Page 15 of Stick Move

“I wonder if that’s a Freudian slip?”

“I’m not one of your case studies, Mel.” I lean forward, plant my elbows on the bar, and rest my chin in my palm. “And for the record, I’m not going to go for it.”

“Such a shame.” Cloth in hand, she begins to wipe the already spotless countertop. “You’re getting a nice break from running this place. If I were you, I’d take advantage of that. You deserve it.”

Isn’t that what you’ve been telling yourself, Brighton?

“This…this is all about revenge,” I tell her. “He’s not interested in me.”

She laughs, almost hysterically. “Yeah right.”

I shift on my stool. “What?”

“Have you seen yourself?” Her gaze moves to the pool deck. “All heads turned your way when you stepped onto this rooftop.” Leaning in she adds, “Including the resort’s hot new owner.”

I’m not so sure I believe that. “Noah was looking?” I glance around and my gaze goes straight to Noah. I bite down on my bottom lip as my stomach tightens. “We have a complicated past.”

“Hey.” I turn back to her and she shrugs. “Doesn’t mean you have to have a complicated future, does it?”

I eye her. “Are you pulling some psychology crap on me?”

“Probably.” She stops wiping the counter and takes my hands into hers. “I care about you, Brighton. Hell, you gave me time off to study when I needed it and allow me to work around my courses in the winter.” She stares at me for a moment. “You’re a good person and deserve good things. I know what happened here with the resort and I know it killed you to sell it to save it. You saved all our jobs and I just want to see you happy...for once.”

“I’m ha?—”

“No, you’re not,” she cuts me off. She spreads her arms. “This resort is your life. It’s all you’ve ever known. Did you ever stop to think there’s more out there? There’s more to life than work?”

“Yeah, actually, just recently I had those thoughts.”

“Maybe being a nanny for a while is just the opportunity you need to discover who you are, and what you want.”

“I actually thought I had everything I ever wanted,” I murmur. “I lost it all.”

“Not all of your recent losses were actually losses, Brighton.”

I swallow as she watches me, and I get it. “Allan, you mean?”

“I never believed he was the right guy for you, but it wasn’t my place to say that.” She lets go of my hands and picks up her cloth. “It might not be my place to say this either, but I’m going to.” She pauses, like she’s waiting for me to stop her. I don’t so she continues with, “If I were you, I’d take advantage of that” She points her chin toward the pool. “Heck, you never know. Maybe this isn’t about revenge for him and he sees a woman who needs a break just like I do.”

“Fat chance,” I blurt out.

She shrugs and leaves that with me. As her words ping around in my brain, she straightens up. “Now, what can I get you?”

“Two of the usuals, and a Shirley Temple.”

She goes to work on the drinks and I spin. I once again find myself smiling as I watch Noah and Camryn play. It can’t be easy on her with no mother and a father who is away for the NHL season, and now her grandmother isn’t well. That has to be hard on Noah, too. My heart goes out to Camryn, and her father.

“Here you go,” Melanie says. “On the house.”

I smile at her. “Thank you.” I pick up the tray and pause. “For the drinks and the talk.”

She gives me a tight nod. “Think about what I said.”

“I will.” I carry the drinks to a table, and that’s when Camryn turns her head and sees me. I have to say, I love the big smile that comes over her sweet face when I’m around. How could a mother walk away from her daughter? Isn’t that the same question I’ve asked myself for many years?

“Ms. Brighton,” she yells, and starts toward me, struggling to swim, which is why she’s in inflatable arm bands. Maybe I could teach her to swim while she’s under my care. In fact, there are a lot of things that could be fun to do with her.

Lot of things that could be fun to do with her daddy too.

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