“Okay, I’m done with this,” I finally said, unintentionally out loud.
“Breakfast?”
“No, trying to be nice to someone I apparently offended.”
“I know. I mean, it was just spilled coffee. It’s not like you deliberately threw it at him.” She studied me after considering the thought. “Is there something else?”
I looked at Rachel for a moment before starting, trying to decide if any of it was worth mentioning. Considering I hadn’t had a confidant in some time, it would be nice to open up. But I was going to keep it short. The subject of Rick had already creeped its way into my weekend for much longer than I cared.
Rachel leaned back in her chair after I’d given her a quick rundown, starting with my first night here. She gave me a look as if I’d been trying to tell her that the sky was green and the grass is blue.
“A coffee for a spilled coffee makes you even—cute even,” she started. “But after trying to kick him out of the pool and then dissing him at the gate—not even.” She stopped for a minute and frowned. “By the way, why was he at the pool that late drinking alone?”
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Probably more than you know.”
CHAPTER 6
Amy, thanks for coming by,” Sarah said that Monday morning.
“What’s up?”
“Remember the Kinsley farm across the river that you proposed as a nature art site?”
“Yep, what about it?”
“Still want to do it?”
“It’s not possible; it would be over an hour walking both directions,” I reminded her. Confused, I’d thought the subject was closed.
“Not if you kayak right across the river.” She looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
“Oh, Sarah, I don’t know if I can handle that. I mean, I barely know if I can do it myself—”
“Of course you can’t!” she agreed immediately. “You’ll do it with Rick.”
“I’m not following…”
Sarah let out a breath. “Look, I need to combine classes this week because of the Fourth of July concert rehearsals.”
The Fourth of July concert was basically the club’s summer kickoff party. From what I understood, it was their busiest weekend of the year, and everyone made a big deal about the entertainment and the decorations.
“We’ll extend the sessions, of course, to accommodate for the double activity,” Sarah continued. “It’s going to be with the same group. Rick will tag along with your nature art class and engage the group in the water sport activity, and you’ll join his group at…” She looked down at her schedule. “Well, I haven’t decided that yet.”
Clearly their planning needed more work.
“But either way,” she continued, “it’s going to be your Friday morning class.
I smiled politely. “Sounds great, Sarah.” As if I was being given a choice.
I was excited about the farm, but not sure about Rick tagging along. I mean, the few and irritable interactions I’d had with him thus far hadn’t lasted more than ten minutes, and I could have walked away at any moment. But to spend an hour and half with him on two occasions this week—no doubt he’d mock me every second of it.
I groaned. That better be one heck of a concert.
The next two days I managed to somehow miss the sunrise. I guess running around in the heat with kids most of the day could really wear a person out. When I lifeguarded the last two summers in Denver, it was a four-hour gig starting mid-morning, and then we were free for the rest of the afternoon. Now even after a full day’s class, I had to head to a staff meeting. We met every Wednesday from four to five.
When I walked into the office, Lindsey and Trish were there, babbling away about what lotions to use for a better tan. Rick and Jeff were somewhere between talking about upcoming weekend plans and rolling their eyes at the girls. I looked for an empty chair in the double office that Sarah and Mr. Myers, the owner, who was rarely in, shared. Rick watched me as if something really exciting happened when I was around. Or maybe that was just how it felt to me. I avoided his eyes and sat by Sarah’s desk, a few feet away from Rick and Jeff.
