Summer Nights

by Sanders, Jill

  “Luke finally retired last month.” Mary beamed.

  Zoey climbed out of the cart and started to grab the luggage while Mark helped her.

  “Go on in, it’s unlocked,” she suggested to Mary. “You’ll want to set your own door code.” The electronic keypad locks they had installed on each of the cabins could easily be reset at the end of each guest’s stay.

  “How wonderful. Mark’s always losing hotel keys,” Mary joked as she opened the door. “Oh my, how beautiful.”

  Zoey and her friends had been the ones to name them all. The cabin’s unique wood exterior with its intricate carvings outside gave it almost a fairy-tale look. And as one of the newly built ones, off the main pathway, this cabin continued the romantic feel inside with creamy, soft colors and an elegant atmosphere.

  “It’s perfect.” Mary walked over to her husband and gave him a kiss.

  “We are fully automated in most things here, but there are some instructions on how to set your door-lock codes.” She showed him the laminated card next to the door. “The camp schedule and list of available activities are on this computer screen by the door. You can book an adventure by clicking on its icon.” She showed them on the screen. “If you want to cancel it, just click it again. It’s pretty easy. There’s plenty of other fun adventures to do that won’t require booking. If you require daily maid service, click the icon. To order food service, you can review the menu here. And if, for any reason, you need to talk to someone, pick up the phone there. It will ring you through to the main building directly. Your son and daughter have requested your favorite champagne.” She nodded to the back deck, where a bottle was chilling on the small table. “Enjoy, and congratulations on your forty years.”

  “Thank you.” They both beamed as she exited the cabin.

  The next couple she delivered to their cabin were the complete opposite of the Youngs. Judge Hogan from New York and his new bride, Sherry. The couple were a couple of weeks into their new marriage after two long years of dating. Zoey was pretty sure the engagement had lasted so long because the older judge had had to wait until his new bride was old enough to get married.

  The woman couldn’t be over eighteen. The extremely bleached blonde had a pair of impressive tits and a nose even younger than she was—Zoey could still see bruising underneath all the piled-on makeup—and, on her hand, a rock the size of Zoey’s big toe.

  Still, it wasn’t Zoey’s place to judge the couple, so she showed them to the Eagle’s Nest, one of the new cabins off the beaten path again. This one hung up on the top of a small rocky hill and overlooked the white, sandy beaches of the gulf.

  The cabin was more contemporary, designed with full two-story glass walls in the front and dark steel sides. A twisted staircase led to the massive second-story bedroom.

  She explained the door locks and showed them the camp schedule and left as fast as she could.

  When she returned to the main house, she needed a break and had Owen take over for her.

  After making sure he was set to take the next couple who arrived for her, she walked into the lounge, a hangout area for employees. Food was always available—snacks or meals and drinks for all the employees. She grabbed a sandwich and a soda and sat down at a table next to Hannah.

  “Well?” she asked her friend.

  “Wow, talk about interesting.” Hannah shook her head.

  “What?” she asked, leaning forward.

  “I just dropped off Barbara Collins and her new husband.”

  “Barbara . . . as in the actress?” Zoey leaned closer.

  “Yes,” Hannah almost squealed. “They officially checked in under the names Barb and Jamie Carter. But it was her.” She smiled and took a sip of her water.

  “Wow,” Zoey sighed. “I never thought we’d get anyone famous—I mean, I’d hoped.”

  “Who?” Scar had sat beside her. “Who’s famous?”

  For the next half hour, they compared guests they had helped check in. Scar had had a couple from Idaho and one from Ohio.

  “They seemed pretty boring compared to your couples,” Scar complained. “I mean, Bruce Willis lives in Idaho. Why didn’t we get him!”

  “Maybe after lunch you’ll have someone more . . . colorful,” Zoey suggested. She glanced down at her watch and figured Owen would be done showing the couple to their cabin.

  “I’d better go. I told Owen I’d meet him in five minutes.” She got up to leave and spotted Dylan across the room.

