by Eliza Ellis
“And I’m twenty-two.”
“You both are young.”
“Well…I’m going places.” She stuck her nose high in the air.
Kat snorted. “He’s going to Cornell. Eventually, he’ll catch up. Guys are always a little behind anyways.”
Debatable. They were always behind, and Pete didn’t seem all that excited about Cornell.
“Peter’s a sweetheart,” Kat continued. “And he’s really smart. You could do a lot worse. You already think he’s hot.” She winked.
“I don’t know why you’re shipping us together.”
Kat laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll admit, I was only teasing…a little.”
Keke slid off the stool. She marched to the cooling rack and piled about five mini cupcakes into her hands.
“Hey! I have to bake a specific amount each day for our customers!” Kat surged forward.
“You owe me this. And do you want them back? I’ve already touched them. No choice but for me to eat them.”
Kat held out her hand. “It’s two fifty for three. And you’ve already had two. Pay up.”
“Send me a bill.”
Keke rushed out of the kitchen and jogged to the front door. She unlocked it and darted out as her sister came around the front counter.
All the way back to the campground, Keke tried convincing herself that her stomach hurt because of all the sugar she wasn’t used to eating, plus what she had the evening before. She must’ve eaten about ten s’mores.
In truth, she struggled to believe the lie she’d told her sister about Pete. Although still the same nerdy guy, he had grown up. Honestly, being around him hadn’t been that bad. Good actually.
Didn’t matter anyway. She was teaching him how to win over another girl. And Keke had other plans. Next week, she would be in California starting a new chapter in her life. No time for a summer fling with her best friend’s nineteen-year-old brother.
Too young, and still too nerdy.
Chapter 8
Pete placed another heavy box of supplies aside and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had no clue where his father had put the box of new life jackets. They had plenty for the kids to use, but his father still wanted a few extra handy, in case any of the jackets had faulty straps.
He’d been sweltering in the shed for well over ten minutes. The box wasn’t marked well, or there were just too many boxes in here. His father was definitely wrong about the box being in the office, where it would be easily accessible.
“Finally. This is where you’ve been?”
He didn’t have to turn around. Keke’s accusatory voice hit him in the back.
“Looking for life jackets.”
“Well, this is a perfect time to do lesson two.”
“Lesson two?” Pete slid his forearm across his forehead again and turned around. He saw Keke’s eyes widen slightly and then return to normal. What was she looking at? He was a mess. Dust smudges were all over the front of his shirt—thanks to the boxes—and he was sweating like a pig.
Keke marched forward and raked her hand through the mass of hair that had fallen over his forehead. Her fingers lingered as they softly wove their way through his hair and around the curve of his right ear. He’d never known how sensitive that area of his body was. Heat shot from his head all the way down to his feet.
Her nearness made his heart skip a beat. Then another. Her soft perfume enveloped him, and he inhaled deeply. Brown eyes were veiled as usual, but he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Was she as affected as him?
“Uh…”
Oh, so now he couldn’t form words?
She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. Whatever she was feeling, she fought it hard. “Girls like it when you place their hair behind their ears. It’s like you’re helping them look their best. Making their faces more prominent.”
She held his gaze, and he’d never felt more confident.
“And you have to make sure you’re staring deep into their eyes…like this,” she whispered. She swayed slightly toward him. “It makes them feel like they’re being seen for the first time…”
Her voice trailed off. Pete watched the color of her eyes lighten slightly. Her brows inched toward each other. He wondered what concerned her. Did it have something to do with where she’d been this morning? As he made his way to the bathroom, he had watched her car peel out of camp. She hadn’t seen him try to wave her down.
“Like this?” he asked gruffly.
Two curly locks of brown hair framed her face. He reached both hands up. Might as well practice both hands. The pads of his fingers lightly brushed her cheeks as he guided the locks back and around her ears. He let his fingers linger at the space beneath her earlobes.
Keke inhaled sharply.
She was sensitive there as well.
Her mouth remained open, and she quietly panted. Their gazes remained locked. Feeling bold, Pete took a step forward, keeping his fingers at the base of her ears. Still, the only thing moving was Keke’s chest, now much higher than before, threatening to rip his gaze away from her eyes.
He thought about moving his hands to cup her face. Thought about gently pulling her into his arms. He’d seen it done in plenty of action flicks by the confident hero. She’d come willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist while his lips took hers.
He could see it in his mind’s eye. Hear her soft moan of delight. Taste the flavor of the light reddish-brown gloss on her lips. Cinnamon? Or would it be a berry mix?
His hands cupped her head. Her eyes went wide. As he took another step forward, she wrenched free and stumbled backward over a box.
“Keighly!”
“Ow!”
Pete rushed forward. “Are you okay? Let me help.”
She swatted at his hands. “You were supposed to lightly touch. Not grab my head.”
“I didn’t…”
He blew out a breath of frustration. He should’ve stopped when her eyes practically bugged out of her head. Clearly, being kissed by her best friend’s nerdy brother would be detestable.
