Twelve Years
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S. L. Adams
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Dr. Shelby Richardson is living the life she always dreamed of. A lavish life in New York City, far away from Montana and her impoverished childhood. The deep wounds to her heart have healed, gradually disappearing under a thick layer of scar tissue. Wounds that required many hours of therapy to close. When Shelby finds herself dumped and fired on the same day, she vows to regroup and start her life over. Years of therapy provided her with the strength and tools to prevent another nervous breakdown. Before she can make any decisions about her future plans, she must overcome one more hurdle. The Hawaiian wedding of her best friend, Gretchen. To Blake Remington, owner of Remington’s Reindeer Lodge and best friend of Alex Benson. The boy who broke her heart twelve years ago. As the wedding party embarks on a five-day cruise to Hawaii, Shelby and Alex call a truce, agreeing to be civil for the sake of the bride and groom.
Chapter 1
SHELBY
A warm, sweaty hand clamped around my ankle. I tried to yank my leg free, but he had a strong hold on me. The grips on the bottom of my water shoes weren’t designed for traction on a plastic waterslide.
My feet slipped out from under me, sending me tumbling onto my ass. They tugged me behind their raft as they began their descent.
Somebody grabbed the back of my shirt. But not quick enough. I had already picked up too much speed, and my would-be rescuer was coming down the slide behind me.
The boys lost their grip when we rounded the first bend. A pair of large hands encircled my waist as we plummeted toward the pool below. The slide dumped us into the deep water.
I went under but quickly resurfaced at the same time as the stranger who tried to save me. I sputtered and pushed my wet hair from my eyes. He ran his fingers through his dark locks.
Dreamy emerald-green eyes locked on mine as a wide smile spread across his face.
“Hi, there,” he said, his voice deep with no discernible accent to hint at where he might be from. He held out a hand. “I’m Alex.”
I accepted the large hand that swallowed up my dainty fingers. He was a big guy with ripped muscles.
“I’m Shelby.”
“You’re Gretchen’s friend, right?”
“Um, yes,” I stammered as he continued to fuck me with his eyes. “Thanks for trying to save me.”
“No problem.” His gaze drifted down to my chest before traveling back up to my eyes. “No problem at all. Sorry I didn’t catch you in time.”
“Those boys grabbed me.” I glanced over to the side of the pool where another lifeguard was giving them a lecture. A security guard appeared and led them away. “Little brats. They could’ve broken my ankle.”
“Are you okay?” he asked as we made our way to the ladder.
“Yes. Thanks again.”
He gestured for me to climb up. “Ladies first.”
“You just want to look at my butt.”
“I’m not gonna deny that,” he said with a cheeky grin.
***
I caught Alex staring at me a few times over the course of the evening as we moved guests down the slides.
He’s only after one thing.
You need to be careful.
You know his type.
I had no intention of giving it up to some college guy who was just looking to score. I was not my mother’s daughter in any way, shape, or form.
There was a nightly cleaning crew that came in after the park closed, but the lifeguards were responsible for completing safety checks, monitoring chlorine levels, and writing up reports on any incidents that occurred during the shift.
“I think that’s the busiest night since I got here,” Alex said.
I secured the chains across the top of the slides and tucked the clipboard under my arm. “When did you arrive?”
“I’ve been here for a month.”
“Yeah, it will get a lot busier now that the kids are out of school,” I said, glancing up at him with a shy smile as we headed down the stairs. “Are you enjoying it so far?”
“Yes. And it just got a whole lot better tonight.”
“Why’s that?”
“I got a new coworker, and she’s pretty cute.”
I shook my head while I tried to suppress the giggle at the back of my throat. “Do you flirt with all the lifeguards?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“More than half of them are guys.”
“Do you flirt with all the female lifeguards?”
“No. Most of the time it’s the other way around.”
“I see.”
“But none of them interest me.”
“How come?”
“They’re not my type.”
“That’s too bad.”
He paused as we reached the bottom of the stairs, his hand on the post to prevent my escape. “Aren’t you going to ask me what my type is?”
I rolled my eyes, deciding to indulge him so he would let me through. “What is your type, Alex?”
“Sweet, soft-spoken brunettes with beautiful smiles.”
“There are lots of girls here who meet your criteria.”
“I’ve only met one.”
“Maybe you should look a little harder.”
“Shelby!”
I turned to see Gretchen walking briskly toward us. “How was the wave pool?” I asked with a sly smirk.
