Sunkissed, Kasie West [best authors to read TXT] 📗

tomorrow look like from over there? Because from here it looks a lot like yesterday, and I can’t rewrite history,’ ” I said, tweaking the last line of the lyric slightly.

Brooks nodded as if he agreed with the change and added, “ ‘Even though I’ve tried before.’ ”

I hated that he thought he was selfish for wanting to pursue music. He could be there for his family and still dream. I repeated his lyric aloud a couple times, trying to think what could come next in the song. Finally I spit out, “ ‘It’s time for change, for letting go, for wanting more.’ ”

His magic smile was back. “Look at you trying to add hope to my songs.”

“If you don’t like that line, it could be something like—”

“No, I like it. It fits. And the guys are always telling me that every song needs at least a little hope in it. I guess we just needed someone in the writing sessions who has some.”

I was about to respond when his watch started beeping.

“Time’s up,” he said, collecting the arrows from the bark, then looking over his shoulder as he headed to the others across the way. “Did you want to try one last shot?”

I stared at the arrows. That was the whole point of this, right? To shake myself awake. I smiled as I realized this experiment of mine was way more fun to do with someone else. And it didn’t hurt at all that the someone else was the attractive, confident, guitar-playing Brooks, who I absolutely did not have a crush on at all. “Yes.”

I walked down the trail, toward my cabin, my eyes on my dusty ankles. We’d been here over a week and I was never going to get used to how dirty my feet always were.

“Avery!”

The beach area and docks had just closed for the day and several people were tugging canvas totes and tired kids along the path, blocking my view. I weaved through a group until I saw Maricela on the beach by the swimming area, dragging a lounge chair back into its spot. She waved at me when I finally saw her.

“Hi!” I said, stepping over a knee-high rope border and around the snack hut, where an employee was retracting the awning, to join Mari on the sand.

“Where are you coming from?” she asked.

“The lodge. Lauren and I made some really lopsided vases.” Again, Brooks and I hadn’t made a plan, so instead of some cool outing, I was left with whatever the camp schedule offered.

“Ah, pottery? Fun.”

I patted my bicep. “It was a workout.”

“See you later, Maricela,” the girl from the snack hut called.

“Bye, Lucy! Thanks for letting me raid the candy stash today.”

Lucy held a peace sign in the air.

Back to me, Maricela said, “Speaking of workouts, in a couple days, I have to lead a hike up to the natural slides. The list fills up fast, so I added you and your sister.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Try to tell your face that.” She threw a striped beach towel into a pile she’d started by a standing umbrella.

I followed suit and collected more used towels that had been left on chairs. “No, it does.”

“Good because D signed up to co-lead with me and I need to make sure some people I like are going to be there.”

“I thought she was front desk duty.”

“She is, just like I’m lifeguard, but Janelle is all about employee satisfaction and she lets us pick a few extra things each summer to mix it up. So we don’t get bored.”

“And you picked a hike?”

“Not just any hike! It’s the natural slides. You’ll see why I picked it soon.”

“Can’t wait.”

A loud buzzing noise sounded by the docks, making me jump. Clay stood on the end, holding up a megaphone. “Lake activities are closed for the day. Please return.”

A lone red kayak was at least fifty yards out, turning in circles.

“You must paddle on both sides,” Clay said. “No, both!”

Maricela laughed as she lowered the back of a lounger.

Past the kayak, on the opposite shore, something caught my eye. Some bright, multicolored…balloons? They were bobbing and bouncing, attached to or tangled around a tree trunk. “What is that?” I asked.

“It’s a person who doesn’t know how to work a kayak,” Maricela said.

“No, past him.”

She was squinting now, too, and sighed. “I swear. People are so rude. Always leaving their trash everywhere. Come on.”

She beelined it to the docks, where Clay was now helping the kayaker onto solid ground. The man seemed wobbly as he dropped his life jacket in a pile of others and moved past us.

“You’re welcome,” Clay mumbled, now tying up the kayak.

“Clay,” Maricela said.

“What? You heard nothing,” he said, then stood and began gathering the life jackets and tossing them into an open shed by the lifeguard stand.

“How about untying one of the canoes for us?” Maricela asked sweetly.

“What? Why? I need to clean up.”

She pointed and when Clay saw what we had, he walked down the wooden planks and freed a canoe at the far end. It was a two-seater but he climbed in after us, sitting on the hump in the middle. They each grabbed a paddle, but since there were only two, I was left empty-handed. As we glided across the lake, it seemed twice as far as it had from the docks.

When we reached the shore, Maricela, who was in the front, hopped out and held on to a handle while Clay and I climbed out. Then Clay dragged the canoe farther onto the sand.

“Is this still part of the camp over here?” I asked.

“No,” Maricela said. “This is the state park.”

The balloons were tied around the trunk of the tree just past the shoreline and were banging into each other, creating an unnatural rhythm in the forest.

“Anyone bring a knife?” Clay asked as we approached.

“You don’t carry one?” Maricela asked.

I smiled. “Is that a man requirement?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I guess I’ve failed as a man,” Clay said.

I took