Page 6 of The Summer Intern

“The trauma is not processed yet!I’ll drive after I have a few more years of therapy,” I said, not wanting to admit he had a point.What if he had plans?I glanced at my brother.

Okay, he probably wouldn’t have plans, but still.

I stared out the front window, growing more jittery with each passing mile.What if this job was a huge mistake?What if they were murderers?

I pushed my hair out of my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts.No matter what happened, at least I was taking a chance on something I believed in.And I had to keep my eyes on the prize — camp director Sutton.

As we rounded a sharp corner, the trees parted to reveal a breathtaking vista.A vast, crystalline lake stretched before us, its surface a mirror reflecting snow-capped mountains that pierced the sky.The sheer majesty of it hit me like a punch to the gut.

Oliver gasped.

“Oh shit, are we going to die?”I screamed, clutching the armrests.

My brother rolled his eyes."Relax, drama queen.Why would we die?”

“You gasped.”

“I was gasping in wonder at the view."He waved his hand at the big, snow-covered lake, glistening in the sun like it was covered in glitter.

"Oh.Um, yeah.Don’t gasp while you’re driving in the snow.Didn’t Mom ever teach you that?"

Oliver snorted."How is it possible we grew up in the same family?Look at how gorgeous the mountains are behind the lake."

I stuck my tongue out at him."Excuse me, I have plenty of appreciation for views and trees and stuff.I just prefer to appreciate nature from indoors, next to a cozy fire, while drinking a nice drink."I paused, a dreamy smile spreading across my face."Preferably with a sexy man like Sutton by my side."

Oliver laughed, and we came around a bend to find a big parking area and a log-cabin-style lodge, covered in snow that would look perfect on a Christmas card.

My stomach did a little flip.This was it.I was about to see Sutton again.I flipped open the visor mirror and checked my hair as Oliver climbed out of the Prius, stretching his arms above his head.I followed, blinking at the bright sun.

Instead of the stunning assistant director, a tall, dark-haired man emerged from the building, lifting a hand in a casual wave as he jogged down the porch steps.Matt.Still wearing a man bun and hiking boots, though I supposed they looked more appropriate here.

My heart sank.

"Glad you could make it!"Matt called out, his blue eyes twinkling as his eyes landed on Oliver."And you must be the younger brother."

Oliver stuck out his hand.“Oliver.I’m essentially Casey’s driver, whether I like it or not,” my traitor of a brother said.“He has a tendency to crash cars.”

“I do not crash.That much,” I hissed, elbowing my brother.“Just the one time with the butterfly who was out to kill me… And the…” I trailed off, realizing Matt was staring at me, brows up.Better not tell him about the chihuahua incident.

“Well, thank you for making sure he got here safely,” Matt said, giving Oliver’s hand a firm shake.Then he gave me a salute.“I appreciate that you’re so willing to protect him from errant butterflies.And it’s good to see you, Casey.”

I blinked in confusion.Why was he acting happy to see me?I'd torn his head off over the camp's lack of an arts program.Surely he found me irritating.

Matt looked every inch the stereotype of a lumberjack, or maybe a lumbersexual hipster.From his messy man bun to his neatly trimmed beard, to the flannel shirt and Patagonia puffy vest, he was like a walking REI catalog.I half expected him to whip out a chainsaw from behind his back and offer to chop our firewood for us.

Which made me wonder, if chainsaws existed, why were men always using axes to chop wood?Was it just so they could flex their muscles on Instagram?

"Um, thanks," I mumbled, realizing I’d never answered."Where's Sutton?"

Matt smiled."Sutton is on vacation in Hawaii this week.He and his fiancé, Ben, are taking a break from the cold weather and checking out a possible wedding venue.It’s a little extravagant, but I’m not going to complain if they want to get married in Hawaii.I’m the best man, after all.”

Wait, what?“He has his cranky boss as his best man?”

Matt tilted his head, frowning.“No, I’ll be on the other side of the aisle.Ben is my stepbrother.And I don’t think I’m cranky.”

“Well, it sounds fun to me.You get to go to a beach, AND skip out on wearing a tux?Win-win,” Oliver said, looking uncomfortable.

Matt laughed.“Right?I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that I don’t even own a tux.”

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