Before college, before responsibilities, Hadley Beauman and best friend Lily are determined to have a summer to remember. There will be all the usual dramas - ex-boyfriends who don't seem to know what 'ex' means, pesky younger brothers with unrequited crushes, but what Hadley didn't anticipate was the out-of-the-blue return of the seriously hot boy-next-door, Will Carson. The boy who broke her heart when he skipped town two years ago.

Will may have shot up a foot and filled out (oh yes), but inside he carries the weight of guilt - for leaving, for coming back... Now he's just passing through to tie up loose ends, but it's clear the old chemistry still crackles between him and Hadley. Trouble is, it's built on two years of lies...

This summer might just be the best time of their lives, but is Hadley ready for everything to change - again?

Praise for KATLYN DUNCAN

‘Katlyn Duncan’s YA debut, Soul Taken, is a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless for the next page, and curious to find the true soul we nurture within.’ Jennifer Murgia, author of the Angel Star series and Between These Lines

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‘Wow! Talk about a completely unique concept with tons of new ideas, roles, and characters that took me on an exhilarating adventure.’ 4.5 stars from I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews on Soul Taken

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‘I really loved this book. From the first page I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down until I was finished.’ Dark Faerie Tales on Soul Taken

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‘Soul Taken is a BRILLIANT read! …This is one of those books to look out for.’ 5 stars from A Diary of a Book Addict

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‘It is a quick read and leaves you excited for the next installment of the series…Can’t wait to read more from this debut author!’ 5 stars from Allie Kacmar* on Soul Taken

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‘I loved the book, such a fast read. I felt like I knew each character personally…Then mix in the excitement of the souls being taken, it really makes you think.’ 5 stars from Joanne* on Soul Taken

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‘Soul Taken is a tasty morsel indeed.’ 5 stars from Nicky Peacock*

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‘Wow! What a story. While I enjoyed the first book Soul Taken, Soul Possessed takes this story to a whole new level. In this book, the stakes have been raised, extra layers have been added to a story that will keep you glued to its pages till you get to the cliff hanger conclusion.’ 4 stars from Realm of the Shappired Dragon

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‘Soul Taken and Soul Possessed were super good! The main character was spunky and fun, and utterly different from other main characters. The plot was original and I did not see some things coming. The writing was spectacular, and I read both books in a matter of days. There was the perfect amount of angst, tension, and passion all blended together.’ 4.5 stars from Tween 2 Teen Books

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‘ONE of the best I’ve read this year! I dare someone to read this series and tell me I am wrong! DARE! This is a very promising series that I have no doubt will leave everyone who reads it with intense desire for the next chapter!’ from Dark Novella

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*Amazon reader reviews

Also by Katlyn Duncan

The Life After trilogy:

Soul Taken

Soul Possessed

Soul Betrayed

This Summer

Katlyn Duncan

www.CarinaUK.com

Katlyn Duncan has been reading and writing since before she can remember. Her earliest memories involve dragging her mom to the store to get the latest Goosebumps book. She earned two science degrees and currently works in the medical field. She spends her free time writing, reading and renovating her Victorian “fixer upper” in southern New England with her husband.

To amazing summers filled with DMB, TBS, DQ and Frodo Baggins

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Praise

Book List

Title Page

Author Bio

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Extract

Endpages

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

Hadley

“There’s the heartbreaker!”

I stop in the middle of my driveway and glare at my best friend, Lily. She’s grinning madly.

I roll my eyes. “Is this going to be a thing?” I shout over the radio blaring from her car. I glance at the houses across the street and hustle to the passenger door.

Lily reaches for the volume and turns the music down to a level just below ear-shattering as I slide into the passenger seat. She snaps her gum, still holding onto her smile. “Probably.” Her hand leans on the horn.

I slap her hand away from the steering wheel.

“What?”

“You know Mrs. Jones hates that.” My neighbor across the street spends most of her day peering between her curtains, taking her self-appointed neighborhood watch duties very seriously.

Lily blows a raspberry and I shake my head.

“You know you love me,” she says.

Ethan, my eager seventeen year old brother, bounds out of the house.

“It’s not every day that Hadley Beauman breaks it off with the most drool-worthy guy in school,” Lily continues.

“That’s the thing,” I say, adjusting the hem of my shorts over my tanned legs. “We aren’t in school anymore. So technically it’s not a big deal.”

Lily hoots. “I see my methods are finally rubbing off on you. It’s about damn time.” She flips her chestnut waves over her shoulder. “It feels good, doesn’t it?” she says in a low, seductive voice.

I roll my eyes. Lily has no experience with a boyfriend but she has plenty with guys. Men, mostly. She finds high school boys too immature.

“Not really,” I say honestly. Carter and I were together for barely a year.

Ethan opens the back door and jumps in.

I sneak a glance at him and I’m blasted with his scent: some cologne that Mom gave him for Christmas. It’s a fight to get him up and showered in the morning, never mind put on scent, but I knew he didn’t do it for me.

Lily turns around in her seat and unleashes a smile at him. He gives her a lopsided grin. I don’t know how she does it, but with just a look she manages to turn even the most confident guys into blithering idiots. My brother never stood a chance. “Looking good, Ethan. A two-week cruise really does the Beauman clan well.” She flicks her finger at a lock of my sun-kissed blonde hair that had lightened even more over the graduation vacation from my parents. Dad was busy with work so it was my mom and her best friend along with Ethan and me.

Lily puts the car in reverse, then brakes so quickly I’m thrown back in my seat. I grab the seatbelt. “Why are you stopping?”

Lily’s head is turned toward the house next door. The two story cape that I’ve avoided looking at over the past two years. “What’s with the sign?”

“Dad told me they are selling the house,” Ethan chimes in.

My breathing constricts as I break the promise to myself and look up at the sharp lines of the house. I can just see the corner of Will Carson’s window from this angle, but I tear my focus away and look over the overgrown lawn to the 'For Sale' sign near the curb. A blue car idles in the driveway and I squint to make out who is in the driver’s seat.

As if the person heard the hammering of my heart, the driver’s side opens. A woman in her mid-fifties with a short black bob and black pantsuit exits the car. Her stick-thin legs look as if they are about to crack under the pressure of standing on five-inch heels. I’ve seen this woman’s face all over town on benches and other 'For Sale' signs.

My damp hands pull into fists in my lap. My head snaps towards Lily and she nods. There wasn’t an exact moment or time we spent on our mental connection, but it's strong enough that we can convey entire stories across a crowded room with one look. And sitting in the same car I sent the strongest message I could.

I made a point to be over my neighbor and best friend since childhood leaving my life without a word since. I take a slow breath and exhale, turning my gaze to the glove box, focusing my thoughts away from him.

Lily peels out of the driveway, away from our house.

The further down the street we get, the easier my breathing comes and I unfurl my hands and wipe them on the plush seat.

The car is silent except for the roar of my heartbeat in my ears. Lily reaches for the volume and turns the music up again. I swallow, attempting to dislodge the lump in my throat. It’s not until we reach the main road that I’m able to breathe normally again.

“Ethan!” Lily calls over the music. “Did you meet any hot babes on the cruise?”

“Oh yeah,” he says, dragging the words out. “But none as hot as you.”

Lily cackles and I can’t help but smile. She has no idea how he feels about her, and I would never spill the beans.

“Do you know which pool you’re assigned to?” Lily asks, pushing the subject farther away from the near fatal freakout she just witnessed.

“No way,” Ethan says. “You know Dad doesn’t treat us any differently than the rest of the staff.”

Lily nudges my arm. “Have you talked to Carter since you got back?”

“Seriously?” Ethan groans. “We had a nice two weeks without talking about Carter.”

Lily glances at him in the rearview mirror.

I shake my head. “We just got in last night. I passed out like the second we got home. I don’t see a problem though. We’re still friends. I don’t see why anything will change.” I don't mention the dozens of angry and sappy texts I returned to, all dated the first week I’d been gone. I know I'm seeing him today and, by the late timestamp on most of them, I'm not sure if he still feels the same way after a week of silence.

Ethan snorts.

I turn in my seat. “What?”

He tilts his head as if I just told him the world was flat. “You can’t be that stupid.”

I sock him in the leg and he wrinkles his nose.

“He’s right,” Lily says. “It’s going to be awkward as hell if you two are working as co-counselors together. You better not get back together.”

I turn in my seat to face her. “That’s not going to happen. He’s going to California for college. It was going to happen eventually. And he agreed to still work at the camp.”

Lily turns the music lower. “What if he hooks up with another girl? Then you have to work with him every day.”

I shrug. “He can hook up with whoever he wants.”

“You say that,” her tone is serious. “But you know you are going to feel like crap.”

“I forgot you wrote the book on boyfriends.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them.

I don’t look at her, but I know she’s chewing her lip.

“You’re right. But I’ve dated enough to know that this isn’t going to turn out well.”

We rarely argue and she has to know I didn’t mean it. I don’t do conflict so, in typical best friend fashion, she drops it. Our relationship is strong because we’re able to be honest with each other. She’s dished it out at me a few times but I never faulted her. But that doesn't make it feel any better.

“Maybe Dad will switch Carter with someone else,” I offer by way of apology.

She points a solitary finger up as if strengthening her point. “As long as I’m not with Umber again.”

Ethan leans over the console. “I don’t think Umber applied this year after you sent him that beauty basket.”

She cracks a smile. “After a summer working with his body odor, it was just a small suggestion.”

I laugh. “I think he got the hint. Especially the amount of soap you put in there.”

She shrugs. “His future wife will thank me.” We arrive at the park in twenty minutes. Walking through the woods across from my house we would have been there in half the time, but it was humid enough for June that we drove. Lily refused to walk, not wanting to arrive sweaty for her first impression at camp orientation. We were all certified for the job earlier that year during spring break, but today we’ll be paired up and strengthening the relationship amongst the staff. Dad’s phrasing. Mostly it's first impressions and final pairings for the staff that we care about.

Lily pulls into a parking spot at the back of the tan brick building that serves as the office for the Parks Department. Dad is the head of the department that takes care of the local parks and the summer camp program that I’ve been involved with since I was old enough to attend. When I turned sixteen I took the role of counselor. I managed to convince Lily to apply two summers ago. It was the best summer at camp by far. And also the worst.

Ethan jumps out of the car just as Daisy Luster pulls up in the spot next to us. He slams the door and hurries over to her, scooping her up in a bear hug. She squeals and tucks her head into his neck, her black hair coiling around his neck like a snake.

