Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  My hand pauses from stroking her hair. Stanford? How smart is this girl?

  “I wanted an Ivy League,” she says, sounding disappointed.

  “Why?”

  She shrugs. “My dad went to Harvard.”

  I shift so I can see her face. “Not that I know anything about it, but I’ve had kids from Harvard and those fancy schools in my boat before.” I level her with a look. “I gotta say I’m not impressed. A bunch of spoiled brats, mostly.”

  She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure they aren’t all like that.”

  “I don’t know… Those schools are a different world. Kids with money and privilege like you’ve never seen.” I stroke over the curve of her shoulder. “College is hard enough. It should at least be fun.”

  “You’re probably right. And Harvard is really far away from my family.”

  “Stanford is still a really great school,” I say.

  She tucks into me again. “Yeah. I’m excited.”

  “I’ve thought about moving to California,” I say, then wish I’d thought this through a little more.

  “Really?” she says.

  Does she sound excited?

  “I thought Boise would be far enough away from here, big enough to lose myself in and not worry about having to uphold the Morgan family name all the time.” Delaney with that smirk on her face the day she “bumped into me” comes rushing back. With a frustrated breath, I push her away.

  “Where would you go?” Lori asks, tucking her body closer to me. Fully clothed, and she’s still turning me on. After everything we’ve done today, you’d think I’d be satisfied.

  Not even close.

  And tomorrow, I’m going to have to be apart from her for another six days. I suppress a groan.

  “Central Coast maybe, or San Diego,” I reply.

  “Both are awesome. San Diego is really crowded though.”

  I wonder if I might like crowded, for once. “Water’s warmer.”

  “True. Are you going to learn to surf?”

  “Maybe,” I say with a laugh.

  “What about your friends here? Your family?”

  Annika’s warning blares in my ear. Then there’s Bill’s threat. Is there something going on, or is he just being his usual asshole self?

  “They’d get over it,” I say. “And it wouldn’t be forever.” Though I’m not sure this is true.

  “So, you’d come back?” she asks, sliding her top leg over mine. The way her hips are pressing into my side is making it hard to think.

  “I don’t know. I might just fall in love and stay.”

  She lifts her chin off my chest and our eyes lock.

  I can almost hear the question she wants to ask: fall in love with who?

  * * *

  Later, when she’s naked and falling asleep against my chest, I race ahead to three weeks from now when I’ll have to say goodbye to her.

  But maybe it’ll be temporary. What if I did move to California, just to see what it’s like? A buddy I used to run rivers with works at a small manufacturing plant outside of San Diego that makes fiberglass boats. Maybe he’d put in a good word for me. But that’s still a long way from Stanford and the Bay Area.

  Shit, why am I even thinking of that? Lori and I agreed that this was a summer thing. She’ll get on with her life, and I’ll be free to take mine wherever I want it to go.

  I settle in, savoring her warm skin on mine and her soft breaths warming the crook of my neck.

  But when I finally close my eyes, Lori and I are walking along a stormy beach, hand in hand.

  19

  Lori

  I spend my next day off in the Twin Falls emergency room with one of my favorite campers, a bubbly girl named Violet, who broke her arm during a rowdy game of capture the flag. I couldn’t let her take the two-hour trip with just our driver. Even though Violet’s high energy, she’s an anxious kid, so I commit to keeping her company until her parents arrived late that night. By the time I return to camp, it is past midnight.

  Having to cancel my plans with Caleb turned me inside out—we only have two weeks left. Every moment now feels so precious. Though I’ve told myself maybe Caleb and I should start to wind things down, the idea of not spending time with him torments me. Obviously, my rational brain is not in charge.

  Every moment I’m not busy with sailing or camp duties, I’m dreaming of him—his touch, his kisses, and the things he does to me. A pulse of heat washes through me and I have to fight back the craving to text him to come get me, consequences be damned.

