the successful scavenger hunt they’ve just set out to do.”
“Right. Gotcha.”
She tipped her head. “What are you saying?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “They’re your kids, not mine.”
“And yet you’re clearly choking on your opinions.”
“I’m not. I’m sure you know exactly what you’re doing.”
She sighed. “I think it’s pretty clear to both of us that I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m a little out of my element here.”
“Actually, I’ve been pretty impressed with your activities so far. If they’re not regretting whatever escapades got them sent here yet, they certainly will soon.”
“Wait.” Gabi felt her eyebrows furrow. “Are you telling me my activities reek of … punishment?”
“Seriously? The leaf collecting and rock painting? The bogus fishing? The scavenger hunt? They aren’t … punishment?”
Gabi crossed her arms, stung. “It’s camp. I’m trying to do … camp.”
“Have you ever been to camp, Gabi?”
“Of course I have.”
“How old were you?”
She sighed. “Ten. But three days ago, I thought I’d be sitting in a chair on the beach while certified, trained counselors put my students through their camp paces. I had no idea it was going to fall to me. This—camp thing—really isn’t my forte.”
Luke was silent, like he was weighing whether to say something that was clearly on his mind. Finally, he uncrossed his arms and set his elbows on the table. He looked relaxed, yet tense, and Gabi’s eyes were drawn to his hands, much to her consternation. They were strong, tanned, nimble. She closed her eyes, lest she start picturing those hands doing things she really shouldn’t be thinking about.
He tapped one fist on the table. “You know, I have been doing … have been around camp for a while now. I might have picked up a few ideas along the way if you need help—”
She shook her head. Dammit, her self-confidence was already struggling to stay afloat here. Accepting a rescue on day three wasn’t likely to do a whole lot to help that, even if she was already desperate. She couldn’t.
“Thank you. I appreciate the offer. But you have a lot to do, and I don’t want to take you away from it. We’ll be fine.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Okay. Your call.” He pushed himself up from the table and strode back up the pathway toward the dining hall. She waited till she knew he was well out of range before she sank her head into her hands and did her best not to give way to the tears threatening just behind her eyes.
She was supposed to be well into her third piña colada of the day right now, a Caribbean breeze tickling her toes as she solved a whodunit before the detective did. She was supposed to be sidling up to a tiki bar later tonight with her new sundress on, irresistible with her sun-kissed shoulders and coconut-shampooed hair.
She was not supposed to be playing camp counselor to a bunch of teenaged twits who’d ruined her entire summer.
And she was definitely not supposed to be melting into a stranger’s smoky green eyes while she imagined his hands making her forget all of it.
* * *
“What did you say to her?” Piper’s voice was sharp as Luke came around the corner into the kitchen.
“What? Who?” He shook his head as he plucked a bottled water out of the fridge. “What are you talking about?”
“Gabi. Who do you think?” Piper hooked a thumb toward the window. “She looks like you just stole her puppy.”
Luke glanced out the window, and felt his stomach clench as he watched Gabi rub her temples, then close her eyes as she raised her face to the sun and took a long, deep breath. Even from here, he could see the tension in her shoulders, could see the tightness in her jaw … could see the frustration in her posture.
She was so out of her element that she might as well be on Mars, but apparently, she was too proud to accept help. Yet, anyway.
“I offered to give her a hand, if you must know.”
“Wow.” Piper raised her eyebrows. “Only took you till day three to freak out about strangers taking over?”
“Shut up, Piper.”
She laughed. “Just saying. I knew you couldn’t stand back and watch.”
“Don’t really have a choice, do I? She’s in charge of them, whether she’s got the least clue or not.”
“Does she have a clue?”
Pictures of the past forty-eight hours flashed through his head—the raccoons, the poison ivy, the fish hook that had, as predicted, ended up embedded in Eve’s