Theirs to Keep - Maya Banks Page 0,39

you were worrying yourself over, let it go,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I’m trying,” she returned softly. “I really am.”

“Good,” Merrick said in his gruff voice. “Let’s just enjoy the day, and tomorrow will take care of itself.”

Chapter Eighteen

THE BREEZE BLOWING OFF THE small lake had just enough nip to make Elle shiver, but she burrowed into the warm, fleece-lined jacket and shoved her hands into the pockets as they searched for just the right spot to set up.

It was an absolutely spectacular day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and deep blue spread out for as far as the eye could see. The trees had begun budding out, and green was popping through the brown of winter.

The first buds of flowers had slowly begun to unfurl, and the air was sweetly scented with the fragrance from a multitude of flowering plants and bushes.

Merrick had cut his training session short that morning, and she only felt a little guilty that she was taking him away from his regimen.

Things had been so fast and furious since his win in Las Vegas. The call had come in and the contracts signed for the title bout scheduled for late spring in Los Angeles.

His training had intensified, but along with adding sparring partners and beefing up his conditioning, promotion had taken up a huge chunk of his time.

He traveled more than he had previously, and he granted interviews and had media coverage of his training camp. And through it all, he and Cade had tried their best to keep Elle out of the public eye.

Catherine had been invaluable, taking over a lot of the publicity for Merrick. Merrick hadn’t wanted to bring in a publicist, even though most fighters in his position had an entire media team. But Merrick wanted only people he trusted around him, and so he’d kept his entourage small, and he’d continued to train quietly, drawing as little attention to himself as possible.

The people in his circle were good people. They’d made Elle feel welcome into Merrick’s inner sanctum. Catherine and Dakota were just like family, and Elle knew Merrick considered them such. Other fighters in the organization had moved to Grand Junction to train with Merrick and help him prepare for the championship match. There was a lot of loyalty surrounding Merrick, and Elle liked her place among the people who’d allied themselves with the gruff warrior.

She breathed in another deep breath, enjoying the sweet-scented air.

“Oh, look, that’s perfect,” she said, yanking her hand out to point at a rock that jutted over the water’s edge.

The huge boulder was flat on top and afforded a great place to sit and enjoy the view. She eagerly moved forward, leaving the two men behind so she could claim her spot.

She clambered up and stood, gazing over the water and to the opposite bank where mothers pushed baby strollers, there was a dad trying to get a kite up for his son, and there were a few joggers making a circle around the small lake on the worn walking path.

When she glanced back for Cade and Merrick, they were standing just below her, indulgent smiles on their faces as they watched her. She hopped down from the rock to help them spread the blanket on the bank. When the wind kicked up, curling up one of the corners, she plunked the picnic basket down to hold the blanket in place.

“What did you bring to eat?” she asked eagerly.

Merrick chuckled. “You look like a kid in a candy store, baby.”

She grinned, her enthusiasm not at all dampened by his gentle teasing.

Cade drew her in to kiss her forehead and then reached to open the basket.

“I made some kick-ass sandwiches. I brought some chips and sodas, but the pièce de résistance? Fudge brownies.”

“Oh my God. Gimme!”

Both men laughed, and Cade snatched the basket up before she could attack.

“Be a good girl and eat your lunch first,” Cade admonished. “No dessert until you’ve cleaned your plate.”

She elbowed him in the ribs and sat down cross-legged, a disgruntled twist to her lips.

Cade chuckled again. “Whoever says pouting doesn’t work clearly hasn’t seen you pout. I’d damn near give you anything with that bottom lip stuck out so prettily.”

Her cheeks warmed, and then she eyed him devilishly. “Does that mean I get to eat dessert first?”

“Dive in,” Cade said.

Merrick shook his head. “What a wuss. You didn’t hold out five seconds against her.”

Elle turned her pout on Merrick and gave him her best impression of doe eyes.

“Ahh, hell,