How to Love Her: McCullough Mountain (McCullough Mountain Prequel) Read online

  “Some worse than others. I still haven’t forgiven the twins. Your sister was no treat either. And Kelly…don’t get me started. You and Braydon were my easiest.” She grinned and patted her knee. “But you don’t worry about that. You have years to think about other things before you need to concern yourself with those trials.”

  Her chest tightened and she wanted so much to tell her then and there, but something held her back. There was such innocence inside her mother at times. She feared the shock might crush that part of her forever. “Well, for what it’s worth… I’m sorry we put you through any pain.”

  “You were the first, dear. That makes you the easiest to forgive because I wanted you with every beat of my heart. But I’ll take that apology and remind you of it some day when you’re rushin’ off to be with your friends and forget I’m the one who brought you into this world.”

  Kate laughed, having no doubt she’d add that information to her artillery of maternal guilt launchers. “I think I’ll go to bed.”

  “Goodnight, dearie. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  That night Kate cried until she fell asleep. In the morning, she didn’t feel her best and by the time she made it to school she debated going to class or turning around and driving home. It had been two weeks and Nick acted as if he’d never met her, truly abiding her brother’s command to stay away.

  A hand knocked on her car window and she jumped, startled as a wide smile beamed at her through the glass. “Mornin’, Katherine.”

  She rolled down the window and the burst of fresh air steadied her nerves. “Ant. You startled me.” Damn, when did air start smelling so good? She wanted to hang her head out the window like a dog.

  “I like to catch you off guard. Keep you on your toes. You’re late.”

  Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as sharp and precise panic cut into her. How did he know she was late? “What?”

  He tipped his chin at the school. “First period started twenty minutes ago.”

  Oh, late for class. She quickly hid her embarrassment with a shaky smile. She was losing her mind, thinking some guy might know her cycle. She needed to pull herself together. “I’m not feeling well.”

  “Your eye looks better.”

  She frowned, her brain had obviously checked out for the day. “My eye?”

  He pointed to his cheek. “Where I bumped into you.”

  “Oh. It never bruised.”

  He frowned. “Are you okay? You seem sort of out of it.”

  “I’m fine.” She was getting tired of saying that. As a matter of fact, she was getting tired of everything.

  Sick to death of all the irrelevant bullshit she had to attend to while her world was secretly crumbling, she laughed, the sound slightly hysterical and unbalanced. “Actually, I’m not fine. I don’t know what I am.” But her humor was short lived and the fragile laugh shifted into a sharp sob she couldn’t hold back.

  “Hey…” The car door opened and he crouched beside her. “What’s going on?”

  “I can’t…” She could barely form words as her breath caught on a hiccupped sob. “Jesus, I’m a mess. You can go.” This was so embarrassing, but she couldn’t stop herself from crying. She had no control over anything in her life at the moment and it was mortifying.

  “I’m not leaving you like this.” Concern riddled his handsome eyes.

  She was such a selfish person for wanting him to stay. “You don’t even know me.” Humiliated that she was losing it in front of a perfect stranger, she tried to pull herself together and failed. This was so silly. She’d run into him a few weeks ago and here she was having a breakdown in front of him.

  “So let’s get to know each other. Talk to me.”

  “I can’t. I can’t talk to anyone.”

  His brow pinched and she had to look away. Why don’t I have napkins in my car?

  “Is this about your boyfriend?”

  She snorted, absolutely disgusted that she was once dumb enough to loan such a title to Nick. “No.” She wiped her eyes on the heel of her palm. She needed a fucking tissue! “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to fall apart like this. My emotions are a mess.”

  “Sometimes getting it out helps.”

  “I don’t know you,” she repeated, searching for anything to blow her nose in. “You shouldn’t have to see this.” Why would anyone want to get to know a basket case?

  “Sure, you do. I’m Ant. The guy who occasionally knocks you over and mispronounces words.”

  A soggy laugh broke through her tears as his words registered, stilling her search.

