This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars #5)(80)

Just the thought of it depressed her. She couldn't leave here, not yet. There was something magical about the campground. Possibilities seemed to shimmer in the air. It felt almost enchanted.

Now he swam toward the stern of the capsized canoe. "What are we supposed to do with this thing now?"

"Can you touch bottom?"

"We're in the middle of a frickin' lake! Of course I can't touch bottom."

She ignored his surliness. "Well, our instructor once taught us a technique to turn over a canoe. It's called the Capistrano Flip, but—"

"How do you do it?"

"I was fourteen. I can't remember."

"Then why did you mention it?"

"I was thinking out loud. Come on, I'm sure we can manage."

They finally righted the canoe, but their technique, which was based mostly on Kevin's brute strength, left the hull full of water and partially submerged. With nothing to use as a bailer, they were forced to paddle back that way, and Molly was gasping for breath by the time she'd finished helping him haul it up onto the beach. She'd never been a quitter, though.

"Look over to the right, Kevin! Mr. Morgan's here!" She hooked a lock of wet hair behind her ear and gestured toward the slightly built, bespectacled accountant setting up a chair in the sand.

"Not this again."

"Really, I think you should follow him—"

"I don't care what you say. He does not look like a serial killer!" He yanked off his sodden T-shirt.

"I'm very intuitive, and he has shifty eyes."

"I think you've lost your mind," he muttered. "I really do. And I have no idea how I'm going to explain that to your sister—a woman who happens to be my boss."

"You worry too much."

He spun on her. She saw fire in those green eyes and knew she'd pushed him too far.

"You listen to me, Molly! Fun and games are over. I've got better things to do than waste my time like this."

"This isn't a waste of time. It's—"

"I'm not going to be your pal! Can you understand that? You want our relationship to stay out of the bedroom? Fine. That's your prerogative. But don't expect me to be your buddy. From now on you entertain yourself and stay the hell away from me!"

She watched him stomp off. Even though she probably deserved a little of his anger, she still felt disappointed with him.



Summer camp was supposed to be fun, but Daphne was sad. Ever since she'd capsized their canoe, Benny had been mad at her. Now he didn't ask her to spin around in circles until they got dizzy. He didn't notice that she'd painted each of her toenails a different color so they looked like they'd been dipped in a puddle of rainbows. He didn't squish his nose and stick out his tongue to get her attention or burp really loud. Instead, she saw him making stupid faces at Cicely, a bunny from Berlin, who gave him chocolate rabbits and had no flair for fashion.





Molly set aside her notebook and made her way to the sitting room, taking along the newest box of Say Fudge. She dumped it into a milk-glass bowl that still held crumbs from yesterday's fudge. It had been four days since she'd overturned the canoe, and each morning since then she'd found a fresh box sitting on the kitchen counter in the cottage. It sure eliminated any mystery about where Kevin had been the night before. Slytherin!

He'd done everything possible to get away from her except the one thing he should do—move back into the B&B. But his aversion to being around Lilly was worse than his aversion to being around her. Not that it mattered much, since they were hardly ever in the cottage at the same time.

Depressed, she shoved a piece of fudge into her mouth. It was Saturday, and the B&B was full for the weekend. She wandered into the foyer and straightened the pile of brochures on the hall console. The job ad had appeared in the paper, and Kevin had spent the morning interviewing the two best candidates, while Molly had shown the B&B guests to their rooms and helped Troy with the new cottage rentals. Now it was early afternoon, and she needed a writing break.

She stepped onto the front porch and saw Lilly kneeling in the shade at the side of the front yard, planting the last of the pink and lavender impatiens she'd bought to go in the empty beds. Even wearing gardening gloves and kneeling in the grass, she managed to look glamorous. Molly didn't bother reminding her she was a guest. She'd tried that a few days ago when Lilly had appeared with a trunk full of annuals. Lilly had said she enjoyed gardening, that it relaxed her, and Molly had to agree that she appeared less tense, even though Kevin continued to ignore her.

As Molly reached the bottom of the stairs, Marmie lifted her head and blinked her big golden eyes. Since Roo was safely inside with Amy, the cat rose and walked over to rub against Molly's ankles. Although Molly wasn't a cat person like Kevin, Marmie was a winning feline, and the two of them had developed a distant fondness. She loved to be held, and Molly bent down to pick her up.

Lilly gave the earth around the seedling a sharp little slap. "I wish you wouldn't encourage Liam to keep showing up for breakfast every morning."

"I like him." And you do, too, Molly thought.

"I don't know how you could. He's rude, arrogant, and egotistical."

"Also amusing, intelligent, and very sexy."