  Deciding not to get distracted by Dylan and his muscles, she darted out the side door and met Owen just as he was talking to a new couple. The woman was easily over fifty, while the man had to be in his mid-twenties. Her chocolate skin was wrinkle free, her outfit was to die for, and she could see why the younger man was drawn to the woman. She was stunning.

  “Here she is now,” Owen was saying as she approached. “Zoey, this is David and Rumi from Dallas.”

  “Hi,” she said to them. “Thank you for filling in, Owen.” He handed her their check-in sheet. “It looks like you’ll be staying in the Tree House. It’s one of my favorite designs. Looks like Owen has all your luggage loaded. Shall we head out?”

  She watched the younger man help his wife into the back of the cart, then took the spot next to her up front.

  “So, we’ve heard a few things about this place . . .” he started.

  “Oh?” she asked, wondering who they had heard from and what they had heard, since this group comprised the camp’s first guests.

  “Is it true it used to be a summer camp for girls?” he asked, and she relaxed.

  “Yes, actually, my four best friends and I met here when we were all younger.”

  “Nice,” Rumi said from behind her.

  “And we’re the first guests?” David asked.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “Do all guests book for full months at a time?” he asked.

  “Some choose our weekly rates instead, but for the most part, guests tend to book for a month at a time,” she answered. “Especially during the winter seasons; we’ve already had several bookings for the full four months straight.”

  “What if we wanted to stay longer?” he asked, looking around as the cart turned off the main pathway toward the cabins. As with each couple, she’d driven them by all the basic amenities before heading toward their cabins.

  “Normally, that might not be an issue; however, we’re booked solid for the first two months,” she answered.

  “Oh.” He slumped slightly.

  “Don’t worry—you’ll have a full month’s worth of fun before you have to go,” she assured him.

  “David likes to . . . play,” Rumi said with a chuckle.

  Zoey wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, so she just nodded instead and talked about the swimming pools, the boathouse, and the stables.

  “What about the staff?” he asked.

  Again, unsure of what he was asking, she decided to be vague. “All of our staff are full-time employees. They’re housed up at the main building,” she finished as she parked the cart in front of the Tree House. It wasn’t really a tree house but a tall two-story A-framed cabin set among the trees. The thick wood logs that had been used to build the place gave the entire log cabin an almost mystical vibe.

  “Nice,” David said as he helped Rumi out of the cart. It was then that Zoey noticed the woman walked with a limp.

  “I’m sorry.” She interrupted their motion. “Would you prefer a cabin without stairs?”

  “No.” Rumi smiled at her. “This is perfect.” She looked up at the cabin. “Besides, David’s around to help me out.”

  Zoey nodded and helped the man carry in their luggage, ran through the check-in speech, and left the couple to enjoy.

  She made her way back to the main area and picked up her last couple of the day.

  Trilla and Donni were not what she expected by just looking down at their check-in sheet.

  Trilla was the older of the two, easily in
her mid-sixties, while Donni, the younger of the pair, was in her mid-thirties.

  She greeted them warmly. As she drove them toward their cabin, the Hangover, they talked about how they were from LA, where Trilla was an artist and Donni a dog walker. Trilla gushed about their wedding earlier in the year and even pulled out her phone to show Zoey pictures. Donni had been dressed in a beautiful white, flowing gown, while Trilla had worn a white tux. The pair were very cute together.

  When they stopped at the base of the short path that would lead them to the Hangover Cabin, Zoey turned toward them.

  “I hope you’re okay for a short walk; your cabin is just up these steps.” She motioned to the path.

  “We are.” Trilla smiled and grabbed one of their bags.

  Zoey grabbed the other, but Donni stopped her. “Aren’t you recovering from a pretty bad incident last year?” She nodded toward Zoey’s knee.

  Smiling, she answered, “Fully recovered, thanks.” She took the bag.

