Page 62 of You Know You Wanna

“Whew, I’m getting old,” she said, collapsing on the couch across from Declan.

Declan laughed. “Aren’t you twelve?”

She shook her head sadly. “Not after my time in the woods.”

I chuckled at her silliness. “It was three days!”

She looked up at me, eyes squinting. “Dad, is that you? You look so different. How long’s it been?”

“Since this morning,” I said dryly, shaking my head.

“But for real,” Declan said, grinning. “How was it?”

She giggled and sighed happily. “It was amazing, but camping really takes it out of me.”

Dec chuckled. “It takes it out of everyone, which is why most sane people don’t do it. I’m glad you had so much fun though, sweetheart. Other than coming back ten years older, everything went alright?”

She glanced at me and winked before she looked back at him. “Everything except for the part where I almost drowned.”

“What?” He shot up straight, glaring at me. “You didn’t tell me about that.”

“Because she’s fine,” I said, taking a seat on the couch she was on and moving her dirty little feet into my lap. “Dec’s ordered us some food, honey. If you want to get cleaned up before it arrives, I suggest going now. It’s time to rejoin us back in civilization.”

She groaned. “Okay, but I can’t guarantee I’m going to be able to move much after.”

“You don’t have to,” I replied. “I can chew your steak up for you like a baby bird.”

“Gross, no,” she squealed and squirmed away from me. “For a steak, I’ll find the strength.”

“I think an early night is probably a good idea anyway,” I said. “We’ll hang out here, watch a movie, eat, and relax until bedtime.”

“There’s no bedtime on vacation,” she complained but trudged to her bedroom anyway, leaving all her gear and bags by the front door.

I sighed. “I’ll have all that cleaned later.”

While she showered, he and I came up with a game plan for when he golfed with Alan tomorrow, and once the food came, we kicked back and relaxed for the rest of the day, just as I’d promised we would. Laurene was fast asleep before the sun had even set, and Declan grinned at me.

“We’re officially off duty. Do you want to grab a drink at the bar with me? I still haven’t been able to get on Gracie’s good side, but she seems to like you. You could be my wingman. See if that makes a difference.”

I agreed, partially only because I knew Birdie would probably end up there tonight as well. It had only been a few hours, but I already wanted to see her again. It was an oddity for me, but I wasn’t trying to overthink it.

We walked into the bar side by side, and I grinned when I saw her already there, chatting to Gracie while she worked. For a moment, I wondered if Birdie would give me the cold shoulder again. If the spell we’d both been under during the camping trip would have burst now that we were back in reality, but when she spotted us, she smiled warmly and waved me over, and my insides suddenly felt like they’d turned to liquid.

Huh. That’s a first. Is this what people mean when they say they melted over someone?

32

BIRDIE

“He really is trying his hardest with her, isn’t he?” I murmured to Remington as I watched Declan putting the moves on Gracie.

She wasn’t that busy tonight and he was practically sprawled across the bar trying to get her attention. Every now and then, she spoke to him, but mostly, when she wasn’t serving customers, she was with me.

Remington sat next to me, close enough that I counted us as getting cozy together. His arm was draped around the short backrest of my barstool and I felt his heat at my side. A pleasant shiver raced through me when he leaned in to reply, his breath ghosting across the side of my face but his eyes fixed firmly on his friend.

“I don’t think he’s ever had anyone resist him this long. It must be driving him nuts.” He chuckled as he watched Declan flash Gracie yet another grin meant to disarm her.

She frowned at him. “What are you smiling about?”