She tried to wrestle herself free, but Cubby was bigger and stronger and had the advantage of trapping her against his body. He kept walking until he reached the deck.
“Take a breath, princess.” Before she could reply he’d walked off the end and into the cool waters of the lake.
When they surfaced, she was spitting like a hellcat, so he took her under again. It was cold, but Cubby had always enjoyed the shock to his system. It seemed Katie did not.
“Y-you’re a d-dead man, Hawker!”
“So scared right now,” he drawled, holding her close while he kept them afloat. She felt slender in his arms, but he could feel her strength as she fought against him.
“F-fuck you.”
Her hair was slicked to her head now, her face exposed, high cheekbones, sweet lips, long spiky lashes.
“Take another breath.” He took them under again.
“Enough.” The fight went out of her after the fourth time, so he swam them to the houseboat and lifted her up onto the deck, and then followed. She didn’t move, just wrapped her hands around her knees and lowered her head to rest on them. Cubby went into the cabin and found a couple of towels. He then put on some coffee before going back out and wrapping one around her shoulders. She didn’t fight him when he lifted her back into his arms and walked inside. Lowering her into one of the chairs, he left her there while he dried off and dressed.
She was still curled up in the chair when he came out of the bedroom, looking out at the lake as the sun slowly set. He filled a cup with coffee and handed it to her.
“Drink.” To his surprise, she took it and sipped.
Cubby moved around the houseboat, finding the bottles of bourbon she had hidden until he had three and the half-finished one she’d been drinking. He put them in the back of the cruiser to deal with later.
“You can go now,” she said when he returned. “I have no more bourbon and I’m sober, so your job is done.” Her voice was cold, and her eyes red rimmed and weary.
“You eaten?”
“I can look after myself, Sheriff.”
“Answer the question.”
She shook her head.
“Take a shower and I’ll fix us something.” He turned away to look in the small fridge. The second surprise was when she did as he asked her to do, because seconds later he heard the shower running.
Cubby took a deep breath before pulling eggs and cheese out. Omelets were pretty much the only thing he excelled at in the kitchen, so that was what they were having. His mind was working through what to say to Katie as he prepared their meal. Should he call Jake? No, he didn’t think she’d be very happy about that.
She came back into the room dressed in an oversized sweatshirt that he recognized as one of her brother’s, and a pair of shorts that showed off the length of her legs. He handed her a plate and she sat back down in the chair and ate without saying a word. When they were finished, he put the plates in the sink and poured them both more coffee.
“Okay, now we have to talk,” he said, moving the other seat closer to hers.
“I don’t want to talk, and there’s nothing to talk about anyway.”
She’d cradled the mug in her hands, brought her knees up again. Closing herself in, protecting herself from him. Sober now, reality had returned.
“I just want to help you, Katie.”
“You can’t, only time and bourbon can do that.”
“Try me.”
The first tear surprised him, because he’d expected more anger from her. She didn’t wipe it away, just let it and the others fall. It hurt to watch, deep inside his chest. He’d never wanted her in pain, never wanted to be the cause of it either, but he knew to get to the root of whatever was driving her to drink he had to push her.
“I’m not leaving until you talk, because if I do, you’ll find a way to get more alcohol and that’s not going to happen.”
“It’s her eyes; I can’t get them out of my head.”
She whispered the words, but he heard.
