I just want to fix it. And I don’t know how.
She licks her lips, a single tear trailing down her flushed cheek. “You can hold still for a minute.”
“Okay.” I narrow my gaze at her.
She takes a few steps back and tilts her head, studying me. “Yeah, right there.”
I puff my chest up, thinking she must be checking me out. Then she lifts her hand and sprays me with ice-cold water.
“Hey!”
I duck to the side, but she doesn’t stop. My shirt is soaked and sticking to my chest with freezing water. So, I make a beeline for her. A smile flashes across her lips before she drops the hose and takes offrunning.
“No, ma’am! You don’t get off that easy.” I chase after her, catching her easily.
I wrap my arms around hers, lifting her body into the air. She laughs and snuggles against me, trying to kick me with her bare feet.
“Let me go!”
“No can do, not yet.”
I haul her back to where she left the hose in the grass. She struggles harder.
“Duke, no! It’s too cold! Don’t spray me!”
“You started this, woman.”
I switch her body over to one arm and bend down to grab the hose. She tries to wiggle free even harder, but she’s no match for me. I finally let her go, knowing she’ll run. She drops to the grass and takes off again.
I press down on the spray nozzle and chase her. She drops the wine bottle in the grass.
“Ahh!” she screams when the cold water hits her back. “Duke! Stop it!”
I laugh, sliding the lock over the nozzle so it keeps spraying. I set it down face up so the water goes into the air like raindrops. I chase her down again, catching her closer to the bunkhouse.
“Why do you keep running? You know I’m faster than you.”
“I give up. I surrender.”
“Nope. Not yet.”
I lift her up into my arms, this time flipping her over my shoulder with her head dangling behind me. She doesn’t give up easily. Her tiny fists are pounding against my back as I take her back over to the hose.
“This is stupid! You’re just wasting water.”
“I wouldn’t call this wasteful. I’m sure the grass could use it.”
I flip her back over, laying her down on the wet grass and pinning her to it. I move her arms above her head and hold them with one hand. She’s trying to glare at me, but I can see that she’s fighting a smile.
Water sprinkles down over us like real rain.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
She shakes her head. Her blond curls are wet, spread out around her head. I can see her nipples poking through the tank top, and she’s clearly not wearing a bra.
“I’m not sorry.” She lifts her chin.
“Hmm, that’s okay. I’m not either.”
