Page 34 of Tell Me Again
She laughed but her gaze flitted away from his.
Shit. She had a double life.
“In that case—”
“I have class.”
His turn to blink.
“I’m in college, Trevor. Don’t laugh.”
One hell of a double life.
“I’m not laughing.” He rocked back on his heels and watched her grab the corner of the counter, her knuckles turning white. “It’s a surprise.”
“Because I dropped out of high school and—”
He moved forward, peeled her hand from the countertop, and laced his fingers with hers. “Because you’re already a success.”
“Genetics,” she whispered. “I wanted something more. It’s not a big deal.”
“What are you studying?”
“Counseling, with a minor in business.” She cleared her throat, her gaze fixed on their joined hands. “I employ smart, talented people at the camp. When I bought the property, my plan was to be a silent funder. But my camp director had a family crisis and quit two weeks into the first season. I took over and found I liked being hands-on. But I want to know what I’m doing. Officially. A degree...” She paused, shook her head. “I want it for me. It means something.”
“Good for you.” He placed a finger on her jaw and turned her face so that she was forced to look at him. “I’m glad you have this life, Sam. It suits you.”
“It was a fluke,” she said softly. “I hadn’t planned any of this, but I’d been up here early in my career for a photo shoot. The feeling I got from the land never left me.”
He didn’t answer because his legs felt weak.
“The photos you showed me before you left for Europe senior year,” he murmured after a moment.
“What?”
“You showed me a photo spread right before you left. They were taken on this property, in front of the lake.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“The images were breathtaking.”
She nodded. “The photographer was really great.”
“The photos were special because of you,” he insisted. “I know that for sure. It was you.”
She studied him as if she could tell there was more he wasn’t saying.
“Don’t worry about Thursday,” he said quickly, needing to change the subject.
“My class is over at seven. I can talk to the professor. It’s probably not a problem if I leave early. What time does the concert start?”
“Six thirty.”
“I’ll make it work.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to be there, Trevor.”
“Grace will be thrilled.”
She tilted her head as if she wanted to ask him something, but only rose up on her toes to kiss him again. “Thanks for the invitation. I’m going to find everyone. Come out when you need a break.”
He watched her walk away then turned back to the kitchen. What he needed was to lose himself in his job before he once again lost his heart to Sam Carlton.