  Caleb hasn’t brought up his idea to move to California since that night we got pulled over by the scary cop. I don’t want to be the one to encourage him to drop out of college, but what if it came true and he ended up living only a few hours’ drive away from me?

  There’s also the possibility that even if he does move, he’ll want his freedom. Why wouldn’t he? He’s been tied to me long enough. In southern California he would have no shortage of company.

  I’m walking to pick up my campers from their final activity for the day when my phone rings. Eagerly, I slide it from my back pocket but it’s not Caleb.

  “Hey mom,” I say, turning away from the lakeshore on a worn dirt path. We’ve had zero rain for two weeks I can practically feel the ground gasping for moisture.

  “Hi sweetie,” she says. “So, Jeff and I think it’s best to sell your car. I realize you are fond of it, but we don’t know anything about this backyard mechanic. What if you break down?”

  My shoulders tighten. “If I sell it, how will I get home?”

  “We’ve bought you a flight, but you’ll need to get to Boise.”

  They did this without asking me? Of course, they did. So typical. “When?”

  “August eighteenth.”

  I grimace. That’s the day after camp ends. Annika told me that all the White Cloud guides run a day trip on the rowdy South Fork then have a huge party down at the river park, right on the gravel bar. I don’t want to miss it.

  I decide to drop the argument about my car for now and focus on the more important bit. “Can I change the flight?”

  “Why?”

  That I even have to ask for this irks me. But I’ve never been particularly good at confronting my mom. Especially since she got sick and I faced the possibility of losing her.

  “I’ve made some really good friends here. I might want to spend an extra here day to say—” my voice catches “—goodbye.”

  How am I going to say goodbye to Caleb?

  “Sweetie, I’m glad you’ve had a fun summer, but you’ll make so many new friends at school.”

  I frown, reading between the lines. She’s basically telling me to ditch my summer friends because my new ones at Stanford will be better—smarter, richer. That old Girl Scout song about making new friends but keeping the old rings through my mind. One is silver and the other gold.

  “I’d really like to stay. There’s a big party and everyone goes.”

  “Is there a boy involved?”

  A chill ripples through me. “What do you mean?”

  “You just seem awfully insistent about this.”

  Heat crawls up the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’ve…been sort of seeing someone.”

  Though no sound comes through the phone line, I totally feel her disapproval. “I see,” she says on a sigh. “Well, just don’t get too attached. You don’t want to go to college tied down.”

  I wince. Is that how she sees it? Tied down. Why can’t she just trust me to figure this out on my own?

  I walk in silence up the path, blinking away the hurt.

  “Let me see about changing your ticket,” she adds in that resigned “I’m doing you a huge favor” voice that means she’ll use this against me sometime in the future.

  “I’ll pay the change fee,” I say.

  “We’ll see, okay?”

  I end the call just as Annika arrives from the archery range. The two of us perch outside the tennis court’s chain l
ink fence while our campers scamper around, picking up all the balls. I tune out Hans’ voice barking orders over all the giggling, trying to push my churning thoughts about my mom from my mind. I only have a few weeks left of fun. I’m not going to let her ruin it.

  “Man, it’s hot,” Annika says. “I could go with a dip during free time. You game?”

  “Definitely. I’ve already been in twice today, but I’ll go again.”

  “Next year I’ll sign up to teach sailing.”

  “Do you know how?”

  “No, but whatever. It’s pretty basic, right?”

  I laugh. “I could teach you.”

  “Are you coming back next year?” she asks, looking hopeful.

  “Not sure,” I say.

  “Please,” she begs. “It won’t be the same without you.”

  I’m so torn. Next summer, I really should intern for a lab or a biotech firm. If I want to get into graduate school, I need to plan ahead.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Are you and Caleb breaking things off?” she asks after a long pause.

  I swallow. “We’re supposed to,” I say in a tense voice.

  Her gaze softens. “I know I said I wanted no part of it, but … if you need me, I’m here.”

