Beach House

She saw his wheels spinning before he said, "Okay."

She felt pretty sure he'd end up coming home at night, but Michelle knew it would be good for him to be around other boys full-time for a month. She wasn't going to insist, though. Just getting him to go to camp was a very big step in the right direction.

"All right! Adults? It's time for you to give your campers that one last hug. Remember, we allow visitors on Sundays from 10 am until 4 pm. Otherwise, this is it for those who are staying. Campers? Once your family members leave, your counselors will be dividing you up into teams and we'll get started. Is everyone ready?"

There was a modest shout back of 'yes' but Brock said, "Oh, that was weak! Are we READY?"

"YES!!" they all screamed at the top of their lungs.

"That's more like it! Okay, give everyone a hug and let's get this party started!"

"Okay, buddy. Have fun!" Michelle told Teague before giving him a hug.

She didn't cry until she turned around then had to admit that if he did choose to stay at camp, she'd be the one who'd be homesick for him. The only good news is Emma didn't see her tearing up, either, as they headed back to the car.

Emma was watching them divide up into groups, and when she saw that boys and girls would be in the same group any thought she had about attending camp went out the door. It was hard enough being around other girls, but any boy who wasn't Teague was asking too much. Emotionally, she and her brother were at about the same place in spite of the two-year difference in age, and Emma was behind most girls her own age.

Michelle did her best not to worry about Teague all that day but still went to get him a half-hour early. While they were there, one of the female counselors said hello to her and Emma.

"You're missing out on all the fun!" the young woman said to Emma with a bright, happy smile.

"What kind of fun?" Emma asked shyly.

"We play freeze tag, hide and go seek, tell stories, climb trees, and all kinds of fun things!"

"Do you think you'd like to try that, honey?" her mom asked.

"I don't know," Emma said as curiosity welled up inside her.

"We could let you try it for a day," the girl said.

She looked at Michelle then told her, "We'd just need the same waiver and information for her brother."

"How do you know I have a brother?" Emma asked.

"Well...our director told me about this beautiful woman he'd met at his beach house who has two children, so it wasn't hard to figure out who your mom is."

"Wait. Brock said that?" Michelle asked.

"Sadly, he did," she replied. "Pretty much every single girl here, including me, has a huge crush on him. I'm smart enough to realize I don't have a prayer, but a couple of the other girls are really cute, and one of them is smokin' hot."

She smiled at Michelle then said, "So if you like him, you might want to get a move on because the female hottie isn't wasting any time moving in."

"Oh, no. It's not like that. I mean, he's so much younger..."

"Maybe so, but he really seems to like you, so what else matters?" the counselor said interrupting her. "Listen, I gotta run, but you need to go for it. Unless you're not interested, of course. Either way, you're going to have some real competition on your hands so don't wait too long."

She turned to Emma then said, "I hope you'll give camp a try!"

"Where are you going, Mom?" Emma asked not really understanding what the counselor meant by 'going for it'.

"Crazy. I think I'm going crazy, Emmy Em," her mom said just as the campers were being released for the day.

"Mom!" Teague called out when he saw her.

"Hey, buddy! How was your first day?" she asked as he ran to her before they hugged.

"It was so awesome!" he said excitedly.

"Tell me all about it," his mom said as she stood up.

"We did everything!" Teague said before diving into a stream-of-consciousness talking that rabbit holed several times before he finally got it all out.

"I wanna go to camp, too," Emma said after her brother was finished.

"Well...okay," Michelle replied. "I'll get you signed up tomorrow morning."

That evening after the kids were in bed—thirty minutes after getting back to the beach house—she went out and sat on the porch again.

A few minutes passed in quiet solitude before she heard the sliding glass door open from Brock's side. In a second, she had a dog licking her face and its owner saying, "Jake! No! Down!"

Just like that, it was over as the dog obediently laid down beside her.

"Wow. That was impressive," Michelle said.

"We work at it," Brock replied. "So how did Teague like his first day?"

"Um...loved it would be the better word. Emma even wants to try it."

"Music to my ears!" he told her with a smile.

"More money in your pocket, right?" she said.

"Me? Oh, no. I don't get paid for this. Summer camp is a labor of love," Brock told her.

