breathing held as he waited for her reply.
“Yeah, and it’s tearing her up that you accused her of being selfish. She wants to prove she can run the place so her mom and dad will quit worrying. She really was doing what she thought was in their best interest.”
He picked up a pebble and hurled it as far as his arm could throw. “What an ass I’ve been. I need to apologize. But that’s not going to take care of her parents’ debt problem.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you there. Financial planning’s not my forte. Maybe that magic wand you earned can go poof and fix everything.” Tara gave a heavy sigh and stood to leave, brushing the sand from her feet and legs. “I’m getting chilly. Think I’ll call it a night.”
“Try to get some sleep.” Rick watched her go up the hill until she disappeared from sight. Poor kid. It was obvious she was hurting.
And, much as he hated to admit it, so was he—because he’d hurt Summer. Damn it all! He had to fix this. He wanted her in his arms...in his bed. Not just for the night. Forever. She brought a special magic to his life.
He pulled the chain hanging around his neck out of his T-shirt and fingered the star. His eyes fell on his dog tags, reminding him of the flashback that afternoon. That had never happened before...during the day. Were they getting worse? He shivered in the cool night air. He’d have to find a way to stop them.
He stood and stretched, dreading sleep and what it might bring, wishing he had Summer’s soothing warmth to share the night.
Seeing the camp and her parents’ retirement lost...needing to prove herself to them...fearing the decline in her dad’s health—those were Summer’s nightmares. What could he do to stop them?
His phone beeped when he walked into the cabin. He picked it up from the table, wishing for a text from Summer.
It was his mom. He’d missed her call, but she’d still be up. He pressed the button.
“Hi, sweetheart.” She answered after the first ring.
“Hey, Mom. Did you need me?”
“I wanted to see if you ever tried the costume on and if it fit okay?”
Rick chuckled. “It fits fine. Neil said I need to get a wide, flashy belt and tell my story in an Elvis Presley voice. Thank you. Thank you very much.” He tried an Elvis impersonation.
“Or maybe not.” His mom laughed. “But I’m sure you’ll look very handsome. Summer will love it.” She picked up on his pause immediately. “Everything okay with you and Summer?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say everything’s okay.” He blew out his breath. “What would be the opposite of everything’s okay?”
“Oh, Rick.” In his mind’s eye, he could see her leaning back, getting comfortable in her desk chair. “Things were going so well between you two. What happened?”
Rick gave her a brief rundown, leaving out the more intimate details, but focusing on his biggest mistake. “So I can apologize, but I want to do more than that.”
“Well, we know that selling the camp is a possibility. That would get rid of the debt, and ease Summer’s worries as well as theirs.”
Rick shook his head, then realized his mom couldn’t see him. “If there’s any chance of the property becoming a subdivision, she’ll completely freak out. I mean, she’d let it happen if it meant getting her parents out of debt, but it would break her heart.”
“And I agree with her. That would be a shame. But the place has just received some terrific coverage as a camp. If you could find that quick buyer who would offer a good profit and tie it to Summer’s promotional campaign, she could feel good about what she’s done and rest easy about her parents’ retirement.” Mom was on a roll now. Rick listened to her ideas with a growing interest. “Surely there’s a buyer out there who’d want to keep it as a camp. You’ve got contacts in the state government. Don’t you know somebody?”
Rick’s heart lurched. He did know somebody! “Riley Gibson,” he answered. “The state director of Parks and Recreation. He’s a friend. State money’s tight, but this place would be a great investment, and there would be no worry of subdivision development. Mom, you’re a genius!”
“Look how smart you are. It took your dad forty years to figure that out.”
“I’ll call Herschel first thing tomorrow and run the idea by him.”
“And you’ll apologize to Summer. That’s an order.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rick answered.
“And you’ll quit