Free Going Down by Shelli Stevens

here—”
    “No.” The harsh word whipped through the group, snuffing out any hope his parents might have for further discussion.
    Even Todd’s cheery mood diminished some and he turned to check on the salmon, his smile gone.
    Ellie moved closer to Tyson’s side and tightened her grip on his hand, obviously sensing the tension.
    But then she surprised him, clearing the air with a bright, “That salmon smells wonderful. Do you guys ever go out there and go fishing?” She gestured to the ocean that lay just beyond the fenced line of Wyatt property.
    “Hell, yeah, we do,” Todd said, his grin returning. “I’m the one who caught the salmon we’re grilling right now.”
    “Bah! I believe I caught this one,” their dad corrected. “Yours was barely six pounds.”
    “Bullshit it was, Pops!”
    Any remaining tension from the family dissipated as the two began arguing good-naturedly.
    Trevor had turned away from the group, silently staring out at the water.
    “Good save,” Tyson finally murmured against Ellie’s ear. “Thank you for that.”
    She squeezed his hand and glanced up at him. “No problem. What was that all about anyway?”
    He hesitated, but then decided Trevor was too far away to hear.
    “Megan was Trevor’s fiancée until they broke up last year. He won’t admit it, but I think Trevor still has some pretty strong feelings for her.”
    “Why did they break up then?”
    Again, he hesitated. “Trevor’s unit in the Army deployed to Afghanistan for a year. When he came back…I don’t know. Something changed. Their engagement ended shortly after that.”
    Sympathy flashed across her face, before Ellie turned to watch Trevor. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”
    “I need to go throw together the fruit salad,” his mom said, passing them on the way to the house. “Ellie, why don’t you come help? You can tell me more about yourself.”
    Ellie’s eyes widened and her fingers clenched around his, but she said a bright, “Sure.”
    Tyson bit back a laugh as he watched her follow his mother inside. He should’ve seen that coming a mile away. It wasn’t every day he brought a girl to the Saturday barbeque…hell, it wasn’t ever.
    Which made him wonder again how he was going to convince himself this was a summer fling.
    With a sigh, Tyson took another swig of his beer and went to check out the salmon that he was pretty sure he’d caught.
     
    A few hours later Ellie clutched a croquet mallet and glared down at the yellow ball.
    “I’ve got this,” she muttered, which only garnered an amused laugh from Tyson who stood behind her.
    “Come on, sweetheart. Take it home and win this one for us,” he encouraged.
    She grinned, then bit her lip in concentration, trying to block out the sounds of Trevor and Todd, who immediately began yelling and making as much noise as possible.
    The afternoon had been incredible. Amazing food, wonderful people, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much or had so much fun.
    And now, she was going to kick some major Wyatt ass with the help of the middle child.
    Raising her mallet, she swung it against the yellow ball and watched as it soared through the last two wickets to smash into the stake in the ground.
    “You did it,” Tyson yelled, picking her up around the waist and swinging her around in a circle. He glanced at his brothers. “Take that, ya pansies!”
    Ellie let out a giddy laugh, clutching his shoulders as she stared down into his smiling eyes. And then he lowered her slowly back to the ground, their bodies passing in a sensual glide that left her tingling and short of breath.
    Tyson’s gaze locked on hers and she saw his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare.
    Her heart tripped and she swallowed hard, knowing he must be able to see the same desire in her eyes.
    “How about another beer, guys?” Todd called out. “I’m grabbing one for myself.”
    “Think we’re going to pass,” Tyson replied back, not removing his