“Who’s the girl?” Lily observes.

I don’t acknowledge the undertone in her voice. “Daisy? She’s a swimmer at Foster’s Academy. Her and Ethan coach the kids at the community center over the winter. I guess she made the cut this year.”

Lily pulls her keys out of the ignition and opens her door without another word. When we reach the sidewalk I sling an arm around her and we walk towards the entrance.

“You’d tell me if you saw who I’m paired with this year right?” Lily asks.

I open the front door and usher her inside. “You know my dad,” I reply. Dad insisted from the start of us working here that Ethan and I go through the same process as the rest of the employees. He didn’t play favorites, which made us proving ourselves to the staff that much harder. But neither of us minded the challenge.

“Hey Rocky,” I beam at the man sitting at the front desk. The corners of his eyes crinkle with his sweet smile. He lifts his worn fishing hat in greeting, revealing a smattering of thin white hair poking up at all angles.

We wave and pass through another door.

“That’s not an answer,” Lily says in a sing-song voice.

“No I have not seen it,” I assure her.

“God, how can you stand it?” she gripes. “You know you’re with Carter.”

“Because we were last year,” I say. Dad rarely separated returning co-counselors since the bond is already established.

“Hadley,” a familiar voice calls from behind us.

I turn to see Carter, meeting his ice blue eyes. He swipes a chunk of dark hair away from his face as he pushes away from the wall. Was he waiting for me? I still don't understand why the Adonis walking towards us came down the high school social ladder to pluck me from the masses, but I never questioned it. Not when he filled the truck-sized void in my heart, at least for a little while. But the tightness at the corners of his eyes makes me pause.

“Hey Carter,” I say.

“I’ll see you inside,” Lily adds and slowly walks backward towards the meeting room, her eyes darting between us.

I shake my head. Lily can be a drama queen sometimes. “What’s up?”

He shoves his hands into his pockets, avoiding eye contact. This was that weird place exes went to, but I promised myself throughout my vacation that we’d make this work over the summer. “I called you.”

“I know, I got home late.”

His gaze flicks towards the room then back to me. “I wanted to tell you before you found out…”

“Found out what? Are you okay?” I don't want him to think that we can't make this work.

“I’m fine. I just—”

Ethan and Daisy come through the door, his arm around her shoulders. “Hey Carter!” he says, nodding in our direction.

“Hey,” Carter says, deflated.

They enter the meeting room and I turn back to Carter. “It’s fine,” I say, just as he says, “I need to tell you something.”

I press my lips together, hoping that he won’t ask for us to get back together, as some of his earlier texts suggested.

“I spoke with your Dad,” he says. “And—” he pulls his fingers through his hair, nervously. “I took another position.”

I stare at him. “What?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “I can’t work with you and not,” he pauses and continues in a low voice, “be with you.”

My mouth goes dry and I have to force the words through my lips. “What do you mean?”

“Remember when Justin Hardy broke his leg at Katie’s house?”

I take a deep breath. “Yes? What does that have to do with camp?”

He leans in. “He lost his position at the pool because he won’t recover until at least the middle of the summer. And with me working at the pool two years ago, it worked out. I give you the space you want and I won’t have to want you, like, every second we’re together.” He tucks my hair behind my ear, just like he always used to.

I almost lean into his hand. The familiarity of his touch makes me pause. I can’t fall back into this. “So you just quit the camp?”

“I’ll technically be working with the campers, just not as a counselor. Come on Hadley, you were the one to break it off.”

I raise my fists at him. “We both did!”

“You suggested it.”

I touch my temples. This is not happening. “This isn’t high school anymore, Carter. We’re leaving in the fall. Whether we break up now or then, we’re still going to break up.”

He steps away from me, his hand falling to his side. “I can’t be friends with you. Not when I’ll be with you for eight hours a day. It’s not fair—”

“But you said—”

“I know what I said. But if we’re breaking up, we need to break up. I’m not really friends with my exes.”

I shake my head, wishing I could understand where he's coming from. “I can’t believe this,” I say, my mind spinning. The summer was planned out so perfectly and in one second it came crashing down.

“I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn’t be surprised.”

I shake my head, backing away from him. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t be like that,” he says, almost pleading.

“I’m fine. Really. Have fun at the pool.” I turn towards the room, my eyes burning with unshed tears. The one person I counted on for an entire year made my summer crash and burn in minutes.

I enter the room, thankful that not many people have shown up yet. Lily is in front of a table at the far corner, talking with Tyler, only recently a rotating regular in our group of friends. Lily cackles about something Tyler says but when she sees me, her expression turns serious.

I can’t deal with questions so I plaster on a smile and walk to them. “Hey Tyler,” I give him a one-armed hug. His arm wraps around my waist and stays there.

Lily’s eyes dart to the door then back to me. I shake my head slightly. Not now.

“Did you have fun on the cruise?” Tyler asks.

How could Carter do this? And where would Dad have found a replacement? At the very least he could have warned me last night. My throat constricts as I calculate the number of people in the room. With the last minute change in plans he has to pick someone who is already trained. I rack my brain thinking of who else was at the training.

Tyler clears his throat. “Sounds fun.”

I force a laugh. “Sorry. I’m just a bit distracted right now. I’m going to see if my Dad needs any help.” And if he has any more surprises for me today.

“I’ll come with!” Lily offers. No doubt she wants more information about what happened with Carter. I don’t have the energy to argue.

The door opens and Dad steps into the room. A herd of others come in right behind him and filter through the rows of chairs to their seats. Carter is the last to enter the room and I turn around, bumping into Lily to get the furthest seat from him. I can’t even look at him.

“Welcome staff!” Dad says. A few of the returning lifeguards cat-call him and Lily offers a loud whistle. “I’m so glad you are all here, and on time,” he eyes the stragglers who came in after him. But his smile quickly returns and as much as I’m pissed at him, I can’t help but smile.

“I hope you are hungry because there is more than enough food to go around.” His green eyes widen as he takes in the group. “Before we start orientation I’d like for the pool staff to head into the other room with Head Guard, Heath, for your assignments while I partner up the counselors.” He runs down the names of the pool staff.

Daisy and Ethan stand from their seats along with a few others I recognize from the training we had during spring break. As much as the two groups work together at the camp, the counselors and pool staff form strong bonds within their groups during the summer.

Carter’s name is called and he slinks out of the room. I don’t look up even though I can feel him looking at me.

“Uh.” Lily slaps my arm.

“Yup,” I say, heat prickling my neck. “So did I.” I glance around the room and note that someone is missing. Each age group is co-ed which warrants a male and female counselor. And without Carter in the room, I’m the odd man out. Fantastic.

With a few minutes to process the situation, and with Carter out of sight, I make a promise that even he can’t ruin the summer for me. I’ll make it fantastic with whoever I’m paired with.

Dad continues. “As for the rest of you,” his eyes are on his clipboard, as if he hasn’t memorized the list already, “I’m going to call your assignments.”

He’s halfway down the list and hasn’t mentioned my name yet. I sink further into my chair and try to act happy when I hear Lily’s assignment with Aiden, the elusive mid-year transfer to our high school. He floated among the groups at school not picking one, but he was the shiny eye candy for most of the girls. And by the glint in Lily’s eyes, I can tell she's happy with the pairing.

The door to the meeting room opens and Dad’s eyes flick up.

“Are you happy?” I ask Lily.

She turns to me smiling, but her eyes lift to something behind me, and her jaw goes slack. She grabs my arm and squeezes.

“Ow,” I say.

“Looks like we’re all here now,” Dad says.

I meet Lily’s eyes, nearly popping out of their sockets. “What is wrong with you?” I turn to the newcomer, and all of the pieces fall together.

I take in the apparition in the doorway. My breathing slows and I blink a few times, my mind not quite believing who is only a few feet away from me. In a few steps I could touch the person who shattered my heart into a million pieces nearly two years ago.

My previous next door neighbor, Will Carson, looks the same, but different. His boyish face is a golden brown and the lines are more pronounced. His hair is shorter than I remember, barely touching the tips of his ears. My fingers numb knowing what the strands feel like. Or what they used to. He was thin as a boy, his strength coming in the later years of our friendship. But now his lithe muscles are tight. His chest fills the black t-shirt in a way that elicits a shiver down my spine.

His jaw clenches in that nervous way as he looks around the room. It tightens further when his hazel eyes meet mine.

CHAPTER TWO

Will

My hands grip the steering wheel, tightening with each rolling mile towards the house I’d locked up almost two years ago. In the thirty-six hours of driving I had the urge to turn back at least a hundred times. But this was the last time I’d ever be in Spring Falls. Once the house was sold I’d slam closed that chapter of my life.

The green sign for Bryn Street appears from behind the leave of an overgrown tree at the corner. I suck a breath in through my teeth and turn the wheel.

I keep my eyes on my childhood home, growing larger as I near. I break out of the tunnel vision when I pass the Beauman house. I don't expect anyone to be home, considering we're due at the camp in less than an hour. I know Mr. Beauman will give me leave, considering I'm doing him a favor.

A blue car sits in my driveway as I pull into it, turning off the truck. I flip my phone open just as a woman gets out of the car.

The line picks up on the first ring. “Mornin’!” Aunt Mabel exclaims.

My chest squeezes at the sound of her voice. “Mornin’.” I hold a finger up to the woman outside the truck. She nods, walking toward the house with a ring of keys. Not that I don’t have one. “Although it’s almost noon here. How y’all doing?”

“We’re just fine, sweetheart. I’m assumin’ you got home okay?”

This place isn't my home. My home is with her. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Now off with you, we can carry on later.”

“Love you,” I say.

“Love you too.” She’s the first to hang up.

I toss the phone into the cup holder and grab the bag from the seat next to me and sling it over my shoulder as I get out of the car. I stride up the driveway and the real estate agent, Trudy, turns around, grinning with a set of gray teeth.

“Welcome back, William.”

I clear my throat. “It’s just Will.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I’ll just let you inside”

“I have a key. Listen, can we talk later? I’m late for work.”

She blinks a few times but nods. “Sure thing. Let me just get you the paperwork and you fill it out at your leisure.”

She run-walks down the driveway, her heels looking as if they were about to snap and leans through the open window of her car pulling out a large folder. “These are just the standard contracts,” she says on the way back up the drive. “Just take a look at them and let me know if everything is okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She beams. “How polite of you. Well I’ll let you be on your way. My card is in there, call me with any questions.”

