No!
I shriek.
I scramble towards the railing, falling out the grasp of the person holding me up.
My camera stops in midair.
The person, my mysterious rescuer, has grasped the camera strap. My beloved camera is dangling in the air, whole and unbroken.
I let out a cry of relief. “Thank you!”
This person saved my butt. Breaking my camera would have meant losing this job and derailing my plans for the future. I whip around, leaning in to give the person a hug—
Then I realize who saved me.
5
Kiara
My rescuer is Jonathan Wright.
No. No. Anyone — ANYONE — but him. My face crinkles in anguish. Of all the people to save me, to save my camera, why did it have to be Jonathan fricking Wright?
And why is he even here? Shouldn’t he be prancing around a soccer field and bragging about how good he is at kicking a stupid ball into a useless net?
“Oh,” I say unenthusiastically, meeting his denim blue eyes. “Thanks.”
His sandy blonde hair has that casual bedhead look that I bet he spent hours trying to perfect. He’s holding me tight against his body, steadying me after the fall. Within seconds, his gaze goes from shock to mild irritation.
I step out of his grasp at the same time that he drops his arm. Without a word, he hands me my camera. I wrap the strap tight around my midsection.
Jonathan and I have been in school together for years, and our dislike for one another has grown steadily over time. In fact, I can’t remember a time that I liked Jonathan. Maybe we were friends back in the days of toys and sandboxes. But now? He’s your typical star athlete, getting everything he could ever want in life.
“You know guests aren’t allowed here until tomorrow,” I say curtly, my hand on my hips. Ugh. Why did he have to play hero? It would’ve been better to fall.
“Good thing I’m not a guest.” He brushes a piece of lint off his designer label shirt, an innocent gesture that somehow makes me loathe him even more.
He slings his duffel bag over his shoulder like it weighs nothing. “You might want to be careful with your camera. Those things are expensive.”
Before I can say anything, he turns and skips out of the gazebo.
My blood boils as he walks away. Who is he to tell me to be careful around expensive things? I may not know Jonathan well, but I don’t think anyone else does either. Very few people have seen the side of him that I’ve seen...
The Inn should be staffed up for the summer. So why is he here?
And what did he mean that he’s not a guest?
There’s no way he’s working here… right?
6
Jonathan
I stride down the gravel path towards the Inn, reeling from my encounter with Kiara the Queen.
When I approached her in the gazebo, I had no idea it was her. Sure, now I recognize the wavy brown hair, the tanned skin, the slim figure. But I’ve never seen Kiara in shorts before, and never without her beloved camera slung around her neck.
I got there just in time. I saw her roll her ankle and knew she was about to topple. I grabbed her waist and then went for the camera. Good reflexes are one perk of being an athlete, I guess. Though now, knowing it was her, I’m not sure I would’ve tried so hard to save the camera.
Kiara and I have known each other for a long time and I have good reason to dislike her. She has this infuriating way of acting like she’s better than everyone else, hence the nickname “Kiara the Queen”. The Eagles’ top striker, Lucas, coined it for her last fall.
At Edendale High, she’s alienated almost everyone except for her one friend, Ava. They usually hang out in the artsy side of school, where the photo room is located. In class, I’ve noticed that she’s one of those “intelligent slacker” students. You know the type — they sleep through class and then get an A on the final exam while stifling yawns.
The problem is, Kiara’s so blunt and straightforward that it’s intimidating. I heard she’s even made teachers cry.
I shake myself off as I walk through a garden leading to the Inn. I didn’t do a good job of vetting which students would be here this summer. I never would’ve expected the Queen to climb down from her throne and roll up her sleeves.
Ahead, a lady struggles with a flowerpot. I drop my bag and jog over.
“Here, let me.” I help her lift the flowerpot onto a table.
“Aren’t you sweet?” she says, removing one of her gloves to shake my hand. “I’m Nath, it’s lovely to meet ya.”
Nath looks to be about my mom’s age, but her skin is tanned and she has smile lines around her mouth. My mom got rid of her smile lines a few years ago. Somehow, I found her more beautiful then, but I would never say so.
“Pleasure’s mine. I’m Jonathan.” I smile. “Do you know where I can find Delia?”
Nath points up to the balcony of the Inn. “Last I saw her she was buzzing around upstairs, but you never quite know where that one’s going to end up.”
Thanking Nath, I walk into the Inn, stepping into what appears to be a games room.
I’m momentarily distracted by the pool table. It’s been a while since I played pool — my parents never wanted me to play in case of “injuries”, but I break that rule whenever the opportunity comes up. Lucas has a pool table at his house, and whenever he hosts parties, I always make an appearance. I’m not a big partier, but I do love to play a game or two.
“Hello there!” A loud voice calls to me from across the room. A friendly-looking lady with white hair and blue jeans strides purposefully towards me. “You must be Johnny. John?”
“Jonathan.” I beam back at her, recognizing her voice instantly. “Delia?”
“In the flesh.” Behind her, a slight man with black hair and warm eyes steps forward. “And this is Vin.”
