All of their gazes landed on Isabelle. “No way!” she retorted. “I went last year,itsIan’s turn.”
“ItisIan’s turn,” Jack said thoughtfully.
Ian took a step back as they all turned toward him. “Hey! Come on, this was my idea!”
“Which is even more reason why you should go first,” David retorted.
Ian grinned at them as they took another step forward. “Fine!” he cried throwing his hands up.
He took off running, and they all turned to watch as he darted past his friends, kicking off his shoes as he ran. He dove into the lake, and came up sputtering. “Cold!”
They all began to laugh as he turned onto his back and kicked himself out toward the middle of the lake. With a war like cry Mike, Doug, Jack, David, and Ethan darted past them, shedding their shoes as they ran toward the lake. “Oh great!” Vicky cried as she appeared at their side with Abby beside her. “Who started it?” she demanded.
“Ian,” Isabelle answered over the loud splashes and yells.
They both sighed wearily as they shook their heads. “Well, we knew it was coming. Let’s go Abby.”
Stefan watched in amazement as the twins also ran forward, they usually avoided the group activities. “What is going on?” he asked.
Isabelle grinned up at him. “The end of summer swim,” she answered. “We do it every year, although we usually do it a little earlier than this. The lake is fed by a natural stream that comes out of themountains;it has to be really cold now.”
To confirm her statement, Vicky and Abby squealed as they jumped back out of the lake. Doug and Mike instantly came after them, grabbing them, and tossing them back in. Their loud, shrill screams pierced the air as they came back to the surface. “Come onIssy!” Willow cried as she raced by them with Julian, Kyle, and Cassidy on her heels.
Isabelle laughed as she shook her head. “Don’t want to go?” he asked.
“Nope,” she replied happily, moving closer to him.
Stefan grinned down at her as hegrabbedher waist and lifted her up. She smiled up at him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and leisurely kicked her feet. “I’d take your shoes off,” he whispered.
“What?” She frowned up at him, obviously not realizing his intent until he started walking towardthe lake. “Stefan no!”
Her hands tightened around his neck as she struggled to get free. He held tightly to her as she became as squiggly as an eel. “Isabelle, yes.”
She glared up at him as her shoes hit the ground. “If you toss me into that lake I’ll...”
“You’ll what?”
There really wasn’t anything that she could say to that, and judging by the smug grin on his face, he damn well knew it. Stefan kicked his shoes off before wading into the cold water. “Stefan...”
He was smiling as he released her. Isabelle cried out in shock as the chilly water enclosed her whole body, turning it numb almost instantly. She came back up, spitting and sputtering as she wiped strands of straggly hair off her face. She glowered up at him as he stood over her, a bright grin on his handsome face, and his hands planted firmly on his hips.
“Aren’t you coming in?” she demanded.
“It’s a little too cold for me.”
The fierce shove knocked him off balance. Isabelle grabbed hold of his arms at the same time, tugging him sharply into the water. He came back up, sputtering in shock from the cold, and the fact that he had beenshoved into it. Her laughter rang loudly in his ears as he turned to look at Ethan and David. They proudly slapped each other’s hands, as they grinned smugly down at him. “Everyone goes in!” David announced.
Stefan snorted as he shook his wet hair off his forehead. He launched to his feet after them. They met him head on as they all toppled into the water. Isabelle laughed happily as she watched them splash and tumble with each other. He was part of her family now, a part ofher, and it was quiteobvious that they fully accepted him. Ian, Jack, Doug, Willow, Kyle, Cassidy, and Mike joined in the foray as Vicky and Abby swam over to join her.
“We really didn’t need another brother,” Vicky said happily.
Isabelle laughed as she turned to face them. The moonlight shimmered over their sleek, golden heads, and lit their bright green eyes. “Trust me, I know.”
Vicky smiled at her before she turned onto her back and kicked leisurely at the water. Isabelle turned herself over to float beside her. The water wasn’t so cold now that she had grown used to it. In fact, it was rather pleasant. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift, taking comfort in the light slapping of the water against her skin. Shouts echoed through the night, she smiled happily as Willow screamed and a loud splash filled the air.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Stefan wrappedhis armsaround her,pullingher against himand holding her tight. She didn’t bother to open her eyes as she rested her head in the curve of his shoulder. His skin was cool to the touch, but his inner heat served to warm her. “Nowhere,” she mumbled happily.