  My emotions crowd into my heart. Despite every wall I put up to protect her, she’s already hurting. How have I let this happen?

  “Thanks,” I say.

  Our campers file out of the tennis courts with red cheeks and sweaty foreheads. I manage to usher them down the path before Hans can get near me. Since that night when I told him off, he’s stayed away, but I swear I can feel him watching.

  “Oh no!” Rebbie, one of my campers says, stopping in her tracks. “My water bottle!”

  “I’m sure it’ll be there tomorrow, or Hans will bring it to dinner,” I say in a soothing voice.

  Her eyes go wide. “What if someone takes it? I bought it at Disneyland with my own money.”

  Rebbie is one of my “sensitive” campers, and I suspect she’ll fret about this water bottle for the rest of the afternoon and night. Plus, since she used her own money it taps a place of understanding inside me.

  “I’ll run back and get it for you, okay?” I say, eyeing Annika, who nods.

  Relief floods Rebbie’s eyes. “You will? Thank you!”

  I spin and jog back up the hill, then let myself in to the courts.

  “Just grabbing this,” I call out to Hans, who is half inside the storage shed behind the courts, stowing equipment.

  After hurrying across the court and scooping up the clear blue water bottle decorated with Disney princesses, I spin to go but run right into Hans.

  “Oh, hey,” I say, stepping back.

  He’s wearing a satisfied smirk. “I heard you the other night,” he says, crossing his arms.

  “Heard me how?” I ask, eyeing the exit only ten feet away.

  “In the staff bathroom?” he says, raising an eyebrow.

  I give him a look. “What are you talking about?”

  His face scrunches up and he makes little fake whimpers.

  My heart jerks to a stop. Two nights ago, I took a bath in the staff bathroom because I thought it would help my sore shoulder. Of course, Caleb took that moment to text me and it didn’t take long for our banter to heat me up. Never in a million years would I have thought such filthy words would make me so hot.

  “You were listening?” I ask as my face floods with heat.

  “Hey, I just happened to be walking by.” His eyes narrow. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

  I step back but there’s only the cold metal fencing. My heart pounds into my chest. I doubt the staff manual specifies that giving yourself an orgasm in the bathtub is off limits, but if something like this ever got out, I would die of mortification.

  “Tell anyone what?” I’m sure I made no sound. How on earth did Hans know what I was doing? Is there a hidden camera in the bathroom? A peephole?

  My face catches fire. Please no.

  He leans in closer, his gaze slowly flicking up and down my body. “Just let me touch you one time.”

  I shove him back. “No!”

  His eyes take on a hungry glint as he reaches up and grabs my breasts.

  I slap his hands away and wriggle free.

  “Hey! What’s going on?” Annika’s voice calls from the doorway.

  “Nothing,” I say as I fast-walk in her direction.

  But Annika must read the fury on my face.

  “We’re going to report you right now,” Annika says to Hans, shoving her hands on her hips.

  Hans smiles. “No, you’re not.” He jerks his chin in my direction. “Just ask her.”

  I grit my teeth. “Let’s just go.”

  Annika’s gaze darts my way.

  “Come on,” I add, practically dragging her out of the court.

  We get halfway down the path when I start shaking. I break into a run, with Annika on my heels. “What happened?” she asks.

  But I can’t answer her.

  Here I was, enjoying the thrill of exploring this new side of me, only to have it shoved in my face by a bully.

  “You have to say something,” Annika says as we reach our cabin, huffing and out of breath.

  I sit on my bed and hug myself tight to stop from shaking.

  “He touched you, didn’t he?” Annika asks in a soft voice. She settles in next to me.

  I want so badly to be alone, but there’s nowhere private. I’d have to run off and hide somewhere.

  “He just grabbed me,” I say. “It’s no big deal.”

  “It is definitely a big deal. We’re going to the camp director.”

  “I can’t!” I say.

