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“Archer, I’m not going anywhere for another three months. We are bound to talk.”
“Maybe sail?”
She squinted her eyes and looked away from him. “Don’t push your luck.”
He hadn’t. He’d simply said good night and left her to watch the sunset alone.
So when she’d woken up jittery and anxious, her fingers itching to do something, she snatched her laptop, searched the Internet, then rushed over to Archer’s cabin before she could change her mind.
She knocked.
“One minute!” he shouted from the back of his cabin.
She peered through the screen door, scanning the inside of Archer’s domain. Mahogany handmade desk and chair covered in papers. Checkered tan and white wool three-seater couch with a rip down the center cushion, a homemade crocheted blanket slung over the top and a throw pillow with Up North stitched on the front. The carpet looked stained and old, and paint chipped at the top close to the ceiling. The Wild Pines manager cabin had certainly seen better days.
Archer approached from the back of his cabin, hair wet and already in his work clothes for the day. He didn’t open the door, letting the screen act as their protection.
He titled his head, a confused expression on his face. “You actually get up at this hour?”
She scowled at him. “Har, har.”
“Back in the day you would sleep in until, what? Ten? Eleven?”
“Unless you or Dad were dragging me out of bed.” She didn’t mention why. He already knew.
He shot her a mischievous grin. “Ah, the good old days. I miss the screaming.”
“You’re weird.”
“No, you’re weird for being on my porch at eight in the morning. What are you doing here?”
Tea lifted the four bungee cords she held in her hand. “I had an idea.”
Thirty minutes later, they stared at two remarkably secure dumpsters, held tightly by her cords.
“How did you think of it?” Archer asked her. He circled the dumpsters—again—giving the cords a flick to make sure they were still taut. He rattled them as well, seeing if the tops would flip open. Nothing.
Tea shrugged. “The university of YouTube.”
“I love that school. There are so many great academic minds on there.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m kind of shocked you didn’t try looking it up yourself. It took me, like, ten minutes to find a solution.”
“Hey there, smart-ass. I barely have time to even watch television these days.”
She loosened her arms. “Fair point.”
He unhooked the cords with ease. “I need to make sure to come out here each night and secure them.”
“Do it quickly before you go to bed.” She pointed to his cabin next to them. “You’re literally right there.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Coffee?”
“Oh, it’s okay,” she replied, pointing to her cabin. “Pop’s already got his second pot going.”
“Yeah, no, that won’t do.” He made his way toward his cabin, motioning for her to follow. “I’ve got something better.”
“Um, all right.”
