“An empowerment program for little girls. Great idea.” Tara sounded genuinely impressed.
“Thanks.” Summer was glad to have Tara as an ally...someone else on her side should the need arise for a hostile takeover.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRANCING AROUND IN PADUCAH, Kentucky, dressed up in fairy garb was one thing, but here where the kids were supposed to be learning new skills while roughing it and getting in touch with nature? The woman was out of her freakin’ mind. Even Neil seemed to validate Rick’s reaction as they watched Summer and Tara approach.
The assistant counselor pushed his glasses back on his nose and leaned forward for a better look. “What in the hell?”
“Fairy princess.”
Neil looked at him with a “you’re kiddin’ me” glare and burst out laughing.
She’s not gonna like that.
Rick could see he was right when the dim bulb illuminated Summer’s stern expression.
Their first day was coming to an end, and he was determined to get a fresh start with her tomorrow. He opted for a light mood. “So Toto didn’t run off with your wand this time.”
“Peewee,” she corrected.
“Right.”
“You’re gonna keep this fairy princess crap confined to the girls’ side of the camp, right?” Rick wondered the same thing, but it was Neil who spoke. “’Cause the boys aren’t gonna go for it.”
“Actually, even the boys could benefit from some fairy prince training,” Tara answered.
The defensive tone that resonated in her voice told Rick he had to do something before this became an us-versus-them issue. “I’m sure they could—whatever that means—but we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow and that’s what I’d like to talk about right now.”
“Yeah, about that six-thirty nature hike.” Summer sat down across from Rick, and he tried hard not to think about the way the silver wings enhanced the golden waves of hair lying on them, or the big blue eyes that were so pretty when they weren’t flashing with anger. Well, actually, they were even pretty when they flashed with anger—like right at that moment.
He fumbled with tomorrow’s activity sheets, keeping his gaze away from her eyes. “What about it?”
“Are we going to do those every morning? Because they’ll have to get up at six o’clock to be ready by six-thirty and that just seems awfully early.”
Rick looked back up, but Summer leaned her elbows on the table and the pressure pushed her cleavage against the round neckline of her dress. He dropped his gaze and fumbled with the activity sheets again. “We have to go early. That’s when the animals are moving and feeding. Dawn and dusk.”
“Well, we’ll go tomorrow, but I don’t think we’ll want to do that every day.”
Rick couldn’t believe his ears. “Learning about the animals and experiencing nature is what the kids are here for.”
“That’s only part of what they’re here for.” Summer cocked her head. “They’re also here to have fun. And having to get up at six o’clock every morning for a hike sounds more like basic training than fun.”
Rick glanced down at the girls’ activity sheets for the next few days. The one-o’clock activity for Thursday caught his eye. “Oh, right. I forgot how much more important things like cookie baking are when compared to something trivial like seeing a bald eagle catching its breakfast.”
His sarcastic tone raised Summer’s chin like he’d caught her with an uppercut. Her body followed and, when she stood, she leaned forward to get her leg across the bench. The view Rick was treated to caused one of his own parts to rear its head.
“The cookies are...” she said through gritted teeth. “Never mind.”
“Well, as the assistant director of the camp,” Rick emphasized the words, “I’m going to pull rank on you. The hikes will remain at six-thirty each morning. Tara and Neil can alternate mornings and have a few hours off duty, not reporting until ten.”
The fairy princess’s face turned so red, it took on a purple hue. Rick waited for the gasket to blow. Instead, she pinched the bridge of her nose and gave a long blink. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? I’d like to get out of this costume.”
Rick gave a long blink of his own to try and rid his brain of the image that comment aroused. He looked to Neil and Tara. “Does anybody have any concerns we need to address?”
They both shook their heads.
“Anything else?” Summer asked.
“Nope,” Rick answered.
“Then I’ll see you at six-thirty, assistant director.”