"Oh. I guess I'm guilty of making assumptions—again," Michelle had to admit. "I'm now going to make another one and assume that means you have another job somewhere."

Brock laughed then said, "Why, yes I do. I spend the other eleven months of the year doing it back in Seattle."

"Okay, I'm gonna get in trouble here, but if you went to college, you can't have been doing this other job very long or am I seriously misjudging your very youthful appearance?" she said making sure to smile.

"Well, thank you. I think," Brock said smiling back. "No, you're not wrong. I've only been there a year."

"That must be some job if you can take a month off from it. Sounds like a keeper to me."

"I enjoy it, and it pays the bills, so maybe I'll keep it. For a while anyway."

Michelle was dying to ask him what it was he did that paid the bills, but managed to bite her tongue.

Instead she said, "I hear you have quite the following among female camp counselors."

Brock laughed and said, "I guess so. We have some really good ones, you know."

"And some really cute ones along with one 'smoking hot one', or so I'm told," Michelle teased.

"Oh. You must mean April. Yeah, she's a cutie, that's for sure."

"A little birdie told me she's got it bad for you."

"She's a nice kid, but I don't pay much attention to girls her age," Brock said.

"Oh, I thought all the counselors were over 21."

"They are," he replied.

"Then what am I missing here? It's not like you're 30 or anything—are you? Isn't she at least close to your age?" Michelle asked wondering why she was asking.

"No, I'm not 30. As to the girls, chronologically, yes. It's reasonably close, I suppose with 'close' being relative. I just don't find women under 30 all that interesting," he told her with a smile.

"I'm no genius, but does that mean you find women over 30 interesting?"

"Not all women over 30. Just...some of them," he told her thereby telling her nothing.

"Well that clears everything up!" she said trying to sound pleasant but feeling very confused.

"I didn't realize I said anything confusing," Brock said.

"No, I don't suppose you did," Michelle said feeling even more confused.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I was teasing you, but I'm getting the feeling it didn't come across that way."

"Oh, no. You weren't being rude. I was sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong. I don't typically do that, and I'm not quite sure why I chose now to start," Michelle told him.

"What I should have said is I've had my fill of college-aged girls. It was fun while it lasted, but I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime. I prefer women who are a little more...settled."

"Settled. Oh, okay," she said smiling mindlessly.

Brock laughed then said, "I'm not trying to be vague, it's just hard to explain."

"That's fine. Again, this is none of my business. I was really only trying to make conversation. That's all."

"Ah, I see," Brock said still smiling.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Michelle asked feeling like she was the much-younger person.

"I like looking at you," he told her.

"What? What do you mean you like looking at me?" she said now clearly rattled.

"You really haven't been paying attention, have you?" he said with a smile. "You really are a very beautiful woman, Michelle. I try my best to be a gentleman, but I'm still a man, and it's hard not to notice when someone is that attractive to me."

"Me? I'm attractive to you? You can't be serious!" she said with disbelief and a flutter in her tummy.

"Yes. Very much so. Why? Is that so hard to believe?" Brock asked.

"Um...yes," she replied. "I mean, I'm not just over 30, I'm quite a bit over 30, and in case you hadn't noticed, I come with two children who aren't exactly bald-headed babies who smile cute little, gummy smiles."

"I believe you mentioned that and as I said before—I've noticed," he said, that smile of his plastered to his face.

It wasn't just the smile. It was also what he'd said and the way he was looking at her. It was a way that told her he really was interested in her, but for the life of her, Michelle couldn't figure out why. Were he 40 with a couple of kids of his own, then sure, she knew she wasn't a bad-looking woman—for her age. But Brock? Hot, sexy, gorgeous Brock Nothen? Come on. Get real already!

Neither of them spoke for a minute or so before Michelle said, "I need to get ahold of the owner of the beach house, but no one at the property management number I phoned returned my calls today."

"Really? That's not good," Brock said. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Oh, no. I need the management team to talk to the owner. I didn't pay for the cable TV package and well, this sounds terrible, but it was pretty tough not being able to turn it on. Emma and I have a lot of time to fill and it might be nice if..."

"Ah! Okay. Hold on," Brock said as he picked up his phone.