“Sure.”

She waves her long fingers at me and goes to her car.

I turn to the house and fight the urge to get back into the truck and get the hell out of here. I pull the single key from my pocket, the one that burned against my leg since Mabel handed it to me three days ago. I push it into the keyhole and turn. I allow the door to open in front of me, my feet planted to the ground. The door ricochets off the wall and starts to return, but I enter the house before I lose my nerve.

I bump the door closed with my foot. The air in the house is stale, lingering with the spicy scent of whiskey from that final night. I peer into the living room, which needs a serious cleaning. My nose wrinkles at the amount of dust on the fireplace mantel. I head into the kitchen and open the door to the basement. I don’t need lights to find what I’m looking for, not that they work anyway. I find the electric panel and flip on the switches. The house hums to life. I take the steps two at a time and am back in the kitchen. The clock above the stove blinks 12:00. I check the time on my phone. I should leave soon.

I round the corner and take the stairs to the second floor, ignoring the two bedrooms on the right side of the hallway, and fling open the middle door on the left. My shoulders droop and my bag falls to the floor. My room is exactly how I left it. An outdated PC sits on the desk I made in wood shop, still unstained. A full-sized bed takes up most of the room. I make my way to the window, pushing aside the navy blue curtains that match the bedspread, revealing Hadley’s bedroom window. My heart lurches at the thought of her. Soon enough I’ll see her again.

A small bright orange piece of yarn still hangs from her sill, barely noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking. At ten I thought it was the greatest idea to build a zip-line between our houses using Hadley’s grandmother’s knitting yarn.

I tear my eyes away from the window and let the curtain fall. I cross the room to the closet. I didn’t take much the night I left. I grab a black t-shirt from the hanger and toss it on the bed, lifting the same one I’d worn for three days over my head. I pull on the black shirt and bring the fabric to my nose. Good enough.

I take a deep breath and leave the room. Here goes nothing.

***

I speed the whole way to the park, my mind on autopilot. I avoid looking at the swing set in the distance and accelerate through the winding roads toward the main building smack dab in the middle of the park. I pull my truck in one of the last spots of the small parking lot and hop out, tucking my phone in my back pocket.

I stride up the sidewalk and pull open the door. The air conditioning blasts my face. Connecticut heat used to bother me, until I moved to Texas. My hometown knows nothing of heat, but the air still felt nice against my skin.

“Will!” Rocky calls from behind the desk. I could swear the man looks the same since I was a kid at camp. He pushes himself off his chair and offers me his hand.

I shake his hand. “I thought you would have retired by now?”

“I’m going to die in this chair,” he says with a grin.

I laugh.

He points a crooked finger to the left. “Peter started a little while ago, but he told me to expect you.”

“Thanks,” I say.

“It’s nice to see you again. We’ve missed you.”

I nod. “You too.”

Peter Beauman’s muffled voice gets clearer the closer I get to the room. A door opens down the hall and I look up. Carter Daniels fastens his eyes on mine. I stand up straighter and meet them. His gaze flicks to the door and his nostrils flare.

“What are you doing here?”

“Working.” I need his shit like I need a nail through my foot. I grab the door handle and turn, pushing into the room.

Mr. Beauman is at the front, reading from his clipboard. His eyes lift to mine and a warm smile crosses his lips. “Looks like we’re all here now.”

Everyone in the room turns to me, but the only thing my eyes settle on is the back of Hadley’s head. Her hair longer, falling in waves over the back of the chair.

Lily looks exactly the same, down to her glower. Hadley turns in her seat, confusion transforming to shock.

I glance at Mr. Beauman, who is indicating for me to take a seat.

I do. Didn’t he tell her I was coming? She’s still staring at me as if I’m a ghost. I suppose I am after leaving two years ago. As many times as I wanted to call her, I just didn’t. I couldn’t. Not after sending Dad away. We can never go back to that place.

“Now that Will’s arrived,” Mr. Beauman says, “I can announce the last pairing. Hadley Beauman and Will Carson will have the twelve to fourteen year old group.” He pushes on and Hadley finally turns in her seat. A held breath seeps through my teeth. “The schedules are up here.” Mr. Beauman points to a small table next to him. “Enjoy your lunch and please spend the next hour getting to know your co-workers. I’ll be back soon to get started.”

The room bursts into movement and excited voices. Most move towards the big sub on the table at the far end of the room. Mr. Beauman comes to my side and I stand, shaking his hand. “Sir.”

“It’s so good to see you again, Will.” He hands a stack of papers to me with a pen. “Application and waiver. You can fill these out now and bring them to me.”

“Will do.”

He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Thanks for doing this. You’re a lifesaver.”

I nod.

Mr. Beauman pats my shoulder one more time before leaving the room. I’m barely in my chair before a flurry of blonde hair catches my eye. Between Hadley’s face and her sprinting from the room I know Mr. Beauman didn’t tell her I was coming. Shit.

A plate topped with two pieces of the sub appears close to my face. I look up at a blonde girl. She delicately sits in the chair next to mine, her legs tuck under the chair. She smiles, showing her bright white teeth. “I’m Skye,” she says.

I take the plate from her. “Thanks. I’m Will.”

She opens her hand to me and I shake it. She winces. I loosen my grip.

“Is this your first year?” she asks, combing fingers through her hair.

My stomach growls. I haven’t eaten since the night before. “I worked here for three years before I left.” I bite into the food.

“Where did you go?” Her green eyes widen.

“Texas,” I say, taking another bite.

She giggles. “That’s where you got your accent, huh?”

I smile politely.

“So adorable,” she adds.

I finish most of the sub, dropping a sliver of bread onto the plate. “I need to fill this out. I’ll see you later okay? And thanks again for the food.”

A flash of disappointment etches her face but she recovers quickly. She picks up her plate and stands, walking down the aisle toward the others. I put the plate on the chair next to me and lean over the paperwork, scribbling down my name, address, and other identifying information. I’m on the waiver page when a pair of familiar tennis shoes appear in my periphery. The same ones I threw in the park duck pond four years ago.

“Hello William,” Lily says slowly. She knows very well that’s not my name. Mom never wanted me to be a junior and she hated nicknames, so in homage to my father she just named me Will.

I glance at her. “Take a seat.”

Her arms are crossed over her chest and her top lip is curled slightly. “No thanks,” she says.

“Okay,” I say. I sign the bottom of the waiver and stand up.

“Mind telling me what you’re doing here?”

I smirk. “Working.” We fall into step with each other even after two years. Lily and I were never as close as we were with Hadley, but we tolerate each other.

She presses her lips together. “Isn’t your house for sale?”

“I’m fixing up the house. And when it sells, I’m going back.”

“Good,” she says. Her eyes flick to Hadley and Carter, still in the corner of the room. “It would be best for you to do whatever you need to do here and then leave.”

I lift the papers between us. “I’m going to turn these in.” I don’t wait for a response.

I enter the hallway, making a point to relax my shoulders. Lily still knows how to push my buttons. I make my way to Mr. Beauman’s office and just before I knock, I hear Hadley’s voice. It’s wrong but I lean closer to the door, listening.

“A little warning would have been nice, Dad.”

Mr. Beauman says something, but I can’t make it out.

“Well,” Hadley continues, “don’t expect him to stick around longer than he chooses.”

Her form nears the door and I don’t have a chance to move just as the door flings open.

A version of the sixteen year old girl I left two years ago stands in front of me. I was right, her braces are gone.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hi,” she says with a shake of her head.

We stand frozen in place for a few seconds before Mr. Beauman speaks. “You all set?”

Hadley jolts and steps aside.

I brush past her. Her scent follows me. Strawberries. I place the application and waiver down on Mr. Beauman’s desk.

“Great,” he says. “I’ll see you in a few.”

I turn to the door and she’s still there, her lips parted. I open my hand, signaling for her to go down the hallway first. I struggle to keep my eyes on hers, fighting the urge to move across every inch of her body. She turns and scurries down the hall in front of me, granting my wish. She’s grown into her curves since I saw her last. Her long legs carry her quickly.

She stops at the double doors leading to the front part of the office and turns around. “Did you hear—I didn’t mean—”

“I heard you,” I say, watching her face crumble. “But you’re right. I need to get back.”

“To Texas?”

My teeth grind together. Aunt Mabel did give Mr. Beauman a version of the truth, but I can't help but wonder what Hadley knows. “Yes.”

She nibbles on her lower lip. She nods twice before freeing her lip. My gaze drops to her mouth. She leans against the door and opens it. I hold it for her, my arm grazing her shoulder.

She offers a polite smile. “Then I guess we should make the best of it while you’re here.”

I lean closer. “Sounds good to me.”

She turns around, entering the room.

“Who left last minute to open up the position?” I ask, not wanting to stop talking to her.

“My—” She shakes her head, strands of her hair falling across her face. She pushes them back behind her ear. “Carter Daniels.”

I clench my jaw. “I just saw him.”

“He’s on the pool staff now apparently,” she mumbles.

People mull around the room, eating off paper plates. Hadley halts, staring at the back of the room. Carter and about a dozen people I don’t recognize have gathered around the table. My hands fist at my sides, looking for any excuse to knock him out.

“I’ll be right back.”

Someone claps a hand on my back. “Yo, Will!”

It takes me a second to recognize Ethan Beauman. “Holy shit, kid,” I say. “You grew like a foot.”

“That’s what happens when you leave for two years without a visit.” He’s grinning. “Let me introduce you to the others. You have a lot of catching up to do.” He leads me to a group of other lifeguards.

He turns to a petite girl, her arms more muscular than most girls. “Daisy, this is Will. My next door neighbor.”

A few of the pool staff huddle around us as Ethan introduces me. I match names to faces quickly.

“Nice to meet y’all,” I say, making the girls giggle. I’ll have to make a note to curb the accent I inherited.

“You don’t call, you don’t write,” someone comments behind me.

I turn and grin, landing a fist bump with Tyler Goode, a regular rotation in Lily and Hadley’s group of friends. And my exes brother. Seems like a million years ago. “Hey, man.”

“Dude!” Tyler says. “Where have you been? You disappeared off the planet.”

I swallow. “I’m living with my dad and aunt in Texas.” Half true. I divert the question. “How’s your family?”

