by Jill Sanders
An hour later, he stepped in to check on her progress. She had knocked all the tiles off the shower area and was shoveling the broken bits into a wheelbarrow.
“Wow, you work fast.” He nodded to her progress.
She smiled up at him, and he could tell she wasn’t even really winded.
“I’ll haul all these to the dumpster and start on the next cabin tomorrow,” she said with a smile.
“Take a break.” He held up a bottle of water.
She set the shovel down, removed the leather gloves, and took the water from him. He watched as she took a slow drink from it.
Leaning against the wall, he asked, “So, are you seeing someone?”
Her eyes moved to his. “No,” she said softly. “You?”
He shook his head slowly. “Interested in going out sometime?”
He could tell she was thinking for a moment. He watched her smile slip slightly.
“I… don’t do relationships in the normal sense,” she warned. “And, if we did anything… together”—her eyes moved to the door—“I wouldn’t want them to know about it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Embarrassed of me?”
She chuckled. “No, it’s just… my friends can be a little…”
“Overprotective?”
“God no, I was going to say pushy.” She laughed. “Very much so when it comes to everyone needing to find someone to be with.”
“Don’t you think you have a someone out there?” he asked.
She shrugged. “There is no such thing as true love,” she said with conviction.
He thought about how Danelle had left him raw and hurting and nodded in agreement. “So, casual then?”
Her smile returned. “Mutual pleasure is just fine with me.” He watched her bite that sexy bottom lip of hers and decided to test the waters to see if there was any spark between them. Placing his hands on the small of her back, he nudged her forward until their bodies bumped up against each other. He heard her breath hitch as he moved even closer.
“We might as well see if there’s anything here,” he suggested. Her eyes moved to his lips and then back to his eyes before she nodded her agreement.
When he brushed his mouth over hers, it was his breath that caught. Her body seemed to melt against his as her hands moved up to his shoulders. He slanted his mouth over hers, pressing, enjoying, tasting.
He lost track of time as he enjoyed the feel and taste of her.
Hearing a vehicle approach, he pulled back quickly. She swayed slightly. He glanced towards the windows and saw a golf cart zip by the cabin driven by Zoey. Moments later another one drove by, this one driven by her sister Scarlett.
“They race on those things all the time,” Aubrey said as she rolled her eyes.
He turned back towards her and realized he had yet to let her go. Dropping his hands, he took a step back. If he didn’t step away now, he might not want to and could end up taking her there in the middle of all the rubble.
“I guess we can confirm that there’s definitely something there,” he said with a chuckle.
She smiled. “Yes, definitely something.”
“I’ve got a trailer I’m staying at near the construction entrance. If you find yourself bored again this evening…” He smiled and ran a hand up her back slowly. He felt himself grow hard when she arched into his touch and made a soft sound. His smile grew.
This time when he kissed her, he felt his excitement grow at the knowledge that there was a bigger possibility of seeing her, enjoying her, later.
“After dinner.” She sighed. “I can probably sneak away.” She rested her forehead against his chest.
His phone rang suddenly, stopping him from replying.
“Aiden,” he answered as his eyes locked with hers. Moments later he hung up and groaned. “I have to head over to the next cabin. If you want, leave the cleanup for my guys.”
“No.” She shook her head quickly. “I made the mess. Besides, I still have plenty of pent-up energy left over.”
He left her hauling the rubble out and headed down to oversee the next cabin’s work. His steps were light, and he felt like he was walking on air for the first time in months. After all, he had something to look forward to. Sex. With a hot redhead who kissed like sin and had eyes that he could get lost in.
Chapter 3
What had she been thinking? Setting up a sex date with Elle’s second cousin had been a spur of the moment deal. Okay, she had to admit that her loins had done all the thinking when he’d been in the same room as her.
She’s been watching him from afar since seeing the man meet with Elle almost two weeks ago and had been jonesing to taste the guy.
She’d been honest with him. There was no way she was looking for the same things as her friends. Each member of the Wildflowers had dreamed of finding their own Prince Charming since the first summer they’d met so many years ago. With the exception of Aubrey.
Aubrey had never really believed in happy-ever-afters. Not after being raised how she had and knowing that there was no such thing as Prince Charmings who lived in massive castles.
She thought of her father and the last phone call she’d had with him as she finished hauling and cleaning up the busted tile.
After moving down there, she’d waited almost two weeks before calling him and telling him where she was and what her plans were.
“You’re what?” His voice had echoed, causing her ear to ring.
She’d been so nervous to tell him that she was staying in Florida and putting all her savings into rebuilding an old summer camp for girls with her four best friends.
As far as business plans go, it wasn’t a terrible one. They’d pooled enough money to hire Aiden and, with his estimates on repairs and updates, they figured they had just enough money to make it work.
That was until that fateful phone call with her father.
“I’m staying in Florida,” she repeated. “We’ve decided—”
“Who is we?” her father broke in.
