Page 23 of It Started at the Lake

I pick it up and throw it over the short net. “Sorry, Cam. I hope you don’t mind that we lost.”

He pats my shoulder. “The game isn’t over yet.”

He spoke too soon. After a few volleys, Cam hits the ball into the net, giving the game-winning point to Henry and Evie.

Evie screams, pumping her fists. Henry picks Evie up, swinging her around. “We won! Yes! We won!”

I shake my head, bummed at our loss. “Good game, guys.”

Henry puts Evie down. She walks around the net, straight in Cam’s face, her chest puffed up. “Who’s the champion now?”

Camden pats her head. “It was one game, and Henry helped you win.”

She knocks Cam’s arm away. “Stop acting like Henry did all the work.”

“I call it like I see it,” Cam says.

My skin is getting tight and itchy. I can’t stand the arguing. “Cam and I have the first round of drinks tonight,” I shout, breaking up their fight.

Henry joins us on our side of the court. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Anyone want to play singles?” Emerson asks. “Bennett kicked my butt. I need someone I can win against.”

“Aww. Did your poor wittle ego take a hit?” Henry mocks in a baby voice.

“Get over here and let’s find out.” Emerson motions for Henry to join him.

“Nah, man,” Cam says. “I want a turn with Emerson. Besides, the winning team needs to stay together until they lose.”

Bennett goes through the gate separating the two courts, joining me on my side. “Millie?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you ready for that W Cam cheated you out of?”

“Hey!” Camden protests, shoving Bennett.

I frown. “I wouldn’t say Cam cheated me out of anything. We both made errors.”

Bennett puts his hands on my shoulders, our skin touching. The gesture is friendly, but it doesn’t feel that way. Bolts of electricity fire through my nerve endings like it’s Zeus touching me, not Bennett.

His chest is in my direct line of sight. There’s nothing I can do but stare at his golden skin glistening with perspiration. How does he smell this good when we’ve been sweating buckets? There’s a small patch of hair between his pecs. It’s slightly lighter than the hair on his head. Is it soft?

I blink, trying to stop focusing on what my body is feeling and concentrate on the words coming out of Bennett’s perfectly shaped mouth.

But looking at his mouth sets me off on a new tangent of wild thoughts. Would kissing him be scratchy because of his facial hair? Are his lips as soft as they look? Jeez, it’s a good thing my back was facing him while kayaking. What would I have endured this morning if he sat in front of me?

Knock it off, Mils! How are you going to spend all summer with him if you can’t get yourself under control? He’s a brother. Untouchable.

Tuning back into what Bennett is saying, I catch the tail end of his sentence.

“Henvie doesn’t stand a chance against us,” Bennett says, bending slightly until his blue eyes meet my gaze.

“What?” Who or what is Henvie?

Henry and Evie laugh. “I totally forgot about that team name,” Evie says. “Henry, how old were we when we came up with it?”

A team name? Why did they pick that awful title? “Yeah…” I do my best to hide my judgy tone. “Why that name?”

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