He nods a few times. “They’re good.” He presses his lips together briefly before continuing. “Sarah is Mrs. Winters now.”

The last name sounds familiar. Tyler answers before I even ask, bobbing his head. “One and the same.”

“No way,” I say.

Tyler rolls his eyes. Jordan Winters owns most of the town’s larger plaza properties. Rumors of his shady deals filtered around town, but no one ever brought it up in his company.

“Isn’t he in his forties?”

“Yup,” Tyler pops the end of the word. “And she’s pregnant. It only took her a month to seal the deal after they got married.”

I try to remember as many details as I can about the guy. “Wasn’t he married?”

“His wife died of cancer almost two years ago. Sarah was his secretary.” He trails off. “It looks like you dodged a bullet.”

I laugh. “That’s your sister.”

“Only by blood.” He grins.

Skye appears next to us. “Hi Tyler. Looks like we’re going to be working together this summer.”

Tyler smirks, a look I know very well. He shakes her outstretched hand and I find Lily, not my top choice but at least someone who knows me. She’s leaning against the corner of the food table, absently munching on the heel of a sub. She’s glowering again. But at least not at me.

I indicate Carter and Hadley talking in the corner. “When did they become friends?”

Lily snorts. “You mean exes?”

My chest tightens. “They dated?” I try to keep my voice level.

She stops chewing. “They broke up a few weeks ago. Not sure he’s cool with it.” She leans close to me, lowering her voice. “It’s a strange twist of fate that you’re here but I am telling you now. If you hurt her again. I will hurt you.” I watch her retreating body as she crosses the room to Hadley. I wasn’t dumb enough to think my leaving wouldn’t have an effect but, with Lily’s warning, I realize I might have underestimated just how much of an effect I had.

CHAPTER THREE

Hadley

I don’t know why I feel the need to explain myself to Carter. It’s not like I was the one to quit the job, but I had told him everything about Will when we became friends after working together last year. Well, the platonic parts. I kept the night he left a secret. Only Lily and Will knew. I hid long enough from everyone. Carter seemed okay with it, but I knew they had some competitive history. I needed to tell him that Dad did this behind my back.

Carter breaks away from the other pool staffers and presses his hand against my lower back, leading me to the corner of the room. His face is close to mine and his jaw is set. His hands hover between us like he doesn’t know where to put them.

“I can’t believe you, Hadley.”

I step back. “What are you talking about?”

“We were together for two years, I know when you’re lying,” he spits.

“Carter,” I say. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

He exhales between his teeth. “You expect me to believe that you didn’t break off with me so you could act on your fantasy crush on him?” His voice is a low hiss. “I only quit so I could give you the space you asked for.”

“What do you expect Dad to do? He had to fill it because you quit!”

“How can I work with you after you broke it off? I don’t do the friends thing with girls. We’re either together or we’re not.”

My mouth clamps shut and I close my eyes, remembering our conversation from two weeks ago. “You agreed.”

“Yeah, that’s when I thought we still had a chance”

“Carter,” I say, exasperated. “We broke up.”

“Because of him,” he says.

“This has nothing to do with Will. We’re going to be across the country from each other in the fall. This is going to happen either now or later. I don’t think either of us needs to be tied down. I just need some time to adjust to that. But I don’t want to lose you in the process.”

He leans back, inspecting me as if my nose was about to grow ten inches long. “You’re serious about the friends thing?”

“Yes,” I say. “I just want to be free this summer. It’s our last summer before we move on with our lives.” I want to touch him, somehow reassure him, but I don’t want to lead him on. Instead, I wait.

His frown deepens. “The only way I think this can work is if you don’t see anyone this summer.”

I sigh. I don’t have any intention of hooking up with anyone but he has no right to keep restrictions on me. “Carter, I can’t promise that. This is us moving on. If you’re with someone—” The thought makes my stomach turn, something I will eventually get over. I did it before. “I won’t be upset.”

His nostrils flare. “Fine. Do what you want with anyone. Anyone but him. If you want me to believe you, you can at least promise me that.”

The thought of being with Will presses against my chest. Carter was right. It was a fantasy years ago, but when he left it took a while to heal. I not only lost my best friend but my heart in the process. I couldn’t do it again. “Yes, okay.”

His hand touches mine briefly and a lightness surges in my stomach. “Friends.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

His mouth quirks up but his eyes are intense. For a second I think he’s going to kiss me. But Lily pulls me away, breaking the spell.

I exhale, saved by the best friend. It was easier to deal with the breakup when I was thousands of miles away on a boat, but having Carter inches away from me made me question my choices. If I had waited until the end of the summer, he wouldn’t have quit and all would be right in the world. I might have seen Will but he probably would have been in and out of town before I could blink. I wasn’t sure which situation was better.

Dad returns and starts in on the instructions for the first activity. He insisted that icebreakers were the key to building the foundation for a strong team. Every other year I was happy enough to do them, but what I wanted most at that moment was to be anywhere but there.

***

The next two hours fly by in a flurry of silly games and trust exercises and, when it’s over, I can’t escape fast enough. When I get outside I can breathe for the first time since seeing Will. That is, until I see his truck parked right behind Lily’s car. I completely forgot that I didn’t drive this morning and I’ll have to wait for her. But I’m not going back in that building.

“Screw this,” I mumble.

I sprint across the parking lot toward the playground. My tense muscles relax with each step and I slow my pace. Even though it was the last place I saw Will years ago, it still provided comfort as it always had. A place to reflect on a simpler time. As kids Will, Ethan and I would cut through the woods to get to the swings and battle who could get the highest arc or jump the farthest. Swinging always helped clear my head and at that moment I needed clarity. I plop down into the seat of the swing and sway using my heels as an anchor.

That morning I was excited for what was supposed to be the most memorable summer of my life and it only took one look at Will and that hope shattered. Maybe I should have taken a few summer classes in the city like Mom suggested. I would have been away from Carter and I’m sure my family would have never told me about Will until the house was suddenly occupied by another family.

I shove off the ground and start pumping my legs. The rush of wind in my ears pushes my cares away as I focus on the swing. My hair whips behind me and I take my mind back to a time when I didn’t have responsibilities and the only relationships I had were with friends. I close my eyes and pack all of my problems into an imaginary balloon and let it float away.

I open my eyes. Lily stalks toward the swings, her arms crossed over her chest. She doesn’t say a word as she gets onto the swing next to mine. We pump almost in sync for a few minutes before she breaks the silence.

“That was an interesting afternoon.”

I snort a laugh. “The understatement of the year.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

My shoulders lift. “What can I do about it?”

She blows out a deep breath. “That’s something you need to figure out, sugar,” she says in a thick Southern drawl. She lets out a low whistle through her teeth. “If that boy wasn’t hot enough, let’s just add an accent to that delicious mix.”

I grin but it quickly fades away. “Seriously, though. Carter is on the war path. He thinks I broke up with him because Will came back.”

“He’s still heartbroken,” she says in his defense. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to tell him about your intense crush on Will.”

Being honest with Carter made our quick friendship stronger. “Will was a huge part of my life. I couldn’t keep that from Carter. Besides, I didn’t think Will was ever coming back.” His silence after the first year convinced me of that.

“I think you should just do whatever the hell you want to do,” Lily says. “Screw Carter and screw Will. Not literally of course.” I laugh. “Let’s just do whatever we want this summer. No regrets. I’ll find some boys to help tide you over until college. Let’s have the best summer we can before you disappear from my life for four months at a time.”

I turn to her, but her gaze is focused on the ground in front of us. Her step-mom insisted that Lily pay her own way through college, even though her step-brothers came out of school debt-free. She made plans to take a year off to get money together before applying.

“Promise?”

I nod. “Yeah. I promise.”

“I can’t hear you!” she yells.

I tilt my head back and shout, “YES!”

“Ready?” she says.

I nod. “One, two—”

Lily jumps from the swing first before I can finish the countdown. “Hey!” I say, following her. I land on the sand and my knees buckle. I lurch forward, slamming my hands into the gritty sand.

Lily is mid-cackle rolling around on the ground. “Oh my God. Ow!”

“You cheated,” I say through tears, unable to breathe through my fit. I look around us. “And I still won.”

“I see my record hasn’t been broken,” Will says.

Lily’s laugh cuts off.

I look up at Will. Both hands are in his pockets as he balances on the separator around the perimeter of the swing set. He’s grinning at the ground where his foot hovers over a deep scratch in the wood. When I was ten and him twelve, he got the farthest jump we’d ever seen. From then on we always tried to beat it, but he did have the longest legs out of all of us.

I help Lily up from the ground and walk toward him, my heart hammering in my chest. “You’re right.” I tap the scratch we made with his father’s pocket knife with the toe of my shoe.

His eyes scan the park. “It’s nice to know a part of me will always be here.”

Lily clears her throat. “So, Will. How long are you planning to stick around this time?”

My eyes bulge from their sockets as I try to shut her up.

But he isn’t fazed. “I’d hate to leave Hadley high and dry.” Lily snorts but he ignores her. “Your dad needed someone for the summer and that’s what I plan to do.”

“And after that?” she prods.

He shrugs, fixing his eyes on mine. The sun reflects the flecks of gold and blue in his hazel irises. “Back to the ranch.”

Lily’s lips pucker in a see-he’s-leaving-anyway-so-let’s-enjoy-ourselves look.

Will points his thumb at the parking lot. “Hadley, can I take you home?”

I lick my suddenly dry lips. “I came with Lily.”

Will looks over my shoulder at Lily. “It’s on the way,” he presses.

“Ethan—” I say.

“He already left with Daisy.”

I bite my lip, hard, attempting to wake up from this strange dream. I turn to Lily and raise my eyebrows. She narrows her eyes at Will but shrugs. “It’s up to you.”

The awkwardness between us has to fade away or else the summer is going to be longer than necessary. Maybe it’s about time I get over Will Carson for good so I can finally move on with my life.

“Okay,” I agree.

***

The warm afternoon air blows my hair over my shoulders. I pull it away from my hot skin as the three of us head to the parking lot. We’ve fallen into an awkward silence, something I’m terrible at breaking. Lily squeezes my arm as we arrive at her car. “Text me,” she says and turns on her heel.

“Good seeing you too,” Will calls.

Lily waves her hand but doesn’t turn around.

