popped out of my arms and stood with the water moving around her. “Bullshit. That’s not true at all. I know things were bad for you, Cade. I know that silly social experiment your parents tried by living close enough that you could migrate between both your mom’s and dad’s families was a failure. But they love you. Both your parents love you. You have to know that.”
“Let’s just drop it.” I started swimming back to shore, but she grabbed my hand.
“You haven’t changed a bit. You always turn away when it’s something you don’t want to hear. But you should hear this. I was sitting with my dad last night, and we were talking about the past, the neighborhood and just things in general. He told me that on more than one occasion, when he and your dad were talking, your dad would go on and on about your bravery in the war and how great you were at bike racing. My dad said he always thought it was interesting how much time he’d spend talking about you as compared to Grady. Your dad knows, just like Grady and I always knew, you are incredible at everything you do. You just need to let yourself in on that secret.”
I looked toward the beach, pretending to have my attention pulled away by the people playing Frisbee on the sand.
“See, you can’t even hear it straight forward and without embellishments from me. And you know damn well you can trust me not to lie to you. I’m going to be a lawyer after all.”
I turned back to her with a smile. Kenna had always been a pro at making me smile. “Seems like you’ll be a damn good one too, Trinket. You almost have me convinced. I guess we should get going. I’m sure my dad could use some help cleaning up after the wake.”
“Probably a good idea.” There was a gleam in her brown eyes as she looked at the beach. “I’ll race you back to shore.”
“Shit, not a chance Little Mermaid. You still swim like you’ve got a tail instead of those great legs.”
The last comment came out unexpectedly, and Kenna picked right up on it. “Ah ha, is that a compliment from the infamous, notorious womanizer, Caden Stratton? You think I’ve got great legs?”
“For a mermaid, they’re not bad. And when the hell did I become a notorious womanizer?”
She splashed water at me. “Oh please, enough with that look of shock and innocence. Your picture was still plastered in half the girl’s lockers in the high school gym two years after you left. Who was that one girl that all the guys were having wet dreams about, but she was nuts about you? Tanya Tuttle, right?”
I thought back to those high school days with a smile. “Oh yeah, TNT. That’s what all the guys called her. We had fun, Tanya and me, but she wasn’t the one.” I looked pointedly at Kenna, but she didn’t pick up on the clue. She had no idea at all.
“No? With her figure and those dark blue eyes, I think she was the one for just about every guy in town. Just not Caden Stratton, I guess.” She dragged her long legs through the foamy water. Her wet dress clung to her slender curves as she waded back to the sand. “Well then, who was the one?” She combed her long, wet hair back off her face. Her skin was pink and glossy smooth from the cold salt water.
I shook my head with no answer.
“Ah, as always, secretive. I’ll have to do some mind sleuthing to see if I can figure out who this mystery woman was.” She tapped her chin and then pointed at me. “That girl, Sammy, the one you used to hang out with at the park. She was cute. Just exactly what were you two always doing at the park after hours?”
“Samantha Vickers preferred the company of girls. I hung out there with her because she always had really good weed.”
“Oh, guess that doesn’t say much for my sleuthing skills.”
I couldn’t hold back a smile. “Trinket, if you knew the answer, you’d be hanging up your detective shoes for good.”
Her brown eyes looked even more beautiful surrounded by spikes of long, wet lashes. “Now you’ve piqued my curiosity.”
“Give it up, Sherlock.”
We waded back to shore and dragged out of the water in wet clothes. Kenna looked down at her dress. Heavy with salt water, the hem