The wave pool was the worst assignment in the waterpark and definitely the most difficult area to work in. It was big and busy, with tons of kids and adults bouncing around in the waves.
“You’ll get your turn, Shelby,” she snorted before her eyes took in the shameless flirt blocking the stairs. “Hello.”
“Gretchen, this is Blake’s roommate from college.”
“Alex,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Gretchen.”
“Uh-oh.”
“All good, of course,” he assured her.
“Blake needs to speak with you two about the incident with the teenage boys on the slide. He has to fill out an incident report and make sure you weren’t injured.”
“I told him I was fine when he came around earlier,” I said.
“I don’t know. I’m just the messenger. He’s in the locker room.”
“Will you wait for me?”
“Of course,” Gretchen said. “I’ll meet you over there. I just have to go do something.”
“What do you have to do?”
“Talk to someone about a thing.”
I shook my head before I crossed the park to the staff area. Alex punched in the security code and held open the door for me.
“Thanks,” I said.
Gretchen’s boyfriend of two years was in the locker room straddling a bench while he scribbled on a clipboard. Blake Remington’s family owned Remington’s Reindeer Lodge on Blue Mountain, west of Missoula, Montana.
In addition to the indoor waterpark, the year-round resort offered a wide range of outdoor activities for every season. Guests had the option to stay in the lodge or in cabins.
He glanced up when we came through the door, a curious smile spreading across his face. “How was the rest of your shift?”
“Uneventful,” I replied.
“Good to hear. I just need to go over the details of the incident before I submit this report.”
“What do you need to know?” Alex asked.
“Shelby told me that one of the guests grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her down the slide, but I’m not clear how you ended up going down.”
“I tried to rescue her.”
“Why didn’t you blow your whistle?”
“How was that going to stop her from going down?”
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “My dad wants me to make this go away. The parents of those kids are VIP customers.”
“Then fill out your stupid report and file it away,” Alex grumbled while he rummaged around in his locker. “If you’re rich, I guess you’re allowed to do whatever you want with no repercussions.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I wasn’t injured. It was just boys fooling around. They didn’t mean any harm.”
“Good. My father will be pleased to hear that. You’re free to go.”
“I’m gonna go find Gretchen.”
“I can walk you back to your cabin,” Alex offered.
“That’s not necessary,” I said. “I’m a big girl. But thank you.”
When we exited the locker room, I was surprised to find Gretchen waiting outside. I thought she had disappeared so I would be alone with Alex.
“You ladies have a good night,” Alex said, glancing at his phone. “I have to help move some tables before I go. See you tomorrow, Shelby.”
“See you tomorrow, Alex.”
My insides turned to mush when he grinned and winked at me before walking away.
“Oh. My. God.” Gretchen grabbed my arm as we headed down the path toward our cabin.
“What?”
“Alex has the hots for you.”
“He’s a college guy. He’s only interested in one thing.”
“Yeah. So?”
“So, I’m not that kind of girl.” I pulled my arm free and walked ahead of her.
“Shelby, you can’t go off to college a virgin.” She caught up to me as we passed the Employees Only sign at the entrance to the staff quarters.
“Why not?”
“Because you just can’t. You’re going to meet lots of guys when you get to Columbia, and it would be a good idea to get a little experience under your belt in the sex department.”
“He is hot,” I said with a dreamy sigh as I unlocked the door.
“Guys, wait up!”
Penny came down the path, half running, half walking. The three of us went to high school together in Missoula. Penny was a year older than Gretchen and me. She was more my friend than Gretchen’s. I’d known her since kindergarten.
Blake gave Penny an opportunity to work in the kitchen the previous summer. She made such an impression on the chef that he offered her a summer job the following year as his sous chef.
“Hey, Penny,” I said as she made her way up the steps.
“I’m so glad you guys are finally up here,” she panted, flopping down on my bed.
“Was it lonely without us?” Gretchen asked.
“At first, but I got used to it. It sucks that we aren’t sharing a cabin, though. I’m sleeping in a room with three other girls. In bunk beds!”
“I hope you’re on the bottom bunk,” Gretchen mumbled under her breath.
I shot her a warning look. She didn’t understand Penny like I did. Her weight issues were not all her fault. There was a genetic component. Her entire family was fluffy, as Penny jokingly referred to herself.
“I’ve been dying to tell you about the new hunky lifeguard,” Penny gushed. “I have a huge crush on him.”
Gretchen glanced at me with wide eyes. “Um, Penny, are you talking about Blake’s friend from Michigan?”
“Yes. Alex.”