  “I didn’t want to say anything, but wow, when we heard you were part owner in this place—well, let’s just say, it sealed the trip for us.”

  Zoey smiled and moved toward the stairs. “Thank you,” she said softly. She was uncomfortable with praise. Maybe it was because she hadn’t gotten much of it when she had been younger. Her mother had been a “fade into the background” sort of parent, since her father had been so boisterous and domineering. But shortly after the divorce, she’d seen her mother start to come out of her shell.

  The Hangover Cabin looked a lot like the Eagle’s Nest Cabin, only instead of black steel outer walls and a second floor, the Hangover had large stone walls, and the entire cabin was only one level high. Most of that building hung out over a small hillside that overlooked the edge of the water. With the way the trees surrounded the place, Zoey could almost imagine the cabin on a hillside in Colorado instead of a few yards away from the sandy white beaches of Florida.

  Zoey showed the couple around the cabin and went through the standard welcome package before leaving.

  Then she took the pathway back to the main building slowly, since there was now the possibility of guests out and about on the trails.

  When it had just been the five of them, they’d raced each other on the carts to see how fast they could go. Scarlett had almost toppled a cart over once.

  When she returned to the office she shared with her friends on the main floor, she sat down and opened a soda and drank heavily. It was the end of summer in Florida, and there was a stream of sweat rolling down her back.

  “So?” Scarlett asked her.

  “So far, so good,” she answered after another long sip. “Four couples are now getting settled in. What about you?”

  “Three couples.” Her sister smiled and nodded to her computer system. “We’re already getting bookings for the zip line, tennis courts, trail horse rides, and sunset beach rides, and”—she clicked her mouse—“the sunset sails are already booked up for the week. If this keeps up, we’ll have to have guests prebook some events when they schedule their cabins.”

  Zoey smiled. “We can talk about it during our meeting tonight.” She turned and typed herself a note in her system to remind herself to bring it up.

  “This system is a lifesaver,” Scar said, clicking her computer screen again. “I’m booked solid tomorrow. How about you?”

  Zoey looked down at her screen and enjoyed seeing the almost full days ahead of her, since her schedule was quickly filling up. Everyone was in charge of overseeing different events. Yet as it was now, they were all going to be spread pretty thin. Zoey worried that they would be running around the camp like a bunch of headless chickens. “I think we all are going to be very busy.”

  “Still, it’s going to take a while to get used to staying this busy. Especially after this last year.”

  Standing up, Zoey figured she’d grab a snack from the kitchen before she left to make sure everything was in place for the first evening meal. Besides, she knew she’d find Elle and Hannah rushing around trying to make sure everything was perfect in the dining hall.

  “See you later. I’m going to get a snack.” She tucked her phone into her back pocket. Her schedule would buzz her half an hour before she was to be anywhere.

  When she opened her door and stepped out, she noticed Dylan walking toward her.

  Groaning inwardly as her body instantly reacted to seeing him, she pasted on a smile and tried to hide the heat she felt. “Sorry, I’ve really got to . . .” She tried to sidestep him, but he blocked her.

  “Heading out?” He smiled.

  “Yes, I was . . .”

  “Good, I’ll walk with you.” He moved back to make room for her.

  “I . . .” She tried to think of a reason to put him off. Other than the fact that she didn’t have time to think about wanting him. How nice his hands had felt on her shoulders, or how sexy it was to watch his eyes heat as he looked at her. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” she asked.

  He pulled out his phone and glanced down at it. “Nope, not until tomorrow morning. No one is keen on zip-lining the first evening they get here.”

  She shrugged and walked quickly toward the stairs. The fact that Dylan kept up with her was only slightly annoying at this point. She kept telling herself it was better to avoid him than to fight the need that surfaced whenever she was around him. He was an employee, which meant she had an obligation to keep things professional, since she couldn’t risk everything they had invested by flirting with an employee. Even if she needed to keep an eye on him. His black polo shirt with the teal camp logo on it hugged his chest and arms like a glove. God, how she wanted to explore those muscles underneath. He wore khaki shorts and hiking boots and was the epitome of outdoor male sex appeal. She bit her bottom lip and dreamed about getting him naked as she rushed down the main stairs while he followed close behind her.

