“Oh sure.” There was laughter in her voice. “Someday I’ll take over for Dad, my hair will turn gray and I’ll be seventy and showing lawyers and trophy wives how to bait hooks. And cleaning up beaches of naughty bits.”
Nate didn’t laugh but kept looking at her profile.
Terri turned toward him, but she didn’t meet his eyes. “You finished? I need to get back to work.”
It was still raining hard. Nate got up, empty plate and glass in hand. “What do we do next?”
She stood up. “I need to check on the cabins. You can... You’re a guest here. Go enjoy yourself. I’m sure there are people in the clubhouse.”
“I could have an exciting game of pinochle.”
“Are you kidding? The Player wives are into strip poker.”
“Hedonistic place, isn’t it?”
“Not on my part,” she said, then started to correct herself. She didn’t want to sound like some lonely heart. “At least not when the Turner Twins aren’t here.” She had the satisfaction of seeing Nate blink. As she headed for the kitchen, she turned so he wouldn’t see her smile.
“I’ll go with you,” he said as he washed their dishes and left them on the stainless steel rack to drain.
“Checking cabins is no fun.” She couldn’t suppress the hope in her voice. “It’s dull work. And this rain isn’t going to stop.”
“When you’re on a camel in the desert and the sun is trying to sizzle your brain, you dream of rain like this.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re scared that if you don’t go with me, Dad will ask you to do something awful, and you’re afraid of the women playing strip poker. You’re using your travels to make me take you with me, aren’t you?”
“Pretty much. Actually, that’s exactly right. Please? I won’t be any bother. I’ll carry your umbrella, and who are the Turner Twins?”
Terri made a face as though she was contemplating his request. “I don’t carry an umbrella and they’re double boyfriends. They’ll be here for Widiwick.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask what that means.”
“You get a wish.”
“Like right now I wish the very kind and caring and really beautiful Terri Rayburn would let me go with her and not leave me alone with a bunch of half-naked women? That kind of wish?” Her eyes widened at his words. “I think I’m an imbecile. Give me a ride back to the clubhouse, will you?”
Terri laughed. “On the behalf of my former schoolmate, Stacy Hartman, you’re going with me. Do you always get your way?”
“Mostly.” Nate was grinning. “So where do we go first?”
“The Mortons leave homemade cookies in the freezer for me.”
“Yeah? Any game birds anywhere? I invited some people over for Saturday next and I thought I’d stuff a few quail or maybe Cornish hens and grill them.”
She drew in her breath. “How many people did you invite?” There was horror in her voice.
He went to the front door and opened a coat closet. “Think Gary would mind if I borrow his rain gear?”
“It’s Greg, and how many people?”
“Just three adults and three kids.” He put on rain gear and held Terri’s coat for her. “You see, I have this plan. I’ve found some very interesting retired people here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my travels, it’s that old people and young ones belong together. I saw a kid was playing with a toy airplane so I want him to meet—”
“Hugh Evans,” Terri said. “Former pilot.”
“Yes. Sound like a good idea?”
“A great one.” Terri was very serious. “But if the word party is spread around, everyone at the lake will show up.”
Nate opened the door. “We’ve got over a week to plan. How about if we cook something Egyptian? You can help. Or is what your dad said about your cooking true?”