“And?” he prompted, his eyes glued to hers.

“And it might have made me crush on you, pretty hard.” She bit her lip.

Cisco groaned. “Seriously, Hilly? You’re going to tell me that, now?” He pulled her in tightly, and she could feel how much her words had affected him. The breeches he wore were in danger of bursting open with his enthusiasm.

Hilly giggled. “I didn’t know that admitting I had a crush on you would make that happen.” She rocked her belly into him, her confidence suddenly soaring.

“Spoiler alert, Hilly. Everything you do makes that happen,” he told her. “But it sucks especially badly right now, because I have a class to teach in a few minutes. So as much as I love being exactly where I am, I’m going to have to put air between us in order to have things that kids shouldn’t see…subside.”

With one last wiggle of her hips, Hilly backed up. Although what she really wanted was to take the newfound, freedom-from-her-past-high she was experiencing, drag Cisco back to her cabin, and have her way with him. But she couldn’t tell him that. He was trying to make…things, go away.

She giggled instead.

“What evil thoughts are you having in that pretty head?”

She hummed giddily. “That maybe during swim time later on, we can leave oversight to Alvi and Buffy, and perhaps…take a walk? A looong, walk,” she clarified.

“Seriously, Hilly?” he huffed. “You’re not helping my condition. We need to talk about something distasteful.”

All the steam went out of Hilly as Marty’s distasteful threats came rolling back over her.

Cisco dropped his chin to his chest. “Now you’re thinking about what Marty and Cottins are trying to do, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I am,” Hilly admitted, shaking her head. “I’m worried, Cisco. What if they’ve got an expensive, high-powered attorney?”

“Then you prove that facts are facts. Who did you use to fight him the last time?”

Hilly felt a little of her confidence return. “The law firm my mother and I work for. They’ve been so supportive.”

Cisco looked rightfully confused. “Work for? But you…? The camp…?

Hilly grinned. “This is my part-time gig, Cisco. Mom and I have a sweet deal going. During the summer months when I’m busy with camp, my mother does the job. During my off season, I take over so my parents can travel.”

Cisco’s face cleared. “That is a sweet deal.” He grew thoughtful. “And the lawyers where you work know all about what Marty’s attempted; what he’ll continue to attempt?”

“They do. And the firm’s managing partner was the one who helped my grandmother draw up her will. Marty’s assertion during his first attack was that Gran wasn’t in her right mind at the time, which was quickly debunked. I’m just worried he’s come up with something more believable this time.”

“Don’t let it rattle you,” Cisco comforted as they turned to walk away from the parking lot. He picked up her hand, and she curled her fingers into his, loving the feel of their palms touching. “I promise I’ll help bury him. He’s not a nice guy. I’ll make his arrest records available to your lawyers, so if it comes down to a hearing, they can use them to bring his true character to light for the presiding judge.”

Hilly immediately felt lighter, knowing she had Cisco’s support. The offer he’d so adamantly made had her all warm and gooey inside. Not because she didn’t have other people helping, but because it showed that the more personal feelings he’d professed weren’t just an anomaly.

Damn. Cisco was a great guy. Every hard, mouth-watering bit of him.

“Look at you, coming to my rescue, once again,” she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

He squeezed her hand. “I have a lot to make up for.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Two weeks flew by after the contentious visit from her father. In the meantime, she’d had a bunch of nasty texts from Langford Cottins, each one pressuring her more and more to sell before the lawsuit was filed and she “lost everything she valued” for being a stubborn bitch.

Hilly kept all the texts in a special file, just in case his correspondence and slurs might help her win her case. Other than that, Hilly had given neither the threats nor the developer’s continual offers any consideration. There was no way she was selling, and if he or Marty thought she’d cower in a court of law, they were dead wrong.

Of course, it helped to have the amazing support of the firm she and her mother worked for, as well as the broad shoulders of her friends. Buffy and Ellen were firmly and quite vocally on her side, and while Alvero had been here, he’d remained ultra-vigilant on her behalf, lest Cottins or Marty make a return appearance.