  When they stepped outside, the wind was kicking up, and she could tell they were in for an evening shower. Keeping up her pace, she glanced over at him. “Did you want something?”

  His instant smile threw her.

  “I want lots of things,” he said, which caused her to turn toward him. “Zoey, I need to ask you a question.” She stopped at his words.

  “Okay.” She glanced up to see Ryan walking toward them.

  Ryan hadn’t been one of her hires—head waiter Brent had hired all the dining room staff, and Hannah had hired Brent. Zoey trusted Hannah’s judgment completely in these matters. The woman oozed class and sophistication—everything River Camp wanted to project in the dining hall.

  “Evening,” Zoey started to say to the woman. But instead of walking by them, Ryan stopped, her arm locking into Dylan’s easily.

  “There you are,” the woman purred. “I was hoping you’d stop by and see me again tonight before the dinner rush.”

  Zoey took a giant step away from the couple, as if someone had kicked her in the chest.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Dylan berated himself for falling into Ryan’s trap. When he’d bumped into her the other night as he’d been coming out of the camp’s office, she’d grabbed him.

  “I don’t know what game you’re playing,” she’d said, running her fingers up his arms, her nails scraping his skin. He’d thought about making some excuse for why he’d been coming out of the office, but then she’d smiled up at him and whispered, “Costa.”

  He’d frozen and glanced around, then pulled her into a small storage room.

  “What do you know?” he asked.

  She wrapped herself around him.

  “Plenty”—she moved closer—“and unless I get what I want, so will Elle and the others.”

  He and his brothers hadn’t thought of the possibility of running into anyone who knew who they were. After all, it wasn’t as if they were famous, just . . . well known in some circles.

  “What do you want?”

  “I’ve been watching the three of you, closely.” She tapped his chin. “It’s
simple,” Ryan continued, tugging him closer to her in the small closet full of fresh towels. She wrapped her long arms around his neck and started rubbing her thin body against his. “Being on the arm of one of the Costa men, attending some of those fancy parties you always are invited to, will easily be enough to keep me quiet.”

  He gripped her arms and held her away from him. “I don’t do blackmail.”

  He was clear enough, but Ryan shrugged and reached for the door and added, “Suit yourself; I’ll just go find Elle . . .”

  “Wait.” He sighed and rolled his shoulders. “While we’re here, our identities remain a secret?”

  She smiled. “I’m looking for a little of what you have. I don’t care about the people around here—I’m talking bigger than this place. I can wait a little.” She tilted her head. “When you leave here, so do I . . . on your arm, directly into the spotlight. You’ll take me to all the local events, where we can be seen together. You’ll introduce me to the rich and famous.” Ryan’s dark eyes had sparkled with her smile, and as she’d moved back toward him, he’d stopped her.

  “As I said, I don’t do blackmail, but I’m sure we can work some other arrangement out.”

  Now, as Ryan rubbed her body against his in front of Zoey, it was obvious that the woman wasn’t just a blackmailer: she was willing to force his hand.

  “I’ll leave you two . . .” Though Dylan was too busy trying to unwrap Ryan’s arms from around him to notice the look on Zoey’s face, he heard her tone clearly enough as she marched away.

  “Later,” he warned Ryan, then rushed after Zoey. He heard Ryan laughing behind him, and a rush of anger zipped up his back.

  “Hey.” He caught up with Zoey outside the door to the dining room. When he grabbed her hand, she jerked free.

  “Don’t.” The single word loosened his grip.

  “Let me explain . . .” he started, then groaned. “I can’t explain, other than that I’m not with her.”

  “Oh?” Zoey’s dark eyebrows shot up as her eyes traveled past him to where Ryan had disappeared into the back-kitchen door.