Seduction at Whispering Lakes

China could literally taste her disappointment. It was bitter.

Marilee got to her feet. Bending down, she gave her new friend a quick hug.

“Sorry we won’t be together. Perhaps we’ll get another opportunity. Maybe we can chat over breakfast or lunch one day. South Padre Island is still a prospect.”

“It certainly is. Have a good time, Ms. Marilee. I’ll see you at the lake.”

China grabbed her tote and headed for the door to meet with Zane’s group. Two vans were lined up at the front entrance. As she walked over to the vehicle, China heard her name called. Turning around, she saw Marilee summoning her.

Smiling broadly, Marilee grabbed China by the hand. “You can ride with me. This nice gentleman, Mr. Wilson Vanderbilt, has agreed to swap vans.”

China wondered if anyone could hear the melody breaking out in her heart. Although she could fantasize about Zaire becoming her lover, she really wanted his friendship. Enchanted by the way he carried himself, she felt sure he was a decent, honorable man. China could easily admit to liking Zaire.

Zaire helped the women maneuver the steps up into the van. Smiling at China, he took hold of her hand. “It seems you’ve made a fast friend in Mrs. Cotton. I overheard her plea for Mr. Vanderbilt to change vans so you two could ride together. I hope the arrangements are agreeable.”

You have no idea how agreeable. China smiled sweetly.

“Mrs. Cotton and I have discovered a few things in common despite our age difference. I’m pleased.”

Zaire grinned. “That’s the kind of stuff we love to hear. We want our guests to be one hundred percent happy and content.”

China nodded. “This guest is both. Thanks for caring enough to ask.”

Smiling, Zaire tipped his hat and moved away.

It didn’t surprise Zaire that China wasn’t the least bit squeamish about baiting her hook with a slimy, wiggly worm. As a nurse, she’d probably seen more than her fair share of gory things. She was good at obeying orders and executing everything he’d instructed her to do—and without question. He liked how eagerly she fully engaged in the activities. China was a woman who seemed to have the same amount of zest for life as the highly active females in his family.

Many of the folks in the boat Zaire commandeered were quiet and still a tad sleepy. Once rods were cast, folks seemed perfectly willing to keep a close eye on their fishing lines. The atmosphere was peaceful as a bright yellow sun ascended.

From the first moment China felt a tug on her line, her excited yelps completely disrupted the quietness. “I’ve got something, Ms. Marilee,” she shouted. Looking at Zaire, she appeared hopeful. “Do you think it’s a fish?”

“Let’s hope so.” Zaire knew the tugging on the line could be a result of several things but had no desire to dampen China’s spirit. Her wide and bright smile was engaging. Seeing her looking so happy did his heart good.

“It’s getting stronger,” she yelled. “Please help me. I don’t want to lose it.”

The lake was kept stocked with a variety of fish. Catfish, a favorite delight in these parts, were abundant. For China’s pleasure, Zaire hoped she had a great catch and not a discarded item, like an old shoe.

China’s struggle with the line increased, growing more intense. Zaire came up behind her. Covering her hands with his, he added the extra strength needed to land the catch. She was suddenly propelled back into him and his lower anatomy responded immediately.

Avoiding China’s hips, Zaire continued to help reel in the catch. Upon revealing her grand prize, a beautiful striped bass, everyone clapped. Cheering and laughter rent the air. No sooner had the day’s first catch been taken off the hook than another fisherman yelped excitedly, telling the others about a strong tugging on the line.

In a helter-skelter manner Zaire moved from one guest to the next, helping each person reel in their prize catch. The experienced fishermen also jumped in to help out folks new to the sport. The large boat rocked but was in no danger of tipping over.

The kids’ reaction to their catches was what Zaire enjoyed most. The encouraging hugs they received from parents, especially dads, caused Zaire to wonder if he’d ever have a child of his own. The girls on the Little League baseball and Pop Warner football teams he had the pleasure of coaching were nothing short of amazing dynamos. Coaching the kids brought the greatest pleasure to the Kingdom brothers, who loved working with children because of their own abusive childhoods.

China was tickled silly to see Ms. Marilee and Mr. Vanderbilt seated on the grass lakeside, sharing a meal from provided box lunches. The lady was smiling brightly, and a lot. The two appeared pretty close in age. Could this be a love connection? Instead of intruding upon what appeared to be a personal discussion, China claimed a patch of grass a few feet away from the elderly couple.

