Page 29 of Summer Ride

Carter knew Damion’s parents better than most since he, Damion, and Dean were all pretty close friends. So he had a little insider information on when the baby would be coming. Just two days before, both Julie’s and Damion’s families had flown to Hawaii to prepare for the new baby’s arrival.

If all went well, he was going to win the pot this time. Last time he’d been off by a couple hours, and Zoey had won close to a thousand dollars.

After his last ride of the day, a sunset ride, he headed over to the pool house to get Kara. The moment he stepped through the doors, he received a text message from Damion.

The image of a little girl wrapped in pink as she was held by Julie had him smiling. The image was immediately followed by a text message that said, “Say hi to your new goddaughter, Malia Angelia Wells, born at exactly two p.m. Hawaiian time, today.”

“Well, shit,” he said, sending back a quick text that said congratulations and asking how Julie was.

“What?” Kara asked, rushing to his side.

He turned his phone and showed her the image and enjoyed her huge smile as she looked at the newborn.

“They did it.” He laughed. “I believe I won the pot.” He hugged Kara. “We’ll have to swing by the employee’s lounge to tell everyone the good news.”

“Send out a bulletin,” she suggested as she took his phone again and smiled down at the image.

“How about we grab dinner here?” he suggested as they walked towards the main building.

“Sounds good. Most likely there will be a makeshift party. You know how the Wildflowers get. Any excuse to party. I’ll just go get my things.” She motioned to the back of the building and handed him his phone again.

He waited as she locked up the building and then took her hand in his as they headed down the pathway towards the main building.

They had just turned away from the main pool area when they both heard an argument. The yelling was so loud that he immediately pushed Kara behind him to protect her. Then he realized the screaming was coming from the dock area, and they both rushed to see what was going on.

When they arrived, he watched the two men from the throuple he’d taken out earlier that day shoving and pushing one another while the brunette woman leaned on the dock railing, looking bored.

“Hey!” he shouted as he shoved between the two men. He was tossed back a few steps when the larger man’s fist plowed into his shoulder. The move knocked the breath from him for a moment.

“Knock it off!” Kara shouted, but the two men were now fully engaged, each one throwing punches at the other one while they danced around the docks.

“Call security,” he said to Kara. He noticed that the brunette was now smiling at the fight, as if it pleased her. “Knock it off,” he told the men as he once more tried to shove himself between them.

When that didn’t work, he focused all his attention on the larger man since he was the most agitated and the one closest to the edge of the dock.

He finally managed to get the guy back a few steps, and he pushed him backwards off the dock. He landed in the water with a huge splash. Only then did the smaller man stopped swinging his fists.

“Enough of this,” Carter barked out as the larger man swam towards the ladder on the end of the dock.

“This isn’t over,” the man still standing on the edge of the dock said.

To Carter’s surprise, Kara moved forward and shoved that guy into the water as well.

Carter had to hold in a chuckle as that man came up sputtering and cursing.

“I’m bored,” the brunette said. She walked away without even glancing back at either man.

Carter helped both men out of the water, making a point to block any more blows. But after the brunette disappeared, both men instantly calmed down.

“It seems to me,” Kara started, “that you two gave her the show that she was looking for. I’d wager she’s not really worth it. Doesn’t seem like she really cares about either of you.”

Both men’s shoulders slumped, as if they had just realized Kara was telling the truth.

Just then, Aaron appeared and escorted both men off the grounds. Since their new security measures had been put in place, there was zero tolerance for any violence. Carter knew that even the brunette wouldn’t be allowed to continue her stay.

“That was fun,” Carter said when they started walking down the pathway again. “I’d forgotten how well you can handle yourself.” He smiled at her.

She laughed. “Yeah, all of the self-defense classes that I’ve taken from Aubrey have paid off. I can now easily push an off-guard grown-ass muscleman off a dock and into the water.”