Will chuckles and reaches over to open the passenger side door. I climb in. “Thanks.” He rounds the front of the truck and for a moment I watch him. I never thought Will could get any hotter, but Texas had seriously been good to him. I tug the hem of my shorts as he slides into the driver’s seat. I lean back, noticing a suitcase in the bed of the truck. “Did you just come in this afternoon?”

He wraps the seatbelt around his chest and buckles in. I do the same. “The last stretch was twenty-four hours.”

“Wow.”

He turns the ignition. “I was fixin’ to go to the grocery store. Do you mind the detour?”

A laugh burst from my lips. “You were what?”

He grins. “Sorry. I was about to go to the grocery store and was wondering if you wanted to come with?”

“Sure.”

“I have to say I assimilated quite quickly to the culture. Mabel helped with that.”

“That’s your aunt?” I’ve never met the woman, from what I remember she never visited them.

He nods and we start forward.

A few of the stragglers come out of the building, Carter one of them. I sink into the seat and thankfully he doesn’t see me.

“Lily said you and Carter dated.”

I sit up in the seat. “We broke it off a few weeks ago.”

“Why’s that?”

I sigh, reciting the same excuse I’ve told everyone. “We’re leaving for college at the end of the summer. It was going to end eventually.”

“Where’re you going?”

“NYU.”

“The dream,” he drawls.

“The dream,” I repeat. I can’t pinpoint the exact time I declared that I wanted to go to NYU, but even if he did forget how to use a telephone he didn’t forget everything. “How’s college for you?”

His expression darkens. “I didn’t go.”

“Oh.”

He pulls out of the park and down the main stretch toward the center of town. “My uncle passed away and left Mabel in a tight spot money-wise. So I’ve been helping her make ends meet.”

“Your dad too?”

“Yeah,” he says quickly.

“How come he didn’t come up with you?”

His hands tighten around the steering wheel. “He broke his leg last week. So he wouldn’t be much help.”

“That seems to be happening a lot lately,” I mumble.

Will’s phone rings from the cup holder and we both look at it. He snatches the phone and checks the screen before turning the ringer off.

“It’s right over there,” I point towards the bright orange and white sign of Fresh Mart.

“I remember,” he says, putting the phone down in the holder.

“Right,” I say. “Sorry.”

He pulls into one of the farthest spots of the lot. He’s out of the car before I get my seatbelt off. I lean into the door as it moves away from me. A squeal rips through me as I tumble out of the truck.

Will grabs my arms, hefting me up before I hit the ground. He gently helps me to my feet and I look up into his eyes. The corners crinkle and I know he wants to laugh. My skin flushes.

“I do have the capability to get out of a car on my own,” I say, politely removing my arms from his grasp.

He looks over his shoulder. “Mabel would kill me if you did that. I’m not surprised Carter never held the door for you.”

I didn’t need any more of Carter today. “A little warning next time.”

He leans close to me and I step back, my butt bumping into the side of the truck. “Warning. Every time we’re in a vehicle together, I will open the door for you.”

His eyes dance playfully and I can’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

He closes my door with a grin and leads the way up to the store.

CHAPTER FOUR

Will

I don’t have to worry about holding the store’s front doors for Hadley since they automatically open in front of us. Her shoulders almost touch her ears as we walk into the air-conditioned store.

I grab a shopping cart and push it towards the first aisle, completely out of my element. Someone calls out to Hadley and she waves to a girl at the checkout.

“Do you have plans to go to school eventually?” Hadley says, bringing up that topic again.

I busy myself pulling a loaf of bread from the shelf. “I don’t know.”

“With your grades any school would be thrilled to have you.” There’s a hint of envy in her voice.

“You sound like Mabel.”

She smiles. “I’d like to meet her,” she says and then closes her eyes briefly.

“You’d get along great.”

She gives me a closed-lipped smile and tugs her fingers through her hair, not quite meeting my eyes. So much for not being uncomfortable.

I switch to a safer topic as we head for the refrigerated aisle. “Do you know any of the kids that we have this year?”

She nods. “We had a few last year in the group.” She takes a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolds it. “You remember the Yates twins?”

Barely. “I think so.”

“We had them two years ago, in the eight to ten group. Harry and Oliver?”

“The mayor’s sons?”

“Ex-mayor, but yes,” she replies. “They’re still insanely rich though and are big donors to the department. But the kids are very sweet.”

“Who else?” I prod, tossing several bags of chips into the cart.

She goes on about the kids. It’s safer for the both of us when she talks and we aren’t delving into my past. We hit the refrigerator aisle and her teeth start to chatter, wrapping her arms around her chest. I lean down and pick up a carton of eggs. I struggle to keep my eyes on the carton.

She reaches over me, her shirt moves up, exposing a sliver of skin. I wonder if she’s as soft as I remember. I step back, removing the temptation.

She hands me a carton. “A growing boy needs milk.”

I chuckle and take it, our fingers briefly touch.

She nibbles on her lip and starts for the end of the aisle. I follow her with the cart.

Hadley rests her hand on the cart as we talk. “Tell me about the ranch.”

I grab jars of peanut butter and jelly and drop them in to the cart. I lean on the handle, moving it forward. “Just like the movies, up a dawn and not coming in till the cows come home.” I exaggerate a Southern drawl and again she smiles. I turn away from her and the tightening of my chest. Why did falling back in our routine have to come so easily?

I grab two boxes of cereal and toss it into the cart as I continue. “Mostly it’s a lot of repairs. She stables horses but we have several animals that need taking care of.”

“Like what?”

“Cows, pigs, goats. There’s also a pond nearby that we maintain.”

“It’s a good thing you and your dad are handy.”

I stare at my hands. “Yeah.” My thoughts drift to him and I know his hands are not like mine at all. Probably callus-free since he’s been in rehab. Those hands that taught me how to build and shape but also showed me how quickly they could tear things down. I shove away the thought of that weak man, but I can’t help but see him in the mirror every damn day.

I massage my neck, a reminder of that night. “I think I have enough here to get me started.” I do a rough calculation on how much the food will cost. I hope I have enough.

Hadley steers the cart to the front of the store. We get in the shortest line. Hadley leans forward, unloading the items closest to her. My gaze drops to the collar of her shirt.

“Hey Hadley.” It’s the same girl from earlier that called out. She seems eager for Hadley’s attention but her eyes are on me.

“Hi Beth.”

I smirk. Hadley’s being polite but it’s obvious these girls aren’t good friends.

“And you are?” She offers a hand to me.

I shake her fingers in the way that girls seem to think a handshake is supposed to go. An older gentleman holding out money to Beth glares in her direction. “I’m Will.”

“Hm,” Beth tilts her head. “You work fast.” She winks at Hadley. “So the rumors are true.”

Hadley’s face pales. “Will’s my—we’re—”

As much as I could watch her squirm all day, I jump in to save her. “We’re neighbors.”

“Excuse me!” the man in Beth’s aisle grumbles.

She rolls her eyes at me and turns around, taking the man’s money.

Hadley shakes her head, stifling a smile.

The young kid at the register checks Hadley out while swiping the barcodes of my groceries. She’s completely oblivious, as she always is. Hadley bags the supplies as they come down the counter and I pull out my wallet, watching the screen. Damn. I forgot how much of a difference the prices were up here. I won’t be able to come back until my first paycheck.

Beth prattles on to Hadley about a graduation party she attended and Hadley appropriately replies, but I can tell she wants to get out of the situation. I pay the kid and he’s barely paying attention to anything but Hadley’s chest. When he hands back my change, I catch his eye, fixing him with a glare. He swipes his hand back and turns to the next customer, bright red blotches forming on his skin.

I smirk.

Hadley puts the last bag in the cart, but she’s looking at me with the strangest expression. I pocket the money and start forward.

“Bye Hadley!” Beth calls. “Nice meeting you Will.”

Hadley and I wave to the girl, then she takes off like a bat out of hell.

When we get outside, her pace slows and I catch up to her. “I see you two are close?”

She smiles. “Not quite. Just one of those high school friendships that are supposed to end at graduation. But she’s hanging on tight.”

I know the feeling. She helps load the groceries into the bed of the truck and this time allows me to open the door for her.

“See, it’s not that difficult,” I say.

She sticks her tongue out as I close the door. I shove my hands into my pockets as I round the car to my side and get in.

“You can listen to whatever you want,” I offer, indicating the radio.

“Ever think of updating to this century?” she teases, pressing one of the pre-programmed buttons on the ancient tape deck.

“I much prefer commercials and static.”

She laughs and presses several more buttons until a country station plays. I reach out and touch her hand. She stiffens.

“I like this song,” I say, rolling the volume knob up.

“Me too,” she says.

I raise an eyebrow. “You like country?”

She touches the hem of her shorts. “Sure I do. Is that surprising?”

“Nah. Just different.”

“Different good?” she asks, smiling.

I shrug, barely able to contain my grin.

She chucks me in the arm. “Jerk.”

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song and Hadley hums along with it. She wasn’t lying about liking it. After a few minutes the song ends and a commercial comes on. I lower the volume a few notches.

Hadley whips around in her seat to face me. I glance at her as I turn the corner.

“Can I say something?” she asks, her fingers tangled in her lap.

“Yeah.”

She pushes her hair across her shoulder before speaking. “I want to discuss the elephant in the room. Or—” She opens her hands. “Truck, I suppose. I’m not going to ask you about leaving, that is, unless you want to tell me.”

I clench my jaw, but she carries on quickly.

“But if we’re going to work together this summer, I think we should try and get back to that place we were before you left. Professionally, I mean.”

My mind flashes to the night I left, the better part of that night where our friendship had transformed into something more. But she wasn’t talking about that.

My fingers twitch to touch her, reassure her somehow, but instead I keep them firmly planted on the wheel. “Yeah. I can do that.”

She exhales deeply. “Great.”

The air between us has shifted and my shoulders relax, letting go of the nightmarish parts of my past. Lily’s warning is fresh in my mind but Hadley seems to have grown up a lot. This summer is going to be easier than I thought.

***

Rock music blares from my phone. I roll over onto my side and fumble over the smooth surface of the side table. I click the button and the alarm ceases. Falling back onto the bed, I rub a hand over my face, my cheeks still raw from shaving last night in the coldest shower I’d ever experienced. The rest of the night was spent making a list of all the parts and projects I needed to do over the next couple of weeks before any chance of an open house. Or at least a successful one. And we needed as much for the house as possible.

I grab my phone and dial Mabel.