"Colleen? Hey. Good. How are you? Listen, could you turn the cable on in the beach house? Yeah, the other side. No, don't worry about the money. Just turn it on before you go home, okay? And speaking of going home, it's very late. Shouldn't you already be home?"

Brock laughed at her response then said, "Thanks, Colleen. You're the best."

He set his phone down then told Michelle, "You're all set. The cable is on."

"Wait. How did you do that?" she asked feeling very confused yet again.

"Easy. I just picked up the phone, called, and asked," he told her knowing that's not what she meant.

"No, not that. Why would they turn the cable on because you asked them to? What am I missing here?"

"Um, well. I um...I kind of own this place," he told her.

Michelle just sat there and looked at him for several seconds.

"You own this beach house?" she said not sure what to think.

"I do. And the camp."

"Okay. So...what exactly is it that you do? Other than serve as the camp director?" she asked after her assumptions had blown up in her face.

"I'm a property developer," he told her. "I own a company in Seattle."

"So you're not an unemployed beach bum," Michelle said as though she were confessing rather than asking.

"No. Sorry to disappoint you. I'm definitely employed. My dad helped me buy a piece of property for my 18th birthday. I made some improvements to it then sold it for a fair amount of money then bought another one. And then another one. By the time I got my MBA I owned a lot of property and started my own business."

He saw her just staring then said, "What? Is it really that surprising?"

"Boy, I couldn't have misjudged you more if I'd tried," Michelle also confessed. "Is there a rock anywhere nearby I could crawl under? A really big rock?"

Brock laughed then said, "It's okay. I get that more often than I care to admit. Well, from people who don't know me anyway."

"Could we maybe start over...again?" she said wincing as she said it.

Brock laughed again and assured her it was fine.

"I take no offense. I'd think the same thing if I saw a guy my age hanging out at the beach for a month. Or I'd maybe assume his parents owned the place and were funding his easygoing lifestyle."

"I've pretty much been wrong about everything so far, huh?" she said.

"Well, you were definitely wrong about me not thinking you're a beautiful woman," he told her.

"Oh, please! Not that again!" she said actually loving the compliment.

"May I ask you a question?" Brock said as he looked right at her in a way that completely unsettled her.

"You may," she replied wondering where this was going.

Very quietly he said, "If you're not beautiful, why do I find myself wanting to kiss you every time I'm near you?"

Michelle's eyes opened wide as did her mouth.

"You..what?" she said as though she hadn't heard him correctly.

"It's true, you know," he told her.

"You want to kiss me?"

"Uh-huh. Very much."

"But...why?" she asked.

Brock stood up, took a step her way then squatted next to her chair. He reached over and softly pushed her long, dark hair back behind her ear then said, "Why does any guy want to kiss any beautiful girl he's attracted to?"

Speechless and her heart racing, Michelle couldn't answer. She just stared at his gorgeous face until he began leaning in.

"What...what are you doing?" she asked as though he were giving her the plague.

"Evidently nothing," he said after she pulled away.

"I...I think I should go inside," she said feeling panicked more so than she could ever remember.

Brock moved away to give her some room as she stood up.

"I hope I didn't offend you," he said as he stood up, too.

"No. I just...I mean...I wasn't expecting you to...you know, and I just..."

"Got scared?" he asked as they stood facing each other.

Michelle's heart was beating like a drum as he stood there in front of her. He had to be at least 6 feet tall and he was only wearing a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts and she could very clearly see his amazing body underneath.

"Okay. Yes. I got scared," she said. "I told you I don't trust men anymore and I have to admit I'm...afraid."

"What are you afraid of?" he asked quietly.

"You know what, Brock. Of...getting hurt again."

He moved slightly closer, and Michelle wanted to move away, but her feet were frozen to the wood decking and she couldn't.

"I really like you," he told her.

He reached out and took one of her hands which she wanted to pull back, but like her feet, her hand had a mind of its own and went where his hand took it.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe I have feelings for you, Michelle?" he asked as he touched her cheek with the tips of the fingers on his other hand.

"I...because...I feel like..."

