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I chuckled as I watched him go, then turned to Gabe with a sigh and started, “Look, Gabe…”
“Later,” he interrupted, then gave me a wink before jogging off. Gabe turned his head and added, “Just blow the whistle every five minutes and we’ll start a new exercise,” as he joined the kids.
I nodded my consent, but thought, Crap on a stick, he’s going to make me sweat.
Then I spent the next hour watching Gabe work out with his campers. It was not a bad way to spend an hour.
Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Gabe
“How’d your first day go, brother?” Reardon asked as he sat down next to me, his plate piled high with grilled chicken, salad, and a pudding cup.
“Great,” I replied as I picked up my tuna sandwich to take a bite. “The kids are in great shape, with a couple exceptions, but overall, I was impressed. You?”
“Well, I had the easy stuff, swimming and whatnot, so I couldn’t speak to the kids’ fitness levels, but they all seem to have great attitudes.”
I nodded as I chewed, my eyes surveying the room. It was dinnertime, and we tried to keep the menu pretty healthy during the week, saving the hamburgers and hot dogs for the Friday barbecue and bonfire. The kids didn’t seem to mind. They were all tearing through their meals like they were starving, which, after a day outside, working out and playing in the sun, they probably were. I knew they’d all be sleeping hard tonight, which was good, because by day three, we usually had to start night patrols to stop the kids from sneaking out.
I grinned as I watched Zoey and Chris a few tables away. It looked like she was seated with a table of fans, and they were all shooting rapid-fire questions about her books.
I’d expected Zoey to look uncomfortable, she didn’t seem the type to want to be the center of attention, but she was smiling and laughing along with the kids. They seemed to be in a deep discussion, so I was surprised when I caught Chris’s eye and he yelled out, “Coach Gabe, what’s your favorite movie?”
“Rudy,” I answered automatically, then saw half the kids around me nodding in agreement.
“Aunt Z says Star Wars is the best movie ever made!” he shouted back, trying to bring me into a conversation that was happening a good four tables away from me. Still, I could see he was excited by our relationship, so I didn’t see the harm in humoring him.
“Another excellent film,” I replied.
I heard Reardon chuckle next to me and shot him a look, then looked back at Chris when he said, “Aunt Z’s never seen Rudy.”
“We’ll have to remedy that,” I replied with a grin.
Zoey must have told him to stop yelling across the room, because he shot me another grin, then sat down in his seat. Zoey looked over her shoulder and gave me a half shrug.
I winked, then turned my attention back to my plate. I still had some work to do after dinner, which I was hoping to do quickly so I could get some time in with Zoey before lights out.
Once we were done with dinner, I stopped by the General Store to see if they needed anything, then popped into my office to check email and get some paperwork done. When I looked at the clock and saw it was already after eight, I decided to call it a night and headed up to my cabin.
I was almost to my steps, the day running like a play reel in my head, when a sound caused me to look up and I saw Zoey rocking on my porch.
“You been waiting long?”
I could barely see her shake her head in the dark, before she answered, “Not too long.”
“Sorry, I had some work to do,” I explained as I walked up the steps and opened my door, then waited for her to get up and lead us inside.
“It’s no problem, really,” she assured me. “After dinner I hung around while Chris called Chloe, then I went back to my room to get some work done. I was able to get a chapter in before everyone started coming in, then I came here to see you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” I replied, shutting the door behind me then turning to her. “Did you come by to watch Rudy?”
Zoey laughed. “No.”
I crossed the room to her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close and bringing my face close enough that our noses touched.
“That’s too bad, it’s a good flick,” I said, then dipped lower to kiss her parted lips.
She opened for me immediately, her tongue meeting mine as they danced. I tilted my head and took the kiss deeper, my hand pulling the rubber band out of her hair as I did, so I could free her long locks and tangle my hand in them. When I tugged lightly, she groaned in my mouth and leaned in, trying to get even closer.
When I pulled back, we were both breathing heavily and I admitted, “I missed you today.”