She picks up on the second ring. “Good mornin’, sweetheart!” Of course she’s wide awake.

“Mornin’.”

“Six in the mornin’ you’re callin’ me. You slept in,” she jokes.

“That’s what driving three days does to you.”

“Well, you needed it. I was worried sick that you’d drive off the road. Next time take someone with you and I’ll pay for their flight home.”

“Okay.” I slide off the bed. My feet touch the cool floor. She can barely afford to keep the place afloat, I wouldn’t let her buy anyone’s ticket let alone take anyone with me. When I was out of here, I was out for good.

“How was yesterday?” she asks.

I imagine her moving around the kitchen as I go through the activities from the day before, specifically not mentioning Hadley.

But of course she’s one step ahead of me. “That’s all well and good sunshine, but tell me about Hadley.”

A choked sound escapes my mouth.

She clucks. “I may be old, but I’m not daft. Don’t think I fell for your hemmin’ and hawin’ over leaving. You couldn’t stay away from your home forever.”

“This isn’t my home—”

“Oh hush now,” she interrupts. “You need this, sweetheart. You need it more than you know. Take this time to get everythin’ out of your system. If you want to say goodbye that is up to you. But if you end up wanting to stay, you know what you should do.”

“I don’t want to be here,” I say weakly, betraying how I truly feel. “And I don’t want to see him. Ever.”

She sighs deeply and I can see her shaking her head.

“And you better not tell him I’m here,” I add.

“Will Carson, are you telling me what to do?”

Two names. She’s not happy. “No ma’am.”

I hear the smile in her voice. “That’s what I thought.” She exhales again. “It’s only your first day. Can you just do me a favor?”

“What’s that?”

“You have two months to make the most of this second chance. I know you regret everything that happened with your father but this is your opportunity to live the rest of your life without regret. Summers are magical in that way. Don’t take it for granted.”

I peer over my shoulder. Is Hadley up? She was always an early riser. Something I quickly had to get accustomed to working on the ranch.

“You there?”

I turn away from the window. “Yes.”

“I know I’m an old woman, but I do know what I’m talking about.”

“Love you,” I say.

“You too, darlin’.”

I toss the phone onto the bed as I walk to the window. Pushing the curtain aside, I peer up at the still-dark sky. I can’t see the stars clearly here, the streetlights cast a glow blocking their light. I open the window and a light breeze moves over my arms. The screen is missing, another thing to add to the list, so I stick my head out the window and close my eyes, inhaling. The air is different here, something out of a deep memory.

A dull whooshing sound makes me open my eyes. Hadley stands behind the screen and her eyes widen. Her gaze moves down over my bare chest then back up.

“Good mornin’,” I say.

She blinks. “Mornin’.”

“I can’t help it,” I say, laughing.

“It’s cute,” she says and shakes her head as if scolding herself.

“I was going for ruggedly handsome but I guess cute will do.”

She’s already dressed in the counselor uniform, dark green shirt with khaki shorts. Her legs always looked good, but in those shorts they are exquisite.

“I didn’t expect you up this early.”

My hands grip the window sill and I lean onto them. “An unfortunate residual of ranch living.”

“How are they doing? Does she have someone else to help her while your dad recovers?”

I push away from the window. “Yeah,” I say a little too quickly. “I should give them a call.”

If she didn’t believe me, she didn’t give it away. Her hands move up to the window but for some reason I don’t want her to leave just yet. Her eyes sparkle with anticipation.

“I’m going to walk to camp. Do you and Ethan want to join?” I’ve had enough of the truck for a few days.

She winces. “I told Lily I’d drive in with her. She’s not that outdoorsy.”

“I remember.”

She grins sheepishly. “I’m sure Ethan would be cool with it.”

“I’m going to head out in about an hour, if he wants to come along just let him know.”

“I will.”

Both of us hesitate for a moment, but I make the first move. I close the window, but leave the curtains open. If anything it will be another excuse to see Hadley after camp. Mabel’s words course through my head. Even though I already made the decision to leave when the house sells, could Hadley and me continue where we left off? Knowing that we’d both leave at the end of the summer?

I cross the room to the closet and grab the camp shirt I still had from years previous. She’d never go for that. And I wouldn’t risk hurting her.

As I enter the hallway, my eyes fall on his bedroom door. My toes dig into the carpet as flames lick inside of my stomach. Instead, I go for the bathroom, wrench open the faucet. Air rockets out of the shower head, breaking up the water flow in quick spurts, but eventually the stream is consistent. It’s warmer than last night since I adjusted the water heater temperature. A chill wraps around my spine as I step under the warm water, but at least it distracts me, even momentarily.

I press my hands against the cool tile and let the thick air envelop me. My thoughts wander. Why did she have to bring him up? Other than nightmares, I rarely allowed myself to think of that night, but in this house, even just for a day it prodded me every goddamn second. I inhale sharply and allow myself to hate him all over again, it makes dealing with it easier.

My hands turn to fists and I pound the tile, remembering the urge to fight back that night. Right after it happened, I replayed the memory over and over wanting to hit him back harder, wanting to take him down faster, but it always ended up the same. I didn’t blame Hadley for that night, it would have happened another day, but maybe if she stayed with me after I bridged the gap between friendship and something more… things would have been different.

CHAPTER FIVE

Hadley

My fingers clench around the curtains, even though I know Will is gone from his room. Ranch life had been fantastic to Will’s body, making it harder for me not to act like a stupid sixteen year old girl. Why was I a bumbling mess around him? And that accent? If it didn’t mean him disappearing from my life without another word I wouldn’t regret that extra detail that made my insides twist every time he spoke.

A knock on the door broke the spell. My hip bumps against the desk and my pen jar clatters to the wood surface. I scramble to pick it up and the door opens. Mom’s bleary eyes meet mine. Her dirty blonde hair sticks up at all angles and she’s in her robe that has more holes than fabric. Her favorite.

“Good morning,” she says. “I heard you talking.”

I point to the window as I put the last strewn pen back in its place. “Will.”

Mom’s eyebrows shoot up. “I see you’ve fallen back into your routine.”

I focus on the corner of my desk as heat rushes up my neck.

“Well,” she says breathily. “I’m going to start breakfast. Dad has to leave in a few.”

“Okay,” I say, thinking of snow and glacial frost, anything to release the heat from my cheeks.

Calm down you idiot.

She leaves the door cracked open and I let out a breath as I hear her pad down the hallway. She’d given me the third degree about Will at dinner, Dad apparently keeping that gem from the entire family. But he dutifully shifted the conversation to the cruise and Mom had a lot to say about that.

I didn’t want to make a big deal of Will being home, but she was my mom. I told her everything. Sometimes Lily got a bit too interested in detail, even on the hard topics, so Mom was a happy medium. She was there when I made an embarrassing mess of myself crying over Will those years ago. Only after months of her listening to me snuggled up in my bed did I start to feel silly. Turning off all thoughts of Will was my idea but she never pushed for anything I didn’t want. That’s what I’d have to do again, at least for the next two months. It would be easier for everyone if I was able to just be friends with him like I chose to do with Carter. At the end of the summer we will all go our separate ways and move on with our lives. I inhale deeply and let it go slowly, my body relaxing with each passing second.

I grab my phone from the charger and turn it on. Dad has a strict “phone off” rule at night. He knew Lily’s habits of staying out late and calling or texting me in the early hours of the morning. I hadn’t protested at all, I liked sleep as much as he did.

I tuck the phone into my pocket and grab my purse on the way out of the room. Halfway down the hall the phone explodes with nearly a dozen texts. I scroll through them as I descend the stairs. Lily had gone out the night before with the new kid at her non-summer job at a coffee shop on the local campus. Apparently a college guy who stayed on campus over the summer. I knew more about him from those texts than I wanted to that early in the morning. Or ever. But the one that makes me pause in the kitchen doorway is from Carter. Just three words.

I miss you.

My heart squeezes. The timestamp was 1:48 AM.

“Is something wrong?” Mom asks.

I look up at her. She’s leaning against the counter blowing into her steaming mug of coffee.

I shove my phone into my purse. “Nope. Just Lily.”

Mom shakes her head, smiling. “I just hope she’s careful.”

“She is, Mom,” I groan. As much as Mom loves Lily, some of the things Lily did were not mom-approved and I could almost hear the gears in her head spinning, wondering if her daughter would ever be that careless. But she had to know better. I never broke curfew and never had a date with anyone except Carter who had been a perfect gentleman in front of my parents. Thinking of him made his text message pop into my mind again. In a way I was grateful that he took the job at the pool. I’d only have to see him for an hour a day which would be enough space for us. And hopefully he would get over our relationship soon enough. It should have bothered me that I was over it quicker than he was, but for some reason it didn’t. I guess there was something to be said about being the dumper instead of the dumped.

I pour myself a cup of coffee and splash a bit of milk into the mug before settling down at the table. Mom rubs the sleep from her eyes as I grab the box of cereal from the table. This is her idea of “starting breakfast”. She’s great at baking but Dad is the real cook in the house. But this morning he’s going in extra early, so no fluffy pancakes for us. Hard footfalls descend the stairs. I already know it’s Dad by the way he gracefully flies down them.

He’s dressed up this morning, well, if khaki pants and a similar shirt to mine is dressed up. He’s normally in jeans and a t-shirt. He swipes a kiss on Mom’s head and she mumbles sleepily.

He plucks an apple from the bowl on the counter and peels off the sticker before washing it in the sink. He’s wiping the fruit with a paper towel when he turns to me. “Are you still mad?”

The first spoonful of the cereal hovers in front of me. “About what?”

He takes a bite of the apple, his thick eyebrows raised. “I see you’ve had time to adjust to the situation.”

I ponder this while polishing off the spoonful of cereal. “I was blindsided a bit, thank you very much. But it’s fine. It’s a job right? We have to be professional.”

He grins. “There’s my girl.” He turns to the clock on the microwave. “I’ll see you soon.”

He fluffs my hair before leaving the room. “Love my ladies!” he calls from the door.

I look at Mom who is still pretty zoned out. I finish half the bowl before my stomach starts to knot. I hate to lie to Dad but I made a promise to myself not to let Will get to me. My phone chimes.

Another text from Lily: Driveway

I down the rest of the coffee and scoop up my bowl placing it in the sink. Mom is particular about who loads the dishwasher. Only her. Not that we ever complained. I kiss her on the cheek and leave the kitchen. “Ethan!” I call up the stairs.

