*
Liz wasn’t sure what was up with Drew, but he’d definitely been giving off a weird vibe since they got back from the ride. He’d been so relaxed while they were riding, even resting his left hand on her knee for a while during a smooth section of trail, but as soon as they got back to the campground, he practically ran away from her. She’d barely seen him other than when they’d all eaten supper together.
He either wanted her and he was going to have to man up and face her brother, or he didn’t and he needed to stop touching her. In the meantime, she and Katie were going to sneak into the pool while the kids were trying to kill each other with tetherball.
She felt ridiculous sneaking around the far side of the campground after she’d changed into her suit, but if the kids found out there was an adult in the pool, they’d be cannonballing in from all sides before she even had her feet wet.
Katie was waiting at the gate and Liz chuckled when she did the latch as quietly as possible. Then they tossed their towels on the ground so they wouldn’t advertise their presence hanging on the fence.
“I’m almost afraid to talk,” Katie whispered. “I’m convinced they have some kind of super-hearing radar system.”
“I know what you mean.” Liz sat on the edge and dangled her feet in the pool, sucking in a breath at how cold the water was.
“I mean, they’re great kids. And fun. But sometimes they can be a bit much.”
Eventually both women worked their way into the pool, until they were floating on the surface, staring up at the sky. Liz couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so relaxed, and she found herself smiling at a small cloud that looked vaguely like a rabbit.
“Josh and I have been talking about kids a lot,” Katie said after a few minutes. “He said Andy’s getting older and he needs sons to chop wood and mow the lawn so they don’t have to do it anymore.”
Liz laughed, but then remembered they were in stealth mode and slapped her hand over her mouth. “That sounds like my brother.”
“He’s kidding, of course. I mean, they’ll have to do that, but that’s not why he wants to have kids.”
Treading water, Liz pushed her hair back out of her face. “What about the barbershop?”
Katie sighed. “I’d keep it open until I was very pregnant, then maybe do a couple of hours a day. Then everybody would have to survive five or six weeks without a haircut. Josh and Rose are convinced that together they can take care of a baby, especially if I cut back the shop’s hours a little.”
“I have no doubt Josh and Rose can take care of a baby, but it sounds like a lot on you.”
“I think, with four of us at the lodge, we can make it work.”
Liz tried to imagine having a baby come into her life and couldn’t. She felt so unsettled and, while she couldn’t imagine a better support system than her family and Rose, she wasn’t prepared for that kind of commitment. But the idea of Josh and Katie raising the next generation of Kowalskis at the Northern Star with Rosie’s help made her throat tighten a little. At least she wouldn’t miss it.
“Hey,” a male voice said from outside the fence and Liz sighed as they both turned to see Sean leaning on it. They’d been found. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up that some of us guys are heading out for a ride, but the kids have talked the other adults into bringing them to the pool for a swim before they start getting ready for bed. They’ll be here any minute.”
“It was fun while it lasted,” Katie said mournfully.
They wrapped up in their towels and left the pool area in the knick of time. The kids whooped and hollered as they ran by, which always made Liz laugh. The running did them no good since they couldn’t go in before the adults got there and they were taking their time.
Liz and Katie parted ways, since the cabin and her tent were in opposite directions, and Liz took a shortcut around the bathhouse. She was rounding the corner, paying attention to her wet sandals slipping in the fallen pine needles, when she ran into a very solid chest.
She almost lost her footing but Drew grabbed her by the elbows and steadied her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Sorry.” She sounded breathless to her own ear and felt ridiculous.
“Have I told you how much I like that swimsuit?”
She realized her towel had slipped and was in a terry puddle at her feet. “I don’t think you have.”
“I like it a lot.”
They couldn’t be seen from either the pool area or from where the guys were getting the ATVs ready to go out, and she realized this was as alone as they’d been since they got there. “I heard you guys are going out for a ride.”
“Yeah. We’re all going to pretend we’re teenagers again without getting ourselves killed.”