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“You going to join us for drinks, Max?” Chris asked as he and Max put the final canoe onto the rack.
“I think I’m going to head back to my place.” Max picked up the paddles at his feet. “After I’ve had a swim.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Max could see Chris looking at him, but he ignored his friend. He wasn’t about to talk about how he was feeling again; Chris knew about what happened with Mary. If he mentioned Mary again and how Max needed to move on, Max was going to throttle him. He didn’t want to hear it.
“Okay, fine.” Chris shook his head as he turned away. “Let me know when you’re interested in being sociable again. I’m sure things will be more interesting when you’re involved again.”
“Fuck you, Chris.”
“Not my type.” Chris waved a hand over his shoulder. “Be seeing you, you soppy idiot.”
Max gestured rudely at Chris’ back. Putting the paddles away in the storage locker, Max locked up and started to strip down to his trunks. A swim in the lake should make him feel a little better. For now.
It wouldn’t stop him from missing Mary, though.
It had been two weeks since he had woken up and found the bed empty. Max had no idea when Mary had left, and there was no sign of her at her cabin. Just her mother, her sister, and a couple of guys who were angry at the fact Mary had vanished. At least she had been able to get away. From the look of it, things were incredibly tense. Max had no idea what was going on, but Max was glad Mary wasn’t around.
But she could have left him a number. Something to say he should call her. Max had thought about going to the front desk and looking at the reservation details, but he would have been chewed out for that. Max wasn’t about to explain why he wanted the number of a guest.
He missed her. Max knew he was being an idiot over someone who never promised anything, but he couldn’t help it. If he got an opportunity with her, he knew he would take it.
Providing he could find a way to see her again. And Max had a feeling he had missed his chance.
After a while, Max became aware of someone watching him. It was more than likely one of the guests who was ogling him. There was a group of college girls who had come for a week of activities for a twenty-first birthday, and they had been paying attention to him and Chris a lot. Chris had been lapping it up, while Max was not really that bothered. He just wished they would leave him alone.
But as he swim back to the shore and saw the figure on the little beach, Max soon realized that it wasn’t one of the college girls. He slowed, wiping the water out of his eyes. Was he seeing things?
No, he wasn’t. It was Mary. She was here.
What was going on? Max stopped swimming, moving into the shallows and getting to his knees, the water now around his waist. Mary stood on the sand, looking worn out in a simple navy blouse and jeans, her hair in a simple ponytail. She still looked stunning, but she did look exhausted.
Max found his cock stirring, pressing against his trunks. What was she doing here?
“Hey, Max.” Mary gave him a small smile. “Forgive me that I can’t join you. I don’t feel comfortable going into the water.”
“Why are you here, Mary?”
“I wanted to talk to you. I…” Mary bit her lip. “Well…the way that I left was not fair on you.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Mary pouted.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“Of course not.” Max got up and walked out of the water, not caring that his erection was on display through his trunks. “You and I spent the night together, and then you disappeared on me. I know I shouldn’t have expected anything from it, but a way to contact you to know that you’re okay would have been nice.”
“I get that.”
“So why have you come back now? To tell me about your mad family?”
“Olivia got married today. And Mom is furious that I didn’t turn up.” Mary put her hands in her pockets. “Apparently, she had arranged to pair me off with a new groomsman, Cody’s cousin. Who I have a no-contact order against.”
