by Burkey, Dana
“What?” I asked, certain I heard him wrong.
“I thought you knew,” he shrugged. “After Worlds last year I was so blown away by you. And from the moment I met you in person that first time my feelings for you only solidified. But I never thought you liked me. Not even once. Honestly, this whole time I kept thinking you and Connor were dating. Or at least liked each other.
“Connor?” I repeated, even more confused. “He’s like a brother to me, that’s all.”
“I kind of figured that after what you told me this morning,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Up till then I could tell certain girls at the gym gave me more attention, or flirted with me, and things like that. But I never once thought you liked me. At all. So when you told me how you felt I was trying to just make sense of everything. I’m not sure if you can relate, but it was kind of a lot to process.”
“I get what you mean,” I agreed easily. “I’m kind of feeling that way right now.”
“Sorry,” he laughed. “Or maybe this is more of a sorry not sorry kind of thing. I mean, if we both like each other then I guess there isn’t much to be sorry for. Well, aside from maybe being sorry for not realizing it sooner.”
Not knowing what else to say, I nodded in reply, feeling the blush that was heating up my face intensity suddenly. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed that Jackson knew I liked him, or even that I was embarrassed that he liked me. This was a different feeling altogether. Part of it was a relief to know my worries about rejection were all for nothing. The bigger part of it though, was realizing that I didn't know what to do or say from there. Everything about the situation was new to me, and to say I was unsure of the next move to make was an understatement.
“Well, I think we should get back to everyone,” Jackson finally said, ending a rather long silence that stretched between us.
“I guess so.” As we began walking back toward the crowd of people still in the gym I decided to just voice the main question coming to mind. “So, what happens now?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, slowing his pace slightly.
“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, all of this is kind of new to me,” I explained, despite feeling rather ridiculous. “I’m just not sure what to do about everything now.”
“Oh,” he nodded. “For starters, how about I call you later so we can keep getting to know each other?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
“And maybe we can meet for stunt practice early one day this week,” he added.
“Okay,” I said again.
“And then maybe after that we can get married.”
“What?!”
“Just kidding,” he laughed. “Let’s go with the extra practice and getting to know each other for now.”
I gave my eyes a little roll, but laughed as well. Doing so made me realize how much more at ease I felt, the stress from minutes ago already ancient history. Getting everything out in the open with Jackson had made things worse in a way, but letting him fill me in on his side of things made it so much better. A feeling that only intensified when I glanced up and saw the way he was smiling down at me.
“What?”
“I’m just really glad I’m here,” he shrugged. “I mean, changing gyms was a big move, but I’m feeling more and more like I made the right choice.”
“I think so too,” I nodded.
“Well, we should go.” When I didn’t reply, he continued. “Emma is probably waiting to take a million photos with you.”
“You sure figured her out fast,” I laughed. Then, just like that, I turned with Jackson and walked toward the sea of athletes and parents in the middle of the gym we had walked away from what suddenly felt like a lifetime ago.
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Dana Burkey is a self-published author living in Washington State. Although she is from Ohio, she has been enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest for the last 7 years. Before moving to Washington, Burkey attended college in Ohio where she majored in theater with a minor in creative writing. Burkey works full time in camping, spending her days with K-5th graders. She began self-publishing her YA romance novels in August of 2014, hoping to write stories that can be enjoyed by YA readers of any age. Her books feature a lack of swearing, drinking, and sex, in an effort to allow younger readers to connect with her stories without bad influences. Burkey is currently working on a few projects, which she is looking forward to sharing with readers soon!
A big thank you to Bows by April for the amazing bow on the cover. Order your own TNT bow, or many other at BowsByApril.com!
For more great uniforms like the one seen on the back cover of this book, check out DehenCheer.com
Continue reading for a sneak peek of “Guarding The Lake.” For more information about this book and others, or to rate the book you just read, be sure to check out Dana on Goodreads or Amazon.
CHAPTER 1
Beechwood Estate was known for its massive houses, luxury cars, and well-manicured lawns. The gated community in upstate New York was a vacation destination for the rich and prosperous day traders and industry moguls during the hot summer months. It was the definition of privilege to have property along Lake Elsinore, the man-made waterfront with white sandy beaches. For the not quite as rich families willing to accept a home without the watery backyard, there was Sunrise Beach. It was a half-mile stretch of beach chairs and sand toys that, for me, was simply work.
“Second to last Thursday,” I said with a frown as I placed my bag into my locker inside the lifeguard station. Taking a final long drink of my morning coffee I tossed the now empty Starbucks cup into the trash can and walked outside into the cool morning air.
“You’re running out of chances you know,” Baylee reminded me, walking over to stand next to me as she finished her coffee as well.
“I know, I’m working on it.”
Before my best friend could say anything else I walked towards the lake to dip my toes in the water. It was cold on my bare feet, but I tried not to focus on it as I allowed my body to get used to the temperature. As a lifeguard at Sunrise Beach, I was required to complete 4 laps between docks 1 and 2 every day. It was only a 25-meter stretch, so I finished the 1000 meters in less than half an hour when I set my mind to it. On other days, when I wasn’t as awake as I should be at 7 am, it took a little longer.
