Page 83 of Debugging Love

“How can a pool be haunted?”

“Ask the skeletons they found when they dug the pool.”

Not cool. I’ve seenPoltergeist. I leap out of the water faster than a car at the Indianapolis 500. Behind me, Danni laughs. I give my heart a moment to slow down before angling my body toward her. “They found bodies!?”

Danni grabs the bottom of her dress and pulls it over her head. My heart revs up again when I see her in her one-piece. It’s for function not leisure, the kind competitive swimmers wear, but her hourglass shape refuses to go unnoticed.

“They found two skeletons and had to respectfully relocate them,” she says.

“Oh, we’re good, then,” I say with sarcasm.

“Yeah. So, I think I’ll stick to the hot tub.”

She kicks off her sandals and heads over to the whirlpool that’s bordered on one side by towering rocks, complete with a mini waterfall.

Should I join her, or should I stay here? Should I join her, or should I stay here?

“You coming?” she asks.

Risk of cracking eggshells averted. For now.

The whirlpool matches the vibe of the house: big. It could probably seat twelve people. I choose a spot opposite her and slide into the lukewarm water. Bubbles hide most of Danni’s body, stopping just below her shoulders.

“What if they found the skeletons over here?” I ask.

Danni’s eyes widen.

“They found them under the pool. Definitely under the pool. I didn’t notice anything weird when I was swimming though, so I think it’s safe.”

Danni looks skeptical. “If you say so.”

The rumble of the jets fills the lull in our conversation. Danni flutters her hands through the bubbles while I rest my head and look at the twilight sky.

“Why aren’t you watching the show?” Danni asks.

I shift my focus back to her. “I don’t like time-traveling werewolf space cowboys, remember?”

I also don’t like objectifying females and I’m still not sure if that’s what’s happening here. Whenever our eyes meet, I feel a sizzle, much more intense than the zing my sister said I’d feel when I found “the one.”

“Right,” Danni says. “You’re into cowboys, just not shapeshifting cowboys.”

“I’m notintocowboys. I like things related to cowboys.”

“Like the music.”

“And the shoes, and the hats, and the boots. And the belt buckles and the food–”

“And the freedom.”

“Yeah. I guess. That too.”

“You need a lot of room to cast your wide net.”

Oh yeah, Danni didn’t realize that was a joke. “I was just–”

“How’s it going for you, by the way?”

“There was never any net. I was messing with you.”

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