Michelle was feeling so many things she couldn't put them into words. Making matters worse, her attempt to do so was cut short when Brock leaned down and without warning kissed her. Again, her body wouldn't cooperate when her brain said to pull away or move or even run. It just stood still and her lips opened to meet his when his touched hers. Even worse she found herself kissing back as he softly pressed his lips against hers.

"That was very unexpected," was all Michelle could think of to say.

"That may be the most unusual reaction I've ever gotten from any woman after I kissed her," Brock teased. "No, that isn't true. I did get slapped in the face once so yours takes the silver medal. But I do give you a 9.6 for originality."

"Brock! Stop!" Michelle said. "I really was surprised by that."

"That I wanted to kiss you or that I actually did it after having tried once already?" he asked as he gently brushed her hair back.

"Yes," she told him unaware it wasn't a 'yes' or 'no' question.

"Are you upset that I did?"

"I...I'm not sure," she told him. "I think I'm kind of in shock."

"Well, then! That's more like it. At least you're implying there was some electricity there!"

Still too stunned to laugh Michelle just stared at him.

"If you're waiting for me to apologize, Michelle, that's not gonna happen, because I don't regret kissing you," he told her.

Then without warning, Michelle not only kissed him back, she nearly suffocated him between her arms wrapping around him like a boa constrictor, the kiss being so deep and so hard that Brock had to pull back after several seconds and gasp for air.

"Oh, my God!" Michelle said covering her mouth with her hands. "I have no idea why I just did that, Brock."

"I think I do," he said with a smile before taking her hand. "Come with me."

Again, her body went where her brain screamed not to go, and several, very quiet seconds later, she found herself in his bedroom with the door shut behind them.

"What...what are you doing?" she asked, her hands trembling and her entire body shaking.

"I want to make love with you," Brock told her as he ran the back of her hand along the side of her face.

"But...my children. They're right there," Michelle said pointing to the wall behind them.

"They're not right there," he told her with a smile. "There are two more walls and about 30 feet of space between us. "And if you're worried about someone coming inside, Jake barks at every visitor on either side."

Michelle didn't say a word so Brock continued by teasing her a little.

"Now that I've taken that reason for not making love with me away, are you trying to think up another one?"

"No. I mean, I'm not really sure. What if...what if I..."

"Fall in love with me?" Brock said finishing her thought.

"I just don't understand what's going on," she said aware again of his utterly flat stomach and amazing body as well as the way hers was more the messy aftermath of two children and a lot of stretch marks.

"Yes, you do," he said quietly. "You understand perfectly well. You just don't want to admit that I'm crazy attracted to you and that I want a serious relationship with you."

"So this isn't a...it's not a one-time thing?" she asked, her head still spinning so fast it made her want to sit down.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Brock told her. "I like you very much, Michelle. I also like both of your children, a lot. I've never cared whether or not I have children of my own or kind of inherit a ready-made family."

He kissed her forehead then said, "As long as it's with someone I love."

"I can't let my children get hurt," she said, her brain looking for one last excuse either for or for her to say 'no'.

"I won't ever hurt them. Or you," he promised. "Look, sex is easy. Love should be, too. It's commitment that's the hard part, and I'm ready to commit. For the first time in my life, Michelle, I'm ready to make a real commitment."

He looked right into her eyes then told her, "With you."

"But you barely even know me," she said quietly but insistently.

"I know you well enough to know that you're exactly what I've been looking for. I know you well enough to know I want to get to know you even better. And before you say it, I've worked with several hundred kids over the years, and both of yours are among the nicest I've ever met. So while I don't know everything about you, I know that I'd like to. Is that fair enough?" he finally asked.

Her body trembled as she looked into eyes before saying, "Yes. That's fair enough."

"As much as I want to make love with you, Michelle, I'm more than willing to wait if you're not as ready as I am," Brock said sincerely.

"No, I don't want to wait," Michelle said almost immediately.

She suddenly felt comfortable enough with this amazingly handsome younger man to have sex with him even if it didn't lead to anything long term, although she couldn't help but think—and hope—it just might.

"Just be kind when you see me undressed, okay? I have had two children," she told him already feeling apprehensive about letting him see her body.

"You worry too much," he told her with a kind smile. "You look perfect to me."