Page 81 of Healer's Call

I smack his arm as I walk past. “Be nice.”

“I’m not a nice person, Healer. You should know that by now.”

I turn back to appraise him as we walk down the hallway. “Oh, I don’t know. I think you can be nice when you want to.”

“I don’t usually want to,” he adds, making me laugh.

“Oh, I know. Therein lies the problem.” We step outside, and I smile up at the sun. “So where is this pool?”

He leads me around to the back of the pack house and to a worn path. We walk on the path for a good five minutes before it opens up. I step into the clearing and stare at the huge entertaining area that I was told about when I first got here but haven’t experienced yet. There are two huge swimming pools, a huge bright yellow water slide, a lazy river, a splash pad for the littles, and a playground. Beach chairs sit all around the pools, and tiki torches and lights hang from the long pergola. “This is...” My words falter when I see all the people. I don’t realize I’ve taken a step backwards until I bump into Mav.

“Rose!” I look over to see Sara and Sabrina running towards me.

“We haven’t seen you in so long,” Sara says as they get close. I notice instantly that they both look like models in their two-piece swimsuits. I swallow and don’t look back to see if Mav has noticed.Of course he’s noticed. He’s a male.

They pull me in for a hug, and I try to stay relaxed and comfortable. “It’s been forever. We need to catch up!” Sabrina says, linking her arm through mine.

“She’s with me, and we’re not staying,” Mav says from right behind me.

I turn to look at him, but he has sunglasses on now and I can’t get a read on him. “Um, it was good to see you both.”

“Ugh. Mates,” Sabrina says, shaking her head. Then she grins. “Let’s catch up soon.” They both turn and walk away, and I turn back to Maverick. He’s already walking back the way we came, so I hurry to catch up.

“I thought we were going swimming,” I tell him.

“We are.”

After a moment, I point over my shoulder. “The pool’s back that way.”

“And you didn’t want to be around that many people, so we’re going somewhere else.”

I process his words and don’t know whether to be offended or appreciative. I follow him over to his car. He throws the bag in the backseat. “Hop in.”

I hesitate at the door. “Uh, where are we going?”

He opens the front door and stands behind it. “Do you trust me?” I glance at him, but he’s not smiling, and I can’t see his eyes behind his glasses. I hesitate a moment. Can I trust him? “It wasn’t meant to be a deep question,” he says, sounding irritated.

“Yes.” I say, staring up at him. “I trust you.” He doesn’t say anything for a second.

Then he simply says, “Good. Get in.” He closes the door after I’m settled, and I wait for him to come around to the driver’s side. He pulls out on the main road but doesn’t drive towards the exit; he drives the other way instead.

“I haven’t gone this way before,” I say absently. We drive for a little while in silence. Just when I wonder where in the world he’s taking me, he finally turns onto a gravel road. We drive for a little while before he parks in a grassy area. I climb out of the car, wondering what in the world we’re doing. He grabs the bag out of the backseat.

“Come on,” he calls out and I follow him.

“Is this where you take me out into the woods and kill me?” I ask with a nervous laugh. I look around the area, trying not to be nervous in the new surroundings.

“Healer, you’re safe with me. No one can hurt you with me nearby.” My heart gives a tug, and I nod, accepting his words. I’m silent as I walk next to him. I have to admit, the quiet is nice. It’s peaceful in a way I haven’t been able to enjoy in weeks. I tilt my face up to the sun and wonder when it was that summer hit. We walk for a little ways, and then the path turns. When we get to the end of the path, we turn again, and I suck in a breath.

“Ever been to the ocean before?” he asks quietly.

Unable to form any coherent words, I shake my head no. I stare at the nearly white sand all around us and watch as turquoise water laps against the sand. I walk over to the water and then bend down and pick up a handful of sand and let it sift through my hands. “Can I go in the water?” I ask Maverick.

“Hang on. Let’s get you sun screened first.” He hands me a bottle of sunscreen, and I do what I can to the front of me.

“Do you mind doing my back?” I ask him, holding the bottle out. He stares at me a moment before motioning for me to turn around. I pull my straps down, so he can get my full back. When nothing happens, I turn slightly. “You good?”

He grunts and begins to rub lotion into my back. I manage to hold back a groan because it feelsreallygood. When he finishes, I turn to him. “Your turn.” He stares down at me. “Turn around,” I say, motioning with my finger. “I’ll do your back.” It takes me less than a second to realize what a bad idea this is. There is so much bronzed, marked skin underneath my fingertips right now, not to mention muscles. I swallow hard and finish rubbing in the sunscreen.

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