  She pauses, trying to read my expression.

  “Are you embarrassed?” she says in a kind voice. “Because this is his fault, okay? You did nothing wrong.”

  If only she knew. “I think he spied on me when I was in the staff bathroom.”

  Annika’s eyes go wide. “Fucking hell, Lori.” She bolts to her feet. “Come on, we gotta tell them. Now!”

  “No, please,” I beg.

  She sighs and gives me a hard look. “Tell me why. Did he threaten you?”

  I wipe my eyes which have started to blur. “Caleb and I were sexting, and…”

  She covers her mouth with her hand, then seems to realize she’s staring and composes herself.

  “You mean you were buttering your muffin in the staff bathroom?”

  I cover my face with my hands.

  She comes back to the bed and puts her arm around me. “Dang, girl, you are one brave kitten.”

  I try to laugh but it gets stuck. “It’s your stupid brother. He turns me into a sex maniac.”

  “You realize how weird that is for me to hear?”

  This time, I do laugh. “Sorry.”

  “What do you want to do?” she says.

  “Let’s forget it,” I say. Just talking to her has made me feel so much better. Another reason I’m going to be a wreck when we go our separate ways in two weeks.

  “You sure?” Annika asks. “Hans shouldn’t have touched you. He shouldn’t be lurking around the bathroom either.”

  “I just won’t go near him. We only have two more weeks of camp. If he told anyone about me, I would die, Annika.”

  “Are you going to tell Caleb?”

  I wince. “Not sure.”

  “Consider not. He’ll want to kick Hans’ ass.”

  My gut bottoms out somewhere below my knees. “Oh.”

  Her mouth twitches between a smile and a grimace. “You have to admit it’s kind of funny,” she says.

  “It is not funny.”

  She shrugs. “Girls should be able to paddle the pink canoe if they feel like it. Guys do it all the time.” She knocks my shoulder with hers. “After growing up with three older brothers, I should know.”

  “Ew,” I say.

  “Uh huh,” she replies, nodding.

/>   I bust up laughing. “Paddle the pink canoe?”

  She grins. “I have more, you want to hear them?” She stands. “Come on, we gotta get our kiddos to dinner. I’ll share as we walk.”

  Later that night, after we’ve got the kids asleep and I fall into bed, I pull out my phone to say a quick goodnight to Caleb.

  Me: How was your day?

  Caleb: Water level’s getting low. Still had fun tho

  I give him a thumbs up.

  Caleb: Tell me about your day

  My gut flips upside down. I’m ready for rain I type instead of relaying what happened.

  Caleb: Thunderstorms this weekend

  A shiver runs down my spine because I love electrical storms.

  I reply with a heart.

  Caleb: I wish you were here

  Me: Me too

  Caleb: I want to touch you

  Tingles erupt in my core. Soon. Two days.

  Caleb: I need you now. He adds a row of exploding bomb emojis.

  I stare at the screen while my blood pumps low into my core.

  Me: I think we need to cool the dirty texting

  Caleb: I thought you liked it?

  Me: I do, but it’s getting me in trouble

  Caleb: Trouble how? From the sexting police?

  Me: No. I’ll tell you about it Thurs

  Caleb: Hmm. You okay?

  Me: Yeah. Just miss you

  He sends me a “goodnight” and I reply with a kiss emoji and shut down my phone. But as I lay in the dark, Hans rough hands reach for my breasts all over again. It feels like I’ve lost something precious, and I don’t know how to get it back.

  20

  Lori

  I wake with a start to someone touching me. Heart racing, my hands fly out to defend myself.

  “Easy,” a soft voice says, dodging my swings.

  Caleb.

  Relief shudders through my frame.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” I say, pressing my palm into my heart that’s beating a thousand miles an hour.

  “Sorry,” he whispers.

  I glance at Annika’s bunk, worrying that we’re going to wake her.

  Caleb shakes his head. “She sleeps like the dead.”