Reunion Pass: An Eternity Springs novel (26 page)

Ahhhhh.

In the heavens, beams soften and slowly begin to fall. A waterfall of color, luminescent and glowing. Now green.

Green, Lori’s eyes.

Chase lifted his head from his pillow. He blinked once. Twice.
Well, sonofabitch.
Damned if he didn’t have a morning hard-on. A serious morning hard-on.

Huh. Well. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? His libido had been nonexistent for weeks now. Hell, it had been months. He hadn’t had sex since the Valentine’s Day vacation—and, he hadn’t missed it. Sad comment, there, on how the state of his relationship with Lana had been even before the whole Markhor Pass question surfaced. The fact that he’d had a sex dream about fireworks was a little weird, but not completely beyond understanding. Today was the Fourth of July and this was the day that Lana had chosen as their rescheduled wedding day.

However, Chase didn’t even want to begin to speculate about why the dream had ended with Lori’s green eyes. At least, not before he’d taken a cold shower.

He rolled from his bed and began his day—without touching the hot water spigot. Either one of them.

Chase pulled into the parking lot at the Rocking L a full hour before his usual arrival time because today was Family Day. Hearing the sound of a motorcycle approaching, Chase turned to see Celeste drive up on her Gold Wing. He slowed his step while she guided the bike toward her parking spot near the camp’s main entrance and waited while Captain darted forward to receive his pets and scratches and coos and cuddles.

“Happy Fourth of July,” she said when she finally lifted her attention away from his dog.

“Happy Fourth of July, Celeste. I’m surprised to see you here today. Don’t you have a full day of activities at Angel’s Rest?”

“We do. But the nature walks I do here are such a lovely part of my week that I didn’t want to skip it. These children take hold of my heart and don’t let go. Don’t you agree?”

“I can’t argue with you.”

Celeste reached out and touched Chase’s arm. “One of the lessons spending time with these little ones teaches me is that a brush with tragedy can affect us in two different ways. Either we can lose hope and descend into the darkness, or we can use the challenge to find our inner strength and make our way into the light. The easier path is to sink. The struggle to strength is a lesson these children live and display day after day.”

The struggle to strength.

Her words stayed with Chase as he entered the camp where staff and campers scurried about like ants making final preparations before visitors descended. It was, he thought, a rather profound thought in a handful of words.

“My swimmers tell me that you tell the best stories on your nature walks, Celeste. I’ve been tempted to tag along on them myself.”

“You are welcome anytime, Chase.”

“Thank you. I might just do that. Though I’m not sure I could keep up with you. Lori says that you are the Energizer bunny of Eternity Springs.”

Celeste laughed. “That Lori. She’s one to talk. I’m amazed at all she manages. Is she bringing a dog to camp today?”

“No. Not with all the events on today’s agenda. We have lots to accomplish before it’s time to load up the buses for the trip down to Hummingbird Lake.”

“I think it’s lovely that the Callahans have invited our campers to their holiday picnic.”

“They are good people. And, they have the best fireworks viewing spot on the lake.”

Saying the word “fireworks” took Chase’s mind in a direction it shouldn’t have gone. He had no business walking around a children’s camp with a boner. What happened next didn’t help his situation one bit.

He and Celeste walked into the admin building to find Lori already there, visiting with Alisha and Shaun and wearing a formfitting, sleeveless sundress in flag red.

“You look like a million bucks,” he told her.

She dipped her head, accepting the compliment, and showed him a smile as bright as the summer sunshine. “Thank you. I’m giving a presentation to guests about tourist activities and places of interest in the area to visit. I was feeling especially patriotic when I opened my closet this morning. It’s nice to wave the flag from time to time.”

She definitely managed that. Only instead of the Stars and Stripes of the good old U.S. of A., Chase’s thoughts went to the bullrings of Seville. He wanted to snort and paw the ground and charge the red flag in front of him.

Yep, the old sex drive had definitely come roaring back.

Except, maybe it wasn’t just testosterone finding its way back into his blood. Maybe it was Lori.

It’s always been Lori.

“So, are you ready for the watermelon scramble?” she asked.

