Brian was all over the campground, Stella at his side, helping new campers find their sites. Returning seasonal campers—those who’d been there under the old owners—had been given first crack at their old sites, and they’d been thrilled to have almost half of them return. Brian also had to mediate husbands and wives trying to maneuver trucks and trailers into small spaces together, but at least he was interacting with people.
Rob had been stuck fighting today’s battle in the ongoing war with the pool. Turning a neglected algae swamp into a sparkling pool fit for swimming came with a learning curve, but they’d decided the budget didn’t allow for professional intervention. By the time it was warm enough at night to ensure freezing wouldn’t be an issue, they’d been busy with electrical and sewer upgrades and left it too late. Then the pump broke on the second day they ran it.
The pool had seriously tested their theory they could learn how to do anything by watching YouTube videos, but Rob was confident they’d have it ready for swimming by Memorial Day weekend. And because he’d said so out loud—and because nobody else wanted to do it—making sure that happened had become his job.
Babying the pump. Chemical tests. Skimming dead bugs and leaves and chasing frogs. Not the most glamorous of jobs. And on the day they officially opened for business, it didn’t feel very important. Birch Brook Campground was supposed to be a turning point for him—he was capable and responsible and dammit, he wanted his family to see it—but here he was wielding a skimmer pole.
He glanced up when he heard a vehicle slowing to pull in. Another truck pulling a camper, though this one was coming from the north, which was unusual. And this camper was smaller than the others that had arrived today. Many of the seasonals had big campers with multiple bump-outs and screen rooms. They spent a lot of time in their campers and they wanted to be comfortable. But this was a smaller Airstream, and he guessed the camper was either single or a couple with no kids or kids who were grown. It also looked very familiar.
The driver stopped the truck in the parking area for checking in, and Rob set the skimming net down as the woman from the restaurant got out. She didn’t look in his direction as she walked around the back of her camper to the office door, which was good since she would have caught him staring.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a text from Joey.Dude, you’re never going to believe who just walked in.
Yeah, he would, because he’d watched her do it. He was about to slide the phone back into his pocket without responding when another text came through.
She’s one of our seasonals. Her name is Hannah.
Rob didn’t even have to try to get an image of her in his mind. Her face was unforgettable.Hannah.It was a pretty name, but it was also none of his business.
Well, it actuallywassince she would essentially be their tenant for the summer. But it wasn’t his business in the way his brother was implying.
When she told you she was passing through, she left out the fact it’s taking her three months to do it.
He was going to keep ignoring Joey’s text messages since any response at all would only encourage him.
Only one adult on her site, so no partner in the picture.
Rob rolled his eyes at his brother’s text message and then set his phone down on the closed bucket of pool chemicals by the fence’s gate. Anything he said would just keep Joey going, and he had work to do. But he couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder at the store’s big window, hoping to catch just a glimpse of her.
And that’s when he tripped over the pole of the pool skimmer and hit the water with a splash.
Hannah was waiting for the man behind the desk—Danny, he’d said his name was—to finish filling out her receipt for the balance of her site fee. Rather than stare at him, she turned to look out the window at the pool.
She barely had time to register that the man inside the pool fence was the man from the restaurant when he tripped and fell into the water.
Hannah gasped, but the two men in the office immediately started laughing.
“You’ve got your phone,” Danny told the other man—Joe, she thought he’d said. “Get a picture of that.”
“Is he okay?” she asked them, because there was a lot of flailing happening in the water.
“He can swim,” Danny said. “He’s just mad.”
“If his phone was in his pocket, he’s going to bereallymad,” Joe said over his shoulder before he went out the door.
“My brothers and I spent a lot of time in that pool as kids,” Danny told her. “Our family—thewholefamily, grandparents and all—used to come here when we were growing up. When we found out the campground was for sale, we couldn’t let it go, I guess.”
Brothers.“So you and your brothers bought it together?”
“Yeah. There’s the four of us. Me and Joey, of course. He’s the oldest, and then me. Brian is next, and he’ll help you find your site and get your camper parked. And that’s Rob in the pool. Considering the state of that water, you hopefully won’t meet him until after he takes a shower.”
Rob.The name went well with that slightly impish grin.
“Although, I guess you’ve kind of already met,” he continued, and Hannah sighed. She knew Rob would recognize her since he’d been watching her and they’d had a conversation. But, considering they’d already had a laugh at his expense, she’d hoped the others wouldn’t place her.
She nodded, but didn’t add anything to the conversation. Technically, shewasjust passing through, so it wasn’t as if she’d lied. She was just passing through with a three-month layover here—in the campground they owned. Her sister was really going to get a kick out of this situation.
It took longer than it should have to finish the paperwork because Danny kept getting distracted by the goings-on at the pool. It was hard to sign things when you were laughing. Hannah turned and looked out the window again, despite her best efforts not to, just in time to see Rob walk by.