Stepping back onto the sand, I slipped off my red shorts and white polo shirt before walking into the water. I ignored the chills the water was causing me and pulled my mane of curly blond hair into a messy bun. Finally, slipping on the goggles that were around my neck for easy access, I dipped under the water and began my swim.
While I swam, I thought about Baylee’s words. It was true. My chances for talking to Michael Preston were getting fewer and fewer. Summer would be over soon, Sunrise Beach would be closed for the season, and I would have to wait another 9 months before he was back in town at his family's summer home. The thought made me anxious, and I found myself swimming faster than usual. Before long, I was reaching the dock after my final lap and climbing out of the water. Standing on the wooden dock I saw three other guards were in the water, one of them Baylee. She couldn’t mention Michael again while she was swimming so I used the chance to enjoy some quiet.
“That was pretty fast, Natalie,” Laura said, handing me a towel as I reached the sand.
“22 minutes?” I asked, leaning closer to my boss to look at the clipboard in her hands.
“21:07.”
That put a smile on my face. I left the gray-haired beach manager to wait for the other guards still swimming their daily requirement. Once I was convinced my red Speedo swimsuit was dry enough, I slipped on my shorts and polo before wrapping my soaking wet hair in the towel. It wouldn’t dry by the time the beach opened at 8 am, but I was used to that. Wet hair
, much like strange tan lines, were just another part of my daily routine as a lifeguard. So, with my hair just beginning to dry in the towel, I walked to the boat shed and began laying out jackets and paddles so we would be ready for the early morning rush.
“You were like a dolphin in the water today Nat.”
Turning at the sound of my name I was happy to see Zander coming my way, applying his Burt’s Bees chapstick while he walked. Once he tucked the stick into his pocket he reached to help me. I was thankful he had arrived to assist, since unlike me, he could reach the life jackets hanging on the top hooks. I wasn’t short, but at only 5’ 6” it was nice to have someone with a good 5 or 6 inches on me to help out all the same.
“I had a lot on my mind,” I explained in response to his comment.
“Yeah, and he’ll be here soon enough.”
My little ‘crush’ on Michael wasn’t super common knowledge with the Sunrise Beach staff. But, as my best friend other than Baylee, Zander knew all the latest without even asking. Baylee often made comments while we were riding to and from work together each day, so he knew how I felt about Michael almost as soon as she did.
“Just don’t get too distracted watching him,” Zander added, brushing past me as he carried paddles out onto the sand.
The action caused his bare back to rub on my shirt, likely adding even more water to the fabric. I thought about complaining, but knew between my hair and still damp swimsuit, the polo had no chance of staying dry even without Zander’s help. Not to mention if I made a comment about him getting lake water on me, he would only use it as a chance to brush his shorts up against me, or even wring his hair out on me. He kept his shaggy brown hair just long enough for a man bun that could hold a lot more water than you would expect. Baylee, sadly, found this out the hard way when she stole his favorite sunglasses a week into our jobs lifeguarding the summer before. I had watched as he wrung his soaking hair down her back after that, and made the mental to choose my battles wisely as far as he was concerned.
“Are you on shed first?” I asked him, tossing the last of the life jackets onto the beach as I exited the shed for the final time.
“Nope, it’s all Andrew today,” he grinned, complete with some over-exaggerated wiggling of his eyebrows.
“Is he even here yet?” I managed between chuckles at his facial expression.
“Somewhere,” Zander shrugged, falling into step beside me as we walked back towards the lifeguard station.
Glancing towards the lake I saw that Baylee was walking out of the water, leaving just one swimmer still doing laps. Since the rest of the guards didn’t arrive until after the lunch time rush, it was clear Andrew was making his way slowly from one dock to the other. He could swim faster than anyone else I had ever met when he wanted to, but usually didn’t care enough to try unless someone was actually in danger. Seeing him make the turn for another lap, I shook my head and went back to prepping the beach. The morning kayakers and swimmers were always at the gate right at 8 am, so I busied myself brushing sand off of beach chairs and setting towels out on the patio tables.
“Do you have a hair tie?” Baylee asked as she walked towards me, trying to weave her long black hair into a braid. “I dropped mine in the water and there’s just no chance I’m ever getting that thing back.”
“Yeah, in my bag,” I nodded, walking away from the last of the tables I was wiping down.
As I walked, I pulled the towel off of my head and hung it up on the hooks near my locker. Then, careful not to get too much sand into my purse, I pulled out two thick black ties. I handed both to Baylee, knowing her hair would never stay in place with just one. While she capped off her braid I took a moment to shake out my hair before putting it back up in another messy bun where it would stay for the rest of the day. The move got water on the weathered floor under my feet, but I knew no one would mind. Despite it being the break location for the beach staff, it was little more than a dingy room with lockers on one wall, and a small table for eating lunch. The only hint of modern decor was the TV in the corner, although even that was older than most of the staff.