The question distracted Chase, and he pulled his gaze away from her shapely bare legs. He was not looking forward to that part of the day. “No, I’m not. Whoever decided that it’d be a good idea to grease up a watermelon with Vaseline and throw it in a swimming pool for kids to wrestle over, anyway?”

“It’s a Callahan family tradition,” Celeste said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s so much fun to watch.”

“Unless you’re the person responsible for swimmers’ safety,” Chase grumbled. “Or the one dealing with bruises and busted lips after it’s over.” To the camp directors, he added, “The legal liability makes me shudder. Are you sure you want to keep it on the schedule?”

“The Davenports suggested it,” Alisha replied. “That and the money scramble.”

“Don’t fret, Chase.” Celeste patted his arm. “Kids need to be kids. A little roughhousing doesn’t hurt as long as it’s at the proper time and in the proper place. Besides, these children here have already faced trial by fire of one sort or another. Our campers aren’t snowflakes.”

No, they weren’t, and it was one of the reasons Chase enjoyed his time here at the Rocking L so much. He’d always respected grit. These kids had grit and then some.

“Relax, Chase,” Lori said, her green eyes glowing with amusement. “As I recall, you love watermelon. Play your cards right and you’ll be able to bum a slice or two from the winners. I was the courier for the prizes this morning. Picked up two huge ones and a smallish-sized one they’d set aside for us at the Trading Post. They look gorgeous.”

“Three? We have to do it three times?”

“Three different age groups.”

“Great. Just great.” But the spark in Lori’s eyes was so damned appealing that he couldn’t help but smile in return.

The morning passed swiftly. At the Rocking L, the “family” part of Family Day meant that every camper had someone special there just for him. Not all visitors were blood related. In fact, seven of the campers had visitors whom they’d never even met, but whom they’d listed as “family” choices. These visitors included professional athletes, an actress, teachers, and even two members of a popular boy band.

Jack Davenport had connections like nobody’s business.

The watermelon scramble went off with only a couple of bruises and a few scrapes, and without any eye gouges. The kids had an amazing amount of fun. His little Tadpoles didn’t participate in that activity, but when it came time for the money scramble—bags and bags and bags of coins—to be thrown into the pool for the kids to dive for, Trevor and Nicholas stood at the ready.

But first, Ava and Chase had prepared a surprise for her parents.

Rows of white folding chairs had been lined up around the pool and visitors invited to sit. Children sat cross-legged on the pool deck, faces and hands red and sticky with juice from their watermelon prizes. Lori stood across the pool from Ava and her parents, a camera at the ready.

Chase met Ava’s gaze and arched a questioning brow. The little minx grinned and attempted to wink, though she did it with both eyes.

Chase smothered a grin and stepped forward. “Before we begin our final aquatic event today, I want to thank you for coming. The kids have been excited and looking forward to sharing this day with you. The Rocking L is a great program, a fabulous place, and I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to be part of it. We should all have a chance to go to summer camp. Believe me when I say that it’s good for the heart. Everyone’s heart.”

“And watermelon is good for the tummy, too!” Trevor shouted out.

The crowd laughed. Chase sighed and shook his head, then continued. “Now, since we do lessons here at the pool, one of my students and I decided we’d give a demonstration. Ava, want to join me?”

“Yes, please, Mr. Chase.” The little girl sat tall, smiled up at her mom and dad, then rose and walked regally to stand at his side.

“Wonderful. So, everyone, if we can have your attention, my assistant and I will show you how this next event is going to work.”

At the base of the lifeguard stand, Chase picked up a canvas bag and one of the dozen pails that the Davenports had delivered earlier that day.

“I’ve always loved a good treasure hunt,” he began, stealing a glance toward Lori as he spoke, the memory of their treasure hunt anniversary date a quick flash through his mind. “Ava, please explain to our guests how this one will work.”

Like the hostess on a daytime TV game show, the little girl gestured toward the pool with a flourish. “Imagine please that our beautiful blue swimming pool is the deep blue sea. A gallon gets in a pirate fight and sinks.”

“Galleon,” Chase corrected, stifling a grin.

She clapped her cheeks with her hands. “Galleon. I
always
mess that up.”

