Page 50 of Summer Affair

He was just turning to greet more guests when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his jaw. The world spun for a moment as he staggered backwards, his hand instinctively going up to his face. The laughter and chatter around him abruptly stopped, replaced by gasps of shock. He blinked as he tried to steady himself and looked up to see the burly man from earlier that morning standing in front of him. The man’s face was twisted in anger, his fists clenched and knuckles red from the impact.

Guests nearby froze, their eyes wide in disbelief at the sudden violence. The room’s previously cheerful ambiance was shattered as everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened. Dean’s heart raced, as pain and anger flooded his senses. He tasted a hint of blood in his mouth where his teeth had caught his upper lip, and his jaw throbbed painfully from the unexpected blow.

The man, undeterred by the attention that he was drawing, glared at Dean with a look of pure rage. His voice, loud and menacing, cut through the stunned silence.

“You think you can flirt with my wife?” the man shouted, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby. “Stay away from her, you hear me?”

Dean, still reeling from the punch, tried to steady himself. “I wasn’t⁠—”

But the man didn’t let him finish and threw another punch his way. This time Dean was ready and easily ducked the flying fist.

The man, even though he was twice his size, was thankfully slow.

“Don’t lie to me!” the man yelled, advancing towards Dean again. “I saw you talking to her on the trail. You think you can just swoop in and steal her?”

Before the situation could escalate further, several other camp staff members rushed over, pulling the man away from Dean. The guests looked on in shock and concern as whispers started to spread like wildfire through the dense crowd.

Dean pressed a hand to his throbbing jaw and cheek, feeling the beginnings of what would undoubtedly be a nasty bruise. He glanced around, catching the concerned looks of several guests, but his attention was drawn back to the scene when Brett arrived, responding to the disturbance.

He knew that the camp’s security team would quickly intervene and escort the man out of the room, if not completely off campus.

Within minutes, Brett and Aaron escorted the man outside, ensuring him that they would have the police haul the guy in for assault. He knew that word would spread about the incident to guests and employees who hadn’t been there to witness the event. The atmosphere in the hall grew tense, and Dean could see the worried faces of the guests as they whispered among themselves.

A short while later, Dean learned from one of the staff members that Brett had gone out to check on the man’s wife and had found her in their cabin, badly beaten and unconscious. She was being taken to the hospital, and the man was officially being arrested for assault on two people.

That news hit him hard. He didn’t mind taking a fist to the face once in a while. Even if he didn’t deserve it. But the thought of the woman being hurt made him wish he’d struck the guy back. Hard.

Remembering the woman’s soft scared eyes and her sweet smile had his anger doubling. He wondered what would drive a man to act so. Dean had only wanted to offer her a bit of kindness, and now she was suffering even more for it. Had he really caused this?

He was sitting in the main entryway, still processing everything that had happened, with an ice pack on his cheek, when he heard a familiar voice.

“Dean!”

He turned to see Andrea rushing towards him, her eyes flooded with concern and worry. She reached out, gently touching his cheek, where the bruise was already starting to darken.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

He nodded, managing a small smile despite the pain. “Yeah, just a little shaken up.”

Andrea frowned, her eyes scanning his face. “You didn’t deserve this,” she said, her voice firm. “You were just trying to help.”

Dean sighed, shrugging slightly. “I guess some people just don’t appreciate what they have.”

She shook her head, clearly upset. “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this. And that poor woman.”

Dean nodded, his expression somber. “I know. I just hope she’ll be okay.”

Andrea wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He closed his eyes, grateful for her warmth and comfort. Despite the chaos and pain of the day, being with her made everything a little more bearable.

Less than half an hour later Andrea and Dean left River Camps together, both feeling the weight of the day’s events dragging them down.

The sun was just dipping low in the sky, casting golden hues over the landscape and making everything appear as if it were on fire. Instead of heading straight home, they decided to stop off at a fast-food place along the way. It was a cozy little spot with the comforting smell of fried food wafting through the air. They ordered French fries and chocolate milkshakes, a guilty pleasure that made them both smile.

They sat in a booth by the window, watching the world go by outside as they enjoyed their simple meal. Andrea dipped a fry into her milkshake and grinned at him.

“You know, it’s funny how something so simple can be so satisfying.” She motioned with her fry.

He chuckled, wincing slightly as his bruised cheek burned. He took a sip of his cold milkshake to soothe the pain.