Page 61 of Summer Breeze
“Yeah, that’ll happen with something like this.”
“I meant it. You’re good for me.” He pulled her to a stop again. “Why don’t we head back to your place? I’d like to hold you tonight.”
“Just hold me?” she asked, feeling her body heat.
“For tonight.” He nodded.
She smiled and felt her entire being melt. “I’d like that.”
The next morning, waking in Damion’s arms felt so right. She almost told him right then and there that she’d move in with him. That night.
Instead, she waited until his alarm went off, then showered with him, dressed, and drove him into work, since his truck was still in the camp’s parking lot.
Since she was early, she decided to swim a few laps while Damion cleaned the filters and scooped out grass, pine needles, and a live toad that she helped him catch. The toad was avoiding them as if he wanted to stay in the pool. But she knew from experience that it would probably end up dying if they didn’t get it out of the water soon.
“Most impressive,” he told her when she finally scooped the toad out of the water. It was as big as her big toe and seemed very content as it jumped away into a bush. “Most women are afraid of frogs.”
“I’m not.”
“Spiders?” he asked and she shook her head. “Snakes?”
There she nodded. “Yes, if that had been a snake, I would have been climbing that pole.” She motioned to the flagpole.
Damion laughed. “We do have some dangerous ones here,” he said, still scooping pine needles out of the water while she enjoyed her swim.
“I know. Each year we have to get trained about what to do in case of bears, snake bites, and other animal attacks. Remember the first time there was a black bear scare?” She laughed. “Zoey had to outrun it while Dylan locked himself in the cabin.”
Damion laughed. “Dylan claims he was too small to fit out the window. I’m pretty sure Zoey didn’t give him a chance.”
“I hope she’s feeling better this morning. When I go in to work, I was going to call and ask how she is doing.”
“Once I’m done here, we can head in and grab a bite to eat before you have to work,” he suggested.
“Sounds good.” Even though she hardly ever ate breakfast, she still wanted to spend that time with him.
She climbed out of the pool, dried off, and pulled on the sundress she’d worn that day. Since she had known she’d wanted to go swimming, she’d worn her simple black swimsuit underneath. It was basically the same thing as a bra and underwear but were somehow far more comfortable.
She pulled her hair up in a messy bun and wished she’d thought to bring her makeup bag.
“You look sun kissed,” Damion said, setting the net down on the hook and then walking over to her.
“I should have brought some makeup,” she complained.
“You don’t need it.” He scanned her face. “There aren’t a lot of women that have natural beauty like you do.”
She smiled. “Buttering me up?”
He laughed. “Telling you the truth.”
They ate breakfast with a group of other employees, and all talked about Zoey’s recovery. She was already at home, resting, with Dylan and Paige. Schedules were shuffled around to help fill in for her and Dylan’s missed time.
She ended up taking Zoey’s spot at the next two sunset sails. The first one was in only two nights. As she went to work, she couldn’t help but be nervous about it. She kept thinking of cancelling on Damion. Then they met for lunch, and he talked her into keeping the arrangements. After all, she’d done so well on the trip to St. George and back, except for that brief time where she’d had to stomach the waves.
But Damion practically guaranteed that if the water got too choppy, he’d keep the boat in the bay instead of heading to the Gulf.
After lunch, a rush of new guests arrived, and she was far too busy to rethink her decision. She was thankful that the Tribbertons had left. The man had creeped her out the night before. She’d been expecting him to hit on her, which he had, but thankfully, with the bar between them and McKenna filling his drink orders, it hadn’t been too bad.
When Aaron had shown up and asked the man to follow him, she’d hoped it was to have him leave. Then she’d gotten Damion’s text messages and had heard what had happened to Zoey. She’d asked McKenna to shut down the bar and had rushed to the hospital without a second thought.