The vans would return to the ranch once lunch was over. At two o’clock China had scheduled a horseback riding lesson. Zaire was the instructor. She feared making a fool of herself since she was intimidated by the big but beautiful beasts. For her, since the death of her father, conquering all her fears was important. She didn’t want to live out life fearful of anything.

Walking over to China, Zaire dropped down on the grassy knoll. Positive she reeked of raw fish, China felt uncomfortable having him in such close proximity. She had used sanitizing wipes to take care of her hands, but she still felt self-conscious.

Zaire grinned. “Congratulations! Not only did you land the largest fish, you caught the most. Five fish is a pretty good haul for someone who hasn’t fished in a long time. Your two rainbow trout are beauties.”

China giggled. “Who would’ve ever thought it? I regret not coming here to the ranch with Dad. He invited me numerous times, but I always had work. So far, it’s been a fun adventure. I’m sorry I missed out on the memories we could’ve made. But I’ve definitely earned bragging rights on the number of fish I caught. I bet your mother and aunts are good at fishing.”

“You got that right! They love to fish. Mom cleans all the catches, freezing what she doesn’t cook up right away. As for your dad, he has a lot to be proud of.”

“Thank you. Speaking of dads, yours seems pretty proud of his three guys. He’s lively, too, with his silky-smooth moves. Your parents dance well together. I guess rhythm and harmony are what happens when you’ve been married a long time.”

Looking right into China’s face, Zaire shrugged. “I guess five years is a long time to be married, especially by today’s standards.”

China appeared totally perplexed. “Five years? I don’t think I understand.”

“Morgan Cobb is our stepfather, a good friend of our own father. At first, we didn’t like him because he knew Dad was abusing his family. None of us understood why he’d hang out with an evil man like Macon if he wasn’t the same kind of man.”

China’s eyes softened. “Birds of a feather don’t always flock together, Zaire.”

Agreeing with her, he nodded. “You’re right. That’s the same thing Hailey told Zurich when he first voiced his negative feelings about Morgan to her.”

Briefly, China touched Zaire’s hand. “God puts people together for all sorts of reasons. I believe He does it so we can learn something we need from them. Everyone who comes into our lives is there for a specific reason, a season or perhaps a lifetime.”

“I believe in that. When we learned Mom planned to marry Cobb, it made us stone crazy. That was a real difficult time for my brothers and me.”

Fighting an urge to reach up and caress his smooth, handsome face, China smiled instead. “It obviously turned out okay. You all seem to get along so well.”

“We do. After Zurich confronted Mom about her desire to marry Morgan, we found out he was nothing like our father. She told my brother that Morgan had kept food on our table and clothes on our backs when our alcoholic father regularly drank up his paycheck. Cobb also paid for our tuition and dorm fees at Buckley Academy.”

China’s starry gaze fell upon Zaire. “Buckley Academy! Now that’s one prep school I’ve heard a lot of great things about.” She thought back on what she’d witnessed with Bernice and Morgan. “They seem extremely good together. Is he accepted now?”

“We love and deeply respect Morgan. We’ve grown close to him. He’s more than a father to us. He’s a friend. The man treats Mom like the queen she is. Who can find fault with that? Speaking of reasons and seasons, what do you hope to learn from your experiences on the ranch? And has your seasonal or lifetime partner arrived yet?”

China’s eyes suddenly grew moist. “My reason for being here is twofold. I came here to scatter my father’s ashes over the land. He was a Texan and he loved this ranch. I’ve been going nonstop since my father died a few weeks ago. I am worn out and desperately need rest and relaxation. As for a lifetime partner, he’s still out there wandering around somewhere.”

“I’m sorry about your father. You have my deepest sympathy. If he loved this ranch, maybe I knew him. I’ve met most, if not all of our guests. What’s his name?”

Sniffling, China wiped her nose with a napkin. “Brody Braxton.”

In racking his brain, Zaire recognized the name but he couldn’t put a face to it. Looking closely at China, he tried to see if she reminded him of anyone. “If it’s not too hard on you, please tell me a little about your dad.”

China’s heart overflowed with sweet memories of her dad. “Brody was a wonderful father. He raised me alone, meeting my every need.”

She cut it off there. No one needed to know her dark, personal despairs.

“He loved to horseback ride and he lived to conquer the ranch’s mechanical bull. Unfortunately, he was dominated by it.”

“Most men are. Now Mom and my aunts give that bucking mechanism pure hell. The ladies practice riding it a lot, timing each other to chart the length of time they stay on during each ride.”

China roared with laughter. “I can actually imagine them riding the bull. They’re a feisty bunch of women.”