I nod a greeting towards Vin as Delia continues. “It was quite the surprise getting your call just a couple of days ago. We had only just talked about hiring another student when — ding — there you were! You know what I think it was? Fate. And I’ll admit that was part of the reason we hired you. When the universe sends you a message, you gotta listen.”
She winks theatrically. Behind her back, Vin rolls his eyes. Delia senses his reaction and turns to swat him playfully.
I hold back a laugh.
“It’s great to have you here, Jonathan. We’ve set up another cabin for you just outside. We put it together pretty quickly so if something’s missing or something doesn’t quite work, let us know and we can get right on fixing that.”
Delia clutches her clipboard to her chest. “We have lots to do before the Welcome Bash tonight so why don’t you get set up and then come back here to help the chefs in the kitchen? Vin’ll show you the way to your cabin.”
With that, Delia sets off towards the staircase.
“She’s really got everything under control, hey?” I say to Vin as we head out the door.
Vin laughs. “She’s a ball of chaos. She seems to be all over the map, but somehow, everything falls into place. You just have to trust the Delia way.”
When we get to the summer student area on the far side of the grounds, Vin shows me into a cabin on the edge of a semicircle of similar structures. It’s a sparse space, and a part of me misses the computer, phone and tablet I have at home.
I place my bag in the cabin and step out onto the small balcony. A couple of fellow students are milling about, but no one I know well. In the center of the semicircle of cabins, there’s a cement platform with a picnic table and chairs. A couple of hammocks sway in the trees nearby. The chill atmosphere feels unfamiliar but comfortable.
I have a feeling I’ll enjoy my time here at the Inn — as long as I tiptoe around Kiara the Queen.
7
Kiara
My blood is still boiling as I make my way out of the Inn later that afternoon. I can’t stop thinking about him. What on earth is Jonathan Wright doing he
re? Why is he working here? Shouldn’t the golden boy be off playing soccer or whatever?
“I just wanted a couple of months away from all of that.” I look to the sky, frustrated.
While the opportunity to take awesome photos drew me to Legacy Inn, I also came to escape the drudgery of life in Edendale, where the high school cliques and clichés run wild. And now, to have to spend the entire summer with the very person who sits at the core of the entitled elite! Ugh.
I resolve to stay as far away from him as possible over the next few months. Jonathan’s likely just doing maintenance work or something, if he is working here. He shouldn’t be hard to avoid.
Besides, I have more important things to think about — my dreams, my future, my career. This summer, I need to focus on improving my photography. Legacy Inn is teeming with chances to take beautiful nature and lifestyle images.
Jonathan is a today problem, but in a year, when I’m far away from here, he’ll be a speck in the rearview mirror as I barrel towards my exciting life.
I stroll to the lakeshore and follow the gravel path circling the water. After stringing up the last of the fairy lights in the gazebo, I helped with a few more tasks around the Inn, including dusting the pool table in the games room and helping decorate the event room.
Now, everyone’s inside, getting ready for the Welcome Bash. But I want to take advantage of the peace and quiet around the lake.
I aim the camera, adjust focus, and capture the scenery. I take photos of a group of ducks swimming out from the shore with their ducklings, the lime green of the leaves as the sun shines through them, the clear reflection of the mountain peaks in the lake. It’s easy to see why people visit the Inn in the summer.
The path turns a corner, and the Inn drops out of sight as a small mountain rises next to me. There must be some fantastic viewpoints for photos up there.
On a mission, I continue along the gravel path, looking for a side path that would lead up the mountain. Unfortunately, I can’t see anything but dense brush and lush forest. Way too much nature.
I step back and observe the mountain once again.
Ah, who am I kidding? Even if there was a path, I wouldn’t climb the mountain. I’m not a big hiker, and heights? No thanks. I won’t even jump off a diving board.
I eye the mountain and try to ignore the pang of sadness needling me. I used to hike with my parents when I was a kid. My parents were very adventurous, but when my dad left, everything changed. Mom buried herself in work, and I buried myself in photography.
You’ve got to find your best way to cope. For me, that meant taking care of myself and learning to be independent. Learning to enjoy my life, have fun and be carefree? That can come when I fulfill my dreams.
Like my mom always says: there’s no time for love if you’re not doing what you love. In my case, love comes in the form of my future as a photographer.
“Someday, I will climb you,” I say to the mountain, not knowing what point in the future I’m referencing. Could be tomorrow, could be 20 years from now.
“Well, isn’t that romantic?” A deep voice says from beside me and I almost jump out of my skin.
I whirl around to find myself face to face with Jonathan. He smirks like he’s just caught me doing something deeply embarrassing. I suppose he has. It’s not every day that you come across someone speaking to a mountain.
“So, are you just following me around now?” I ask. My face burns red, but I’m hoping the shadows conceal it.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on you. Just in case you need rescuing again.” Jonathan shrugs with practiced nonchalance. He’s wearing the same fancy polo shirt and slacks he wears at school. “You realize it’s a free country and you don’t own this lake?”
I exhale in a huff and put my camera back up to my face, pretending to line up the lake for a photo. “I don’t own this lake. But I was hand-selected to take photos of it all summer. And what will you be doing, golden boy? Maintenance or something?”
“Yeah… something.”
