had gotten off to such a bad start. But this group needed more cohesion. The boy-versus-girl mentality had gone too far.
Rick’s friends’ house was only a few miles away, and the trip took much less time than Summer had expected. Before she knew it, Rick directed her up a gravel lane that wound through a stand of ancient trees and eventually opened in front of a beautiful old farmhouse.
When the bus appeared, a man and woman stood and waved from the shady porch. The man lunged to grab up a little boy who was about to make a dash toward the bus. The little boy wiggled in protest, but a chocolate Lab came running from behind the house, wagging her tail and barking an enthusiastic greeting.
“That’s Chesney,” Rick told the excited kids. “She’ll stay out of the way, Summer. Just pull the bus on around the drive.”
“Amanda’s allergic to dogs,” Summer reminded him.
“So is Jimbo. I called Chance yesterday and told him. He’s putting Ches in the garage.”
Even as Rick spoke, Summer could see the dark-haired man pulling the reluctant dog by the collar toward a large garage.
She brought the bus to a stop, and Rick led the kids off in single file. Summer brought up the rear. By the time she got out, the man named Chance had successfully sequestered the dog and was headed toward the group. The little boy, who looked to be about three, wiggled around in his father’s arms and held his own arms out toward Rick. “Rick! I want Rick!” he cried. When his father put him down, he headed straight for Rick’s waiting arms.
Rick scooped him up and gave him a hug that was so sweet to watch a lump of emotion clogged Summer’s throat. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen. Gone was the soldier, replaced by a man capable of showing affection in front of a large crowd without any qualms.
“Everybody, this is Hank,” Rick said. The little boy gave the group a wave.
The man had made it to Rick’s side by then, and they shook hands warmly. “And this is Hank’s dad, Chance Brennan. You can call him Mr. Chance.”
By Summer’s standards, Chance Brennan was handsome—devastatingly so. Dark hair. Black eyes. About the same height as Rick, but a bit leaner. A physique to match Rick’s...almost. Looking at them standing side by side was like being at a fantasy smorgasbord. Something for everybody.
Chance welcomed the group and told the kids they could mill around for a few minutes until his wife returned. “Our nine-month-old twin girls just went down for a nap. Kyndal’s checking on them,” he explained.
Rick made individual introductions between Chance and the adults in the group while the kids played a game of freeze tag.
Was it Summer’s imagination that a flash of recognition lit Chance’s eyes when Rick introduced her? “I’m glad to meet you, Summer.” Chance’s low voice was warm and mellow like his handshake, and Summer liked him immediately. “Your parents own the camp, right?”
“That’s right.” What else had Rick told him about her? “Thank you so much for having us.”
“It’s our pleasure.” His glance shifted above her head. “There’s Kyndal.”
Kyndal Brennan’s long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung from side to side as she made her way quickly to Rick’s side, welcoming him with a bear hug around his waist. He shifted Hank to one side and squeezed Kyndal about the shoulders with his free arm, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
The ease with which Rick showed affection to these people was certainly an eye-opener. Summer had wondered if his gentle side only came out when he was pursuing a female, but obviously he wasn’t nearly the hard-ass she had him pegged as. He smiled and her breath, which she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, left her in a rush.
Once again, Rick made the introductions and when he got to Summer, Kyndal’s head tilted momentarily in question. “You’re the fairy princess?”
“That’s me.” So Rick had told them some things about her. Was it about the Summer he couldn’t stand or the one he’d grown to like?
“I think our girls—” Kyndal pointed to the baby monitor attached to her belt “—are going to love you in a few years.” She flashed Summer a genuine smile that made Summer feel like they’d known each other a long time...and gave her the answer to how she’d been portrayed to them by Rick.