The silence lay thickly over the car. They passed a sign for Highway 95 and Nick turned onto it. In twenty minutes, they were pulling through the main gates of the guesthouse. Neither of them had spoken a single word since leaving the park. Nick pulled up in front of the main building and Celeste put her hand on the door handle, ready to jump out as soon as he stopped the car.
He braked and she swung open the door. “Wait,” he said suddenly, putting his hand on her bare knee.
Celeste hesitated. She just wanted to get out of there, but Nick’s face looked so plaintive that she reluctantly swung her leg back into the car and faced him again.
“What?” she said.
He took his hand off her knee. “Look,” he said. “I’m sorry—I was an idiot back there. I just talk out of my ass sometimes.”
“Yeah, I’ll say,” Celeste snapped. But Nick didn’t flare up. He just stared at his lap until Celeste felt a little bad for her ungracious response.
“Whatever’s going on with you and Travis is none of my business, okay? I’ll just keep my rich-boy self away from him.”
Celeste winced. “I’m sorry about that. It just came out. But I don’t want you stirring up trouble with me and Travis.” She paused. He looked over at her, almost pinning her against the car door with his hot blue gaze.
Suddenly, the air in the car felt unbearably close. Celeste fumbled for the door handle. “I have to get out of here, okay?”
Nick nodded without looking at her. She could see the muscles of his clenched jaw standing out under his skin. He gripped the steering wheel and stared. “So, planning meeting tomorrow night?” he asked.
Celeste nodded and swung her legs back out of the car. “Yeah. See you in the dining room at nine.” She shut the door and stood watching as the Alfa Romeo purred away toward the Saunders guesthouse. Celeste stood in the middle of the path, her hands hanging forlornly by her sides. Earlier, she’d thought she’d been too hard on Nick, but once again, he’d proved himself the arrogant jerk he’d always been. She started walking slowly back to the bungalow. But if Nick really was just trying to stir her up, why was she letting him get to her? She and Travis belonged together, so Nick’s opinion shouldn’t even faze her. Unfortunately, telling herself that didn’t make her any less fazed.
Chapter Nineteen
God, it’s hot,” Celeste said, on her hands and knees in the soft dirt. She troweled up another hole and carefully set the flower plant in it. The sun was beating down on her back, right through her white polo shirt.
She’d managed to find a way to work with Travis for a day, to make up for spending so much time with Nick—
not that Travis knew that was the reason. Unfortunately, that meant planting petunias in the blazing heat all morning by the new guesthouses that were being built on the other side of the golf course.
“Yeah,” Travis agreed. He lifted another flat of the flowers out of the wheelbarrow. “I’m almost out of water too.”
“We’ll have to get some more from the main
building,” Celeste said. She sat up on her heels and wiped at her forehead with her arm, the only part of her that wasn’t dusty. There wasn’t anyone around—the guesthouses wouldn’t be ready for another couple of weeks and the workmen were apparently taking the day off.
Suddenly, Travis lay down his trowel. “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” he said.
“What?” Celeste asked. Any idea would be better
than this medieval labor. Why, why had she volunteered to do this, instead of her usual work, which would have been paperwork in the office? Boring, but at least it would have been cool.
“We’ve been planting for, like, two hours,” Travis said. “Let’s go cool off in one of the guesthouses. The guys put air-conditioning in the other day. We need a break.”
Celeste blinked. “Um, well, we’re not really supposed to be in the empty guesthouses.” Dad didn’t want anyone dirtying up the carpet or anything before guests even stayed there.
Travis leaned closer. “Come on! It’ll be nice and cool in there and … I promise a back massage to any girl who takes a break with me.” He rubbed her shoulders.
Celeste considered. The main building was a fifteen-minute walk away across the golf course, and no one would know they were taking a break in a guesthouse if they were careful. She lay down her own trowel and cracked her back, gazing at her dirt-dusted, sweaty arms.
“Okay, but I’m just warning you—if we get caught, I’m going to swear you dragged me in there kicking and screaming.” She tried to channel Nick’s devilish grin.
Travis grabbed her hand. “Come on.” They got to
their feet and made their way to one of the buildings.
Celeste glanced around and then slid her card into the door slot and pushed it open. The place was hot and stuffy and smelled like new paint. The airy rooms were still unfurnished, but the carpet was laid in the main living room.
“Let’s get the AC on,” Travis said, striding over to the thermostat. Almost immediately, a stream of icy air began flowing out of the vent near Celeste, curling deliciously around her ankles.
“Oh my God, that feels amazing.” She went over to the sink in the empty kitchen and started running cold water over her arms and face. She splashed some on the back of her neck and wished she could just take a shower. She looked at Travis, who was randomly opening the cabinet doors. They’d never get back to the main building at this rate. Travis turned his back to check the thermostat again, and Celeste cupped her hands, filling them with water. She took aim and flung the icy water at Travis, hitting him square on the back of the neck.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Oh, you are in
