Page 13 of One Unexpected Gift

CHAPTER FOUR

Nick watched Skylar run away. Yeah, she literally dropped her rake and ran. He scrubbed his hand across his face trying to figure out what he’d said to freak her out. She’d insulted him, he took it like a man and flirted back, and she bolted.

Women would always be an anomaly to him. He set his rake down and tugged off his gloves, tucking them in the back pocket of his jeans. It was a good time to take a break anyway. He found Brooke and Gina inside one of the cabins boarding up the windows.

“I’m going to head to The Zone to pick up the food. Can I get you ladies anything while I’m out?”

Brooke brushed off her hands and wiped the back of one across her brow. “I can’t thank you enough for donating food for the crew, Nick. That was really sweet.”

“With all that you guys do for the kids in our community, Maine, really, it’s the least I can do.”

“Do you need an extra set of hands? I can send Sky with you.”

He chuckled at her less-than-subtle way of keeping him with Sky. “I can handle it, but I could use some help unloading when I get back.”

“Where is Sky?” Gina looked over his shoulder as if expecting her to be attached to him.

He ran his tongue across his teeth and dipped his chin. “She, uh... needed a break.” While he was more than curious where she went, and more curious as to why, he didn’t want Sky’s friends to think he’d done something wrong. Which he hoped he hadn’t.

Brooke squinted, and then raised a brow.

“I’ll be back in an hour or so.” He ducked out of the cabin before they started grilling him about what went down between him and Skylar. He honestly thought they were making progress.

On his drive to The Zone, he played back what she’d said to him. For as long as he could remember, the only things that mattered to him was his next reckless adventure and when he’d get laid.

Both gave him the same: an adrenaline rush. Ironically, he didn’t mix the two... until he met Skylar. It wasn’t that he had a thing against quickies in his office or in supply closets, but no woman had ever had such a strong, visceral effect on him where he felt he needed to have her right then or he’d... combust.

There were one-night stands and then there was the powerful, spontaneous, explosive sex he’d had with Skylar. He’d love to say it was more than that, but thinking back, that’s all it had been. It surprised the hell out of him when she came by that second time, the night before she returned to Virginia, he’d learned later.

Two weeks later, when Owen, Bryce, Drew, and their wives came out to bowl and have some drinks, the temptation to ask about Skylar had floated on the tip of his tongue.

He’d expected a knowing glance from Skylar’s girlfriends. Women did that, didn’t they? Told each other about the guys they were seeing, especially when it involved a hot interlude like they’d had.

Only they didn’t look at him or treat him any differently than any other day. And Owen never brought Skylar up in the gym, so if Charlie did know, she never told him.

Blowing out a long exhale, he turned into the parking lot of The Zone and backed up to the kitchen entrance. Davey and Colby were working and helped him load the coolers of meat and boxes filled with buns, rolls, and chips.

Ten minutes later, he was back on the road to the camp. Hopefully Skylar would be back from wherever she ran off to, and Nick would have to figure out how to broach the subject by then. He meant what he said about being friends with her, but if she thought all he was good for was the next big rush of excitement, he’d have to work harder to show her who he really was. Without revealing too much.

He liked his privacy. Not even his parents knew about his condition. He’d get the pity hugs and constant barrage of phone calls when all he wanted was to punch out his anger. Visiting the gym five days a week helped with some of it, but even there, he had to hold back fifty percent of his frustration.

On the flipside, it seemed like it was his reckless behavior that Skylar wasn’t attracted to. Maybe confiding in her would convince her to give him a chance. But was that an unfair way to earn her friendship, especially when she wasn’t going to be in Maine for long?

When he turned down the camp road, he couldn’t help the swivel of his head as he searched the grounds for Skylar. He wasn’t a jerk, and if he said something to offend her, he wanted to know. He may be reckless with his own life but not at the expense of others.

There was a large crew around the mess hall waiting to help him unload. When the last of the food was inside, he joined Owen at the grills. “Need a hand?”

“Don’t trust me with your food?”

“I didn’t say that.” Nick laughed. “Figured you could use a hand, and it would get me out of raking duty.”

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