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“BRODY, STOP! YOU CAN’T hold your brother’s face under water like that!”
With a heavy sigh, Penny stuffs her hands on her hips, scolding the older of the Monroe twins as she sits with them at the pool. Thank God it’s the last day of the season. It’s been a hell of a summer. She makes better money here, and she has consistent hours. But Mason and Brody Monroe are always a handful.
Worse, on her days off, she’d volunteered to watch them for Mrs. Monroe and walk them home for extra pay.
Better than being at home, remember?
“He started it!” Brody yells.
Mason grabs his brother around the neck and pulls him under the water. “Did not, jerk wad!”
The lifeguard’s whistle blows. Penny groans. As Luke saunters up next to her and yells at the boys, she shies away from him.
Dang, the guy is everywhere. What does she have to do to avoid him? After eavesdropping on one of his and Colton’s summer weightlifting sessions, she tries her hardest to steer clear of him, even at work.
She isn’t happy with her brother. He’d embarrassed the crap out of her. He’d made a big deal out of her social awkwardness and asked Luke to keep an eye on her. His words. So humiliating. Her crush on Luke doesn’t help. And her therapist wonders why she’s so afraid to tell him she likes him.
Penny wrinkles her nose. First of all, he likes someone else. She’d gotten a little too much information when Luke revealed his fetish for Christy Mefford’s tight cheer outfits.
Yeah, I didn’t need to know that.
And secondly, Luke agreeing to Colt’s request to be Penny’s new big brother only solidifies the fact that Luke will never see her the way she wants to be seen. Unfortunately, he’s taking his new role as protector-slash-superhero of the socially awkward to heart.
Luke stands with his arms crossed over his thick shoulders. “Knock it off, boys.” He gazes at Penny. “Are they giving you a hard time?”
“Not any more than usual. Thanks for your help, but I can handle it.” Picking up a damp towel from the ground, she pushes a stray curl behind her ear and ducks her head. She can finally pull the length into a small pony at the nape of her neck, but the last eight months of trying to grow her hair had sucked.
Curse Miranda to hell.
Gathering the rest of the twins’ things, she stuffs them in the pool tote. As she turns around, Luke is still standing behind her. Her breath hitches. Jeez, what in the world?
Her brow furrows. “What’s up?”
Forking his fingers through his perfect hair, he says, “School starts next week. You ready?”
Stepping away from him, she shrugs. “As I’ll ever be.” Big fat lie. She’s scared to death. Colt left for college last week, leaving her to navigate the difficult situation at home with her alcoholic mother while worrying about the fresh hell she’ll meet at RHHS. She isn’t expecting things to get better.
The final whistle blows. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she motions to the twins. Luke hasn’t moved an inch. She stares at him. “Aren’t you still on duty?” His blue eyes penetrate her soul, filled with the last thing in the world she wants to see.
Pity.
She gives him a murderous glare. He clears his throat and looks away. “Er, yeah, we’re just finishing up. I have to put the equipment away. I know you aren’t working today, but are you staying for the end of season staff party?”
Glancing over her shoulder, Penny catches Christy Mefford’s sneer and sighs. Christy and Luke officially started dating a month ago. Since then, the girl has given Penny every dirty look in the book. If Christy only knew that Luke Donovan merely feels sorry for her, maybe the girl would lay off.
Or Mefford could take the opportunity to humiliate me at the party for the staff.
Yeah. Nope.
As the boys emerge from the water, she hands them their towels and gives them snack money. “Can’t. I’ve got plans.”
Sure do. Star Wars marathon, here I come.
Tingles erupt across her skin as Luke touches her arm. “Come on, Pen. Just for a while? Jean is handing out the end of summer awards. Usually, they’re goofy pranks. Loudest lifeguard and shit like that. It’s kinda fun. I can introduce you to a few of your classmates before school starts.”
She glances at him suspiciously. What is his game here? “I have to walk the twins home.”
He shrugs. “So? Come back when you’re done. I’ll take you home later.” Standing akimbo, he crosses his arms. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Ramsay.”
As his brow arches in mock challenge, she rolls her eyes. He won’t give up. He never has. Quitting isn’t in Luke Donovan’s vocabulary.
Hefting the swimming bag over her shoulder, she says, “Whatever. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.”
His dimples pop. “Awesome! I’ll see you then.” As he skirts past Penny, Christy saunters toward him from the opposite side of the pool. She gives him a kiss on the cheek before heading in Penny’s direction. With purpose.
The hair at the back of Penny’s neck prickles. The last thing she needs is a major altercation with Luke’s girlfriend before school starts.
Christy Mefford is more than just trouble. From day one, she’d set her sights on Luke. She’ll do anything to keep him, and Penny is her number one target. Worse, her cousin is Hannah Sparks, the killer of hamsters.