  “There’s a smile.”

  Shaking her head, she blotted her cheeks on her shirt. “Gah! I’m a disaster.”

  “Maybe in that bag on the floor.” He pointed and waited silently as she searched the bag for napkins. Finally she found a leftover one from Burger King.

  Once she blew her nose and let out a long breath, she gave him a shaky smile. “I’m better now.” I hope.

  He cocked his head, dark brunette hair falling to the side. “You wanna get out of here?”

  She should go to class or home, but she’d much rather disappear, fall off the grid for a while. The timing of his offer was perfect and beyond tempting. But she never skipped class and knowing her, she’d get caught. Still, she played along with the idea, pushing reality back another minute or two. “And go where?”

  “I know a place. We could take your car or mine. What do you say? This day needs a reset and I know just the place to find one.”

  Plenty of her friends skipped school, but they also had sex with no repercussions. Her luck was MIA at the moment. “What if we get caught?”

  His grin widened. “No one will find us where we’re going. It’s quiet. No one knows about it but me.”

  Intrigued, she arched a brow. “Is that so?” She was pretty certain she knew all of Center County like the back of her hand, but maybe he knew a secret place the rest of them hadn’t found yet.

  “You’ll love this place. It’s awesome.”

  Did it really matter if she got caught at this point? Nothing would compare to the bomb preparing to drop, so she might as well take the escape he offered. She smirked, sold. “Okay, but you better get in. Mr. Capaldi’s coming toward us.”

  He glanced at the school and spotted the teacher then shot her a panicked look. “Move over.”

  Laughing at his sudden alarm, she climbed over the center console and fell into the passenger seat as he squeezed behind the wheel.

  “Hey!” the gym teacher called, doubling his pace.

  “How the hell do you adjust the seat?”

  Mr. Capaldi was running toward them so she shouted, “Just go!”

  He overturned the engine then threw the car into reverse and backed out of the spot leaving Mr. Capaldi flailing in a cloud of dust. “He totally recognized me. I’ll probably get written up.”

  “Don’t jocks get a pass for things like that?”

  He snorted. “Hardly.”

  She pivoted in her seat to watch the school shrink in the distance. Once they were on their way, she faced the windshield and grinned, feeling like a weight had already been lifted. “So where is this mysterious place you speak of?”

  “Not far. You’ll love it.”

  She watched him, hunched behind the steering wheel of her car and found it hard not to laugh. “How would you know what I love?”

  Sending her a sidelong glance, he pulled to the side of the road. “I can just tell. You seem like a cool chick.” He searched between his bunched up knees. “Seriously, how the hell do I adjust the seat? My knees are almost through the dashboard.”

  He was taller than most guys in their grade, bulkier, but incredibly lean from sports she supposed. Leaning over, she pulled the lever under the wheel and he groaned in relief as the seat rolled back. “You’re too tall.”

  He put the car back in drive. “Maybe you’re just short.”

  As they drove, she expected to see some remarkabl
e back roads she didn’t recognize, but he took her right down Main Street, past the church, and down the same boring lanes she traveled every day. Pursing her lips, she said, “You sure this is a secret place? I don’t see anything special yet.”

  “You will. Just wait a minute.”

  “I don’t know how to wade a minute,” she mocked his accent.

  He rolled his eyes. “Relentless. Do you make fun of kids when they have a speech impediment?”

  She scoffed. “You do not have an impediment. If you did I wouldn’t tease you. What you have is a lazy tongue.”

  He arched a brow and glanced at her, those dark eyes catching and tugging on something deep inside of her. “I’ve never been accused of that before. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I could disprove that accusation in under five minutes.”

  “Ew.” She laughed, denying all flares of curiosity bubbling inside of her.

  He waggled his brows. “You brought it up.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that.” She frowned as he turned the car directly onto McCullough land. “Um, what are we doing here?”

  “It’s on the way to the secret spot. Road’s a little bumpy up ahead.”

