“Last one in’s a rotten egg!” Ivy took off laughing with Jade close behind.
“Guess I’d better get a move on.” Setting down his beer, Kane followed close behind the girls as they all hit the water.
His head bobbed next to Ivy’s small one while Jade swam ahead in a strong crawl.
Lark made brief eye contact as she came down to the shore with her two new friends. They strapped on life vests and climbed into a canoe, which rocked precariously as they shoved off. Greg and Mimi Andrews settled under a beach umbrella a short distance away, and Rachel gave them a smile and nod. The two young men she’d met at lunch walked by carrying fishing gear. They called out a greeting as they passed. She waved in return then covered a yawn. It was that sort of afternoon. Apparently, Daisy agreed. She flopped down in a patch of shade and let out a groan.
Relaxing under a warm sun, Rachel closed her eyes as she drifted in a languid state between sleep and wakefulness. When a quiver of unease shot through her, she sat up to look around, wondering what had disturbed her. Kane and the girls were swimming back, and Lark was still out in the canoe. Mimi stood knee-deep at the edge of the lake while her husband read a magazine. The two fishermen had disappeared from sight. A scuffling noise sounded behind her. She turned her head as a young boy tore down the path toward the lake. He was followed by a man wearing walking shorts and a tan camp shirt. Rachel frowned. He looked familiar.
Jade and Ivy swam ashore. Shivering, they ran to her, looking for towels.
“Didn’t you bring them down with you?” She twisted and inched sideways to see behind them.
As Kane swam back toward the rock, his strong arms cleaved the water in graceful strokes.
“We forgot.” Jade’s teeth chattered as Ivy huddled close to her.
Rachel returned her attention to the girls and levered to her feet. “The two of you can share mine while I go get a couple from the cabin.”
She hurried up the path. A squirrel chirped at her from the protection of a bush, and a blue jay squawked on an overhead tree branch. Reaching the cabin, she paused to look around. The breeze blew lightly. Nearby, a rock clattered. Rachel peered around the side of the structure. Something moved in the trees up the hillside.
Another camper or an animal—squirrel or bear?
A shiver worked down her spine. Grabbing the towels from the cabin, she headed back to the lake. “Here you go.”
Jade took the towels. “Thanks. We’re going to go lie on the dock and warm up.”
Kane walked up from the water and stopped beside them.
Ivy peeked at him from behind dripping bangs. “Thanks for swimming with me. Maybe we could do it again tomorrow.”
He smiled back. “Any time you like.”
“That was nice of you.” Rachel sat down on her damp towel. “I appreciate it.”
“Swimming with your daughter wasn’t exactly a chore.” He stretched out beside her. “I even swam a couple of extra laps.”
Rachel tried hard not to stare and failed. Kane’s broad, tanned shoulders glistened with moisture. Droplets of water clung to the dusting of hair covering his chest, which narrowed to a damp trail that disappeared inside his shorts. She licked dry lips and took a sip of her lukewarm cola. “I appreciate it anyway.”
“Did you take a nap while we were gone?”
“I was almost asleep when something disturbed me.”
“What woke you?”
“Um, probably a squirrel.”
“You seem a little distracted.” His eyes were bright with amusement as he studied her.
“I noticed your scar.” It was a lame attempt to excuse her fascination with his chest. “Grace told me you’d been shot.”
He ran a finger over the ridge of puckered flesh below his collar bone. “Does it bother you?”
She shook her head. “It’s not exactly disfiguring. Is it painful?”
“Not anymore.”
Kane stretched, and Rachel’s choked on her drink.
He glanced her way. “I should probably head back up to see if Jed needs any help.”
“Will I see you around later?”
“Count on it. We’re planning a bonfire for this evening. I’ll be sure to look for you there. Dress warm. It gets cold as soon as the sun goes down.”
Rachel nodded. “Thanks again for swimming with the girls.”
“I enjoyed it.” A smile tilted his lips. “Maybe next time you’ll shed that cover-up and join us.”
He left before she could answer, and Rachel let out a deep breath. The man was lethal. She fanned herself with her book. His sex appeal quotient was off the charts, and she felt like a walking hormone, which was ridiculous. She was thirty-five and the mother of three, not a sex-starved teenager. She had more than enough on her plate dealing with the girls. Getting worked up over a man was just plain foolish.
Maybe she would take a swim. After her conversation with Kane, a dip in icy water was just what she needed to cool off. Scrambling to her feet, she ran down to the lake and jumped in.
Chapter 5
“Make sure you put on a warm jacket.” Rachel zipped her coat. “Don’t forget a flashlight. It’s going to be dark when we come back.”
Jade sorted through her suitcase. “I can’t find one. Where did you put them?”
“They’re in the bag with the extra towels. Lark, are you ready to go?”
Lark nodded, an actual smile curving her lips as she tugged a knit hat over her hair. “Can I bring my guitar? Lauren has a flute, and she wants us to play something together.”
“Of course you can, honey. Where the heck is Daisy’s leash? I thought I left it on the table when I tied her up before dinner.”
“Here it is.” Ivy came out from under the table. “The leash must have fallen off when I set the water bottles down earlier.”
“You do tend to meet yourself coming and going in this place.” Rachel looked around their cramped quarters. “It seemed bigger when we first got here.”
“That’s because Jade hadn’t spread her stuff all over the place yet.” Lark edged toward the door.
“Your sister has a point.” Rachel eyed Jade’s scattered clothes. “You’re going to have to keep your stuff cleaned up. There isn’t room to swing a cat in here.”
“I will when we get back. Let’s go.”
Pleased that her daughters—all her daughters—seemed eager to get down to the campfire, Rachel shut the door, clipped Daisy’s leash to her collar then followed them down the trail toward the southern end of the lake where a huge bonfire burned brightly against the darkening sky. The last few rays of light glimmered on the mountain peaks as the sun sank below the horizon. Other campers were leaving their cabins. A little boy broke loose from his father and ran full tilt into Lark, knocking them both to the ground. Rachel hurried forward as Lark scrambled to her feet.
“I’m so sorry.” The father lifted his son off the ground. “Rex, you need to apologize to this girl. You could have hurt her.”
“I’m fine.” Lark brushed off her jeans. She retrieved her guitar case and looked up at the man. Her eyes widened. “Mr. Olmstead, is that you?”
“My goodness, Lark, I didn’t recognize you