Yep, the girl had earned that title fair and square.
Ducking past the twins standing at the walk-up snack counter, Penny hikes her thumb toward the entrance. “Boys, I’ll be out here when you’re done. One snack each. That’s it.” The boys grin at each other mischievously.
Pushing through the double doors that lead to the pool pavilion, she settles herself on a nearby bench to wait for her unruly wards. What does she care if they stuff themselves with junk? Their mother is such a pushover, she won’t notice.
Stuffing her hat on her head, Penny scans the swimming complex. The staff begins to emerge as the guests trickle out. Luke and two other lifeguards joke around with one another near the toddler pool. Obviously the alpha of the group, Luke holds court in the middle as several bikini-clad girls walk by. They flirt mercilessly with him. Like the king he is, he dishes it back, his dimples shining like beacons.
Not that he’s ever looked at her like that—or ever will. Penny chews on her bottom lip nervously. Why does he want her to go to this party so badly? Save for a few random invites to play video games with him and Colt, he’d spent most of the summer ignoring her.
I can play big brother. Your sister is like mine, right?
That’s the problem. The only reason Luke asks her to join in is because he feels sorry for her. Slumping, she wrings her hands in her towel. This is going to be the worst school year ever.
*****
HALF AN HOUR LATER, Penny returns to the pool, cursing her weakness. She battled herself for ten minutes on whether she should just walk home. But for some reason, she can’t tell Luke Donovan no.
She scans the pavilion in awe. It’s lit up like a Christmas tree complete with fairy lights and a disco ball. Most of the country club summer staff has gathered in the dining area. As Pink’s Who Knew booms from the P.A. system, a cheer erupts through the boisterous crowd. Penny dodges the partiers and heads toward the front check in.
“Penny!” Jean, the older woman who manages the summer workers, catches her before she can put her purse under the counter. “Thank God. We’re almost finished closing up. Can you help put away the rest of the pool equipment? Seems some of our lifeguards left before it was finished, and Bruce needs everything packed up tonight.”
Placing her things under the desk, Penny smiles. “I’d be happy to.” She needs this job. It isn’t a bad gig for summer. Hopefully, they’ll see her as a hard worker when she reapplies next season.
Removing her sandals, she pulls on her non-slip shoes and traipses across the pool deck. The big lights illuminate the stillness of the water. It looks so peaceful.
Turning the corner, she heads for the equipment shed. The door gapes wide as someone slams things around. A curse comes from inside, and she approaches the pissed-off worker tentatively.
“Hey... I’m here to help. You want me to grab the other chairs?”
Luke emerges from the depths of the storage unit with pool noodles clenched in his fists. “I guess. It’s supposed to storm later, and Bruce wants to get everything in.”
Skirting past the baby pool fence, she folds two of the lawn chaises and carries them to the shed. The staff has dwindled. “Where’s everyone else?”
Luke’s lips press together tightly. “Most of ’em left. Bridges is having a party.”
Penny arches an eyebrow. “They didn’t want to stick around for the end of season bash?”
He shrugs. “Guess not.” He throws another chair into the back of the shed with a curse.
She eyes him warily. He’s more sullen than he was forty minutes ago for sure. She removes a few floats from the deck and hands them to him.
He barely looks at her. “Look, you don’t have to stay, Ramsay. I can handle this by myself.”
Penny frowns. “There’s only a few to go.”
He whips around. His lips curl up as he snarls, “I told you, I’ve got it. I’m good. Just go. Please.”
Ignoring his request, she gathers the rest of the pool noodles. “What’s going on, Donovan?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on. I’ve known you forever. Something’s up.”
The muscles at his jaw clench as he seizes the toys from her grasp. “I just don’t need your help, okay? I’ve gotta get this done quickly. I’m heading to Pete’s party soon.” He gives her a sidelong glance. “Can you find a ride home? I’ve gotta pick up Christy in ten.”
Prickles of rejection traipse across Penny’s heart. Wow, that’s a hundred and eighty degree turn in attitude. First, he’d begged her to stay for the party. Now he’s blowing her off? Backing away, she stares at the last light of day lingering near the horizon. “Sure. No problem.”
“Cool. See you later.”
Without glancing back, he disappears inside the shed. She turns and flees to the safety of the pool office. Jean and Bruce aren’t here. Grabbing her things from beneath the desk, she changes into her ratty tennis shoes and throws her backpack over her shoulder.
As she exits the pavilion and walks across the empty golf course, she sighs. “Looks like I’m hoofing it again.”
*****
This is the private journal of Penny Elaine Ramsay. Do not read!!
SEPTEMBER 3, 2007
The first day of high school sucks. Enough said.
Three years, eight months, twenty-five days. Then I’ll be free.