“What?” he groans from his bedroom. He takes after Mom as another late-riser.

“I’m leaving with Lily. Will is walking over in about a half hour if you wanted to go with him.”

“Mm-yeah,” his voice is softer now, hovering over sleep again.

“Don’t be late!”

“Yeah.”

I grab my purse and open the front door. The temperature has warmed significantly and I can already feel the stickiness in the air. Lily’s head is tipped back on the head rest as I flop into the passenger seat. The cool air conditioning feels fantastic and I turn the vent toward me.

Lily jumps as if she had actually been asleep. Not surprising due to her late night texts.

“You know we need to be there early on the first day,” I say, eyeing the two extra large travel mugs that I know are filled with black coffee. Neither are for me.

She blinks a few times and settles her hand on the shifter, a wild grin spreading over her face. “It was so worth it.”

I laugh. “I don’t want to hear it!”

But I do hear it. The whole ride. Lily is usually pretty straight forward with discussions of her dates, but this one, nearly ten minutes long, has me thinking that she actually might be interested in a second date.

“He’s going to the fireworks Friday, he said he’ll bring a friend.”

I groan. “Are you setting me up on a blind date?”

“It’s not a date. I just mentioned that my very hot friend is single and he mentioned his also-single very hot friend will be coming along. Well he didn’t call his friend hot, but I made sure he was attractive to guy standards.”

She pulls into the park and I shake my head. “You know Carter is going to be there.”

“I don’t see the problem. This is what single people do.”

“I just wanted—” I pause, unsure of what I really want.

She groans. “Wanted what? This is what you wanted. You aren’t tied down. You can go out with whoever you want. I’m not telling you to sleep with the guy but you can’t be a hermit until college. Don’t feel guilty about Carter. He’ll be fine. The girls at the pool are already plotting.”

My head snaps in her direction. “Who?” I shove down the reflexive jealousy that floods my veins. He’s not yours anymore, remember?

Lily eyes me and takes a large swig of her coffee, draining the first mug. “It’s how guys get over girls. By replacing them with another.” She catches my look. “What? It’s a simple fact of manhood. You just need to accept it. It’s not fair to hold onto him when you know the outcome at the end of the summer.”

“You’re right,” I concede.

“Yes I am.” She pulls into a spot at the back of the community center that houses all the town’s events throughout the year. During the summer its rooms are used for the campers’ activities and lunchtime. I get out of the car and head for the door, but soon realize I’m alone. Lily leans her hands against the car, her forehead resting against them.

“Come on!” I urge.

“Give me a minute,” she grunts. She drops her sunglasses over her eyes jumps back and forth on her feet, shaking her hands at her sides in some crazy wake up dance. I laugh and she stops. “Let’s do this.”

The back entrance to the building filters into a hallway with several different rooms on either side. For the purpose of the camp these are divided into the various activities that take place during the summer. Inside one of them there are paint supplies and canvases the next one has gym mats set up across the floor.

Lily chugs the last bit of her coffee and lets out a whoop, as if I had been the one to challenge her to do that. Her voice bounces off the concrete walls and we follow it to the front entrance. Several six foot tables line the entrance. Five cardboard boxes wait patiently next to the tables, ready to be dug into.

Her nose wrinkles at the boxes. “Ah, registration duty.”

I twist my hair, pushing it behind my shoulder. “A little organizing never hurt anyone.”

She rubs her head as if it just might.

“And there’s always that,” I say, hearing someone entering the room.

Dad comes into view carrying bags from Donut Joes. Lily’s eyes light up. “Please tell me you got the chocolate croissants!”

A condition of Lily helping me out, since most years I did this by myself, I had told Dad her favorite pastry from the bakery.

“Six in fact,” he says, putting the bags down on the farthest table. “But this is for after we get the welcome packets on the tables. I don’t need chocolate all over the paperwork.”

Lily bobs her head and digs right into the first box.

I give Dad a “told ya” look and he winks.

“You know the drill?” he asks. If there’s one thing he didn’t have to worry about at camp, it was me. I had lived and breathed this place my whole life and it started to sink in that this was the last time I’d be doing any of it. Dad had made that very clear to me earlier that year. He wanted summers in college to be filled with places outside of Spring Falls. It was unlike any other parent that I’ve come across, but he and Mom never got away from this town and it was the only thing he wanted for me. And it wasn’t like me to disappoint him. And I was going to be living in the most amazing city in the world. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever want to come back.

Lily is already halfway done with her box before I open mine.

I laugh. “Maybe I should bring chocolate croissants everywhere with me. Like Lily treats.”

“Yeah, well,” she says, distracted, rearranging two of the folders in front of her. “Whatever they put in them is like catnip for me. Unless you want me to roll out of this place, I wouldn’t suggest doing it.”

“I’d pay to see that,” I say.

She tosses the empty box at me and I jump out of the way. She’s on a roll and I struggle to catch up. We make quick work of organizing the folders and are just about done when the front doors open. I look up and am momentarily blinded by the bright morning sunlight streaming through. Will and Ethan enter the room, both with a yellow glow around their bodies as if they are angels coming through the pearly gates.

Will locks eyes with me and I can’t help taking in the full sight of him. Even though he’s become leaner throughout the years I can’t help the constricting feeling in my chest that steals my breath. It was the last outfit I’d seen him in the night he left. The hurt resurfaces and it takes all of my strength to turn around.

Ethan beelines for the food but Lily slaps at him. “Not until we’re done.”

He shoots me a look but I turn back to my work, attempting to steady my breathing.

“What can I do?” Will appears at my side, close enough that I can feel his warm breath on my cheek. I inhale sharply, noting a minty scent on his breath.

I indicate the next full box. “Alphabetical, based on age group on the tables.”

He hovers for a second as if he’s going to say something, but I reach down, grabbing the next set of packets, ending the conversation before it starts. He eventually moves the box to another table and gets to work. Ethan joins in with one as well.

“So Will,” Lily says pointedly.

I stiffen and glare at her, but she continues on, fueled by the caffeine shooting through her veins. “What are you going to do around your house this summer?”

He doesn’t miss a beat, again throwing me back in time when their sparring matches were the highlight of many times with just the three of us. “The plumbing needs some work, I need to do some repairs on the trim, and I was going to paint a few of the rooms. Trudy said it will help jump up the price.”

“Do you need help, man?” Ethan asks.

Will nods. “I could use a hand if you have time.”

I snort. “Ethan has plenty of time. He’s been playing Enter Strike since school got out. Actual work might be good for you.”

The corner of Will’s mouth quirks up. “You still play?”

Ethan gives me a see, I am cool grin.

“I never stopped,” Ethan says and fixes me with a look. “Don’t pretend like you don’t either.”

“Seriously?” Will asks incredulously, turning to me.

I blanch. Enter Strike is a first person shooter game. Ethan and Will played for about a year until I got involved. I haven’t signed on since a particularly embarrassing weekend of missing Will where I signed on and stared at the chat menu waiting for him to do the same. For about five hours.

“I don’t!” I exclaim. “Not since—” I stop myself. “Not for a while.”

Will turns back to his task and Ethan continues on about his ranking within the game.

Ethan claps a hand on Will’s back as he tosses the empty box next to Lily. “We should set up your computer and play Enter Strike tonight.”

“Sure, man,” Will says just as I say “I’m sure he has work to do.”

“It’s fine,” Will counters. “I have three weeks before the first open house. It’s nice to get a break from chores too.”

Ethan sticks his tongue out at me and I roll my eyes, turning back to my work. Ethan and Will chatter on about video games while my skin pricks with embarrassment. I feel Lily’s eyes on me, begging to look at her, but I keep my focus on the task.

The rest of the counselors slowly trickle in and by the time eight-thirty rolls around they are all accounted for. Dad hands out morning assignments and just my luck I’m paired with Will for check-in. But so is Lily, Skye and Tyler. Lily gives a little pout when she realizes she won’t have time with Aiden that morning, but I remind her she has a whole summer with him.

“I don’t need a whole summer.” She eyes Aiden’s bobbing head as if he’s rocking out to music in his head.

Tyler and Will prop open the doors and already there is a crowd. Lily nudges my arm. “And so it begins.”

CHAPTER SIX

Hadley

I take a breath, inhaling the fresh morning air that streams in around the campers and their families. The beginning of the end. I shake away the negativity and smile warmly. No second will be wasted in what is to be the best summer of my life. Even if Carter nearly ruined it for me.

The kids rush the table and we sort them by age group. Will returns to the table, taking the space next to me. He’s grinning, one of those melt your heart kinds. I’m not sure if it’s for the benefit of the campers or he’s genuinely happy. I hope the latter.

Harry and Oliver Yates are the first in our group. Their black hair is cut exactly the same, but they’ve been in my group for three years now, starting when they were in the eight to tens group. And unlike most of the people in town I’ve picked up on the subtle differences between the twins.

“Will!” Harry bellows.

Will leans over the table and high-fives Harry’s outstretched hand. “Hey buddy.”

Harry’s blue eyes find mine, “Did Carter get fired?”

Mrs. Yates, a tall olive-skinned woman, steps up to the table. My spine straightens. I overheard Dad on the phone speaking about Mrs. Yates and her reluctance to send Oliver to the camp this year. He’s behind his brother, looking up at us with big brown eyes. He’s always been a shy boy, but his shyness progressed as he aged, almost as if Harry’s exuberance had sucked it out of him. Polar opposites in personality but they were both amazing kids. Without being asked, I knew I had to work on Oliver a bit to ensure he had a great summer. Pulling a camper out in a small town would be devastating to the program, especially since Mrs. Yates tended to be quite vocal about her thoughts.

“Will,” Mrs. Yates says in a breathy whisper. “I didn’t know you were back.”

He nods politely. “Just for the summer.”

Her lips press together in what I think is the closest that woman will ever get to a smile. Her eyes flick over to mine and all signs of it disappear. “I expect Will to do a better job with my sons.”

I mask my embarrassment for Carter in a reassuring grin. Carter had been a replacement for Will but really only in body. I carried a lot of the weight with the kids last year while he was distracted by his friends rather than them. I didn’t have to worry too much about the girls, but the boys got a little lost in the mix while I juggled everything.

I open my mouth to say something, anything to assure her, but Will steps up. “They’re going to have a great summer, right guys?” He looks down at Oliver who still hasn’t said anything.

