."

"Whoa there, cowgirl! This is New York. People do not fall in love over the course of a summer. We're just having fun."