“My friends. The four other girls I met at River Camps that first summer you sent me here,” she reminded him. It wasn’t as if she and her father talked a lot. But she knew for a fact that she’d mentioned the Wildflowers to him more than a dozen times over the years. “Elle has inherited the camp, and well, we’re all pitching in—”
“So, it’s finally come down to money with that gang?” Her father’s chuckle caused goosebumps to race down her spine. “How much do they want from you?”
She could just hear her father gloating and mentally preparing to write a check.
“Nothing,” she said between clenched teeth. “As I said, we’re all business partners. We’re all putting in equal amounts to reopen the camp.”
Her father had been quiet. “I won’t allow it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, since your… responsibilities for me ended on my eighteenth birthday, I’d wager you have no control of what I do. I was just calling to let you know where I was. You know, a courtesy call.”
“I thought you were going back to work. What’s her name has been calling about you. She’s anxious to get you back in the office.”
What’s her name? She rolled her eyes again. Why did it seem like every time she talked to her father over the phone, her eyes turned into marbles rolling all over the place? One day she would roll them one too many times and they’d fall right out of their sockets.
“I’m sorry to disappoint,” she’d said and had added a quick goodbye. Since that day, she’d been avoiding her father’s phone calls.
“Wow, did you just do all this yourself?” Zoey Rowlett asked as she stepped into the now clean space.
“Yes.” She smiled as she leaned against the shovel. There was sweat rolling down her face, her back ached, and she was pretty sure she had a blister on the inside of her thumb. “It was so much fun. I’ve requested to help out on the next cabin tomorrow.” She tossed the last of the trash and then removed the gloves and tucked them in
her jean pockets.
“It’s your back.” Zoey shrugged.
“Who won the race?” she asked as Scarlett’s golf cart stopped out front.
Zoey’s smile grew. “Who always wins?”
“That’s because you know that cart number eight has some… modifications to it.” She lowered her voice since Scarlett was out front talking with someone.
Zoey glanced over her shoulder and then narrowed her eyes at Aubrey. “If she finds out, I’ll know who tattled on me.”
Aubrey laughed and then motioned as if she was sealing her lips and locking them.
Zoey reached up and took the invisible key from her fingers and made a show of swallowing it, a move the friends had done since that first year together.
Aubrey laughed again. “So, what are you two up to now?”
“We were heading back for a swim,” Zoey answered. “Floating in the water helps the knee.” She wiggled her left leg a couple times. Zoey had hurt her knee a few months back when she’d attended the Olympics in Rio. Her softball team had gone on to win without her.
Aubrey knew that if Zoey hadn’t hurt herself, she wouldn’t have been in a position to drop everything and join them in opening the camp back up.
“Count me in.” She set the gloves and shovel down. “I need to cool off.”
She thought about a quick dip before dinner and then, after eating with her friends, taking a long walk out to Aiden’s trailer. She knew he’d moved the trailer onto the land a couple weeks ago but, since she’d been basically stalking him and hadn’t officially been introduced to him, she’d steered clear of the area during her evening walks.
She thought about her upcoming night with Aiden as she held on to the golf cart while Zoey raced Scarlett back to the main building. Gravel spit up as they skidded to a halt moments before Scarlett.
Laughing, they rushed up to the third-floor apartment they shared and changed into their swimsuits.
There’d been a time when the five friends hadn’t bothered with swimsuits. But now the place was swarming with crew members working on every part of the grounds, including their own apartment. Aiden had worked on the other bathroom the first week they’d lived there, but she’d been busy setting up their new computers down in the offices on the main floor.
Since she was the one with the most experience with computers, having taken a class in college, she’d been tasked with setting everything up, including their new printers.
They had each picked a room on the main floor for their offices. Elle had the biggest one, Zoey and Scarlett shared a smaller one, Hannah had one across the hallway, and Aubrey had a medium-sized one since it had been decided she would hire and oversee all the counselors.
Still, at the rate they were moving, they had estimated it would be close to a year before they opened the gates to their first guests.
The moment she dove into the pool, her mind cleared. Finally, a moment of peace from all the worry and anxiety that had been building in her head for the past month.
Floating on the water, listening to her friends chat as they splashed around her, she took several deep breaths and felt every muscle in her body relax.
Then she was gasping for air as she was shoved under the water by one of her friends.
“You’re not paying attention,” Hannah said when she surfaced and spit out the water.
“I was trying to relax.” She swiped her soaking-wet red hair out of her eyes.
“Relax later, we have decisions to make,” Elle said, swimming over to them.
“Okay, like what?” she asked, treading water.
“Should we turn those back rooms in the pool house into massage rooms and hire a masseuse?” Elle asked.
“Duh,” she replied. “Yes. I could use a massage now.” She rolled her shoulders. “What else?”
Elle tilted her head as if she were trying to think of items on her list.
“Kitchen staff,” she finally said.
“I’ve got an idea there,” Hannah broke in. “Let me look into some things, and I’ll let you know soon.”
Everyone just looked at Hannah until she added,
“I know people.”
“Okay,” Elle said slowly. “Next on the list is whether we should add a zip line. There’s plenty of room, and a lot of adults can zipline with minimal skills and health restraints.”
