“It could be,” Adeline told her with all sincerity.
“Could be what?” Crash asked, coming up from behind them with Mase and Cisco following.
“Could be enough time before lunch for us to unpack and catch our breath,” Adeline responded.
Hilly appreciated the save. “Sure. If you guys would rather do that, we can put off your tour until later, and do it while the kids have free time and none of us are teaching or supervising anything.”
“I’d like that,” Adeline said. “I’m not the best traveler, so I could use a little down-time.”
“Take as long as you like,” Hilly smiled at her. “This is your vacation, after all.” She then realized she had no clue if Adeline worked outside the home or not. “At least I assume it is,” she added.
Adeline laughed as they weaved their way toward the cabin where the pair and Coco would be residing. “I’m in marketing, and after a really bad experience with an old boss, I quit and began freelancing. Which means I can do my job from wherever I park my ass.”
“That’s great. I did sort of the same thing after I got out of college, before I inherited the camp. Then I gave it up because I’m here half the year, and working in an attorney’s office for the balance.”
“Who does your marketing for the camp?” Adeline asked. “You know, like your PR and your website?”
“I do.” Hilly scrunched up her nose. “It’s not optimum, since I don’t really have the time to devote to it, but I’ve managed to bring the camp to capacity this year for the first time, simply by word of mouth.”
“That’s awesome.” She looked hesitant for a second. “Would I be overstepping if I asked to take a look? Maybe I can tweak things for you.”
“Would I mind?” Hilly came back incredulously. “Are you kidding? I’d freaking love it.”
“Then it’s a plan. I’ll see if anything needs sprucing up. And if you notice me taking pictures around, don’t worry. I won’t use your campers’ faces unless their parents sign releases.”
“I’m not worried,” Hilly responded almost giddily. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” She bit her lip. “Damn. Now I’m afraid I’m not paying you and your husband nearly enough for being here.”
“Seriously?” Adeline laughed. “A summer away from the hustle and bustle of the city? A camp setting with free meals as well as all the fun and games we can possibly imagine? I feel like we should be paying you.”
Hilly opened the door to her newcomers’ cabin, and held it ajar for Adeline to look in. “Don’t make any rash statements until you see where you’ll be living.”
Three hours later, Hilly felt like she had new friends for life. The pair had settled in, professed their love of their accommodations, then had come to find her and her companions in the dining hall.
Over lunch, with Buffy giving her waggling eyebrows from a table across the room, Hilly began to feel more at ease. Crash proved to be hysterically funny, and Adeline was so warm and giving of her time, Hilly wanted to adopt them both and never let them go. It buoyed her up to an even greater degree that Cisco was showing her more public affection than he had at any time in the past two weeks. Perhaps he was staking some kind of claim in front of company? Whatever was in his head, Hilly wasn’t going to complain about the number of times he touched her; a hand to her back here, a brush to her arm there, a kiss to her cheek…
With the touchy-feely vibe Cisco was giving off, it was all Hilly could do not to drag the man into the woods. And now that Adeline and Buffy had met and joined forces, the two would probably help her tie the man up and haul him anywhere Hilly wanted.
The idea had certain appeal, and Hilly’s lips twitched upward as she finished chewing her last bite of salad.
“What’s funny?” Cisco asked, having polished off his third grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
Of course he’d seen her little grin.
Should she tell him? Hilly wasn’t sure, and bought some time.
“Just thinking about how dangerous the combination of Buffy and Adeline is going to be, moving forward.”
Cisco chuckled. “You’re not including yourself in that group? I can already see that the three of you are going to be thick as thieves.”
Hilly gave him a wide-eyed, innocent look. “Moi?” she responded in her best Miss Piggy voice.
Cisco snorted. “Don’t give me that. I don’t for a second buy your harmless expression. What are you planning?”
Okay. Fine. He wanted to know what was on her mind? Hilly leaned in close and gave it to him, after taking a moment to breathe in his rich, masculine scent.
She made her voice purposely sultry. “I was imagining enlisting their help in tying you up and dragging you off into the woods where I could have my way with you.”
Cisco spluttered.
Hilly watched his face in fascination.
She had no idea that a man with skin so dark could blush so prettily. And, hell yes, she liked that he was the one at a loss for a change.
He finally picked up his napkin and coughed into it before edging close and whispering back.
“Really, Hilly? You say that here? With a hundred or more people watching?”
She continued to tease. “Why? What would you do if they weren’t?”
Cisco’s eyes smoldered. “I’d clear this table with one sweep of my arm, rip those tantalizing short-shorts right off you, and give myself a very different kind of meal.”
Holy hell. Now it was Hilly’s time to blush.
She could picture it vividly.
And she wanted it with every molecule in her now-shuddering body.
