Dear Lord, can he tell I’m frazzled?
His mouth twitches upward. Yep, he can tell.
Colten may not be talking to me much, but I’m thankful he returned my phone and keys. It didn’t stop there; he completely surprised me when he said Rossco could sleep in my room.
Peeking around the corner, I see Cameron unbuckle Elena and assist her in getting out of the car seat.
Tristan sprints to meet me at the back, Rossco trotting beside him. “I call the gator floatie!”
“I want the flamingo!” Elena shouts quickly after.
“What if I want the flamingo?” I joke.
Cameron appears beside me with Elena, her purple Little Mermaid one-piece swimsuit making me smile.
“Good luck with that,” Cameron scoffs. “She never lets anyone else use that thing. Tells us we aren’t allowed to because it’s pink.”
Elena sweeps her natural brown waves out of her eyes from the breeze blowing through the forest and peers up at me. “We can share!”
“Sounds like a deal.” Flattening my lips into a line to conceal my smirk, I side-eye Cameron. “She likes me more, I guess.”
His eyes roll. “I’ve known that for a while now. She isn’t shy about voicing her favoritism.”
That makes me grin.
Fifteen minutes later, all our stuff is spread across the beach in front of the swimming hole. Elena stands in front of me as I sit crisscross on a towel, her small body vibrating impatiently. My fingers swipe the sunscreen across her skin and blend it into her back.
There will be no sunburns on my watch—not with her delicate skin.
“Can I gonow?” she whines, eyeing Tristan as he drags the gator floatie into the water while Brennan and Cameron toss a stick so Rossco can fetch it.
Three massive rocks surround the small, deep pool. A rushing creek gushes behind it, but the boulders and other rocks seclude the area, creating a calm swimming spot. A small waterfall flows between two boulders and into the pool, adding to the aesthetic.
This spot is incredible.
The sunlight filters through the trees, warming my skin. Nerves twist in my stomach at the thought of hanging out with Colten, Cameron, and Brennan in my bikini.
I chose one of my more modest options, a maroon halter top that reveals a little cleavage paired with full-coverage bottoms. But I already know I’m going to feel like I’m naked. I already do, and I have a white T-shirt and shorts on.
“Turn around quick,” I tell Elena. “You’re almost done.”
She spins quickly, the rapid movement making her almost tumble into me.
I laugh, squirting a bead of sunscreen on my fingers as I swipe it across her face. “Now you’re good to go.”
Elena darts away from me, grabbing the pink flamingo floatie on the beach near where Colten is setting up some camp chairs. The size of the flamingo appears massive next to her petite frame as she drags it into the water in her mesh swim shoes.
I watch from afar, mustering the courage to remove my T-shirt.
Ugh. It shouldn’t be this hard, yet here I am, nervous as hell about exposing myself. Both Colten and Cameron have already seen the more vulnerable parts of my body.
This is nothing.
Reaching for the hem, I toss my shirt onto the towel next to me. The wind glides across my arms, erupting my skin into millions of tiny goosebumps. After pulling my hair into a high bun, I grab the bottle of sunscreen and apply it to my legs, observing the guys as I rub in the protective layer.
Cameron and Brennan approach Colten, conversing about something I can’t quite hear over the rushing water of Cedar Creek. Whatever Brennan said makes Colten laugh, the raspy and warm noise soaking into my skin with the sunscreen.
Rossco sprints up the beach toward me, his fur dripping water onto the sandy shoreline.