  “This is private property.”

  “Says who?”

  They were literally trespassing on her family’s land. “The people who own it. There are signs everywhere.”

  “I don’t see any signs.”

  “Right there!” She pointed.

  He smirked. “Do you really think someone’s going to tell the owners? No one’s around for miles. Trust me. We’re safe.”

  Hiding a smirk, she faced the windshield. The only thing up this path was the falls, which truly was one of the prettiest places in Center County, but it was sort of amusing he thought he was the only person who knew it existed. If he paid attention, he’d find her initials carved into at least ten trees along the creek.

  “So how did you discover this secret place?” she asked, only mildly concerned that they might be spotted this deep in the woods. No one ever came up this way during the week.

  He pulled off the main road, onto a dirt path and slowed his speed. “I was running at the park and took a little detour.”

  She snickered. “So you got lost.” He wouldn’t be the first person to get lost on their mountain. It was enormous.

  “No, lost implies I couldn’t find my way back.”

  There was something about him that was different. Perhaps it was that he wasn’t from around here or maybe it was his funny way of speaking, but whatever the reason, she found him refreshing and a nice distraction from her life. He had an amusing disposition.

  “Here we are.” He edged the car to the side of the road. “Can you swim?” He put the car in park.

  “Yes, but I don’t have a suit with me.”

  “You might change your mind when you see the water.”

  She giggled. “What’s wuder?”

  “Water,” he repeated, mispronouncing it again. “Stop makin’ fun of the way I talk.” Tawk.

  “Sorry.” But she wasn’t really. His accent teetered on adorable the longer she listened to him. “Say water again.”

  “Shut up.” He laughed and shut off the car. There was a nip in the air as the trees shaded them from the sun. The doors slammed and she held back, waiting for him to lead the way since this was his adventure and she was playing the novice.

  “Check it out,” he called, waiting for her to catch up.

  She followed him through the brush toward the babbling brook, knowing if they stayed west the creek led to a deep quarry and stunning falls. “It’s beautiful.”

  It was. She’d always loved playing in the falls while growing up. Somehow she’d forgotten such an escape existed right in her backyard. She hadn’t been there in almost two summers.

  As they pushed through branches the mouth of the creek yawned and the prattling trickle of water changed to a soothing rush. “Bet you didn’t know anything like this was around here.”

  She smirked again. “It is pretty hidden.” Being that it was tucked away on private property and all.

  “The best part’s just ahead.”

  They followed the dirt path and she smiled when they reached the falls. Ant’s expression was priceless and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to tell him the truth that she’d grown up swimming in these quarries.

  He kicked off his shoes and touched his toe to the water. “It’s not too cold. What do you think?” His words tumbled together, do you sounding more like dya. She liked it.

  “I think this is exactly the place I needed to be today.”

  His grin widened and he startled her by pulling off his shirt in one quick motion. Wow. Football sure did a body good. He emptied his pockets and tossed some items on his shirt where it lay in a patch of pine needles.

  “You coming?”

  “It’s a little cold.” Forcing her attention to the water seemed the only way to stop ogling him, but even as she faced the falls her lashes lowered and she glanced back. Wow.

  “Once you’re in, you’ll adjust. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  She considered her clothes. She could keep her shorts on, but her shirt would be sopping wet and take way too long to dry. “I don’t have a suit.”

  “So? Neither do I.”

  “You’re a guy.”

  He arched his brow. “I’m glad you noticed.”

  Dear God. Those looks he came up with, they weren’t the expressions of a boy any more than that body belonged to a child. He was devastating in a mature sense she couldn’t quite fathom. Spotting the dark tuft of hair under his thickly muscled arms was her undoing and she forced herself to, once again, look away.

  Stepping closer to the edge, he drew in a breath and bolted toward the banks, propelling off the ground and piercing the surface of water with the ease of a seal. As he returned to the top he let out startled squeal. “God, that’s freaking cold!”

