Page 33 of Caught in the Middle

“I wouldn’t mind a nap on the beach,” Cam said.

“I feel like I could go for hours,” Emma replied. “I might see if they have any floats in the gift shop.”

Asher chuckled. “You never were good at staying still.”

Emma’s face scrunched. She knew he wasn’t being a jerk on purpose, but the comment still rubbed her wrong. “Nothing wrong with making the most of my vacation.”

“Agreed. And that’s why I plan to shower, change, and relax.”

“Enjoy it,” Cam said, placing a hand on Emma’s back to let her go in front of him. “I’m sure we’ll run into you later.”

“You too.” Asher nodded in their direction before slipping inside his own room.

As Cam shut the door behind him, he could tell Emma was letting the interaction eat at her. Instead of bringing it up now, he figured it’d be best to get her out of here and back into her element.

???

Emma spread out their towels on the sand while Cam dug the umbrella holder into the sand. “You know, this thing is pretty sweet actually.”

“What is?” she asked.

He pointed to the stake in the sand as he grabbed the umbrella to put the pole into it.

“A beach umbrella?” she asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, I didn’t know they came like this.”

She looked at him funny. “What did you normally do for shade then?”

He shrugged. “Sunscreen.”

Emma cracked up at that. “Stick with me, Cameron, and I’ll show you the ropes.”

Mmm, he sure hoped so. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Water?” she asked, holding a bottle out for him. They’d stopped downstairs to get some supplies for the afternoon. Then Cam had the bright idea to request sandwiches and fruit be prepped for them to put in a small cooler since the evening would be on them before they knew it.

He took the water from her, opened the lid, and took a swig. Then they both grabbed an inner tube to blow up for the ocean. By the time their setup was situated and their floats were ready, Emma was sweating and ready for the water.

Cam looked up in time to see a grin slide across her lips. Before he could question it, she took off sprinting with her float.

“Last one in gets the couch,” she yelled over her shoulder. Unfortunately, her exhilaration faded out as she neared the water’s edge and Cam came flying past her, sticking his tube out in front of him and jumping on it like a kid would.

“Dammit. I was hoping to catch you off guard,” she laughed, following suit.

He slid off his tube and dipped his head under the water, brushing back the top as he came back up. His smile was infectious, she thought, not realizing she was staring.

“You can’t trick me,” Cam said. “I can read you like a book.”

“Please.” She rolled her eyes and then slipped into the water, too. She slicked her hair back when she broke the surface and then began walking her tube out farther into the ocean. Cam followed her until the water was past their chests.

“You don’t think I can read that brilliant mind of yours?” he asked, slipping the tube over his head and using his arms to lift himself over the edge so his lower half was still under the water.

Emma maneuvered until she was sitting in the tube, feet and arms dangling in the water while she looked at him. “Not a chance.”

“So you’re telling me you didn’t want to shove Asher into the rainforest this morning or slam the door in his face when we got back?” He smiled when her lips flattened out.

“Sometimes he just rubs me wrong,” she said.

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