“Hi,” a young girl catches my attention away from the Yates.

“Well, hello there,” I say.

She twists her long almost white blonde hair around her finger. “I’m Casey Winters.”

I scan my list. Casey is new to the group this year.

“Will Carson?” says Casey’s mother. I look up at her.

“Sarah?” Will says, as the Yates move away from the table.

Lily chokes and I grab her hand, squeezing tightly.

Sarah Goode. Winters now. How did I not put two and two together? She married Casey’s father nearly a year ago after his wife passed away. He was disgustingly rich and the rumors I heard about his philandering made even Lily blush. Sarah was Will’s last girlfriend in high school.

“Gold digger,” Lily mutters under her breath.

I squeeze her hand tighter. Sarah looks exactly the same, and I wonder how long she can keep that up. Her chestnut hair is cut short, making the lines of her model-thin face even more severe and unnecessarily perfect. I can’t stop staring at her. I never understood their relationship. Well I did from her point of view. Will was gorgeous and kind. Well, she was gorgeous too but as a cheerleader she was anything but kind. She rubs her belly and a little thrill goes through me. She’s pregnant! Thank goodness for small miracles.

Will leans over the table and gives her a kiss on the cheek. She beams and I let go of Lily’s hand, dropping my hands at my sides. Sarah never liked my friendship with Will and she made that perfectly clear to half the school. The rumors of my crush never hit Will but they did carry over the last two years of high school.

I meet Casey’s emerald green eyes. “She’s not my mom,” she says in a low whisper.

I’m so not going there. “My name is Hadley. We’re going to have a great summer, Casey.”

Casey nods slowly and walks past Sarah into the gym. I glance at Sarah. She doesn’t realize that her step-daughter has left the room.

“Excuse me!” A mother calls from further down the line. “Some of us work for a living.”

Lily snorts and finishes checking in another camper.

Sarah stiffens and turns around to see several scowling mothers. She grins sheepishly. Now she knows how it feels to be the butt of a joke.

She spins around frantically looking for Casey.

I want to let her sweat but Will looks at me. I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. “She went into the gym,” I say.

Sarah flashes Will a grateful smile, as if he was the one to direct her, and leaves the room.

“Easy tiger,” Will says under his breath.

He’s smiling as he greets another kid.

I want to say something but there isn’t time. The line is now out the door so I focus on the job, but I can’t help hearing Will interact with the families. I’m distracted by his charisma. He’s been distant since he’s returned but, watching him, it’s as if he’s found his niche. He’s relaxed and carefree and seeing him that way makes my heart ache. Is it just me that makes him clam up? He’s only here as a favor to Dad and to sell the house. Maybe he’s just being polite to me since we have to work together. I steel my resolve. If that’s how he’s going to play it, I’ll do the same.

The room empties almost as quickly as it filled up. Dad enters the room and ushers us into the gym.

Lily tucks her arm into the crook of my elbow. “At least she’s fat now.”

“She’s pregnant.”

Lily shrugs. “Still fat.”

I love this girl.

“Well at least you don’t have one of the Pritcher boys in your group,” she gripes. “Their mother is a major OCD case. Rider has a whole backpack of fricken’ Purell and gloves. And he will tell her if I don’t make him use it.”

The counselors line up on the stage behind Dad, who is at the podium. He has a way of commanding the room and soon enough he even has most of the kids at his attention.

“I just want to welcome you all to Spring Falls summer camp—” he goes on with the same practiced speech I’ve heard for years. It’s not a bad one but there’s only so many times I can hear it before I start mouthing it and I’m sure Dad wouldn’t be too happy. My mind wanders to Will and Sarah, another part of my past that I don’t wish to revisit.

“And here are your counselors!” Dad says, waving a hand to us. The gym explodes with applause and soon enough the parents are saying goodbye to their kids.

Dad turns to us. “You all have your schedules. Head to your first section.”

“Aye aye,” Aiden says, holding his hand to his head in a mock salute.

Dad turns on his professional face and his normal jovial nature is lost. Lily takes Aiden’s hand down from his head and drags him off the stage.

“Hadley and Will,” Dad says. “May I speak with you two for a moment?”

The rest of the counselors assemble into their groups.

Dad turns his back to the kids and crosses his arms. “As you know, Mrs. Yates has her concerns about Oliver. I am hoping you two will be able to bring him out of his shell. Mr. Yates is a significant donor to the department so we show him that our program is above the rest. All right?”

“We’ll try our best,” I say.

Dad smiles tightly. “That’s all I ask for.” He and Will share a weighted glance before he walks away.

I open my mouth to ask Will what that was about, but he is already off the stage before I can.

More secrets Will Carson? This time involving my dad.

I take the stairs off the side of the stage and walk to the group. Will already has his boys in a straight line and their mouths closed. I’ve always had trouble with the boys, they don’t listen to me, but Will holds a commanding stance above them. But his secret tactic was sneaking candy to the kids when he thought I wasn’t looking. We didn’t buy any the other day so I wonder if he grew out of that. Until I see Harry sneak something with a shiny wrapper into his pocket.

The five girls preen at Will who appears unfazed. “Casey, Jaclyn, Allison, Kelli, Lauren.” Their hands go up when I call their name. I quickly put faces to names.

Will turns to his boys and they do roll call themselves. Will smiles at me in a See how quickly I trained them? look. I don’t give him the satisfaction.

“We have the Art elective first this summer, and this week is painting.”

A few of the kids groan but I ignore them. It’s always best to establish authority the first day. “Let’s put a little shake in our step!” I say, leading them from the room.

***

After a morning of keeping paint off the kids during their art elective and avoiding the wild free throws during basketball, I’m glad for a break during the swimming lessons. As much as I’m not looking forward to seeing Carter, at least he’ll be busy with the kids.

“Pool time!” I say to the bunch.

Jaclyn, Kelli and Casey huddle together and walk off the basketball court. Jaclyn scoops her black hair into a ponytail as she talks to the girls. That was quick. Forming cliques within groups is usually discouraged, but rarely successfully. Allison, the tomboy, looks longingly at the boys’ group but her expression is torn between them and the other girls. Instead she sidles next to Lauren, a skinny girl with glasses and braces. They pick up their bags, walking close behind the others.

The boys grab their bags and I’m right behind them. Jaclyn holds the other girls attention. I hear her say Harry’s name but as soon as she notices me she clams up and diverts the conversation back to a werewolf book series she’s reading.

The boys take off at the same time.

“Slow down!” Will and I call at the same time. The boys are ahead of the girls by several strides but all slow down at the same time. I can almost feel the excitement in their veins.

Will walks beside me. “Are you going to be okay?”

I look at him. “With what?”

Will stares ahead. I follow his gaze to the closest lifeguard chair where Carter sits overlooking the empty pool.

“It’s fine,” I say, not entirely sure I believe it myself.

I sense a shift in his attitude.

“Do you have a problem with Carter?”

Will frowns and shakes his head. “I barely know the guy.”

I nudge him. “I know we haven’t talked much in a while.” His fault. “But you can tell me.”

“Just let me know if you have an issue with him,” he says, and I sense the conversation is over.

We enter opposite doors into the bathhouse on the other side of the pool. The girls talk animatedly to each other as they change into their bathing suits. Dave Matthews Band streams out of the staff office filling the space.

Daisy leans on the wall watching the entrance to the pool. I’ve heard Ethan talk about her but never actually come face to face with the girl besides orientation. Her silky brown hair is up in a high tight ponytail, pulling the skin around her eyes taut. She does make the red one piece bathing suit look good. And, not for the first time, I’m happy I chose to be a counselor. It takes a lot of confidence to wear that all day.

“Hey Daisy.”

“Hey!” she reaches out, wrapping her arms around me.

I awkwardly pat her on the back as she hugs me.

“How’s your first day? I’m having such a blast. Everyone is so nice. And Ethan has been great. Has he mentioned anything about me?”

Her eyes are wide and I really don’t know what to say. Ever the people pleaser though. “He did say you were a great swimmer.”

Her smile falters slightly but she lifts it quickly.

The girls walk around us towards the pool deck.

“I’m helping with lessons…” Daisy trails off, following them.

I make a mental note to ask Ethan more about her. She seems sweet but if he’s not interested I don’t want her to think she has an “in” with me.

I step out onto the deck. Heath waddles with bare feet, his top-heavy muscular frame propelling him forward over the hot surface toward the chair. He and Carter swap positions. I glance at Will who has Isabelle, one of the bitchier girls from my class, practically on his lap.

To everyone else he looks comfortable but he shoots glances at Ethan, whose attention is purely on Isabelle’s chest.

I sigh. Men.

Carter is beside me before I know it. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I say, turning to the pool to watch the kids in their first swimming lesson.

“How was the rest of your weekend?”

“We did see each other yesterday,” I say under my breath.

“Really?” he scratches his head. “It felt like forever.”

I roll my eyes and he grins. The happy Carter is with us today. Thank goodness. His mood changed a lot during the last few months of our relationship. Whether it was anxiety about moving on after high school or something else, it definitely factored in our breakup.

He glances at the others in the group and indicates for me to follow him. Last year we made it a habit of walking the deck during swimming lessons. I find myself slipping back into that safety net as we make our first lap.

“What were you assigned for the carnival?” he asks. The night before the 4th of July the town puts on a carnival for the surrounding areas. Dad volunteers the summer staff to help out.

“Balloon Darts,” I say. “You?”

A flash of disappointment crosses his face. “Leap Frog. The one where you have to send the frog onto the lily pad, I think.” He leans closer to me as we pass the group. “With Isabelle.”

She’s in the pool now, watching the kids jump in. “Good luck with that,” I say. She’s scowling as she passes out paddle boards, trying not to get any part of her that is above the surface wet.

“She has five siblings,” Carter says. “But she really hates kids.”

“Maybe if you get to know her better?”

Carter sticks his hands in his pockets. “Sounds to me like you are trying to fix me up with someone else, when I only have eyes for one girl.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I say hurriedly. “You’re going to spend a lot of time with her, that’s all.”

He nods a few times, lost in his thoughts. I remember the text and I really hope he doesn’t bring it up.

As if Carter can feel me squirm he excuses himself as soon as we finish our second lap. I turn to the pool, collecting the swirl of emotions and focusing them on the job I’m supposed to be doing. I sit in a nearby chair and spend the rest of the time watching the pool, trying to clear my mind of any of the guys in my life.

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