He had never kissed a girl either, so he was probably really bad at it. If she had managed to stay put and he had been successful, chances were he would’ve blown it during execution.
And they would be right here. With Keke’s legs sprawled over a box and her face looking more angry than he’d seen in a long time. Just like old times.
“Let me help,” he said firmly. He grabbed her hands and effortlessly pulled her up and over the box. She landed against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.
For two seconds, they stared into each other’s eyes. It couldn’t be just him. There was some sort of gravitational pull there, Pete was sure of it.
Keke grimaced and looked at her left elbow. “Just great,” she muttered.
Guilt swelled in Pete at the sight of her bloody elbow. “We have medicine back at the office.”
He guided her out of the shed. Keke quickly disentangled herself.
They walked together in silence for a moment. “Keighly, I’m really sorry.”
Keke smirked. “It’s okay. Lesson two point five learned. Never go for too much. Read the girl, Petey.”
His gut tightened in embarrassment. He had read her but ignored the signs. He didn’t want to come across as predatory. She just looked…
Didn’t matter. She obviously only wanted to teach him, not experience it herself.
“It doesn’t hurt, does it?” he asked quietly.
Her voice was clipped. “Just stings.”
They entered the office. Keke sat on a desk while Pete pulled a first aid kit off a shelf. He opened it, spied the antiseptic, and held out his hand for her arm. After cleaning it with a wipe, Pete’s fingers moved in light, slow circles as he applied the ointment. Keke didn’t flinch.
“You could be a doctor, you know that? Or a nurse,” Keke stated, her lips in a small smile. “Your bedside manner is impeccable.”
Pete didn
’t look up, feeling the burn in his cheeks. He cared about her, wanted her to know in the way he touched her.
“Instead of, what are you going to do in college again? Computer science?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Pete pulled the wrapper off a bandage and carefully applied it over Keke’s wound. Again, he smoothed the edges with a gentle touch. He’d already hurt her enough. He still couldn’t meet her eyes because the embarrassment hadn’t subsided. A funny feeling lingered in his stomach that was quickly making him nauseous.
“What does that mean? Why wouldn’t you?”
Pete shrugged. “That’s not all there is to do.” He closed the first aid kit and replaced it on the shelf.
“Stop being so evasive and tell me. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always been about computers and computer games. Are you contemplating a different field of study? Nursing perhaps?”
She winked at him, and a little of his embarrassment disappeared.
“Not quite, but I appreciate you not making me feel like more of an idiot.”
“After you made me trip and fall over a box, you mean?” she asked with a challenging arch of her brow.
And the nausea was full blown. He swallowed down some bile.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
She waved a hand. “Forget about it. Tell me what you have planned.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Is it a secret?”
Pete came close, causing Keke to lean back slightly. Her eyes widened a touch before returning to normal. Pete caught her swallow. He took a step back. If she fell back over the desk, he’d never forgive himself.
“I’ll tell you if you give me something.”
Fear flitted across her face for a second before she laughed. “You had me going for a second, Petey. Still can’t believe you’re having trouble with women.” She slid off the desk and scooted around him. “Okay, what do you want?”
“I want to know why you didn’t come back. For your father’s funeral.”
All amusement in her face vanished. “On second thought, this might not be worth it.” She about-faced.
Pete caught her good arm and rotated her back. “Come on, Keighly. Quit thinking of me as Bertie’s dork brother and just…talk. Whatever it is, I won’t judge you.”
Her smile was sad. “Quite frankly, it’s hard to think of you as a dork looking the way you do, but that’s neither here nor there.”
Because it was a facade. His looks. He’d grown into and shaped a better body, and he finally looked as handsome as people said his father did at his age, but it wasn’t enough. He didn’t know what to do with any of the good genes he’d thought he didn’t inherit. And Keke knew that.
“But okay. You have to tell me yours first.”
“Alright,” Pete agreed with a nod. “I’m thinking of not going to college. I want to go into business for myself or go right into the workforce.”
Keke crossed her arms. “Doing what?”
“Making apps.”
“Apps?”
“Yeah, phone apps. Games.”
Her head jerked back. “Huh. Are you any good?”
Pete smiled. “I got a call from a major gaming company. They love an app I created. They want to meet me, probably next week. Talk about acquisition, and maybe give me a job.”
Keke’s jaw dropped. “Petey! That’s amazing!”
She flung herself into his arms, giving him a sensation he’d never felt before—being hugged by Keighly Kaye. One of the prettiest girls that ever wore the homecoming queen crown at their high school. She felt warm and strong in his arms, her dancer body fitting nicely against him.
This time, Pete interrupted their physical connection and stepped back. He couldn’t think about how it felt to hold her because she would never be his. He was only nineteen. She was twenty-two and a college graduate, with way more life experience. What could he possibly have to offer her?
“Aren’t you excited?” Keke asked. Her face fell. “You don’t look excited at all.”
Too busy thinking about her.
“This would be perfect for you, right?” she continued. “You’re always playing games. Now you can get paid to, or is that not how it works?”
Pete nodded. “That’s pretty close. It would be for design. Game design.”