“Yes,” Aubrey said quickly and laid back in the water while everyone else agreed.
“Now we just need to come up with a list of classes we’re going to offer. I think we all agreed on yoga. What else?” Elle asked.
She thought quickly of the classes she’d taken and how she wouldn’t mind teaching tai chi and judo. Feeling her heart skip, she jumped in.
“I can teach basic tai chi or judo.” She thought about it for a moment. “Or something like self-defense classes. I mean, women pay a ton of money to attend classes like that all the time in the city.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Scarlett replied. “We’re going to have so many wonderful activities. Of course, we’ll need a sand volleyball court.”
“We can put it in by the pool. That way when everyone gets overheated, they can just jump in.”
“What about adding an outdoor bar and dining area near there? We can have Aiden design an opening on the side of the pool house,” Elle added. “I need my phone.” She glanced around and swam over to the edge of the pool and made several notes while they continued to brainstorm.
“I’ve got the local shelter keeping their eye open for horses that would fit our needs,” Scarlett said. “The barn needs some work, but we should have enough room for at least half a dozen horses, if not more, for guests to ride. Maybe even offer romantic sunset rides?”
“What about all the boats? Are we going to have someone look at them?” Zoey asked. “Sunset sails are key. Along with kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes for daytime fun.”
“Of course. I have a local kid looking at all that stuff. Grandpa Joe hired him a few summers back to fix up the old fishing boat of his.”
“Kid?” Hannah asked.
“Well, Joe always called him that. Damion is a few years younger than us.” Elle chuckled. “I’ve already called him. He said he’ll stop by later this week to start looking over what is left in the boathouse.”
“I can’t believe this is all coming together. When will Aiden start on the new cabins?” Hannah asked.
“After his crew finishes the work on the old ones,” Elle answered and then turned towards her. “I heard you had fun breaking out all those pink tiles in cabin one today.”
Aubrey smiled, remembering how wonderful it felt to smash things and destroy the pretty wall that reminded her so much of all those stupid pink dresses she’d been forced to wear for years.
“It was highly therapeutic,” she responded. “I’ll start on cabin two tomorrow.”
“We need new names,” Hannah broke in.
Zoey laughed. “Okay, dibs on Tawanda.”
“No.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “For the cabins. I mean, Cabin One isn’t sexy at all.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment. “Our cabin’s name was River Cabin,” Scarlett said. “Why not call all the other cabins by unique names as well?”
“The first twenty cabins are basically all the same,” Elle pointed out.
“Right, but we could have unique designs and decorations inside. You know, decorate each cabin with a different theme,” Aubrey suggested. “Then give them names to match. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what Aiden does with each cabin’s interior before choosing names.”
“He has started working on the designs for the new cabins. I could suggest this idea to him and maybe he could add some unique features that will help separate each of them?” Elle offered.
“This is coming together so quickly.” Scarlett sighed as she floated back. “Enough talk.” She splashed them. “I want to relax before we eat. Look, the sun’s going down.”
Everyone turned and watc
hed the last rays of the sun slip behind the trees.
“I’m starving,” Zoey said once they were shadowed in the pool lights.
“Is it bad that I can’t wait until we have a working kitchen so that we don’t have to cook or eat cold sandwiches anymore?”
“Oh, to have a chef at your beck and call…” Zoey moaned as someone’s stomach let out a loud growl.
When everyone turned to her, she realized it was her own stomach. “I forgot to eat lunch.” She shrugged.
“Okay, food then sleep,” Zoey suggested as everyone started making their way to the edge of the water.
“Hey,” a deep voice sounded from somewhere in the darkness. “I was just coming in to join you.”
Aubrey watched as Aiden moved to the edge of the pool. He was still wearing his work clothes, only they were now covered in a white powder and sweat.
“We were just heading in for dinner,” Elle told him as she wrapped a towel around her.
“I’m starving,” Zoey added, taking up her own towel.
Aiden sat down and untied his work boots and then toed them off. “Well, I’m still going to enjoy a dip,” he said with a shrug.
Aubrey remained where she was in the water. She was suddenly more interested in seeing him in swim trunks than she was about eating a cold turkey sandwich.
“Coming, Aub?” Scarlett asked as everyone disappeared down the pathway that led back to the main building.
“I’m going to stick around for a few more minutes then maybe go for a walk. Don’t wait up.”
“Don’t blame me if I eat your sandwich,” Zoey called back and rushed to catch up with everyone else.
“Guess you earned a few extra minutes in there today, huh?” Aiden asked, tossing his work shirt onto the chair.
Aubrey’s breath caught in her lungs as the pool lights danced over his toned chest.
“Yes, I sure did.” She ducked her mouth under the water so he wouldn’t see the huge smile on her lips. How did the man get such a perfect six-pack? Did he know just how sexy his little striptease was? He stood up and started unbuckling his jeans, and she watched as they slid down his narrow hips and lower over his muscular thighs until they pooled at his feet.