Then there was Cisco. He’d made a point of hanging around late on the Tuesdays and Thursdays when he was scheduled. But he’d also shown up at random times during the week after finishing his shifts at the OPD. Last weekend he’d appeared out of the blue on Saturday morning, on the pretext of helping Alvi build more stuff.

Hilly gave a mental shrug. Who was she to discourage him? She’d certainly benefited from the unplanned visits, gleaning furtive kisses behind trees, inside the supply barn, and even once, underwater when they’d both been swimming. What Cisco hadn’t done, was escalate beyond furtive touches and light kisses, and Hilly was beyond frustrated. She thought the air had been completely cleared after Marty had outed who she’d been in the past, but maybe…

No. She shouldn’t doubt Cisco. He’d said he liked her.

Buffy had repeatedly called her a dumb-ass, and talked her down off the various ledges on which she continued to perch. Well, more like her best friend had scoffed. “Do you not see how that man’s hungry for you?” she’d laughed. “If you were a four-course meal, he’d sate his appetite, and there wouldn’t be a crumb of you left on the table by the time he was finished.”

It was a metaphor that had covered her in goose-bumps.

Hilly had derived some reassurance from that, but as time passed and Cisco continued to treat her like spun glass, she still couldn’t help doubting herself.

Old habits were hard to break.

Hilly pondered the anomaly that was Cisco while she watched the road for her new arrivals.

Yeah. Her new arrivals.

Alvero, much to her sadness, had left early that morning. He’d had to go back to work, and she’d lamented that his replacement couldn’t possibly fit in here as well as the gregarious man. Alvi had loved the emotional sendoff, but told her Mason Sothard had assured him his replacement, Dean “Crash” Christopherson, was more than up for the job.

But the man was from freaking San Antonio.

When Mason—as well as a large group of acquaintances he’d tagged to help find Hilly a replacement medic—had come up blank locally, he’d reached out to a good buddy in Texas, who, he said, always had answers and solutions. That man, Quint Axton, had immediately proven to be a godsend, and had found the exact person they needed.

Crash, a close friend of Quint’s and a firefighter in the city, had—a few days prior to Mason reaching out—broken his wrist while knocking down walls during a particularly bad building blaze. He’d been put on mandatory medical leave for six weeks. That sucked for him, but was great news for Hilly, because as well as a firefighter, the man was a certified paramedic. He held all the credentials needed to fill the vacant spot here at camp for the rest of the summer. Hilly couldn’t believe her luck… Well, not luck exactly, it was actually the benefit of having good friends.

When Crash had been told about the opening here at camp, he’d jumped at the chance to have a Maine vacation. His only question being, could he bring his wife, Adeline, and their dog, Coco?

Hilly had assured him they’d all be welcome, although she’d warned them their accommodations were not exactly five-star. But if they thought they might enjoy cabin living, along with all things outdoors, she’d welcome them with open arms.

They’d agreed with alacrity and a healthy dose of excitement.

A big, honking SUV now headed her way as she stood with Buffy, waiting in the parking lot. She could only assume it was her new medic. But when the vehicle came to a halt and the doors finally opened, not only did two fresh new faces—along with a four-legged friend—pop out, but Mason and Cisco alighted.

“What are you doing here?” Hilly asked breathlessly, as Cisco strode over to brush a very quick kiss across her lips.

“I took the day off. I thought I’d show Crash the ropes and help get him and his wife settled. If that’s okay with you,” he added, a little belatedly.

She stuck out her tongue so only he could see, tasting where his mouth had touched hers, hoping to tease him a little while wishing—for the hundredth time in the past two weeks—that he’d take his affections a bit deeper. If Buffy was correct, and Cisco’s interest in her was real, what the hell was he waiting for?

Hilly turned from him, taking a deep breath, and pasting on a bright smile to greet the others. “Hi, Mason. It’s great to see you again. Why do I have the feeling you finagled your way here at lunchtime so you could sample your mother’s cooking?”