Page 71 of You Know You Wanna

“Depends,” I said. “What do you think it means?”

“You fell in love with him.”

I scoffed. “No, I didn’t. Not love love. Just intense like.”

“How intense?” she asked as she peeked out at me from between her fingers. “Intense like it’s going to be a pity when he leaves, or intense like you’re going to be heartbroken?”

“The heartbreak thing,” I admitted after drawing in a breath. “Definitely the heartbreak thing. I don’t even know how it happened. Before the camping trip, it was just a heartache thing. At most. But now? Well, it’s not that anymore.”

She groaned. “You can deny it all you want, but I’m still pretty sure you’ve gone and fallen in love with this guy. I warned you, didn’t I? I warned you not to get too involved.”

I waved her off. “I’m not in love and I’m not too involved. I’m just sort of mid-level involved and in like.”

“No, you’re not.”

Our conversation was interrupted by Declan walking toward us. Unshaven and wearing a flannel shirt, he looked very different from his usual, put-together self. I shot him a questioning look. He smirked, put his hands out to his sides, and turned in a slow circle without breaking stride.

“What do you ladies think?” he asked jokingly. “Do I look like I belong here yet?”

Gracie laughed, immediately switching her attention to him. “Are you looking for a pile of lumber to jack or something?”

He gave her a faux, wounded look and brought his palm to his chest. “No, but I am your type now. Go out with me, will you? Dinner and drinks?”

“Uh, no,” she said without even thinking about it.

He sighed. “Wonderful. I’ll see you at the bar later.”

“No,” she repeated, laughing again.

Declan pursed his lips at her, walking off and leaving us alone again. As I turned to her, I knew there was a chance she was right about me being in love with Remington. I’d already realized that myself on a few different occasions, but I wasn’t interested in talking about it anymore. I could talk it to death and it still wouldn’t change anything.

“What is it with you two?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I already know you’re attracted to him. You can’t deny it, so why do you keep turning him down?”

She shrugged. “I do kind of like him. He’s goofy, and sweet, and so freaking hot.”

“Does that mean you’re going to put him out of his misery soon and just go out with him? You still haven’t answered my question.”

Gracie grinned into the sun. “I’m going to make him work for it a little longer. He’s the sort of guy a girl can really get herself in trouble with. Just like you’ve gone and done with his friend. I’m perfectly happy not to get myself in that same kind of trouble.”

I groaned, but before I could argue, we were interrupted again. This time, it was Laurene and Cassidy running up to us, both girls tripping over themselves and laughing. “Birdie! Birdie, can Lulu come spend the night at my house this weekend?”

I blinked at Cassidy a few times in rapid succession. “I don’t know, Cass. She’s going to have to ask her daddy. I can’t decide something like that.”

Laurene spun to her friend. “Let’s go find my dad! I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

They took off again, racing around the swimming pool into the main resort to look for Remington. He’d gone to play golf this morning, but I was sure he would be back by now. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the girls ran out again, and based on their high fives and bright smiles, they’d found him and he’d said yes.

The knowledge made me smile in turn. “Do you remember when we used to have the energy to be that excited?”

Gracie laughed. “Girl, I still have the energy. I just don’t have the kinds of sleepovers anymore that are worth that kind of excitement.”

I bumped my elbow into her side. “You might if you decide to take Declan up on his repeated offers.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “Oh, look. Remington has come to find you. What a surprise.”

My own laughter abruptly subsided when I glanced in the direction of the resort to see that she was right. Remington was, in fact, walking toward us. Looking sexy as hell in a pair of navy blue shorts paired with a white golf shirt, he smiled at me when our eyes met. I smiled back.

Forgetting for a moment that we had an audience, I kept watching him. Kept smiling as he crossed the lawn.