Page 41 of Summer Affair

While they strolled along the pathway under the shade of the trees, he filled her in on Sophia’s progress. Her mind turned towards her last conversation with her mother.

Why were her mother and sister so adamant about her getting a different job or starting her own massage parlor? Every time she talked to her mother or sister, they pushed her. It was particularly strange since they had benefited from her connections when planning the charity event the other night. And her sister had hinted about holding her next charity event there as well.

Clearly it wasn’t the camp itself that they had issues with. So what did they want to get her away from? Why were they so hell-bent on her moving on? It wasn’t as if they cared about her day-to-day life. They only called her when they wanted something.

One thing was clear—Andrea loved her work. She made enough money to maintain her home and pay her property taxes and to pay her car payment and other bills. She was also putting a huge chunk of her monthly income into a retirement fund that was getting great returns.

When she thought about it, she pretty much had everything she’d ever wanted. Except… She glanced over at Dean, who was looking around with an appreciative smile.

“What’s on your mind?” Dean asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Andrea sighed, trying to put her thoughts about her family problems to the back of her mind. Instead, she heard herself reply honestly.

“I was just thinking about…family stuff. My mom and sister are still pushing me to get a different job.”

Dean frowned. “Do you want to change jobs?”

“No,” Andrea said firmly. “I love working here. It’s just hard dealing with their expectations sometimes.”

Dean nodded. “I get that. Family can be complicated. But you have to do what makes you happy.”

They reached the horse paddock and Andrea leaned against the wooden fence, watching the horses graze in the field. “You’re right. I need to remember that.”

Dean smiled, reaching out to take her hand. “You’re strong, Andrea. Don’t let anyone make you doubt yourself. Besides, your sister is a total bitch.”

She laughed and squeezed his hand. She had such an appreciation for his friendship throughout the years. In all that time, Amy had been unable to change his perception of her, no matter how hard she flirted with him. “You always know how to make me feel better. Just tear down my sister,” she said with a chuckle.

“It’s not hard to do after hearing some of the things that come out of her mouth.” He wrapped an arm around her.

They stood there for a while, watching the horses and talking about their plans for the rest of the day. The sun was warm on their faces, and the sound of the horses’ gentle movements was soothing.

Eventually, they made their way back to the pool house, walking hand in hand. Andrea felt lighter, more hopeful about the future, surer of herself. She was right where she belonged. Right where she wanted to be. Spending time with Dean had a way of grounding her, reminding her of what truly mattered.

As they reached the entrance, Dean turned to her with a grin. “Will I see you tomorrow for lunch?”

Andrea wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “I’d like that.”

With a final squeeze of his hand, she headed back to her duties, her heart full, her mind settled, and her spirit lifted. That was until she walked in and saw her sister lying on her table.

“I thought to work here, you had to be on time?” Amy said, glancing up at her.

“I am on time. You are early.” Andrea washed her hands and finished setting up her room. Thankfully, it appeared as if Kara had prepped her room for Amy.

“You know, I could probably complain and get you fired,” Amy added as she shifted back down.

“Go ahead and try,” Andrea said dryly as she started therapy on her sister’s back. She knew every inch of Amy’s tightness and how to relieve it, which areas her sister hated being touched too hard or too soft.

“Why bother?” Amy sighed as Andrea worked out a knot. “You and the owners are too tight.” She sighed again and then groaned. “They’d probably give you a raise.”

Andrea remained quiet. Amy liked to talk during her massages. No doubt the conversation would change over to something great going on in her life. Something she was trying to make Andrea jealous of. Only, Andrea was never jealous of anything Amy did.

“I ran into Tiffany and Heather this morning during brunch,” Amy started, her tone casual but with an underlying edge. “They were both raving about the charity event. They said it was the highlight of the season. They think I need to host one a month.”

Andrea nodded, focusing on a particularly stubborn knot in Amy’s shoulder. “I’m glad it went well.”

“Oh, it did,” Amy said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “Brad and I raised so much money. He was amazing, handling everything. Everyone was so impressed with him.”

Andrea bit back a retort about Brad’s behavior at the event. The man had been so obviously flirting with both staff members and guests at the party and had not given his wife any attention. Instead, she kept her tone neutral. “That’s good to hear.”