Keke shuddered. “Sounds like a lot of work.”
“Like a lot of things that are complicated.”
Keke smirked. “Okay. Yes, games can be complicated. I wouldn’t know, so forgive my ignorance.”
“Forgiven.”
“Then? Why aren’t you going for it? At least you’d be able to get out of here.” Her eyes rolled to the ceiling. “Oh! No offense,” she rushed to say.
“None taken. Every word is true.” Working for his dad at the family campground never entered his mind as an option for his career. Something that infuriated Titus Headley, who worked nearly all his life to acquire the place and then keep it running.
She took a seat on the desk, waiting for him to explain.
“Well…my dad…”
“Ah.” A knowing look crossed her features. “He doesn’t approve.”
“I haven’t told him.”
“What are you waiting for?”
Pete sat on the edge of the desk beside her. He thought for a moment about his father and the expectations he had for his kids. Neither of them were meeting his standards, and Pete believed it was only a matter of time before their father exploded. Even at the start of camp, he seemed tense and agitated. Often, Pete had seen their mother rub their father’s back and speak to him in low tones.
Or maybe he was just sensitive and it had nothing to do with him.
“Courage,” Pete answered softly.
“Hmm…” Keke sighed loudly. “You and me both.”
“What do you need courage for?” Pete looked at her. “Keighly…” He chuckled. “You’re one of the bravest persons I know. The way you got out of town and became a dancer? I envy you.”
Her mouth opened slightly. As her wide eyes searched his, moisture gathered in their corners. “Peter…”
He ducked his head, hiding his uncontrollable grin. He was proud of her. “That took guts.” He shook his head. “I feel like I’m on the precipice of something great, and I’m finding myself…faltering at the last obstacle.”
Her hand splayed across his back. She leaned in. “Pete—”
“You two have nothing to do?”
Pete saw his father standing in the back doorway. Keke jumped up, but Pete took his time. “I had to bandage Keke’s arm. She fell and scratched her elbow.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Titus said curtly. “If you’re all better and my son is done trying to flirt, the kids are ready to go out on the water.”
Pete smarted. He wasn’t flirting. And why did his father say it like he was failing at it?
“Pete did you find those extra life jackets?” Titus quickly looked around the room. “By the looks of things, you didn’t. Guess I’ll have to handle that myself, like I do everything around here.” He stormed out of the office.
Pete and Keke looked at each other.
“No wonder you don’t want to tell him what you’d rather do. I wouldn’t tell him anything either.” Keke gave his arm a squeeze. “I’d just run.” She followed his father out the door.
He just might do that. If Warp Entertainment offered him a job, he’d take it without a second thought. Wouldn’t even look back.
Pete took a moment to close his eyes and get himself centered. Forgetting his father, he focused his thoughts on Lea and the next tactic to employ.
The touch.
Chapter 9
K eke touched the bandage on her elbow. Pete had done a good job cleaning the cut and doctoring her up. She smiled, remembering how careful and tender he was when treating her. She wasn’t a weakling. She’d been dancing all her life. Blisters and bunions on her feet, and bruises on her knees after falls, were commonplace for her.
But
she thought he was sweet all the same.
Keke double-checked all the life jackets for the kids in her boat. Her rowdy bunch wouldn’t stop screaming and laughing. Living in Springfield, there weren’t exactly many places to go boating. At least, not that many inexpensive places. This would probably be the highlight of the trip for these rug rats.
When the last of the ragamuffins were seated in the boat, Keke climbed down the ladder attached the dock and settled into her seat. At the opposite end, Bertie commanded the kids to pick up their oars and start rowing backward. Of course, some of them didn’t know their front from their back, and the boat began to circle. Keke rolled her eyes and told the kids to stop. She and Bertie rowed away from the dock until they had gone far enough out that it didn’t matter if they did laps around the lake in a circle or not.
Through the noise of the kids laughing and flicking water with their oars, Bertie asked Keke what had happened to her elbow.
“Fell over a box.”
“Walk much?” Bertie smiled. “I thought you ballerinas were supposed to be graceful. Couldn’t you have leapt over it?”
“Very funny. It was behind me. I didn’t know it was there.”
“Hope you have your shots.”
“It’s nothing. Your brother took care of it.”
“Peter?” Bertie looked both amazed and confused.
“You have another brother I don’t know about?”
“He saw you fall?”
He was the cause of the fall, but Keke kept that part to herself.
Keke looked around the lake and spotted Pete and Lea’s boat. It was a bit larger than theirs, and they had a couple of extra counselors with them, two on each end. Of course, Pete sat next to Lea. He had to employ his new flirtation tactic.
Keke tore her eyes away from them and absentmindedly rowed. If Pete touched Lea the way he had her in the shed, then Lea would probably fall right out the boat. The eye contact, the graze of fingers across her cheeks. It was more intense than Keke had expected from someone who didn’t know what he was doing. She wondered why she felt so captivated.
She had thought for sure he was going to kiss her. His hands had lingered on the sides of her face for too long not to make a move. It was awkward enough; if he didn’t follow through, it would’ve been mortifying.