“Five minutes until gates open,” Laura called from out on the beach, sending both myself and Baylee into action.
We both quickly made sure we had our whistles, sunglasses, and proper clothing. This consisted of not only our red suit but also our red shorts and white polo. The polos had the official Sunrise Beach logo, which was, of course, a combination of black, red, orange, and yellow thread that made the perfect image of the sunrise on the horizon. The same sunrise that was rising as we exited the building and stood on the sand with the other guards.
“Take long enough?” I asked Andrew as he finally got out of the water at a jog to make up for his slow swim.
“I got a cramp,” he said with a laugh, moving past us to get ready. Everyone knew the real reason for his slow pace was caused by staying up too late partying. Andrew was dating a girl whose family had a house in Beechwood Estates for the summer, so he spent most nights on the beach with them until far too late. But, he was 21. He showed up to work more or less on time and did great at guarding, so Laura and the rest of the staff looked the other way.
“Here we go,” Zander said beside me, leaning closer to bump my shoulder.
“Yup, here we go,” I nodded, watching as Laura unlocked the gate to let in the line of waiting beach goers.
CHAPTER 2
By 10 am we had easily fifty people on the beach, most of them laying out to tan or build sand castles between short trips into the water. The later in the day it got and the higher the temperature went, the more and more people would venture into the still cool water. As I sat on top of the guard chair closest to the boat shed, I found myself eagerly looking for anyone in danger. Not because I wanted someone to be hurt or in trouble. Rather because I wanted to get back into the water and cool off.
“You ready for a break?” Zander asked, walking up to where I was sitting with a massive smile on his face. While we weren’t in our chairs we were required to keep our polos on. Eager to darken his already deep tan, Zander was clearly ready to trade off and sit in the sun for a while.
“Yes please,” I nodded.
Reaching out I grabbed Zander’s outstretched hand and hopped down off of my chair. It was how I always got down from my perch, and, as usual, I didn’t land quite as gracefully as I planned. Anticipating the move like usual, Zander used his free hand to hold onto my waist and help me gain my footing.
“One of these days I’m going to get the hang of jumping off that thing,” I assured him, letting go of his hand to reach up and grab the water bottle I still had on the chair.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said in reply, finally dropping his hand from my hip.
While Zander climbed up into the seat I had just vacated, I kept an eye on the water in the event of an emergency during the quick change off. Once he was all set and gave me a thumbs up to let me know he was good to go, I slipped on my polo and made the short walk back to the lifeguard station. As expected, no one else was in the small room, since the morning was run with a smaller staff. It meant I could take the next 15 minutes to get ready for what I knew would be happening any minute now.
Opening my lock, I looked at my reflection in the small mirror hanging inside. My hair, as expected, was a mass of curls that only seemed to look larger and larger the longer I stared at it. Taking it out of the bun I had it in, I took the time to brush down the crazy blonde curls before I put it back up again. During the school year, I would wake up early enough to use product after product to make my hair look more ‘curly’ than ‘frizzy.’ But, knowing I was going to be in and out of the water at work, I tried to embrace it as best I could.
Once I was certain my hair couldn’t get much better, I turned to my face. There was little I could do, knowing I was going to be sitting in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. But, seeing the dried and peeling skin on the end of my nose I took a minute to peel some of it
off before applying lotion to my skin. Thanks to hours and hours in the sun all summer, I had a nice tan going, which was only highlighted by the white polo and my sun bleached hair. The only thing I couldn’t change was my light eyelashes. Even waterproof mascara didn’t stand a chance of making it through a shift at the beach, so I said a silent prayer that if I had my sunglasses off around him, my green eyes would pop enough for Michael to notice.
That was really what it was all about, after all. Ever since starting work at Sunset Beach the previous summer, only weeks after I turned 15, I had my eyes on Michael. He was one of the many rich kids that spent their summer months at Beechwood Estates, always spending his days at the beach and his evenings at some party or event. I had watched day after day first one summer, and now a second, as he sat with his friends all day on the sand, always with one girl or another next to him. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who thought he was the hottest guy for miles and miles, but I was finally getting my chance to let him see I was a girl.
Sure, I wasn’t rich or super skinny thanks to my curvy hips and broad swimmer's shoulders, but after an explosive fight with Amber Fellington the week before while out in a kayak, Michael was single. It wasn’t a sure thing, but I held onto the hope that I was going to be able to catch his eye somehow now that he was hopefully done grieving over his breakup. I didn’t have an exact plan on how to do that, but still hoped all the same.
Finally closing the locker door, I took the time to drink some water and quickly eat a protein bar. I had another two hours until my lunch break and wanted to make sure I was good to sit or stand through it in case I didn’t get another short break. My nerves were starting to take over as I watched the clock tick down the rest of my break. While most others dreaded the end of their short break, it couldn’t go fast enough for me when I knew Michael would be arriving at any moment. In fact, I only stayed in the station for the full break since Laura would yell at me if I took any more 5 and even 3 minute breaks just to keep an eye on my summer crush.