  “Told you.”

  Swimming to the deep center, he smiled, his black hair slicked back like a pelt. “Come on. I won’t look.” He turned and faced the falls, as he bobbed in place, every swish of his arms sending a ripple of sinew through his broad shoulders.

  Her debate only lasted a moment. Stripping off her shirt, wearing only her red bra and shorts, she left her shoes and clothes next to his, but didn’t go to the bank. Rather, she followed the beaten path through the rocks and pulled her weight upward, catching her balance on the tree trunks as she hiked the steep hill. When she reached the top of the cliff, Ant was only a small head poking out of the surface below.

  “You coming? I’m not peeking. I swear,” he yelled, assuming she was still behind him.

  Finding the vines where they’d hung for years, she grabbed hold of the thickest one, eased back, and ran to the edge of the cliff. Her feet left the earth and she screamed as her body went into a free fall plummeting toward the water below.

  The jolt of cold shocked her system, sending her deep, yet her toes never touched down. Her muscles tightened as her legs kicked, shooting her toward the surface. When she came up, she gasped for air, laughing, certain she’d surprised him.

  “Holy shit! Where did you come from?”

  Brushing her sopping hair out of her face she pointed to the vine above. “I figure if you’re gonna go in, go all in.”

  He laughed and swam toward her, treading water just a foot away. “I knew you were a cool chick, Katherine McCullough.”

  Her ego needed those words more than he knew. Chances were this was the last time she’d be in any position to go flinging herself off cliffs. Soon she’d be in her mother’s shoes, worrying that the vines were too dangerous and the quarries too deep.

  “Thanks.” His gaze held her as she smiled and her stomach jolted. Shifting her eyes toward the bank, she said, “You really don’t know who owns this place?”

  He’d been living in Center County since the fall. Being that everyone knew her family, it surprised her he didn’t know
this was their land. It also made him all the more appealing, because that meant he knew absolutely nothing about her. With him, she could be anyone.

  “I thought it was part of the park, like a reserve or something. I fish here and no one’s ever stopped me.”

  He was such a blank slate. She smirked. “Poaching from the land? You’re lucky you didn’t get shot.”

  He laughed, not seeming too concerned. “Show me how you jumped off.”

  About to lead him out of the water, she hesitated. “I don’t have a shirt on.”

  He glanced at her chest, which was somewhat camouflaged by the water. “That’s the same as a bathing suit.”

  She supposed it was close enough. Swimming to the edge, she hoisted herself onto the bank and led him up the rock path. Her body prickled with goose bumps as the breeze chilled her skin and her nipples tightened—a bit more noticeable than if she were in a swimsuit. But Ant kept his gaze averted.

  He examined each vine and considered the drop. Giving the vine a tug, he glanced back at her. “I don’t know if this’ll hold me. You’re a lot lighter than I am.”

  If those branches could hold her uncles he shouldn’t have a problem. “It’ll hold.” She folded her arms over her chest to hide her breasts, unsure why each glance made her more aware of her exposed skin.

  Settling on a thick, green rope he stepped back and raced forward. His yodel cut off the moment he plunged into the water. Kate laughed and followed suit. They swam until their fingers were pruned and their lips were blue. It turned into such a spectacular day she didn’t want it to end.

  Climbing onto the bank, he lent her a hand and hoisted her out of the water. Self-conscious, she reached for her shirt and draped it over her wet chest while she wrung out her hair.

  “Your hair’s really pretty. It’s not a normal shade of red.”

  Once again, he was watching her. Not leering, but definitely looking closer than most. “Thanks.”

  His gaze dropped to her calves and her toes curled into the grass. Returning his gaze to hers, he smirked. “Are you one hundred percent Irish?”

  “Yup. Stick me in the sun and my skin will get just as red as my hair.” She glanced at his dark arms, noting no noticeable tan lines. “With a name like Anthony, I’m guessing you’re Italian. What’s your last name?”