Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,5

her? His exact words from a few years ago were that his obligations as far as she went was over. Why would he care where she lived? Or even worked?

“I’m no longer your obligation.” She threw his own words back at him.

He was silent for a while and she almost believed that he had hung up. Then he said. “A job isn’t an obligation.”

She was in complete shock and almost missed his next statement.

“Think about coming back to the office. I’ve secured a leadership position for you. Your supervisor had nothing but great things to say about your work ethics. She’s the one that suggested I move you to the eleventh floor.”

She held her breath. How long had she been trying to reach that goal? From the moment she’d learned about the leadership team positions almost two years ago, she’d worked on moving up in the company.

“I’ll think about it,” she said softly.

“Don’t take too long.”

“I’ll let you know by Friday,” she added before hanging up.

She was torn. Part of her wanted to tell her father where he could take his new job offer while the other part of her liked the thought of eating more than noodles and broth for dinner.

That night she had little sleep as she made a mental list of the pros and cons of going back to work for her father’s company.

The following day, Aubrey had gotten the call that Elle’s grandfather Joe had died. During her trip back down to the camp to console her friends, Elle had proposed that the friends all chip in and rebuild the defunct campground. She’d been the first one to jump at the chance. After all, there hadn’t really been anything for her back in New York. Her friends needed her. So, without a second thought, she’d pulled most of her money from her savings account to be with the only people she deemed family. And, in the process, she’d found her new life.

Chapter 2

Three months later…

Aiden stood with his back to the sun and felt his breath hitch in his lungs when the pretty redhead came bouncing down the pathway. Who the hell was she? he thought to himself quickly.

His cousin Elle rushed after her and called out the woman’s name.

“Aubrey, wait up,” Elle said.

He’d known Elle Saunders his entire life. The fact that they were second cousin had helped him secure the job fixing up the summer camp she’d inherited. It had been owned by her grandfather Joe, his great-uncle.

Shortly after Joe’s death, Elle had called him with a crazy idea, one that he jumped at.

Not only was he going to refurbish the entire campgrounds, but he was in charge of overseeing the remodeling of each of the twenty small cabins. He was going to take the old cabins, which used to house a dozen preteen girls, and turn them into exclusive private cabins that could be enjoyed by wealthy adults. It was just the project he needed at the moment.

Having Danelle break things off with him a few months ago had left him raw. He’d known better than to invest his heart into a woman who was damaged and unwilling to commit. Still, he’d hoped, and had a broken heart to show for it.

He figured the new camp project would help get his mind off his heartbreak and financial issues. Danelle had taken off with almost everything he owned after maxing out his credit cards.

She’d even moved out most of his furniture when he’d been at work, leaving him with only an air mattress, a worn leather chair, a single dish, and a spoon that she had probably forgotten in the bottom of the dishwasher. She’d even taken his refrigerator, washer, and dryer.

“Hey,” Aiden said to Elle when the two women stopped in front of him.

“Hey,” she said a little breathless. “Aiden, this is Aubrey.” She motioned to her friend. “Aub, this is my second cousin Aiden.”

Elle had mentioned her friend Aubrey tons of times over the years, along with Zoey, Scarlett, and Hannah, the other Wildflowers, as they called themselves.

“Hey,” he said, removing his sunglasses to get a better look at the sexy redhead.

Aiden had a type. Or so he’d thought. Every single girl he’d dated before had been tall, brunette, and built.

So he was slightly confused as to why he felt an instant sexual pull for the short, curvy redhead with porcelain skin and eyes the color of the sky on a clear day.

“Hi,” Aubrey said as she glanced beyond him. “Gosh, you’ve