After the visitors’ laughter died down, she continued. “Treasure spills across the ocean floor.”

She waved a hand toward Chase who reached into the pail, removed a handful of silver coins, and tossed them into the pool at about the four-foot depth marker. “And, our treasure hunters will take their booty bags—” She held out her hand toward Chase. He passed over a small mesh pouch from the canvas bag. “And dive to collect their treasure.”

Then Chase’s little fearful Tadpole took her bag, held her nose, and jumped into the water.

Her parents audibly gasped and rose instinctively to their feet. After a few seconds underwater, Ava’s head popped from the water followed by her hand. She held a gleaming silver dollar high for everyone to see. “Ta-da!” she called, and a wide grin split her face.

Her mother started to cry. Her father grinned even bigger than Ava.

Satisfaction flowed though Chase like a river. And as he met Lori’s warm and approving gaze, so did another emotion he’d never thought to experience again—joy.

Chapter Fifteen

“That was a lot of fun,” Lori said as she watched the children carry their newfound treasure off to their cabins to change clothes and prepare for the day’s next event. Campers and their Family Day visitors were slated to be special guests of honor at the Callahan family’s place on Hummingbird Lake where they’d have the best seats in the house for the annual Eternity Springs fireworks display. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a little girl quite as proud as Ava today. Good job, Chase.”

“Thanks. I was pretty darn proud of her. She was a little ham, wasn’t she?”

“You’ve done a great job with your three little Tadpoles. Did you see how much money Trevor raked in?”

“Kid is destined for Wall Street, I’m telling you. Nicholas didn’t do too bad, either.”

“I just wish that Nicholas’s dad had been able to make it. I know he was a little down about it.”

“His grandparents are very nice, but I know they don’t fill a dad’s shoes.”

Chase turned his head and studied her. “You still have wounds on your heart about growing up without your dad, don’t you?”

She shrugged. “No, a little bit of a scar, maybe, but that’s not a bad thing. After all, scar tissue knits together the wound and makes you whole again.”

“You really are working on filling Celeste’s shoes, aren’t you?”

“No one will ever fill Celeste’s shoes. That said, I’d better get moving or I won’t have time to change into jeans and my sneakers before I toddle along to the Callahans tonight.” She hesitated a moment and tried to tell herself that her pulse didn’t increase when she asked, “Are you planning to come down to the lake for the fireworks?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know that I’m up to running that gauntlet. Everyone in the county will be there.” He licked his lips, then added, “I have a better idea. Why don’t you come up to the yurt for dinner? There’s that spot up the creek that overlooks the lake. You’d see the fireworks from a different perspective.”

If her pulse had raced before, now her heart started pounding.

“I don’t have hot dogs and potato salad,” Chase continued. “I do have a couple of nice steaks I could grill.”

He has wings, Murphy. He will fly away again.

“C’mon, Lori. Help me grow that scar tissue. Say yes.”

“Help you grow scar tissue? I don’t know that anyone’s ever said that to me before.”

“Being with you helps me. You’re my Dr. Glitterbug.”

That one proved irresistible. “Okay. I need to go home first and change my clothes.”

“I can come pick you up.”

“No, don’t do that. I’ll drive up. Do you have everything you need for dinner?”

“Maybe bring up some ice cream?”

“I can do that.” The Taste of Texas Creamery was open today. She’d stop by and get a gallon of peppermint. It had always been his favorite.

She second-guessed herself all the way to town and that’s even before she called her mother to tell her not to expect her to join the family at the Callahans’ that evening. “Do you know what you’re doing?” Sarah asked.

“It’s just dinner, Mom.”

He called me Dr. Glitterbug.

“All right, honey,” Sarah said with a sigh. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

She remembered her mother’s words of caution as she stood before her closet and debated her choice of tops. She’d planned to wear the flag T-shirt and jeans out to Hummingbird Lake. It would be cooler up on the mountain. She should wear a sweater. She should wear her flag T-shirt with a cardigan over it.

Somehow, though, instead of a cotton tee, she left the house dressed in a clingy cashmere V-necked sweater in bright fire-engine red.