I almost open my mouth to ask him what he means, but that’s exactly what he wants me to do. Instead, I keep my mouth shut and flip my hair over my shoulder as I turn away. The girls in movies make it look so cool, but with my wild wavy hair, I probably look like a shampoo commercial reject.
I sashay down the path towards our cabins. Or what I hope is the path to our cabins. I’m holding my head high, which unfortunately means I don’t see the rock sticking up on the path. I stub my toe and stumble, but I try to skip out of it so it looked to be purposeful.
“Careful,” Jonathan calls, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I won’t always be around to save you.”
My face burns.
There will be no peace as long as Jonathan’s here.
8
Jonathan
Kiara marches down the path towards the Inn, swinging her hips back and forth. The display reminds me of my ex-girlfriend, Isabella, trying to walk sexy.
I hold back a chuckle, knowing that this was probably not her intent. She stumbles over a rock and makes a quick save, walking with even more purpose. I roll my eyes and take a jab at her. We might not be in high school, but she still acts like royalty.
I gaze out over the huge, oval lake. The mountains frame its outline, and their reflection mirrors in the glassy blue water. It’s picture perfect — I can see why Kiara was out here taking photos. It’s a beautiful evening, calm and serene. I haven’t heard this loud sort of quiet in a very long time, and I haven’t been able to stop and enjoy it since I was a kid.
After unpacking my bag, a walk was the perfect way to unwind. The bare cabin with just a dresser and bed felt oddly comfortable after I’d moved in. Back home, my dad’s fancy car and my mom’s expensive jewelry come first. But this new minimalist lifestyle agrees with me.
I stashed my soccer gear deep in the bottom of my dresser. I won’t be looking at those or using them all summer. As I closed the drawer, my shoulders fell, and for the first time in forever, I felt myself relax.
I’m no stranger to lightly rebelling against my parents’ wishes, but I’ve never blatantly disregarded their plans for me. I have never straight up lied to them. But this might be my only chance to take control of my future. I told them I’ll be busy at Momentum and I won’t be able to contact them often. That should keep them off my trail. They wouldn’t dare risk hurting my chances at getting a scholarship.
I pick up a rock by the lakeshore and skip it into the water, disturbing the perfect reflection. Before the surface can still, I turn and walk back along the path to our cabins, my sense of unease steadily growing.
There’s a familiar object near the picnic table — a lone soccer ball, tucked beneath a bush, abandoned by an earlier set of players. I toe the ball out and mindlessly dribble, skillfully touching the top of the ball with my left foot, before turning and dragging the ball forward with my other foot, quickly turning again to finish. I had practiced this piece of footwork — the Maradona — thousands of times, until my execution was flawless.
Sure, Momentum felt like a dream come true, but I recently realized that the dream was not my own. So instead, I came here. And I can say, with confidence, that I’ve never felt so out of my depths. I’m nervous about what this summer will bring.
In soccer, the moves come like breathing. There’s no thinking, no doubting. It’s an instinct that lives within me, that’s part of me. At school, if I put my head down, I get good grades. I’m not the best in my classes, by far, but I do well. If I didn’t have soccer to carry me through to college, my grades would still get me somewhere. Sometimes, I wish I could apply to college without mentioning my soccer skills, without being the MVP of the state champion soccer team. But I also know how important this full-ride scholarship is for my parents.
I dribble the ball around the green patch of grass next to the picnic table. This summer is my chance to do something different. This is my opportunity to challenge myself, to feel something more than
passive happiness when our team wins a game. For the first time in a long time, the stakes are high and I’m wondering: Can I do this?
I kick the ball a little too hard. It flies underneath the cabin next to mine, getting lost in the darkness. I sigh. I’ll have to grab it later. I duck into my cabin to get ready.
I throw on my slacks and a polo shirt before realizing that no one here will care what I wear to the Welcome Bash. I hesitantly put on board shorts instead, feeling happy with the change.
It’s now or never, Jonathan. I grab one last item from my duffel bag and make my way to the event room.
9
Jonathan
The Welcome Bash is a burst of catchy songs, colorful flowers, and beautiful string lights. Walking inside the Inn feels like walking into a folk music video. Whoever did the decorations did a brilliant job.
Staffers mingle and get to know the student workers. I recognize a few kids from school, but no one I know well. That’s by design — before asking for the job here, I made sure that none of my close friends or teammates would be working at the Inn over the summer. As far as they know, I’m at Momentum, just like I told my parents. Troy is the only one who knows where I am, but I haven’t told him why I’m here.
The scent of roasted garlic and freshly-baked cheese bread makes my stomach grumble. I may not be playing soccer this summer, but I still have the appetite of a bear. And working with the chefs today kick-started the hunger.
I make a beeline for the food table. But, before I can get my paws on a slice of cheese bread, Delia bursts through the crowd, her colorful dress flowing and her cowboy hat tilted on her head.
“Jonathan! Thank you for your help in the kitchen. The food smells wonderful.” Delia kisses her fingertips as though she’s straight out of Italy. “Fernando was raving about how you lifted two gigantic bags of flour with one arm. We might have you help out around the kitchen, my boy!”
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 51
