Page 38 of The Rebound Plan

I look up at him through my sunglasses. “Your girlfriend drank me under the table last night. I need a bit more sun and lake time before I consider food.”

“She has four older brothers,” he says apologetically. “It wasn’t a fair fight.”

“I’m not complaining. She’s lovely.” I gingerly sit up, since we’re apparently having a conversation.

He squats next to me, bringing himself closer to my level. “She said the same thing about you when she came to bed last night.”

I try to picture them having whispered pillow talk at the other end of the hall. Max was passed out when I came to bed, and I’d been relieved, because it meant we didn’t need to discuss Francois.

I change the subject. “How was golf?”

“Your husband won.”

Now it’s my turn to sound apologetic. “He does that a lot.”

Russ laughs under his breath. “Yeah.”

I roll onto my knees, then he helps me rise to my feet. Standing this close, he’s huge, and he makes me feel shorter than my five-feet-nine-inches. “I might have a swim, see how the water feels.”

He raises his eyebrows raise. “By yourself?”

“It’s not like it’s deep here.” I gesture at the lapping lake. “By swim, I mean immerse myself in the water and hold very still. And then climb out and lay very still on this towel again.”

“Okay, now you’re making me feel bad because my date gave you alcohol poisoning. I’ll stay and play lifeguard, just in case.”

“Oh God no, please don’t feel bad.” I sway my shoulder towards his. Not brushing against his skin, not that close, just being more inviting in my tone and body language. I don’t want him to think I’m whiny. “Seriously, I started it. My only regrets are of my own actions. Emery was a delight.”

“Still, as the homeowner, I’m going to insist on safety first.” From behind his sunglasses it looks like he winks, but I can’t be sure.

Arguing seems futile and ungrateful, so I decide to just be quick in the water.

Instead of jumping off the dock where the water is deepest, I go down the ladder on the side. Large, smooth rocks greet my feet on the lake floor, stabilizing me. The immersion feels good, even as the briskness of the lake takes my breath away for a second. I force myself to start moving along the dock until I get to the end, where I can just touch with my tiptoes and he can see me from where he’s sitting.

Since he insists on playing lifeguard, I might as well play by his rules.

“Haven’t drowned yet,” I say, infusing the words with bright cheer.

“I can see that. How’s the water?”

“It’s nice.”

“I can tell from your teeth chattering how nice it is.”

I laugh in surprise at the dry tease in his voice.

When nobody else is around, Russell Armstrong has an unexpected edge to him. It’s not bad. It’s just…dangerous for me. Poor Russ is just caught on the periphery of my secret life crisis and he has no idea.

“It is both coldandnice,” I insist.

“Sure.” He’s laughing now, too.

So I splash him.

“Hey now,” he warns. And the slightly stern rebuke practically demands that I send a spray of lake water his way again.

He stands and puts his hands on his hips. “There’s no splashing in the lake, young lady.”

I laugh out loud. “Emery called me old last night, you know.”

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